Logo Design Feedback Required

[chris1317]

I am taking on board some advice given to me a while back and designing a proper logo.

Due to serious lack of funds I have decided to give it a bash myself (I can here the logo designers cringe now)

Ive decided to create a logo from scratch using illustrator and was just after some feedback on it. If it is crap please tell me as I can start again or modify it.

I have exported it to a jpg at the following location

http://www.retouchuk.com/logo/logo.html

Bear in mind that the website is to be redesigned also and the background colour changed to white or a pale colour to improve readability.

Thank You
Chris.

 

[Webstuff]

The real problem is with the writing - its not too legible at a glance against that blue.

 

[chris1317]

I have made a small change to the logo, I have added stroke to the text

http://www.retouchuk.com/logo/logo.html

Has this made any improvement

Thanks
Chris.

 

[mumper]

The second logo looks fine to me

 

[Whistle Ink]

2nd one looks fine, but just make sure it will come across just as well when the size is a little smaller, for instance - on a business card, letterhead etc

 

[epiphany]

The font is boring, need to use something more interesting then perhaps do some customization. Also the eye looks cheap. Overall I prefer the logo that is on your site at the moment.

 

[Kemble3]

Hi Chris

Hi

I know you said money is tight but if I were you I’d seriously consider getting a new company log designed professionally.

There most be some great designers within this forum who would not charge an arm and a leg to put together a real professional logo for you. Also bare in mind the time you are spending on this project, where perhaps your talents would be better utilised. Your company logo is such an important element of you business and you must get it right, first time.

Think your site is cool

Best wishes


Ian

 

[chris1317]

Hello again,

Thanks for all the coments

epiphany - I may change the font, il just have to experiment to find out what looks best. I wanted the name to be clear and thats why I chose that one but im sure there are plenty more that I can try. By Customisation what do you mean?

The reason that I am re-designing my logo is that the one on my site is pixel based (did it in photoshop) but I want to make a vector based logo so that I can use it on print re-sized to any shape without loosing quality.

Was also thinking of doing a site re-design and dropping the background image as it makes the text hard to read at normal size (hence the big writing) and thought id be as well do site and logo at the same time.

Whistle Ink - Hopefuly when it is made smaller it should still be readable, that is why im switching to vector based logo.

Kemble3 - Im currently still working for an employer at the moment and running the site in the evenings so since it is dead justnow have heaps of spare time to try and learn new things. I have only been using illustrator for 2 days but it is starting to grow on me allready and I want to learn more so what better way to learn than make my own logo. Thanks for the comment on the site.

Thank you all
Il take your comments on board and come back with a couple of redesigns and post them here when im done

Cheers
Chris.

 

[chris1317]

Ok just addded a few more for your viewing, tried changing the font and changed the iris a bit.

Added them to the same url from my earlier post above

Thanks
Chris

 

[Julie]

I also feel that your existing logo is stronger. Perhaps you may have a problem with scaleability of it, though -- it would be difficult to use that artwork for an exhibition stand, for example, whereas an Illustrator eps at least is infinitely scaleable.

The new logo just looks a bit boring to me.. and the revised font looks slightly tacky. My main reason for liking your existing logo is that by showing pixels it reflects more what you do. Digital retouching is changing pixels, and so I really like the fact that they are included in your logo. I think your original logo is unusual; the new one is a bit dull. Even with the warping, new font, etc (which looks as if you're relying on the features of the software, rather than good design).

This is meant to be positive feedback, by the way. When I ran my business as a designer, I put my work in front of other people for scrutiny every day -- and they always said exactly what they thought! :roll:

Julie

 

[jasonj]

Of course im going to say this but.....

You are better outsourcing this work to a professional. Although your ideas are not bad we could do a lot better for you.

www.thecreativespring.com

Our packages are for startups and small businesses and are competitively priced because we know that you dont always have a lot of cash when starting up a new business.

 

[10Yetis]

I really like Logo one... simple and good!

 

[Cornish Steve]

Chris,

I can understand your dilemma. We took MONTHS to agree our logo, yet the result looks ridiculously simple. We did not employ a professional, but we did work together as a team. We came up with five different logo ideas and asked our beta testers (in effect, friendly customers) for feedback. In addition, we took ideas from logo design sites on the Internet.

I quite like your existing logo, although the quality of the graphic needs to be improved and I understand the comment about the difficulty of replication. As something different, is it possible to fold the existing blue text, or maybe just the eye, into the graphic so that it becomes a magic eye picture? Maybe you could reduce the size of the graphic vertically so that Retouch UK fits under the image. Given the small size of a logo, maybe I'm being a little too creative here!

The new ideas at your site are OK, but they could do with an infusion of creativity. Could you make the eye's pupil the O of retOuch, for example?

Good luck moving forward. Unless you are under some kind of deadline, I would not rush the process.

 

[creative-keyrings]

its ok but looks like it has been made in word. Its best to spend £30 to £50 having it professionaly designed by companies like www.easz.co.uk .

 

[Handyhero]

I give you four pieces of advice.

1) Design on paper first. Forget the computer. If you can't transfer your paper design to a computer application, then get a friend to do it afterwards. You must not be limited by your computer skills.

2) When you design anything, anything at all, you should consider every detail separately. The shape, colour, font, proportion etc. Draw your elipse with a pencil, then do it again bigger, smaller, wider, thicker etc. Then draw bits of the elipse - the top arc, the ends etc. Mix them together. Swap them about draw upside down, blindfolded, with your lieft had, your toes (you never know what crazy wavy line you might end up with). Do this with every part of the logo until you have 50 pages of bits of shapes, colours etc. Then decide what you like and try to bring them together in a balanced, simple manner. Try not to get bogged down with a theme too early and try not to draw the same thing twice.

3) When you think you are happy with the logo, go to bed. The following day, look at it again to see how you can simplify it.

4) Simplify it.

Good luck
Reza
PS I like the eye theme. Do a google IMAGE search for eyes for inspiration. You'll be surprised how you will start to think differently.

 

[Ravenfire]

If you are looking for a very reasonable priced banner try http://www.daffodil-design.com/

I have to say that I do agree that its worth paying out a little money to get it done professionally and daffodil design are very reasonable.

 

[epiphany]

Yeh, but no ones asking for a banner.

 

[Ravenfire]

I meant to put logo, and she does those as well!

 

[The_JinJ]

1 or 2 - the text on the others isn't as clear - probably number 2.

Check it's ok at all sizes and in B&W