Logo critique

[gwpriester]

Madhu

I like the design overall. It is corporate, without being too corporate.

That said, if you are going to use a deeper red, then I would not use black text, it is hard to read.

But more important, and this is the hard part that logo designers earn the big bucks for, what can you do with your card to imply a successful experience?

For example. If you sell houses, and have a picture of a for sale sign as your logo, people will know you are in the business of selling homes. Cool. But if you ad a SOLD sign onto the bottom of the sign, the logo becomes a positive statement, one which is important to a person looking for a agent to list his home.

What kinds of symbols can you think of to communicate this kind of success in your business? I don't have the answer off the top of my head, but were I working on the project, I would spends several days, or weeks, looking for the perfect symbol to express this.

Your business card is what people will remember you by, long after they have forgotten who you are.

Hope this helps.

Gary

Gary Priester

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[themadman]

Gary, thanks for your feedback. But I'd like to know which colour combination you mean when you say that you like the design.

I agree with you when you say a symbol would help. However, the real effect of a positive user experience is usually more money in online sales, for example. Or it could be happy customers/users. I somehow think that if put a dollar bill or a happy face, it would look really cheesy. It's a lot harder to express something that's not physical and tangible.

What do you think?

[gwpriester]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR> But I'd like to know which colour combination you mean when you say that you like the design. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

The first one. Red, black and white is a very agressive and positive color combination.

Yellow (warm yellow), black and white can be very effective too.

As for a symbol, agreed a dollar sign is a bit crass and obvious. But what about a full shopping cart icon, or a Checkout Now button, or something to that effect?

Gary

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[Ed Nadie]

MadMan,

You've gotten some great advice here, and I agree with most all of it, in particular the benefit of a wider text margin. Here are a few comments on a slightly different track....

(080) 536-7837

Phone number: Just as you removed the superfluous e-mail identifier, be consistent and get rid of 'Ph:'. Add a hyphen -- it's more readable, and more correct. To me, the abbr. ph. reflects a bad logical compromise between a possible need to clarify and no real need to clarify. I also recommend limiting blocks of text on the front of a card to three or four lines. Five lines make my eyes cross.

The arrow: It immediately calls attention away from the focus of the design. It reveals a hint of anxiety, that you fear your potential clients might be too dumb or indifferent to turn the card over without being prodded. Instead of being helpful, the arrow will likely cause people to turn the card over too quickly, then set it aside once they see a large block of text. This might normally be below the radar, but may be significant because the service you're selling is predicated on subtle sensitivity to people's reactions. If you need to explain your business concept, consider a folded card, with information on the inside.

Your title: You might want to reconsider the 'Principal Analyst' job description. To my ear, the overtone is defensive because it seems to labor the point that a consultant actually does some work: he analyzes. It also strikes me as mildly grandiose in that it suggests you're the head of a cadre of analysts. It's evident from your company name that you're a consultant. Who does the title benefit? Does it explain what you do or help get you one the phone? On the theory that superfluous elements weaken impact, you might dispense with a title on the card front, especially if your concept is radically user-centric and anti pro-forma.

Color scheme: I like your earthy brown/ lush purple scheme best. In place of black text on white background, you could try very dark purple on dusty white. A three color scheme might help create transitional movement, and entice the eye to linger. I don't consider specific color choice or symbolism as important as you seem to, however because the word Espressa is already 'caffeinated', I personally would avoid red or green which could easily over associate with coffee and its unpleasant side effects of too much or too little.

-- Ed Nadie