AJHL Logo Contest Entry

[ColeJ]

How do you know for a fact that someone blatantly copied you? I saw both logos, and yes, they are remarkably similar. But you don't know that someone saw yours first, or if it's just a coincidence. How do you know if #4 was actually done before yours? You don't.

Just about every logo has the same color scheme. #5 and #7 both use an arcing path for the puck. #1 and #3 both use the J as a hockey stick. #1, #6 and #8 all have the shape of Alberta.

Coincidental? Yes. Blatant copy? Maybe. Maybe not. Maybe the creator of #4 is also campaigning for votes. It's a tough call. But you will come across as a jerk if you keep complaining about it. Let the final votes speak for themselves.

even if the other guy was inspired by #4, if he wins, then i guess public opinion is that he improved on the design

[slapshot]

True enough. But I'm just a skeptic, so I need more than just the obvious physical evidence. That's all I'm sayin'

[AAO]

i see what you're saying jp, but i still stand convinced. It's a little different when its actually you that the other person copied off of. The fact of the matter is, you can compare the others as much as you want, but the blatant rip off between mine and entry 4 is way more evident and obvious then any other comparison. The shield shape, the drop shadow off of the shiled and the text, the serifs on the text, the j wrapping under the A, the style of the puck, the placement of the league name, the way the 'AJHL' exceeds outside of the shield...all too much to be a coincidence.

even if the other guy was inspired by #4, if he wins, then i guess public opinion is that he improved on the design

(you mean inspired by #3 (mine). #4 is the rip off of mine, as i'm convinced)

But yes, that is true--he may have improved on my design, but anyone can look at a design and make tweaks to make it suit their style and improvise on it. and that's just what he did, in my opinion. regardless, it's annoying. if number 5 beats me, i dont care. but if number 4 being a blatant rip off of mine beats me, i'll be a little upset, in all honesty.

[winters in buffalo]

The heavy metal logo is in 2nd place? Ouch.

[AAO]

The heavy metal logo is in 2nd place? Ouch.

yeah tell me about it. its so incredibly photoshopped. have fun getting the vector of that, ajhl.

[logodawg]

Sorry, AAO, but I don't believe that whoever made #4 ripped you off. Yes, they look alike, but to be completely honest, it not like your design was completely original. If you did some design that was completely original, then maybe, but you used a shield, something that is used a lot in sports logos.

And it's not unreasonable for two people to come up with designs that look alike, just look that what happened to Quark.

Yes, you believe 100% that you got ripped off, but you can't deny that you are, just by human nature, slightly bias.

[AAO]

Biased? Not at all. I'll argue this to death. Judging by hard evidence and facts? Yes. It's there. It's blatantly done. I could careless if someone uses a shield, that's almost expected in a league logo, a shield is nothing original. You gotta look a little closer. The exact same shape of the shield, the placement of the drop shadows on the shield and text, the J crawling under the A, the colors, the styling of the puck, the placement of the league name, serifs on the text, how the 'ajhl' exceeds past the shield...ill say it over and over. The only thing he needs now is to have the logo at an angle and not horizontal and there would be no doubt in anyone's mind that its a rip off of my entry.

[Mings]

Sorry Ian, I just don't think its a ripoff. Coincidence is more likely. But then again I voted for the original. I tried to make something for this contest but I couldn't work out the kinks.

[pollux]

Maybe the guy who designed #4 is thinking that #3 ripped him off too...

Anyway, it looks like his design is kicking your design's @ss...

[Blackjack76]

#3 and #4 look similar, but not at all identical. I guess no one could use a shield, a hockey puck, the letters AJHL or a hockey stick in their design.

[AAO]

No, blackjack, let's not play that card here (no pun intended). Look at the similarity. It's INCREDIBLE. And he is wooping my arse...he did improve on my design....but regardless he ripped me off.

The evidence is all there. All too much to be a coincidence.

[meetthemets]

No, blackjack, let's not play that card here (no pun intended). Look at the similarity. It's INCREDIBLE. And he is wooping my arse...he did improve on my design....but regardless he ripped me off.

The evidence is all there. All too much to be a coincidence.

Dude, I think you need to relax. I actually sent in a submission that looked similar to both of yours. I can tell you for a fact that I have never seen either of yours before. I think the only reason it's not up there is because it looked too similar to those two. However, I'm not going to sit here and say that the two of you ripped me off. One reason is because it probably didn't happen, and two, it's not really that big a deal if I don't win. It would be very hard to prove that the guy copied your idea.

And for the record, I like #4 better.

[rozilla74]

If Brad had done up an entry with a shield, a stylized AJHL, a hockey stick and a flying puck (in which yours has a boring static one), you'd be kissing his arse.

If you are conceding that #4 IS an improvement on yours, you obviously didn't work hard enough to get yours to that final stage. That's always been your problem. You have some talent for a guy right out of HS and access to Illustrator but you talk so much :censored:e and have no practical real world experience to back it up. Get over yourself and take losing to a better logo, like a man.

And the fluffs here just make you lose your focus because they inflate your ego even more. Get grounded, some formal education and then rock some logos out. Until then get humble. Your entry was decent but lacked that finished quality. And pandering for votes is just plain pathetic.

[gordie_delini]

You know what, I have to voice my support for Ian.

This is a guy who DOES have a bit of talent here. His logo is a quality one in the contest, imo, the one the league should choose. All he was asking for was a little bit of support from his fellow board members to help his logo get chosen. He understands that it's up to the public to choose the logo, but he put in a lot of time, a lot of effort, and even got the feedback from the CCSLC before he submitted his logo. This is a logo that means something to him, and it would be an amazing accomplishment if his design were chosen.

I can see the similarities between the logo he is upset about and his - again, he is not looking for a fight, merely support. Like I said, he put a lot of time, thought, and effort into this logo and he doesn't want to lose it to a logo that's incredibly similar to his and not as well done.

So, Ian, even if the entirety of the CCSLC thinks differently, I got your back, man.

[AAO]

So, Ian, even if the entirety of the CCSLC thinks differently, I got your back, man.

right on, gordie. appreciate your support.

  If Brad had done up an entry with a shield, a stylized AJHL, a hockey stick and a flying puck (in which yours has a boring static one), you'd be kissing his arse.

If you are conceding that #4 IS an improvement on yours, you obviously didn't work hard enough to get yours to that final stage. That's always been your problem. You have some talent for a guy right out of HS and access to Illustrator but you talk so much censored.gife and have no practical real world experience to back it up. Get over yourself and take losing to a better logo, like a man.

And the fluffs here just make you lose your focus because they inflate your ego even more. Get grounded, some formal education and then rock some logos out. Until then get humble. Your entry was decent but lacked that finished quality. And pandering for votes is just plain pathetic.

Everybody has their opinion, but saying i'd kiss brad's a$$ if he did that same logo is a stretch, and thats uncalled for. There's no need for stabbing me here for wanting a little support. $500 sounds awesome right now considering my financial situation, and it'd be great to have my logo chosen. The fact of the matter is I stand convinced that #4 ripped off of my logo, not because 'it has shield, a hockey stick, and a puck'...its not as simple as that, you have to look at both logos in entirety. The obvious rip off is too much to pass off as coincidence.

Gordie hit the nail on the head when he said:

He understands that it's up to the public to choose the logo, but he put in a lot of time, a lot of effort, and even got the feedback from the CCSLC before he submitted his logo.  This is a logo that means something to him, and it would be an amazing accomplishment if his design were chosen. 

Took the words right out of my mouth, and I really appreciate it bro.

The fact of the matter is i'm losing to a highly photoshopped, rock metal band logo and someone else who ripped off of my logo. So hopefully you guys can understand my frustration. Sure, #4 might be a little more appealing than mine, and maybe i should've put more time into mine, but I can't accept losing to someone who ripped off of my logo.

[rozilla74]

The fact of the matter is i'm losing to a highly photoshopped, rock metal band logo and someone else who ripped off of my logo. So hopefully you guys can understand my frustration. Sure, #4 might be a little more appealing than mine, and maybe i should've put more time into mine, but I can't accept losing to someone who ripped off of my logo.

You admit, you may not have put forth the level of effort to win.

You admit, #4 may be more appealing.

You still have NO proof your concept was ripped off. If in fact it was, you only have yourself to blame since you posted an early "sneak peek".

And yet you are still begging for votes. Dude, just let the work speak for itself and let the public decide. Yours was good enough to make it to the damn poll in the first place. that's what a pro would do.

As for #2 it has some nice qualities, not terribly creative but the alignment and composition are well thought out but the PSD effects have to go. I'll at least give you that one AAO.

[paynomind]

Look, kid, here is the point:

You have to learn from every experience. Having crappy things happen to you is completely worthless unless you set up your mind to learn from the situation, to take something positive from it.

Here is what you, and all designers, young and old, need to learn:

You shouldn?t post, in a public forum with over 4 thousand registered members and countless more visitors, a concept for a contest and expect it to not ?inspire? other designs, if not get directly ripped off. Keep your designs close to the vest. You know some folks around here. Brilliant designers. Send your work to them and ask for their input.

When you do post or email your work to designers more talented, or more experienced, or even just with a different perspective: LISTEN to them. Take what they said under consideration, then put forth effort to expand, enhance, and clean up your work. There are exactly ZERO professional designers around here who have been happy with and sold a first draft logo. They simply aren?t for public consumption. One needs to improve, try new things, get new opinions, and recraft logos, refine them, until they are much closer to what they should be.

In all honesty, I see how the other logo was inspired by yours. I have little doubt someone saw yours and said, ?Close, but it could be better, so I?m gonna try.? And do you know what? They did. And I think you are perfectly capable of doing what they did. You have skills. But you waste them by going halfway on a design and quitting on it. ?I wasn?t happy with it? ? This means, make more revisions! Craft it! Massage it. Love it. You have to work on a logo several times to get it right. And if you?d have taken the input the board gave you (other than the bowing smilies which were and are worthless) and continued to work on it, instead of other half-baked logos, you might have very well come up with the currently winning logo. Or even? something even better.

So, decide you want to learn from this. And do so. Become a better designer. It?s time.

[RedEye]

OK AAO...I personally have to take you to task.

I know for a FACT the creator of the logo you claim is a blatant ripoff of yours DID NOT SEE YOURS before submitting....how do I know? I DID IT!

And I'll be DAMNED if I will sit here and let you drag my reputation through the mud.

I went DIRECTLY to the contest page and created my logo right afterward IN ONE SITTING and submitted IMMEDIATELY....BEFORE I EVER saw YOURS or ANYONE ELSES.

The shield...I used because it plays off the NHL shield.... text? A font, not custom, skewed to show motion....the shading on the text...WHAT ARE YOU THE ORIGINATOR OF THAT STYLE?

My puck was added for aggression.

Dude you are WAY OFF BASE. I do this for a living...I DO NOT RIP OFF OTHER's WORKS... EVER.

They are similar in content and rendering style...THAT IS ALL.

I couldn't care less if you think I ripped you off..I KNOW THE TRUTH...now enough of running me down.

I AM SO F-ing FURIOUS right now I can hardly see straight... you may be of the opinion that that was a ripoff and I can make post after post to the contrary and you will NEVER believe me...

The fact I spoke up and defended myself and my design should be enough for everyone else to see that I am NOT a ripoff artist....I DID NOT rip you off...otherwise I wouldn't come here and tell you I created it and open that can of worms....

So believe what you wish...you know how I admire your skills...as for your professionalism here....well that's another story.

[paynomind]

...and I believe that should close the book on that.

[AAO]

Whoa. Got a lot to take in here. Well RedEye, I had no idea it was you, I thought it was somebody who just dragged off of my idea. Interesting. You know i've got respect for you, but seriously the similarity is killing me...how could you without seeing my design come up with something so similar? I'm not calling you out for ripping off of my idea, but up to this point that is what I thought. It's just weird how someone could come up with something so close to what I had. And the shading on the text was never an issue, for the record. It's hard to believe that you never saw my entry here, though I posted.

But, rozilla and payno, you guys are right, and i'm in the wrong here. Apologies. But you still can't blame me for thinking it was ripped off.

and for the record, here's the contest entry thread when i posted....something i regret doing, now:

AJHL Contest Entry Thread