Another Personal Logo Revamp...

[Shumway]

Not to steal the spotlight from Chestnutz, but I've also been working on my personal logo. I posted this over at Brilliams!, but I figured I might as well get as much feedback as possible.

I'm sure some, or most, of you have at one point seen my personal identity. I liked it at first, but it gradually went sour on me. To tell the truth, I needed a rough for my portfoilio class, so I came up with a quick sketch in about five minutes, quickly went into illustrator, and just never changed it from there. Since I'm currently without a job and have a ridiculous amount of free time, I've opted to finally go somewhere with my logo.

First, for reference, here's my old logo. The type's always in the same spot to the right of the logo, although the rounded rectangle's generally not there. It's on my website as well, linked here.

Okay, now for the revamp. My main goal was to clean it up, while staying with the same basic concept. I like the head-in-circle idea. Since I'm a cartoonist/illustrator by nature, I wanted an illustrative, fun logo to fit. I also had an idea for when I re-do my website to have a full-body character to serve as a "tour guide". I thought i could possibly dress the character to match whatever the project that's displayed(i.e. if it's a baseball logo, give 'em a jersey). I was planning on using the head-in-circle logo by itself, rather than always accompanied by the text in the same spot next to it. Finally, I wanted to change the font that I use for basically everything. Although I love futura, I think I use it too often. I wanted to go with a font that is round, to work with the circular logo I have(the website's gonna play off the circle theme as well). I kept the old futura wordmark/text in my concept, although I'm leaning towards the other two options I have. Anyways, here's my idea:

I also toyed with the idea of changing the colors a bit, although I will admit that I like the orange/blue feel. It seems to pop really well. Here are two other color combos I toyed with:

Well, that's what I've got thus far. If you've got any suggestions/ideas/criticisms, by all means, hit me with em. Once I get the actual logos/text figured out, I'll get to working on letterhead/bid'niss cards/envelopes.

I'm looking to take the next few weeks to actually learn dreamweaver, or hell, even flash. I'm sure you've noticed, but my current site's nothing but illustrator files with hotspots done in dreamweaver to click. I like the simplicity, but at the time I made it(and now, even), that's all I knew how to do in Dreamweaver. I took an interactive design course, and basically came away with nothing from it. I've got no idea where to even start with web design. Any ideas/hints?

[chestnutz]

I like the original more. With some tweaks to it, I think you could get the "freshness" you want in a new logo.

-Keep the rounder head shape used in the original, keep the original nose and also mouth

-I don't like the eyes in the original. I'd take the eyes from the new one and use them in what I stated above

-Same for the hair, use the new hair.

-Thicken the circle outline.

-I like the brown/orange option best

-I like type option 2

[tBBP]

I like. A lot, actually.

I take it the guy in the logo is a caricature of yourself, no? Either way it goes, I actually see it as a bit of a break from logos of other graphic design imprints in that it features a human for a logo rather than an abstract symbol or a monogram of some sort. That in itself may actually help distinguish your "brand" here from others should you ever "blow up". I like your use of colors, as well. Being that blue and orange are complimentary colors, they go together very well and have a nice visual appeal. (I say this though by nature of being a Seminole I'm obliged to hate any and everything associated with the Florida Gators.)

Also, you make some nice use of typography, both in your logo and your pilot website there. (More on that in a sec.) As for a choice of fonts, I'm by no means an expert on this, but if it's a nice rounded font you say you're going for, I say the second one you used in your redesign option 2 display might work the best, though I also like the third font you used. Oh-and speaking of that personal logo of yours, I much prefer your existing logo to the one you just drafted.

About that website...looked through there, and you've actually got some nice stuff in there. Didn't really realize you had skill like that. Well now your secret's out, homeboy! (one other thing working in your favor: at least you got a name that lends itself well to the title of a company. That's one of my biggest issues in trying to "rebrand" my own supposed imprint...I ain't really got a name that'll sound or look good as a title for anything.)

So...if I was to offer my suggestion...stick with the existing version of your head-in-a-circle logo, and keep the orange and blue.

Also...good luck with the Dreamweaver and the Flash endeavor. I had a multimedia class in colleeg dealing with Dreamweaver. That program lost me after day 2 of the class. I actually got through Flash pretty decently...but I couldn't tell you now how to work that program.

(One other side note: I noted you used to work in Exton, PA. You live mighty close to someone I know out that way...who oddly enough also works in Exton, and, get this, is also from West Chester. You wouldn't happen to know any Massiminis out that way, would you??)

[Shumway]

Thanks fellas. I've got a few more ideas floating around, which I'll probably get to tomorrow, I hope. I'm still looking for more thoughts on this set as well, however.

And Buc, is Massiminis a name? If so, I don't know of 'em. I worked in Exton from summer '07 until this past September. I've since moved back home to Lancaster. Strange side story, BBTV actually came into my store (Finish Line) once. So did Rip Hamilton's brother, who failed miserably at talking to my female co-worker.

[JayJaxon]

I think that is a cool set right there! Now you and chestnutz6 are making me wanna post mine to get feedback too. ha ha.

[Shumway]

I got bored last night since I couldn't sleep. It's amazing how not tired you get doing nothing all day.

I made the facial details a little less "perfect" (meaning the line quality) and made them slightly more hand-drawn in appearance. I also switched the nose around, as it looks a bit more like me now. I also worked with using the orange as some sort of shading, although I didn't want to over-do it. It's just an idea at this point. I also put my favorite number on my shirt(yes, it's for Thunder Dan) to break up the orange a bit. I'm not sure I'll keep it a "9", as the full-body logo's only gonna be on my website. The shirt design could change to fit the work on my site.

Now this idea is kind of different. I was trying to change the saturation of a color, but I changed the opacity instead. It kinda liked the way it looked, so I wanted to see how it looked if I did the whole thing without the white. I'm not sure if this is a viable option, but I thought it looked cool, so here it is. Deal with it.

Again, keep the C&C coming.

[LEWJ]

I got bored last night since I couldn't sleep. It's amazing how not tired you get doing nothing all day.

I made the facial details a little less "perfect" (meaning the line quality) and made them slightly more hand-drawn in appearance. I also switched the nose around, as it looks a bit more like me now. I also worked with using the orange as some sort of shading, although I didn't want to over-do it. It's just an idea at this point. I also put my favorite number on my shirt(yes, it's for Thunder Dan) to break up the orange a bit. I'm not sure I'll keep it a "9", as the full-body logo's only gonna be on my website. The shirt design could change to fit the work on my site.

This one is money. Well, close to it.

I really like the orange highlighting you added. Although I really dislike the position of the standing guy, when I look at it I see a hitch-hiker, which I'm guessing isn't what you're going for. I'd change his position a little bit. Maybe give him a joint or two so that his arm looks as though it is waving, cause right now it looks like he's just reachign outward.

Looks good, could be better though.

And as for the type style, I like the first one, it's the least generic-looking one, and it's more appealing, IMO.

And I like the look of the blue and orange, but I think I like the dark-brown/black better. Or even navy?

[chestnutz]

PROS

-Really like the updated face

-Part of me likes the shading on the body, part of me thinks its superfluous

CONS

-Lose that little white shadow inside the circle on the main logo

-Hate the no-white version, sorry

-Ditto for the 9 on the shirt. People wouldn't really know what it is or why it's there, and instead of breaking the orange up, to me it kind of makes the shirt seem more empty for some reason

[Shumway]

I got bored last night since I couldn't sleep. It's amazing how not tired you get doing nothing all day.

I made the facial details a little less "perfect" (meaning the line quality) and made them slightly more hand-drawn in appearance. I also switched the nose around, as it looks a bit more like me now. I also worked with using the orange as some sort of shading, although I didn't want to over-do it. It's just an idea at this point. I also put my favorite number on my shirt(yes, it's for Thunder Dan) to break up the orange a bit. I'm not sure I'll keep it a "9", as the full-body logo's only gonna be on my website. The shirt design could change to fit the work on my site.

This one is money. Well, close to it.

I really like the orange highlighting you added. Although I really dislike the position of the standing guy, when I look at it I see a hitch-hiker, which I'm guessing isn't what you're going for. I'd change his position a little bit. Maybe give him a joint or two so that his arm looks as though it is waving, cause right now it looks like he's just reachign outward.

Looks good, could be better though.

And as for the type style, I like the first one, it's the least generic-looking one, and it's more appealing, IMO.

And I like the look of the blue and orange, but I think I like the dark-brown/black better. Or even navy?

I see what you mean, but he's not supposed to be waving. It'll make more sense once he's actually on the website. He's more or less "presenting" the work, so he's just kinda like being the magician's gorgeous assistant . I'm not even sure if I'm gonna use the full-body figure. It was just a thought.

[Shumway]

Alright, another update here. I think I'm onto something with this one. I took my old logo, and just worked with it a little more, and came up with something. It needs some cleaning up, but the basic idea's there. What I was aiming for the whole time was "60s advertising character" and I think this is the closest i've come to it. I also toyed with the outside circle a little bit, just for other options. At this point, I like the top right one (3), but I can't stop thinking "Elmer's Glue" when I see that one, which is why I think having the blue outline might be necessary. Anyways, hit me with s'more c&c.

[logoman]

Try #1 without the outside blue outline.It would basically be your watermark without looking like Elmer's. It also better lends itself to one color applications.For what it's worth, I personally like this version of "you" better.

[Cola]

Don't like any of the new updated sets. They almost look like you sketched something or found another image of a boys head and used the LiveTrace feature on it...something doesn't look right. The best yet is the one previous to that, above the non-white version...the one with the white accent on the circle.

[Shumway]

A little update, I suppose...I went ahead with the top right in the newest set. Website's updated (still crappy, but updated).