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Design a Logo for XaRT
Come One and Come All.
Submit your Original Logo Design for Xara Registry Tool or XaRT in this thread. Once we have a bunch of designs we'll have a poll to narrow the choices. Then Grace as project lead or whoever she designates will pick the final winner.
Entries made in this forum remain solely the copyright of the submitter. The winner of the competition will however have to agree to formally donate the logo to the project or offer some kind of perpetual use licence. Because this will be the project logo, and not a reusable object, we probably should not release the artwork under the the standard CC licence. Suggestions requested on how to handle this can be made in this thread.
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Re: Design a Logo for XaRT
Attachment 96051
I never knew Bill Taylor and think he had passed before I began visiting this board.
He must have been quite the gentleman to generate such activity in his honor. As such,
I would like to submit my XaRT logo design.
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Re: Design a Logo for XaRT
Thank you for contributing and kicking off the logo contest.
I'm sorry you never knew Bill, he was a fine gentleman and you may run into him yet, many of his posts -his tips, his encouragements on these forums are still timely and valued.
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Re: Design a Logo for XaRT
I thought I'd add this into this thread. I originally posted it in the artwork thread.
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Re: Design a Logo for XaRT
Here are some logo ideas from me.
If we want the horse symbol, then I've tried to incorporate that with some ideas.
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Not very good with logos but gave it ago anyway, and I see there is great logos submitted already which are excellent :D
Stygg.
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Re: Design a Logo for XaRT
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Rik
Here are some logo ideas from me.
If we want the horse symbol, then I've tried to incorporate that with some ideas.
Rik, I like no.2 and no.5 :)
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Re: Design a Logo for XaRT
Quote:
Originally Posted by
jamesd
Rik, I like no.2 and no.5 :)
Thanks James.
Your feedback is really appreciated.
If I can give you some feedback, in return?!
I like the idea you have and the artwork of the axe and feather is brilliant.
The only problem I have is that The 'X' does not form part of the word 'XART'
So, when you look, all you can see is the word 'ART'
My comments are meant as feedback, and not criticism.
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Re: Design a Logo for XaRT
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Rik
Thanks James.
Your feedback is really appreciated.
If I can give you some feedback, in return?!
I like the idea you have and the artwork of the axe and feather is brilliant.
The only problem I have is that The 'X' does not form part of the word 'XART'
So, when you look, all you can see is the word 'ART'
My comments are meant as feedback, and not criticism.
Hi Rik, I see what you mean:), The font is too bold if I make the graphics smaller. I will try some other fonts;)
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Please Stop designing and read this first!
I’m not going to be thanked for this, but largely you folks are spinning your wheels and using your time to design layouts and artwork that are not a logo for XaRT.
If you haven’t worked at an ad agency, or a commercial printer, or if you’re not Gary Priester (who's been doing commercial logos for decades), you probably cannot define, and hence design “a Logo”.
These submissions are great and inspired artwork, but they are not logos and they are not logotypes. Let me define here:
• A logo is an identifying graphic, which may or may not require additional text to make it clear who the company it and what it does. For example, Apple, Inc. uses the highly-recognizable stencil of an apple with a bite missing. Apple is often confident enough of their logo that they don’t need to “spell it out” and no text accompanies the logo. McDonald’s hedges (but might not need to) by integrating the company name with the golden arch silhouette logo; Dolby Systems and Arm & Hammer use a distinguishing graphic as their logo.
• A logotype spells out the name of a company or product by customizing text with a simple graphic, or occasionally not using a graphic at all, but instead the logotype is basically a typeface commissioned for exclusive use. Google is a perfect example of a corporate logotype: Catull, a Roman serif font from the Berthold type foundry is used to identify the Web giant. Microsoft used Helvetica Black Italic for almost two decades as their logotype, with that tiny notch missing from the second “o”. Perhaps the most highly recognizable logotype is Walter E. Disney Enterprises, the hand script opens Disney films. Alternatively, Disney uses the mouse ear silhouette as a logo on several of their retail items.
If you can say it with a picture, text becomes subordinate and you need to ask yourself whether the text is really necessary. Today, we live by icons: icons are internationally understood and if a product or company lends itself to the visual gestalt of depicting exactly what a company does instead of using text, you’ll well on your way to designing a terrific logo.
Whatever Grace decides on from these submissions, we really need to do her a service by creating a logo that is descriptive, attractive, and catchy—it should have a visual “hook”. Here’s a mock example of the logo creation process: Lost Coral Antiques in Boca Raton, Florida. The small business is seafaring in flavor, so working a ship’s wheel as the “o” in “Lost” is appropriate, and besides, I see ship wheels for sale in antique stores by the ocean all the time. First, you design something in black and white, to see how it will look when printed on paper. One color logos are a “pure” art form: there is no escaping whether the design works or not when you remove color.
Attachment 96091
Then you see how it works in color. I used (appropriate) Floridian colors, the salmon and contrasting grass green, but other schemes certainly are worth a try. Then I embellished it, as it might appear in full color ads without products or anything else. This might work in the store front window, but always, the logo is the predominant element. The seahorse in both versions is subordinate, it complements the logo, as does the seaweed. They help complete the picture, but they are not the picture. Please "get" the idea of this graphic and not how it could be improved. I worked in haste here!
If you go to the "Creating a Logo" tutorial, I did an introduction to designing a logo on the March 2012 Xara Xone video tutorial. Just watch the first 3 minutes, you’ll get a better idea of successful and unsuccessful logos.
And I think we’ve submitted enough logos with a horse, and please take this observation as constructive criticism: a critical evaluation of the XaRT logo—and you know that the “Art Critics” that occasionally troll around here will be critical—says that the horse is actually Bill Taylor’s logo and not strictly the XaRT logo, okay? If Apple, Inc. used a wine glass as a logo because Steve Jobs liked wine…you’d never know what the company is at a glance. Be representative of what the product is, not how we want to remember Bill. Grace and other contributors are doing an earnest service to the memory of our friend by building this utility. I’m sure there will be room on the Help menu for a written and graphical tribute, which is sort of where a stallion image is appropriate.
To jump start a new and more appropriate avenue of graphics here, think of what this thing is: it's a tool. How can immediately identifiable tools work with text? A wrench turning a registry entry, or one of the characters in XaRT? It's a Registry tool. What's in the Registry? A lot of numbers and values. Can you use a whole shipload of characters and numbers to make a texture within the XaRT lettering? These ideas have been done many times before; you judge whether you want to revisit this motifs, but do understand that they are immediately identifiable as the graphic foundation of what the product or idea is.
I’m sorry for the length of this, but I felt strongly (because I am not entering this competition) that everyone needs to begin with a clear assignment... and many of us, for decades, have been approaching logos as a spectator and not a creator. We can’t always learn by example; you should see how I worked on our car just because I know what a car looks like.
Our car makes a great paperweight now.
My Best,
Gary
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Re: Design a Logo for XaRT
I would just like to add that we need something that will work well on the splash screen, as an icon and a favicon(possibly). And we may give thoughts to a background to the input(form) pages. So, as Gary said, I don't think any of you are close yet. But we have plenty of time - Steve and I are only just getting started on the design document. So don't go rushing things.
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Well, here are a few starters from me.
I will take into account - Icon/Favicon next go round.
Everyone..!
Feel free to use/better any concept elements from any designs I submit. I don't feel this should be a competition, but, more of a gathering of creative minds.
I don't post a lot, but do know, I am always visiting here for ideas or solutions to a problem I may have.
Regards,
mindseye.
Attachment 96093
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Re: Design a Logo for XaRT
I like those, especially the fifth from the top.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
mindseye
Well, here are a few starters from me.
I will take into account - Icon/Favicon next go round.
Everyone..!
Feel free to use/better any concept elements from any designs I submit. I don't feel this should be a competition, but, more of a gathering of creative minds.
I don't post a lot, but do know, I am always visiting here for ideas or solutions to a problem I may have.
Regards,
mindseye.
Attachment 96093
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Re: Design a Logo for XaRT
Quote:
Originally Posted by
mindseye
I don't post a lot, ...]
mindseye, really consider posting a lot!
Your playfulness with the gear is a wonderful beginning. If the gear, perhaps with the X inside of it can be another variation on your theme, you have a great icon for the utility.
I also like your unsused concept of working five pixels into an "X".
@ everyone: here's some fast food for thought (that was a self-deprecatory pun):
• Play with color and also with "negative space". If I were to redesign the logo for A1 steak sauce, it might look like this, using negative space:
Attachment 96094
So, a very nascent approach to mindseye's gear motif might look like this is we used negative space for the counter in the lowercase "a":
Attachment 96095
And as a companion piece with the same approach, the icon might look like this, because icons need to be very simple for small sizes:
Attachment 96096
•Experiment with iconic representations of what this thing does: use tools, gears, numbers, and so on.
Most importantly, begin with an idea, a concept. All the art skills on Earth won't get us the logo we need if there isn't a strong, flexible, extensible idea behind your creation.
And no, this is not a competition. It's a group effort and I'd like to jam with you people instead of submitting a design.
My report cards used to say, "Gary works well with others."
-g
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Thanks for the input.. Agree, agree and agreed. ;)
Per your suggestion Gare..
Attachment 96101
Critiques are always accepted and welcome.
Another idea as was finishing that one up. I did a logo recently that some of the concept may fit in without over complicating the mark.
Attachment 96102
The bits coming off could be representation of the "registry data" in motion.. just a thought. Might try integrating that some way.
Also, I will post the source files after a bit.
We used to play a game called "Can You".. Kinda like the "Scribble" thing you do here.Take what one has done and add to it, etc.
Could be fun.
Regards,
mindseye.
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Well.
I too had been thinking about gears.
I was also thinking about the 'x' in the gear. But, I didn't want the letter x itself.
I wanted less cogs on my gear, giving me a chance to make an 'X'
So, here's a couple from me and I'm sure in our efforts we will come up with something really good.
Gary: Thanks for the good lessons and I'm sure we will do our best to put it into practice.
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Re: Design a Logo for XaRT
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Barbara B
Come One and Come All.
Submit your Original Logo Design for Xara Registry Tool or XaRT in this thread. Once we have a bunch of designs we'll have a poll to narrow the choices. Then Grace as project lead or whoever she designates will pick the final winner.
Entries made in this forum remain solely the copyright of the submitter. The winner of the competition will however have to agree to formally donate the logo to the project or offer some kind of perpetual use licence. Because this will be the project logo, and not a reusable object, we probably should not release the artwork under the the standard CC licence. Suggestions requested on how to handle this can be made in this thread.
Thought I would take a shot at this logo. I think the logo should be somewhat bold, since we are talking about registry tool. Looking at some of the submissions using the horse as strong and bold, I complimented the horse idea with bold text message.Attachment 96104
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Just a quick comment, @ Rik, or two—
I think the "X" is too subtle within the gear. You can "play your hand", and force the reading by making the "X" a different color.
I like it, though. I think we're beginning to jam on the idea of a gear...I like the concept! Concept is everything.
@Everyone—start looking around at good examples of typography. Find interesting and also utilitarian typefaces.
Rik, your use of Futura is a strong one (pun intended) but I'd like to see more of the kerning and creative linking of parts of characters like mindseye did with the "R" and the "T".
By the way, mindseye, I think everyone should pay attention to what you did typographically. That's almost exactly the font used in Xara's logo. The more the logo looks as thought it's a companion to Xara, the more easily people will begin to understand what the utility is for, right?
I am not suggesting that everyone tries to use Xara's logo, but fitting text together is interesting, or it can be. The favicon for the Xara Xone is a simple, blocky arrangement of negative space and alternating characters:
Attachment 96106
Attachment 96107
I'm just throwing out ideas.
Riff on them, eh?
My Best,
Gary
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I like the symmetrical'ness of the cog and the X.
I'm attaching the gear logo.. It's a bit cleaner and laid out better than what I posted.. ;)
Attachment 96108
mindseye.
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Re: Design a Logo for XaRT
Quote:
Originally Posted by
chasventre
I think the logo should be somewhat bold, since we are talking about registry tool. Looking at some of the submissions using the horse as strong and bold, I complimented the horse idea with bold text message.
Hi chasventre, welcome to TalkGraphics, and thanks for your thoughtful submission.
It would be good if you went back to post #12 and read through some of the criteria for a good logo. You have good ideas: strong, yes, a tool that can edit the Registry without blowing up your computer is indeed a potent tool.
But I'd ask you to take a look at some of the recent submissions, forget about the horse, and just think about how to graphically convey the name, or the tool's purpose, or both, with an economy of shapes. Look at the Apple logo, for example. It's pretty darned striking but beautifully simple and part of the beauty is its simplicity.
We'll need something that works well in one color and different sizes.
I'd love to see a post here that describes what they'd like to do in words, in text, no drawing.
How would that be for a challenge? If you can describe an idea with words, how much harder is it then to draw it?
I'm just suggesting an exercise here that will force you to think about the concept of the logo before drawing it.
My Best,
Gary
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Re: Design a Logo for XaRT
I like the gear idea, and I've given this some thought and what the registry tool basically does is toggle certain registry keys on and off and some of those registry keys do allow extra settings so I had a quick play with a toggle switch and a combo of a switch and a very simplified gear.
Edit: One thing I noticed in a few ideas posted so far is the incorporation of the Xara logo or the Xara X and while the XaRT tool is being made to work with Xara software it is not Xara and their logos are AFAIK copyrighted trademarks.
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Re: Design a Logo for XaRT
Quote:
Originally Posted by
mindseye
I like the symmetrical'ness of the cog and the X.
I'm attaching the gear logo.. It's a bit cleaner and laid out better than what I posted.. ;)
Attachment 96108
mindseye.
I love the design AND your approach, mindseye. You're doing something cool with the drop-shadows, very subtle, more like an emboss effect.
@Everyone—If you don't own Fustian, what mindseye did for the subtext, I believe this is a "tribute font" to Frutiger Condensed, they're very similar.
My Best,
Gary
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Re: Design a Logo for XaRT
@ Frances—
I love the idea of an on/off toggle switch.
And I can tell you right now it's such a strong icon, that it will fight, not complement the gear.
You got something very strong here. Develop it without the gear. Perhaps use it inside the hole in the lowercase "a"?
-g
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Re: Design a Logo for XaRT
Thanks for the input all..!
@ angelize -
Thank you for addressing the Trademark issue. I should have asked that from the get go.
I don't see a problem with a similar font style, do you?
mindseye / Vic.
EDIT:
Thanks for the font reference -
Take a look at OpenSans as well.
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Re: Design a Logo for XaRT
Gary: Thanks for the feedback.
I was thinking of the 'X' inside the gear and thought that it might have a gold look. Black gear and gold X.
I just haven't tried it yet - to see what it might look like.
I shall do that as soon as I get a chance.
I deliberately didn't make the 'X' thicker.
But, it's only when you get feedback, do you know that others might actually like it better with a thicker X.
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Re: Design a Logo for XaRT
@all—
I don't see a problem with incorporating the distinctive "x" that The Xara Group used to use on the splash screen.
XaRT is not spelled the same way as "Xara" so naturally there are unavoidable differences, thus you are not copying a logo, thus not infringing on it.
Generally it's good to err on the side of caution, but here we have an open source project designed to work with Xara. Okay, niether Frances nor I are copyright lawyers, so I can't advise anyone.
Would a programmer from The Xara Group like to step in and advise?
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The flip side of this is I think a good designer with a good concept can do an original logo that reminds you of Xara and doesn't copy the text in any way. When I want to get close but not too close, I usually use Antique Olive. I have no idea what Xara actually uses.
-g
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Re: Design a Logo for XaRT
Here is another go with the toggle switch idea. The font I used in this one is Gill Sans extra bold condensed. I converted it to shapes and modified the letters a bit so it's not true to the font.
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The art is attached if anyone wants to show me up...which should be easy.
Attachment 96110
-g
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Re: Design a Logo for XaRT
All the artwork I have seen on these forums is great, but, (you knew that was coming right) you will need a 32 x 32 bitmap or icon to use as the icon for the application.
EricB
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Re: Design a Logo for XaRT
Hi Eric and welcome to TalkGraphics.
I alluded to the need for an application icon earlier in the thread. From a design standpoint, therefore, whatever Grace decides on will need to be reproducible at small sizes.
Actually, we will need several different sizes for icons because Windows 7, XP, 8 and so on use different sizes, and you can actually change the size of Desktop icons. 32 × 32, 48 × 48, 96 × 96, and up to 256 square I believe.
I'd have to ask Grace how this is implemented, but yes, this issue should be on our To Do List.
My Best,
Gary
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Gary your toggle switch inspired me. I created a stylized version of the switch and played with some different ways to integrate it with the letters and some ways to use it as an icon
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Re: Design a Logo for XaRT
@Frances—
I think rotating it slightly helps, gains interest.
I don't feel it's visually integrated with the text yet, though, sorry!
Make the text the hero, or make the switch, but not both, because then they fight with each other for visual importance.
K.I.S.S. is an acronym for designers, too, and if a piece feels overworked, strip it down until it's at its essentials.
You find Truth and you discover Art this way.
-h
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Ok I made the text the hero in this one and I placed the switch in the centre of the X to represent toggling Xara registry keys.
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The toggle thing is growing on me.. Good one Angelize..!
I borrowed from your idea of clipping the a with the X.. Hope you don't mind. ;)
I, as you can see, am still stuck on the gear thing.
Attachment 96119
Showed the various Window Icon sizes sizes as well as some different bg colors etc.
Regards,
mindseye / Vic.
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Re: Design a Logo for XaRT
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Gare
Hi chasventre, welcome to TalkGraphics, and thanks for your thoughtful submission.
It would be good if you went back to post #12 and read through some of the criteria for a good logo. You have good ideas: strong, yes, a tool that can edit the Registry without blowing up your computer is indeed a potent tool.
But I'd ask you to take a look at some of the recent submissions, forget about the horse, and just think about how to graphically convey the name, or the tool's purpose, or both, with an economy of shapes. Look at the Apple logo, for example. It's pretty darned striking but beautifully simple and part of the beauty is its simplicity.
We'll need something that works well in one color and different sizes.
I'd love to see a post here that describes what they'd like to do in words, in text, no drawing.
How would that be for a challenge? If you can describe an idea with words, how much harder is it then to draw it?
I'm just suggesting an exercise here that will force you to think about the concept of the logo before drawing it.
My Best,
Gary
Thanks Gary,
Took your advice and added words that might work for registry tool logo are;
- strong
precise
confidence
bold
trustworthy
keys to the castle
penetrate
multifunctional
guards
guided
dependable
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Re: Design a Logo for XaRT
I think there could be something, Larry, with on/off lights above the name, or little DIP switches, you know like you had to set on the motherboards?
-g