Los Angeles Clippers

[gingerbreadmann]

Well imagine my surprise to find not one, but TWO Clips concepts over the last day or two, when I was in the midst of this concept which I am very excited about. I thought about stopping, but screw it, I have been working on this one for 3 days pretty much as much as I can and I'm not gonna stop. Definitely my best all-around concept. So... just don't blame me for being slow or a copycat or something.

Anyway, for this concept it started with the logo for me. I had a small idea, went to put it down, and it just worked, from the very beginning. This is the primary logo. From that, I tried to expand and make a full concept. Ironically, the one thing I am not sure about with the logos is the primary. I have included two here which I can't choose from. Which do you like better? Also, tell me about the secondary. It was extremely hard to get an adequate boat and I ended up more or less just vastly editing the C in the logo. The sails I am really happy with and I think they work well in many places.

Some people say red and blue is overused, but I love it on the Clips and red + blue in the NBA is surprisingly scarce. (Pistons, who were teal for about 7 years I think, and Hawks, who are in their 3rd year of being red and blue) The Clippers have been red and blue since '79 and I just love it. So that's what I went with.

The things I am most unsure about are the jerseys. I had no real inspiration for them and this is something I just thought didn't look too bad. Does anyone have any jersey ideas? Also, I am planning to add an alternate jersey based off of the current one (maybe they suck, but that "Clippers" script is freakin' gorgeous).

So, I can't think of anything else to say right now. I am really proud of this one. Here it is, tell me what you think!

ONE MORE THING. When judging logos, I think a really good way to do so is to give it a "sniff test" - that is, place it in the context of existing professional logos and see if it looks like it is in the right place. One thing I have always thought about a lot since joining here is how much different reactions would be if some of the concept logos were accepted professional logos and the current professional logos were presented as concepts here. I think that would be very interesting. But back to my point, I really think that this is a surprisingly effective way to evaluate a logo. It's all relative, baby. All about context. Anyway, I have included here, and probably will include in all future concepts of mine, a "sniff test" of my own for you all to evaluate. Once you see it, it is pretty self-explanatory. I hope you will find this helpful. (And also look at this same thing for the current Clippers logo. )

SNIFF TEST!

[BJBerthiaume]

It's hard to like a Clippers concept that much after seeing Rich 'n Creamy's, but this isn't bad. I love the sniff test, and I don't really think the logo looks out of place, but it is still kind of boring. An outline might make it better, but it might make it worse as well. I find the jerseys very boring as well. It is probably an improvement, but could still be better.

[ldswoosh33]

This is some thing different but at the same time it feels like the Clippers. Nice Work

[CAB]

It's a good idea, but this needs outline, or shadowing; just something to make it pop more. Right now it looks more like a rough sketch than a logo, with just the red and blue. I don't know what to add for a third color. A silver would probably do nicely. However, I do love the jerseys.

[gingerbreadmann]

Thank you guys for the feedback so far. I think you guys nailed it about it being kind of boring or a sketch.. I am not sure about a 3rd color, but I tried it. Also I guess the jury is still out on the jerseys.

Here is my update attempt: Better?

[bohob]

Better? Yes, but not great. I don't see the rationale behind the jagged spot between the E and R. The font is bothering me overall, TBH. However, the blue outline is better than the grey.

[BJBerthiaume]

I wasn't sure about the outline making or breaking this concept, but honestly I don't think it adds much. I do have another idea how to make it better though: maybe place a simple basketball behind the logo. Most NBA logos contain a basketball, so I think it should fit in nicely.

[Patchey13]

I think it would look nice if you used the blue outline with the silver shading on the sails

[LMU]

I'm not sold at all on the font. It seems a bit too urban/casual/kiddie/I can't put my finger on it and jagged.

[TheRealPepman]

Err, how pathetic the concept is. The logo is good enough, so 50/50/

[chestnutz]

Lose the secondary logo, not feeling the stretched C. I'd prefer a lighter blue. Not feeling the font for the wordmark either, as someone said it does look a bit too graffiti/urban. The uniforms are simple but they work, the numbers just kill them for me. Good job though.

And PepMan, really?

[elliott]

Quickly on the update: the outline doesn't look awful but it takes away some of the simplicity you had, but those sail details bother me. I think it was better without it.

Overall this seems like a well thought out concept, but you can definitely make it better. You went for a pretty simple primary. I like the font, actually. So for the primary, it's not amazing or mindblowing, but it's solid. The rendering of the ship in the secondary is pretty bad, sorry, it just doesn't look like a logo that should ever see the light of day. Keep in mind the actual shape of the hull of a ship. The tertiary doesn't work; the reason I say this is because you used it for the I in the primary, so when you put it next to the C, it looks like "CI". I wouldn't mind seeing you try to work in the sail to "LA".

The uniforms are somewhat boring. Disagreeing with chesnutz, I like the numbers. But I'm not entirely sure the side piping would match up, or is it the way you showed it on the template? Anyhow, the jersey design I don't like, I'm sure they have enough retail problems in the shadow of the Lakers, and they need something really cool to counter that, not a boring single strip of piping. Use some type of curved side panel design, keep it simple, still, but just bring in something more.

[gingerbreadmann]

Thanks again guys. The feedback is really appreciated.

Better? Yes, but not great. I don't see the rationale behind the jagged spot between the E and R. The font is bothering me overall, TBH. However, the blue outline is better than the grey.

There is a jagged spot there because the outline is basicallly a glorified stroke, and the top-right of the E is higher than the top-left of the R.

I wasn't sure about the outline making or breaking this concept, but honestly I don't think it adds much. I do have another idea how to make it better though: maybe place a simple basketball behind the logo. Most NBA logos contain a basketball, so I think it should fit in nicely.

I have thought about that, but where could I possibly fit one in? Maybe that could work in some kind of secondary logo.

Lose the secondary logo, not feeling the stretched C. I'd prefer a lighter blue. Not feeling the font for the wordmark either, as someone said it does look a bit too graffiti/urban. The uniforms are simple but they work, the numbers just kill them for me. Good job though.

And PepMan, really?

I'm not in love with the secondary either, but it only seemed logical to have some kind of a full boat logo. I wasn't trying to make it look too realistic, and I only used the C because it is the front of the "boat" on the primary. Lighter blue, huh? Actually, that's not so bad. I will try it out. And I'm sorry to those who don't like the font (I actually thought people would mostly like it), but the whole thing is basically built around that font and I really think it can work well in this context, so that's not going to change. However, I could change the font for "Los Angeles" in the primary.

Quickly on the update: the outline doesn't look awful but it takes away some of the simplicity you had, but those sail details bother me. I think it was better without it.

Overall this seems like a well thought out concept, but you can definitely make it better. You went for a pretty simple primary. I like the font, actually. So for the primary, it's not amazing or mindblowing, but it's solid. The rendering of the ship in the secondary is pretty bad, sorry, it just doesn't look like a logo that should ever see the light of day. Keep in mind the actual shape of the hull of a ship. The tertiary doesn't work; the reason I say this is because you used it for the I in the primary, so when you put it next to the C, it looks like "CI". I wouldn't mind seeing you try to work in the sail to "LA".

The uniforms are somewhat boring. Disagreeing with chesnutz, I like the numbers. But I'm not entirely sure the side piping would match up, or is it the way you showed it on the template? Anyhow, the jersey design I don't like, I'm sure they have enough retail problems in the shadow of the Lakers, and they need something really cool to counter that, not a boring single strip of piping. Use some type of curved side panel design, keep it simple, still, but just bring in something more.

I don't dislike the outline, but I don't love it either. I think it's something I could really do with or without, and it is pretty nonessential. I kind of like the sail details (I don't love the plain white inside of the sails), and I might try making them smaller before I totally ditch them. Yes the primary is simple but if it can be made better, it doesn't have to stay simple IMO. Like I said I wasn't going for total realism with that boat but I am kind of lost on it and I can't think of any application where it would look good so that probably goes for now. I am kind of upset by your observation about the tertiary because I really like how that is simple and the elements go together, but I can definitely see where you are coming from. I am worried about hoe would fare in a "LA" logo, but I will think about how to fix that somehow. But right now I can't. I like the uniform numbers as well, and one thing I have definitely thought about is using a different weight of that same font for the numbers. I have lots of options there and will try some of those out. The side piping wasn't supposed to match up with the pants. But, as I examine the jerseys more, the more I dislike them. I really just had no inspiration on them and that's probably why they aren't so good. Just a mish-mash of forced elements. Your point about something cool vs. the Lakers is interesting and I'm not sure I totally agree but I can understand it.

Thanks again everyone, if you have any more input, please let me know! In the meantime I will be trying to improve this somehow based on your comments and my feelings.

[bohob]

I get that it's a glorified stroke, but it is distracting, and probably should be removed.