Designing a logo

[pauland]

Still passing me by. Why '11'?

[Big Frank]

“The trademark should embody in the simplest form the essential characteristics of the product or institution being advertised.” Paul Rand

I wonder if some of the budding designers who have submitted or critiqued the designs we have seen thus far could explain the significance of this crescent that many of you are saying "yes, I like that"? Why? What does this crescent signify? The moon? Islam? An omelette? What does this cresent have to do with either this word "ACT" or with storage? Nothing!

http://desktoppub.about.com/od/logos...gobasics_3.htm

A cresent is at least part of a circle. So, in design, circles are used to symbolize infinity and protectiveness. Circles could also suggest something well-rounded or complete. Circles also imply security. So far so good. The problem is, we don't have a full circle, we have a crescent, in effect an opened circle. Everything in what was our nice secure circle has been allowed to flow out. It's been released, let free, the element of 'Security' has been lost. A cresent is nothing but a tipped-over goldfish bowl.

Squares and rectangles, on the other hand, symbolize honesty, stability, equality, comfort, or familiarity, sometimes rigidity and uniformity.

People should try to understand the purpose of a logo and thought process that should go into designing a company brand? Reading this should provide you with some assistance:

http://www.ideabook.com/progress.htm

Look at some of the logos on the following website and try to understand what goes into a logo:

http://logotypes.designer.am/

Read this PDF and realise that designing a logo is almost a scinece, it is certainly an art:

http://www.smashlab.com/files/Unders...ign_screen.pdf

Just about all of the designs I have seen for this company are, in my subjective opinion, very very poor. I'm sorry if this sounds mean-spirited. It's not meant to be. I'm simply trying to illustrate that the design of a logo is a million miles away friom "Ooh that looks nice" if the person saying "Ooh that looks nice" is not the intended end customer.

The intended customer here is whom? It's somebody who wants to put something into storage. So what is Mrs Smith looking for in a company that is going to store her £3000 leather sofa whilst she is between houses? She's looking for:

• Security
• Reliability
• Honesty
• Stability
• Value for Money

As already indicated above, we could use a circle or a square in our logo. I have chosen a rectangle because I want to illustrate to Mrs Smith purerly by means of our logo that we can put her £3000 leather sofa in a secure box with thick walls and a padlock. I want her to look at our logo and feel confident that we can do what we say.

I have chosen either green or orange (haven't decided which) because although I want her to think we are solid, dependable and businesslike, I don't want her to think we are cold and corporate - beause we are approachable. Hence the use of warm, eco colours as opposed to cold greys or blues.

You'll notice I have deliberately put full stops into my letters A.C.T. This is because the word ACT reads like "Act" as in Symantec Act, Act like a Fool or the Act of a Play. We are not "Act", "Act" means nothing to anybody, but initials can mean anything, it can denote the three-word name of your company, the initials of your three daughters, whatever. But because it is three clear initials, it makes us quite unambiguously "Ay Cee Tee Storage".

As an aside, we are lucky because A.C.T. rhymes with A.D.T., who already have a worldwide reputation for security so although we are doing nothing to pass ourselves off as them this may work subliminally in our favour.

Finally we want to make sure our logo transfers well onto fax and other monotone media. Hence the black and the white logos.

Here endeth the lesson. My design is by no means the best anybody could do. I am simply trying to illustrate why some people actually make money from designing logos whilst other people make money putting stuff into containers with locks.

[pauland]

Great stuff Frank - a lesson to us all (I mean that) - thanks for the references.

Paul

[ankhor]

“The trademark should embody in the simplest form the essential characteristics of the product or institution being advertised.” Paul Rand

Good quote, but many designs are very popular and don't follow
that design.

I wonder if some of the budding designers who have submitted or critiqued the designs we have seen thus far could explain the significance of this crescent that many of you are saying "yes, I like that"? Why? What does this crescent signify? The moon? Islam? An omelette? What does this cresent have to do with either this word "ACT" or with storage? Nothing!

It surrounded the word act, like storage facilities inclose your goods.
And it is a simple recogniseable form.
But I shoudln`t reply, I am not a designer and only giving some inspiration.

http://desktoppub.about.com/od/logos...gobasics_3.htm

A cresent is at least part of a circle. So, in design, circles are used to symbolize infinity and protectiveness. Circles could also suggest something well-rounded or complete. Circles also imply security. So far so good. The problem is, we don't have a full circle, we have a crescent, in effect an opened circle. Everything in what was our nice secure circle has been allowed to flow out. It's been released, let free, the element of 'Security' has been lost. A cresent is nothing but a tipped-over goldfish bowl.

He showed what he has done so far(what i asked for) and was still busy with the idears. So he might have come to that.
And one design I liked that a keyhole so implying security. locked.

Squares and rectangles, on the other hand, symbolize honesty, stability, equality, comfort, or familiarity, sometimes rigidity and uniformity.

Very nice, but who knows somebody might think of a good design
without the textbook.
But still thanks for the pointers and the inspiration, you are finally
getting the idear.

People should try to understand the purpose of a logo and thought process that should go into designing a company brand? Reading this should provide you with some assistance:

Thank you for the URL, that stuff is what i was looking for in the
designers newsgroup on usent, not much of such usefull info there,
only putting down competitions, like you put down the freebee`s

http://www.ideabook.com/progress.htm

Look at some of the logos on the following website and try to understand what goes into a logo:

http://logotypes.designer.am/

Read this PDF and realise that designing a logo is almost a scinece, it is certainly an art:

I totally agree, but that doesn`t mean I wouldn`t try anything.
And what eople do with it, is there thing.

http://www.smashlab.com/files/Unders...ign_screen.pdf

Just about all of the designs I have seen for this company are, in my subjective opinion, very very poor. I'm sorry if this sounds mean-spirited. It's not meant to be. I'm simply trying to illustrate that the design of a logo is a million miles away friom "Ooh that looks nice" if the person saying "Ooh that looks nice" is not the intended end customer.

We supplied inspirations, I am not a designer, and if we are so poor and
whatever, why make such a fuss about freebee`s? They are substandard
according to you, so no competition to professionals, so why make
such a fuss about it?

The intended customer here is whom? It's somebody who wants to put something into storage. So what is Mrs Smith looking for in a company that is going to store her £3000 leather sofa whilst she is between houses? She's looking for:

• Security
• Reliability
• Honesty
• Stability
• Value for Money

As already indicated above, we could use a circle or a square in our logo.

I did in the first one, storage in a red circle. in the belly of an "elephant".
(big storage)

I have chosen a rectangle because I want to illustrate to Mrs Smith purerly by means of our logo that we can put her £3000 leather sofa in a secure box with thick walls and a padlock. I want her to look at our logo and feel confident that we can do what we say.

I have chosen either green or orange (haven't decided which) because although I want her to think we are solid, dependable and businesslike, I don't want her to think we are cold and corporate - beause we are approachable. Hence the use of warm, eco colours as opposed to cold greys or blues.

You'll notice I have deliberately put full stops into my letters A.C.T. This is because the word ACT reads like "Act" as in Symantec Act, Act like a Fool or the Act of a Play. We are not "Act", "Act" means nothing to anybody, but initials can mean anything, it can denote the three-word name of your company, the initials of your three daughters, whatever. But because it is three clear initials, it makes us quite unambiguously "Ay Cee Tee Storage".

As an aside, we are lucky because A.C.T. rhymes with A.D.T., who already have a worldwide reputation for security so although we are doing nothing to pass ourselves off as them this may work subliminally in our favour.

Finally we want to make sure our logo transfers well onto fax and other monotone media. Hence the black and the white logos.

Here endeth the lesson. My design is by no means the best anybody could do. I am simply trying to illustrate why some people actually make money from designing logos whilst other people make money putting stuff into containers with locks.

Well nice designs, feel better now?

[ankhor]

Another logo idear. (and I am an amateur so be kind )
(okay it`s not a KKK hood. )

[WolfMoonHP]

Frank---

Your suggestions are great. I, for one actually visited all the sites you linked to and downloaded and printed the pdf file on logo design.

The latter, by the way, says that the crescent is a symbol of progressive thought.

[Big Frank]

We supplied inspirations, I am not a designer, and if we are so poor and whatever, why make such a fuss about freebee`s? They are substandard according to you, so no competition to professionals, so why make such a fuss about it?

Because I care about design.

[ankhor]

Because I care about design.

And rightly so, and if they see how substandard we are, they
will see that they need a professional designer which is good
for you, so isn`t this a win-win situation?

I get to practice some, get some good pointers on logo`s
and the real designers can show the customer by our examples
why they need a real designer.

Or it must be that we are so good that you fear for your business

(Okay kidding, I have seen your work)

[pauland]

I think we can all learn on these forums, whether it's how to be a better designer or the value of humilty in our everyday lives. However good we are we can all learn from each other with good grace.

Paul

[jimimaxi2]

Still passing me by. Why '11'?

Couldn't delete my duplicate post, it wouldn't take a single space so...

11

right where one of my fingers was placed over the keyboard.

Jim C