[REQ - LOGO] Oak City Bar and Grill $40

[BeTheDance]

Type of Contest : LOGO Design: TWO TREATMENTS read below

Prize : $50.00

Contest End Date & Time : Friday, June 18

Size Requirements : 1. TRANSPARENT 340 (300-340) x 80 (need larger version for print media as well)
2. More detailed graphic of logo (or expansion of the logo theme) without the horizontal constraint of the website position.

Color Requirements : Open, probably warm colors with cool accents

General Requirements : This is for a restaurant in Menlo Park Ca (Silicon Valley) where new management (more contemporary) is merging with the old management. Current logo is a too complex silouette of a large oak tree. Other than the "tree" it doesn't really convey anything. Need a more contemporary logo that speaks to great FOOD, a BAR and MUSIC -- while still having an "Oak" association.

Additional Information : The website is being redone. It's a Joomla site. I'm going with the Refraction Template from RocketTheme (Joomla Templates - RocketTheme Joomla Templates Club Demo Site). There is a new dance floor. The music is blues, jazz, mild rock and eclectic. The age group averages around 40.

If you look at the Joomla Template, I'm looking for a background color flavor of style 8.

So, the logo for the template will need to be something fairly simple with particular attention to the font treatment.

The old site is www.oakcitybarandgrill.com. They've done a lot remodeling.

I like the image background a bit of style 6, but NOT the purple. But that is NOT the end game. I also need to work on this image. (See the Preset Styles page for the variations.)

I would like two graphics. One -- the basic logo treatment that I can use in the template. The other, larger, more artistic treatment of the 'Oak Tree' or logo that is used in other media. The two graphics need to work well together and allow it to be used in other places on the site.

They currently have the "tree" etched in glass in multiple places in the restaurant. sigh.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BONUS:

I could use some help with the background graphic as well. The color placement of the background graphic is critical. It determines the readability of the overlaid text in this template as well as the overall look and feel.

My new dev site is: oakcitybar.com.

My starting point is this graphic:
http://oakcitybar.com/templates/rt_refraction_j15/images/backgrounds/bgstyle6/bgimage.jpg
Again, the purple doesn't work. I'm not married to that graphic but I like it. And it needs other elements added: I need to make overlay some images of cocktails, musical notes, a piano, people having a nice time, food.

I did a similar treatment with the same template on this site:
Intimacy Moves - Home.

I need the site to look, cool, hip, friendly, inviting, fun.

I can do another $25 for this image, but I think most of the designers here are more logo oriented. So, not sure this requirement is a good fit here, but I do need it as well.

The Fireworks version of the png file (includes the multiple backgrounds) is available for download here:
www.oakcitybar.com/images/refraction-bg-source.png

 

[BeTheDance]

I decided to keep the tag line out of the logo to keep it simpler.

 

[Neonic]

Is it still open?

 

[BeTheDance]

OOPS. I put the wrong date. I just started it. It's open until the 18th.

I just picked the template.

I need to revise the specs a bit. Will update the original post.

---------- Post added at 01:46 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:32 PM ----------

Could a mod please update the thread title. I decided to up the contest value to $50.

 

[Lithium]

What color of the refraction template will you be using? I've noticed there are several different preset styles you can select from.

 

[BeTheDance]

The background image -- which I still need to do, will drive the color selection of the accent colors, like font headings and such. It's easy to change the font colors.

So, I'm not totally set yet, but as far as the overall color of the backgroud (aside from the image) I like the background color of style 8, but not the orange font, probably go with a more golden/yellow font.

Due to "Oak" being a classic fall color presentation, I want to avoid a strong orange color. I think it will too much of a permanent "fall" look to it. I want a bit of a fresher, more upbeat feel.

But, I still want to work in the warm tones, brown, red, gold, yellow, some green.

 

[Lithium]

Quick question. You mention you still want the oak association. Does this mean you still want a tree?

 

[BeTheDance]

Not necessarily a tree, but if not a tree or a partial tree, something along the shape of an oak leaf. Definitely need to tie in the name visually somehow.

In looking for a shape to come up with a styled icon and sub-icon for a menu treatment when I was on a different path, I put this lightbox together after a search on 'oak' in istockphotos.

Don't know if it will serve as any inspiration, but here is the lightbox:
Royalty free stock images | Lightbox 'Oak City' managed by CavySpirit | iStockphoto.com

I was thinking that perhaps a styled oak leaf as part of the logo treatment, but something more detailed -- I'm not sure what -- to accompany it when there is room for a larger image.

But please also think: food, music, cocktails, friends.

Thanks.

 

[Lithium]

 

[BeTheDance]

Thank you, Lithium.

I roughed out the background to give you (and me) an idea of how it might or might not work on the site. See Oak City Bar and Grill.

My first reaction is that I need a little more sophistication. For a logo going down to the size I need on the site, the details of the martini are lost. I'm looking for less detail on the logo and more detail on the larger version.

Also, I'm not sure about having the alcohol be so dominant.

Just FYI, the template is a bit of mess right now because the top article slide show isn't working at the moment.

And I'd like the logo to convey a little more energy. Could be font treatment that's making me mention that.

My other comment is that the components don't seem to have a unity to them. I know it's a challenge.

Thank you very much.

 

[DU]

..

 

[Dakouten]

I have something in mind. Will post it here.

 

[Bob_M]

My Entry:

Background image: Imageshack - bgimagecopyg.jpg
Resized logo: Imageshack - logocopya.png

 

[umxca]

Here's an idea for the logo.

Just a suggestion: you may want to run 2 different contests. one for the logo(first using the desired gold color scheme) and another for the bg image in that order...thx

 

[BeTheDance]

To Bob_M:

Interesting ideas. I have to say I had a good chuckle when I saw the city treatment. Menlo Park -- the location of the restaurant -- is a quiet, rather upscale, bedroom community on the San Francisco Peninsula.

But the treatment of the bar and grill was interesting.

Music is a very key element that I want to promote.

I'd rather see a consistent font treatment of "Oak City" with a simple music element associated with it. I didn't care too much for the acorns.

The heavy font outline I think gives it less of a sophisticated look. It's a bit too cartoony and doesn't work as nicely as it could with the finer feel of the template. But it's an interesting direction. Again, I think the level of detail in the font can get lost in the smaller size, so simpler might be better.

Thank you!

---------- Post added at 09:54 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:37 AM ----------

To umxca:

I like the sophisticated look of the logo. I'm not sure if was intentional or not for graphic protection, but it's Oak City, rather than Oak Tree.

It would be interesting to see the font treatment with the "C" as it compares to the "O". One of the things one of the managers wants is to start to refer to the place as the "OC" -- although I'm not in agreement with that, but having an interesting treatment of the two might be interesting.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Regarding the background. I definitely considered running it as a second contest. However, my first contest here was for a very similar project and while I paid for the best effort, I didn't use it. I'm just not sure I'm going to have access to enough talent for the level of sophistication I'm looking for with it. It's critically important and drives the look of the site. The colors and gradations have to be in just the right places to work. And I am definitely looking for transparent overlays of different themes to work well together. Will comment more on this.

---------- Post added at 10:01 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:54 AM ----------

The background image:

I'm looking for a blended image done in the way of color intensities as the fireworks png file linked in the spec. This is necessary to keep the readability of the text on various pages on the site.

I am definitely looking for multiple images collaged together for this: music, piano, cocktails, friends, food (definitely like the grill image from Bob_M -- but it needs more than that).

And of course it needs to come together in a way that isn't too overwhelmingly complicated.

 

[umxca]

lol sorry about that i would like to say it was for graphic protection but?
I will work on your suggestions regarding the "C" and "O"
As far as the background goes I will hold off for now.
Regarding the logo i will assume that gold is the primary color your looking for.
thx

---------- Post added at 11:39 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:33 AM ----------

here's a revision thx

 

[BeTheDance]

I definitely like it. Tempting to add a music note or something somewhere, but I think keeping it clean is better.

 

[Bob_M]

here's a redo on the background, i will be submitting a new logo later:

 

[BeTheDance]

Bob_M, interesting idea with the silhouettes. But honestly, I can't use a freely created design. I really need the background to follow the same overall lighting treatment of the fireworks image in order for the text to show properly. In this one, there's too much light coloring in places where there will be a light colored font.

Thank you though. I can try it and show you later on the site to give you an idea.

---------- Post added at 11:01 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:00 PM ----------

Still hoping for some more logo designs. Thanks.

 

[dlight]

here my idea