So What Do You Think About This New Logo?

Almost afraid to ask... LOL

So before you jump the gun and start beating me upside my head that there's to much goin' on.....

Yes they wanted a metamorphosis of caterpillar into a butterfly... and yes, they wanted to somehow include the infinity symbol...

So the job was (in my head) to somehow combine the three and keep it looking somewhat like a logo... You think that was easy? Try it! LOL

http://mockupsites.xara.hosting/LOGOVER2MOCK/

Cliff

PS... not lovin' Ver. 17 — it does some weird sh_t. So I'm stickin' with 16 until 'The Real Thing Comes Along' (old song title)

Top right for no other reason than it looks cleaner (for lack of a better word).

The infinity sign goes really well with the butterfly as it resembles a flight path. The caterpillar part doesn't shine through for me. It doesn't look wrong, it doesn't distract either and it does tie the flight path and the flutterby together...I just don't see caterpillar.

Clean and stylish as usual, Cliff.

That was a tough brief but I think you’ve done an excellent job.

I also think the only issue for me is the caterpillar. When looking my eye was drawn straight to it and didn’t initially understand what it was. Sometimes that can be a good thing but I’m not sure it is in this particular case.

It seems to be slightly ‘cartoony’ which seems slightly at odds with the ‘straight’ dignified theme of the logo and subject matter. Of course you could argue that a bit of humour might be welcome at such a time when people are considering which company to choose. The caterpillar could even become their mascot!

I don’t have any suggestions how to change it other than perhaps making it ‘lighter’ using more of an outline rather than filled shapes.

Edit: I’ve just shown your logo to my better half and she loves it and thinks the caterpillar is great! :D

Quite impressed by that - good response to the brief.

I'd be a bit concerned that smaller sizes it may have problems because of the fine detail.

I think you did a cracking job. I like all of them and can imagine that a mix of them being used depending on the medium used (from web to signage).

Clean, professional, uplifting, and memorable.

If I had to choose it would be top right, but all should be useful.

Impressive. As you have a detailed monarch BF, I would have to suggest similar rigor for its caterpillar.

I don't like the mix of fonts though.

Acorn

Thanks to all for your thoughts.... with those in mind....

• Made the graphics slightly larger...
• Thickened up the antennas a little and...
• Changed the sub-head font to a thicker one... (Acorn)

Hope I didn't screw it up.... LOL

Did some quick (at their request) mock-ups of the business cards with the new logo... http://mockupsites.xara.hosting/LOGOVER2MOCK/

http://mockupsites.xara.hosting/MONARCH_LOGO_BUSCARDS/

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I know we all have our beef's with Magix/Xara, but even with all it's ................... (whatever) it's making me a major portion of my lively hood.

Questions:

What other design program will allow for a quick design with a quick upload so a client can see their potential product immediately?

What other design program will allow for both the designer & client to be viewing the work online together and have the client say
"could you change/add/delete _________, and you do it - then instantly upload and have the client see the changes instantly?

No 'Canva', 'Adobe Spark', 'Desygner', or even 'Xara Cloud' and it's sharing... (a pain) and limited capabilities!

With Xara desktop... design / upload / send the link / view together / discuss / make the changes / DONE!...

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ANOTHER EXAMPLE: "Cliff, I need a price list done. Here's the info."

I knock it out in Xara, upload, send the link, we go on together, discuss, make changes, come to a final, and.... DONE!...

http://mockupsites.xara.hosting/MONARCHPRICELIST/

Very impressive.

I wonder if Monarch knows something that we don't.
I never knew the death business was in such a rush.

Acorn

i don't normally comment on logos but these are good

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Acorn

Very impressive.

I wonder if Monarch knows something that we don't.
I never knew the death business was in such a rush.

Acorn

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LOL Actually Acorn... they're shut down as tight as any business...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by handrawn

i don't normally comment on logos but these are good

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Well, it's definitely an honor when Acorn & handrawn like the work! LOL

Normally, they scare the hell out of me!

oh surely not :)

just a big pussycat me

Quote:

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Originally Posted by handrawn

oh surely not :)
just a big pussycat me

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...and I'm not even a sapling!

Acorn

Here's a couple more mock-ups for this funeral home...

3-FOLD BROCHURE

IN-HOUSE WALL-RACK PULL CARD- (FRONT ONLY)

AND A SHORT PROMO VIDEO USING NEW LOGO - (EXPERIMENT)



MOCK-UPS - NOT FINALS

OK, first of all - the business cards.

I like the logo, but don't like the cards - too much small text. Older people will be reading them.

The brochures.

Not much of a fan of those, but I think that's partly a cultural thing.

"Loved one's". I am the apostrophe police. The apostrophe should not be there.

"..." on the end of headings? Yuk.

"Family Owned and Operated" - the heading has content below that has nothing to do with that fact. I know a lot of people are proud of this but in 2020 do their clients care (I understand it's important to the client)?

"Planning for the future" - smiling faces. Really?

The video.

Nice opener - that's where it should have stopped - with the logo. Presenting slabs of text for people to read kills the idea. If you want text make it longer - much, much longer and animate in sections.

Just me nitpicking as usual.

great looking Cliff.

Cliff, you are clearly highly productive and obviously Xara is your strength as you can turn around a design set in short order.

I do like your portfolio approach. You might consider Xara Cloud for Teams to handle brochures, business cards and other marketing as you can establish a corporate branding in that very quickly.
Obviously keeping the Xara Desktop application for web development. I see both would complement your work.

An extra outlay but Xara offered be a free XDPX, which I traded back for an Update Service extension.
The benefit to me was no more Magix.
Have a chat with Rob-Xar on Discord.

Acorn

Very nice logo, I think you nailed it.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by pauland

OK, first of all - the business cards.
I like the logo, but don't like the cards - too much small text. Older people will be reading them.

The brochures.
Not much of a fan of those, but I think that's partly a cultural thing.
"Loved one's". I am the apostrophe police. The apostrophe should not be there.
"..." on the end of headings? Yuk.

"Family Owned and Operated" - the heading has content below that has nothing to do with that fact. I know a lot of people are proud of this but in 2020 do their clients care (I understand it's important to the client)?
"Planning for the future" - smiling faces. Really?
The video -Nice opener - that's where it should have stopped - with the logo. Presenting slabs of text for people to read kills the idea. If you want text make it longer - much, much longer and animate in sections.

Just me nitpicking as usual.

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Than pauland... good nitpicking! Thanks for the grammatical stuff. I agree with all...As far as all else, these were just 'thrown together' as quick mock-ups and most likely will go through many design changes. THANKS!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Acorn

Cliff, you are clearly highly productive and obviously Xara is your strength as you can turn around a design set in short order.

I do like your portfolio approach. You might consider Xara Cloud for Teams to handle brochures, business cards and other marketing as you can establish a corporate branding in that very quickly.
Obviously keeping the Xara Desktop application for web development. I see both would complement your work.

An extra outlay but Xara offered be a free XDPX, which I traded back for an Update Service extension.
The benefit to me was no more Magix.
Have a chat with Rob-Xar on Discord.

Acorn

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Thanks for all the info Acorn.... Just one thing... I can't wrap my head around Xara Cloud (yet). I'm liking it more and more with each development they go though but I'm still most comfortable and fastest on Desktop.

Thanks xtom... yup! That's the one they settled on.

about two hours ago or so I get an email that that have a brick wall in the F. Home that they want to put a 24x36 poster on....

"Can we see some samples (mock-ups) with maybe a butterfly background and the new logo?"

I just sent this link...

you see, that's what I mean about Xara... fast fast fast... Do it, Upload, Send link, Discuss and get er done...

Oh yeah... $$$ After I give them the final, it's in their hands. I'm done!
What do you think I'm gonna charge these folks for a final PDF poster that
THEY are going to have printed out.

I'll probably charge them about $150 for one of the 'works of art'.:rolleyes: All of 3 hours work!

Top left, I love the woods. I don't care how you frame it that is the one.

You're drastically undervaluing your worth and your value to their company. You have seen their price list haven't you.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by cmpan1

Almost afraid to ask... LOL

So before you jump the gun and start beating me upside my head that there's to much goin' on.....

Yes they wanted a metamorphosis of caterpillar into a butterfly... and yes, they wanted to somehow include the infinity symbol...

So the job was (in my head) to somehow combine the three and keep it looking somewhat like a logo... You think that was easy? Try it! LOL

http://mockupsites.xara.hosting/LOGOVER2MOCK/

Cliff

PS... not lovin' Ver. 17 — it does some weird sh_t. So I'm stickin' with 16 until 'The Real Thing Comes Along' (old song title)

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Very elegant solution. Top right for me, as I'm just a fan of monochrome styling/logos. You can add color later, but if the shapes don't hold up, then color won't save it (with a couple of exceptions of course...there's always exceptions).
I'm curious what ideas ended up in the bin for this one...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ss-kalm

You're drastically undervaluing your worth and your value to their company. You have seen their price list haven't you.

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Yes, everyone wants you to work at maximum quality then when you deliver, they don't want to pay for it. Sadly, graphics are one of those things that people don't notice when it's done to perfection. They think good design just falls out of the sky, or even worse these days, some AI craps out it when you move a couple of sliders in an app...then there's the people that believe that just because they have some kind of vector or raster graphics software they moderately understand how to use, this alone makes them just as capable as someone who's been in the industry for 30 years or something.

Human nature is at the heart of these problems, sadly...

Cliff,

What is your process for making the video. Are you using Xara for all of layout and animation of the text?

Ray

Quote:

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Originally Posted by RKissane

Cliff,

What is your process for making the video. Are you using Xara for all of layout and animation of the text?

Ray

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RKissane... I usually do everything and anything I can in XARA. Then I head on over to Camtasia to put the pieces together including Camtasia animations... and finishing touches.

Here are just a couple of XARA graphics/or layouts in combination with Camtasia

1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M15cxGvWtaQ - This 5 or 6 simple panels I did in Xara first.

2. This I posted on their Instagram.... https://www.instagram.com/tv/B9Pbcxz...on_share_sheet
As a matter of fact, ALL the graphics & posts over there are 100% Xara.

There's a bunch more... but I can't remember now where they are...:p (gettin' old)

PS. Camtasia pretty good for people like me who are totally lousy at video.... here's one I did just in Camstasia ( another little promo )
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Utu...ew?usp=sharing

and this one: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Bi9...ew?usp=sharing