[REQ-LOGO] - Simple logo for job-related website

[domino66]

Type of Contest: Logo design
Prize: $30
Contest End Date & Time: Wednesday June 27th, 11:59pm EST

After running this successful contest last month, I need another logo for a job-related website. The name of the website is:

***NOTE TO DESIGNERS: Please do not write the website name above in this thread. I don't want it to get crawled by search engines.***

HERE is a link to my site layout. The logo will go in the upper-left as indicated.

Size: No specific size requirement, but it will be positioned in the traditional upper-left corner of our website (see my site layout).

Color: Use blue as the primary color, but the use of other colors as appropriate is OK too. The logo will be positioned against a dark grey background (see my site layout), so it should either:
(a) use lighter colors OR
(b) if it's going to be darker, then it should have light edges or shadow effect so it stands out.

Description: You don't need to use any job-related pictures or clipart...the logo doesn't need to be anything more than a stylized version of the site name:

Just like these popular logos, for example, don't use any descriptive pictures...just a stylized version of their site names:

Lastly, for your submissions, please show them against the dark background that I use in my site layout here, so that I can get a good idea of what the finished product will look like.

 

[mst1]

Thanks for detailed feedback .
With Cooper Black font :

 

[matt0216]

I'll post dome revisions tomorrow, thanks for the feedback.

 

[domino66]

A general question/comment, mst1: what program are you using to create your designs, and are you sure you're saving them at the highest quality/resolution? All of your designs look like lower resolution images compared to other entries...the edges of the text and oval seem blurry / not very crisp...

 

[mst1]

I use Adobe Photoshop :
Width:600 px
Height:400 px

Resolution : 300 pixels/cm

 

[BlueOrange]

100% vector adobe illustrator - scalable to any size without loss of quality!
FYI - Photoshop is not vector and should not be used for designing logos.

---------- Post added at 10:50 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:42 AM ----------

Sample of quality when scaled!

 

[mst1]

Nowhere in the description is not specified the logo should be in vector format .

 

[BlueOrange]

That's right mst1, but logos should be designed using vector software such as Illustrator, Corel Draw etc... Using Photoshop limits the client to how he/she wants to use it in the future, especially for printing, business cards etc. You can not scale raster formats and keep the quality.

 

[mst1]

100% Vector Adobe Illustrator

 

[bypk]

Updated design.

 

[domino66]

Hi all,

Thanks for the submissions to this date. (And yes, mst1, you're right that I didn't specify vector format, but I thought that it was more or less implied, so thanks for switching to that; it also makes your designs look much crisper in general, and I would suspect the winning entry to be sent to me in that format so I can use it in whatever way I want, as blueorange said.)

My current thoughts are the following: mst1, I like your design concept the best -- i.e. an abstract oval / circle shape, with text on top of it. However, I also need to be completely honest that I haven't been sold on any of the actual logos you've put together. In the most recent one, for example, the colors just aren't working for me at all: you've gone back to using the bright white oval, and the light blue text with white borders makes the whole thing kind of blend together too much...there's not enough contrast.

I've used Photoshop a little bit before, so I toyed around a little bit and played with some blending options and gradients, and was actually able to create some logo examples myself:

I'm not even all that great with Photoshop, so I'm sure that you and/or others can do even better than the logos I was able to create above. But I think you'd agree that using a gradient makes the text pop much more. (Also, I don't really know how to make vector images...so that's another reason I'm hoping that one of you design wizards will be able to improve on the above.

Since we're getting to near the end of the contest, I think the best way to proceed is this:

1) please use the SV Basic Manual font. That's the one I like best. Use ALL lower-case letters.

2) Do your best to show me something that pops as much as the examples I made above, hopefully even better.

3) ANYONE is free to submit their design using your (mst1's) concept...I think the fairest thing to do is this: if someone else uses your concept and makes a design I choose as the winner, I'll pay you a $10 bounty anyway for coming up with the concept. Fair?

Hope this is enough direction for you all.

 

[BlueOrange]

 

[domino66]

Looks good, blueorange. I really dig the dark shadow you put beneath it that makes it look like it's floating.

- Can you make the blue color just a tad lighter...like maybe half way between what you have now, and the blues I used in my attempts above?

- Only other comment is that the "shine" effect is a little too strong...like around/behind the letter "b"...if you could pull back a little on the bright-whiteness there.

Looks good though!

 

[BlueOrange]

Thank you domino66! Here is a revision based on your feedback.

 

[dezierr]

Feedback please

 

[domino66]

Thanks for your entries, dezzier, but in this thread (esp the post I made yesterday), I mentioned using a specific font, and all lower-case letters. But I think your design is a little "tech-y" / "futurisitic".

@blueorange: Thanks for the revision; I'd like to ask to see one more style...I keep looking back and forth between your designs, and the 4 amateur ones I created myself, and I'm wondering whether using a very subtle drop-shadow around the letters would help them "pop" / stand out just a little bit more...

I'm not 100% sure this will have the desired effect, but it might give the borders of a the letter a slightly thicker look, which I'm hoping might make them a little more distinctive.

Thanks!

 

[BlueOrange]

@blueorange: Thanks for the revision; I'd like to ask to see one more style...I keep looking back and forth between your designs, and the 4 amateur ones I created myself, and I'm wondering whether using a very subtle drop-shadow around the letters would help them "pop" / stand out just a little bit more...

I'm not 100% sure this will have the desired effect, but it might give the borders of a the letter a slightly thicker look, which I'm hoping might make them a little more distinctive.

Thanks!

As it happens I already did the shadow but didn't submit it, I thought it maybe a bit too much.

Anyway... here it is, what do you think?

 

[domino66]

Looking good; Q for you >> will you be able to provide me not only with the vector images, but also the source files (I assume in Photoshop or Illustrator format?) that will allow me to work with the individual layers?

I feel like we're 90% of the way there, but from here on out, it's probably best for us both if I just test things out myself, since I don't want to keep sending you back to the drawing board to test new colors / effects that may not produce what I'm looking for.

 

[BlueOrange]

Yes I can provide you with the source file which is layered for easy editing.
The files I normally provide are AI, EPS, PNG. The AI opens up in Adobe Illustrator and the EPS is editable with any vector software such as Illustrator, Corel Draw, Flash... etc!

 

[domino66]

OK, thanks...I only have Adobe Photoshop & Imageready...are either of those sufficient to work with vector images?

EDIT: Actually I've done some Googling now and understand the difference between the two...

http://www.webproworld.com/webmaster-forum/threads/40079-Making-a-Logo-Photoshop-vs.-Illustrator

So I guess my question is are you going to be sending me any files that I can open and play with in Photoshop?

 

[BlueOrange]

I can convert to PSD but the logo will then be rasterized. You can download a fully working 30 day free trial of Illustrator.

Another option is for you to get the colours you really like in Photoshop and then give me the RGB colour samples. I don't mind working on this until you are 100% happy.