Personal Logo/Brand Redesign

[MDGP]

Since I joined the CCSLC back in 2011, I've been attempting to develop a brand for myself and my designs. Over the years I've developed several personal logos, none of which I've been 100% happy with, and all of which reveal flaws in my abilities/technique at the time. I've also seen a transition in what my brand was, starting with Lafarge, moving to my name/initials, and further developing into Mindgap Creative. The name itself is based on my many instances of losing hours on end while working on designs without realizing it. 

 

 

In branding and apparel applications, Mindgap is stylized as MDGP (no vowels, no "N"). The design itself is very influenced by the 80s futuristic aesthetic, particularly by fronts from films like Tron and Blade Runner, as well as the logos of numerous 80s bands (an era of design that has been particularly influential on me). For instance, each letter is designed so that it also helps form the letter adjacent to it, expanding upon the use in the prior examples. The letter M itself is a callback to my original personal logo, which featured a similar stylization. Finally, I've also created versions that utilize a neon rainbow color scheme that further evokes the 80s aesthetic. 

 

 

 

 

 

I also wanted to include a retrospective of my personal logo development over the years, since I've had a ton at this point. The grid below features three versions of each logo: black on white, a white on black, and as applied in my actual works.

 

 

2011: This logo was posted with my first posted design on the site. The concept itself, a 1916 New York Giants Plaid Uniform inspired design for the Tampa Bay Rays, appears to have been wiped from the site, and may be lost to the ether entirely. Next to this concept was what might be my first ever logo in general, two simple right angles with the L forming the bottom bar of the letter F, representing Lafarge, my screen name. This lone appearance would be the first and final appearance of the elusive LF logo, never to be used with another concept again.

 

2013: Two years later, I wanted to develop an actual personal logo for myself using my initials. I actually remember first sketching this idea during a french class. The stylized M is broken into two parts, with the second point representing my middle initial "A," while also serving as the leg of the letter "R." This design is an obvious precursor to the current design, and the act of combining letters has been used in each design since. This design is rather unwieldy and bulky, the R was formed rather poorly, and the A isn't at all noticeable. 

 

2015: A refinement of the original design, taking on a "classier" look. The letters are thinned out considerably and the points of the M are symmetrical. The letter A is much clearer, with the bar created by the curve of the R. The line weight is a bit too thin here, and struggles to stand on its own. I continue to struggle with the letter R, which sags a bit in this design as well. The R also only has one leg.

 

2016: The logo gets a tad more cryptic. Now featuring an interlocking M and ?. This logo looks to capture the same idea of the prior design while also working in the Mindgap brand. The A and the R are less visible than the prior design, but are still formed by the interlock. Spaces between the letters have been removed, creating a single shape. This logo features inproved construction compared to the 2013 design, with the sagging R problem finally fixed, and an overall more sturdy (see: thicker) line work. The leg of the question creates a bit on an awkward shape with the M, as the leg is meant to form the both the bar and the leg of the A, but is a bit offset, and doesn't perfectly form the leg. As was a relatively common problem, the few spaces between the question mark an the M are inconsistent sizes. 

 

2017: Extra care taken in order to ensure consistency and cohesiveness throughout the design.

 

Thanks for viewing guys, I'd love to hear what you think!

 

[CS85]

I love the logo and it's always fantastic to see the progression.  Personally I see NDGP, but I can also see how it could be MDGP.  Good stuff.

[MDGP]

13 hours ago, CS85 said:

I love the logo and it's always fantastic to see the progression.  Personally I see NDGP, but I can also see how it could be MDGP.  Good stuff.

Thanks for the comment, glad to see you like the design.

 

Regarding seeing an N, I actually noticed the same thing, and looked into making a bunch of different variations to make the M more obvious. Ultimately I found the other ideas took away from the overall look I was going for, and I decided to stick with the more obscure version for the sake of the entire design.

[JessayJey]

Such a great post to know different useful information.

[CS85]

10 hours ago, Lafarge said:

Thanks for the comment, glad to see you like the design.

 

Regarding seeing an N, I actually noticed the same thing, and looked into making a bunch of different variations to make the M more obvious. Ultimately I found the other ideas took away from the overall look I was going for, and I decided to stick with the more obscure version for the sake of the entire design.

 

I actually think that's a good way to go about it.  Own it.  It's yours, it looks good.  If you're proud of it, roll with it.  It's a nice design.

[WissX]

When I did a branding thing for school I used text

something like this

Mike

PeNN

[Claystation360]

it does look like NDGP but really go work, love the choice of fonts & colors. 

[Seso]

Curious of what a version without the stroke between the colors and around the logo in your neon colorway would look like.

 

I think its cool regardless, but it would be nice to see the bands without the breaks in between.