Logo design...

[Ross Macintosh]

Earlier today a friend asked me to design some logo ideas for his ministry. He's the director of a Christian nature retreat. I had an idea about fellowship and trees as symbolic of nature and growth. Xara X's brush tool made it very simple to construct the idea and then develop a number of variations.

I would very much appreciate any input from fellow forum users.

Regards, Ross

<a href=http://www.designstop.com/>DesignStop.Com</a>

[Ross Macintosh]

Here's a variation - although I dropped the tree thing and changed the "man" to a family.

Regards, Ross

<a href=http://www.designstop.com/>DesignStop.Com</a>

[Wolfgang]

Ross,

I slightly prefer the second variation.
Not only do I like it more, I guess it is also more 'practical' by means of format.

If you are not fixed to red, I would try to change the color of either the words or the family ..

Wolfgang

[Ross Macintosh]

Wolfgang - I know what you mean about "format" and see that the relationship of the words to the graphic in the second example is more likely to work better for letterhead, cards, etc.

I didn't give much thought to the colour - at this point I don't know all the ways my friend might use the logos and I don't know how they will be reproduced. I took the default approach that the design should work in a single colour whatever that could be.

Below is another variation - I call it "fractal".

Regards, Ross

<a href=http://www.designstop.com/>DesignStop.Com</a>

[magyarb]

I prefer the latest version. It begins taking shape.

[Ross Macintosh]

Here's another variation...

Regards, Ross

<a href=http://www.designstop.com/>DesignStop.Com</a>

[Mark (theKeeper)]

I agree with Balazs. [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]

[RTK]

I think they all look great but... I would prefer the "family" logo from your second post with the type from your fourth post.

The family logo would work better in a smaller format compared to the more complicated and detailed logo's. The simple type from the forth post is easy to read and the mixed type make it more interesting.

The only thing that I would change with the family logo is to somehow get rid of the empty white square in the middle. It makes it look a bit "hard?". How about stretching the legs and punshing it out with a circle instead? Leave it as an empty circle or add something visually interesting in the middle? You could also show the continuation of the stem in the circle if you would like to turn it into a tree.

Just my humble opinion.

Risto

P.S Great postcard! - You can't get anymore NS than the BLUENOSE! (Blue noose is one of the other lesser known NS ships) - Message edited

[This message was edited by Risto Klint on February 20, 2001 at 08:37 AM.]

[Wolfgang]

I am absolutely with Risto!

I still like the family best and it is still the one most likely to look good on all media.

For the type, I would not mind the 'original' one (2nd post). You should try to place both fonts saying the same words next to each other and decide by heart.

Wolfgang

[amoore]

Most of the versions you've tried so far don't look very friendly, relaxing or introspective -- which are words that I would apply to a "retreat". I think the closest you've come is the olive version.

Try giving the olive circle (which has a nice depth and inner focus) a tree trunk and letting the text sit under the tree as you did in the first version, but with rounder, friendlier lines. A trunk with a solid base is also comforting and grounding -- two more qualities a retreat is supposed to offer.

Attached is a quick and dirty revision.

I would relate the version 1 logo to a religious elementary school or summer camp. Version 2 looks more like a social outreach program (color and typeface say it's very action-oriented). Between the sharp edges, militant typeface and black color, version 4 is disturbing. I want to exit quickly in the opposite direction, whatever it is.

Allison

[This message was edited by Allison Moore on February 20, 2001 at 10:38 AM.]