Now that everyone’s buzzing about the golden age of superhero films we’re living in, it got me thinking about hero-type logos we’ve done….this may have to be a 3-part post, because we’ve done a lot of logos with heroic figures. It’s not a bad idea, its just that it is so often used, the struggle is to make the figure both classic and unique.

If you want this kind of logo, see the experts over at www.BusinessLogos.com

Logos should ideally be read quickly. Logos ahve a lot of competition with the viewer’s eye, so the name should at least be read within 3 seconds, and give a good impression of the company quickly. Equally important, though, is that they leave an impression. A well-crafted logo with “hidden” elements, like these done by the team at Business Logos, give the A-HA moment that makes people remember that company name, and make the viewer feel involved in the artistic aspect of the design.

For instance: at first glance, the Carrie Smith Design logo looks like a simple S. But once you notice that all the letters are represented, you automatically have a higher likelihood of remembering that logo.

We’re back, after a couple months of unforgivable neglect. Thanks for your continued emails and support. I promise we’ll get back to regular posting and reviews.

As for myself, I’ve been busy starting up a new business with another designer, businesslogos.com, and have really started to see the logo design business from the other side of the desk.
It’s been weird starting this enterprise, because it’s forced me to think like more of a marketer. I’ve never enjoyed that kind of thing. I’ve been pulled kicking and screaming into the role of a businessman, and it’s made my mind think about my early days as a designer. Embarrassing, strange things. So the point of the post is to confess an early memory, and to hopefully provoke you to air out your most buried design secrets.

Back when I was working at a t-shirt printing company, I was starting to get more confident as a designer. Designers were just starting to discover the potential of the internet, and I found the site elance. I advertised my services as a designer/illustrator, with what I thought was an impressive portfolio.

Side topic: do you ever look back at your early stuff in your portfolio and just cringe? Hopefully, we’re all constantly improving and progressing as artists, so your past things should always feel amateur.

Anyway, I was contacted by a guy that wanted a t-shirt illustration for a chessboard with the pawns as cartoon characters, all come to life and fighting each other. It sounded fun, so I quoted a price and looked forward to spending a few days drawing an impressive first draft.

Once he approved the estimate, I got the worst feeling of dread.

Every self-doubt consumed me. How can I pull this off? What if he hates it? All the drawing I’d done for hire was for friends or employers, so this felt different, because it was an anonymous buyer that was investing hard-earned money in ME. It was nerve-wracking pressure, a feeling like none I had ever had. I still can’t understand why I was so scared of this project.

I sent the guy an email and LIED, which I still feel horrible about. I made an excuse like I had a death in the family, and couldn’t take on any more projects. He said it was no problem. It was probably no big deal to the guy, and he just went with the next artist’s bid, but I felt really bad about letting a client down.

This was many years ago, but I still feel a little twinge of guilt and weirdness about it. I haven’t talked to any designers about it. Since that time, I’ve taken hundreds if not thousands of these typed of projects, the huge majority of them ending up great for both parties. It’s just a story of my first time breaking into what I felt were the “big leagues” and finding myself paralyzed with the “design responsibility” of pleasing a client and creating good artwork from nothing.

There you have it. My designer confession. Let’s hear from the rest of you about your dirty little secrets you’ve had during your design career. This is an anonymous forum, remember, and I’ve always felt like confession is good for the sound, and it’s valuable to learn from others’ experience.

Dylan O’Donnell is a designer that sent us this logo to critique.

Company Info: DNA Digital is a hosting company, web devs, design and marketing. Want to avoid typical web cliches but have a strong “corporate” umbrella logo to cover many “digital” operations.

What will the logo be used for: Everything. Business cards, websites and hopefully my personal Jet. *cough*. Must work on all colours / reversed.

Joyce, a nondesigner, sent us this in for our review. What does everyone think?

We’ve all been told that simplest is best with logos, but as with every rule, there’s exceptions. Paul and John discuss logos that are both complex and effective, and discuss what’s needed to make them.

Paul also critiques two logos that designers sent in, and explores different possibilities with them. He takes the listener step-by-step through the process, and shows different avenues the logo process can take. Let us know how you think he did! Send us your comments to paul@businesslogos.com.

To see more logos that are simple as well as effective, you can go here.

Podcast #20 - Complex Logos [ 35:13 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Gary is looking for direction with this logo. He says “please help… i feel like i’m heading on a crash course into the Logo Design abyss….”
Let the critiquing begin. It would be nice to know more about the company. We’ll have to review this on a strictly visual basis.

We had a contest among our community of freelance designers that contribute to Logoworks. We received a lot of great entries, so the task of narrowing them down was difficult. Here are the results of our Best Logo of 2010 Contest:

1st place WINNER: zurek
Project: Coroico
Evaluation: This iconic logo designed by zurek was the consensus favorite in this year’s contest–it appealed to voters probably for several reasons. First of all, it’s simple, unique, and has great recognition value: not a lot of unnecessary detail or clutter in the logo. Second, it conveys emotion with the abstract light rays for the lion’s mane; and even though the pose is straight on, the face is above center which adds a great dynamic to the illustration. Finally, it uses simple yet clean and classic typography that will be an asset in this company’s branding efforts. Even something very subtle like making the first and last letters of the name larger helped give the typography that little touch of customization to make the logo that much better. Congratulations, zurek, the $300 prize for this year’s contest is yours!

2nd place: shahdan
Project: Honey Maze
Evaluation: Combining two ideas or aspects of a company into one not only makes a great company name, but helps inspire great logo design as well! In this great iconic design, shahdan has transformed a honeycomb into a maze: what a brilliant idea followed by creative execution! Since some viewers may not catch on that the hexagon is a honeycomb, shahdan added just the right amount of extra detail in the honey drops to polish off the idea. Without the honey drops, the logo may have fallen short in its concept. Way to go shahdan, $200 is coming your way! Shahdan is now doing awesome design for BusinessLogos.

3rd place: longkangkung
Project: Home Organic
Evaluation: Tree and leaf logos seem to have been done just about every way imaginable, but our voters were pleased with longkangkung’s creative execution of an oft-used idea. Using large abstract leaves to fill out the tree’s shape helped drive home the organic aspect of this company without being boring and too literal. The small door in the trunk also helped communicate the message of home to the viewer. In short, just the right amount of detail to communicate a powerful concept. This logo is simple enough it would reproduce well in one color, and the typography is also elegant and refined. Thanks longkangkung for a great design, worthy of $100 and third place!

Honorable Mention: reyespadilla
Project: The Taco Tank
Evaluation: This illustrative design by reyespadilla was also popular with our voters and earns our first spot for Honorable Mention! Combining a taco and a fish in a creative and fun illustration will really make this company stand out with its competitors. We also liked the use of hash marks to create a little shading and flair in the design that we don’t normally see.

Honorable Mention: tjost
Project: Airwaves
Evaluation: Congratulations to tjost for providing the top-rated logotype of this year’s contest! By substituting the letter “i” with a radio tower, tjost takes this logo to the next level; without the tower, the message would not have the same visual impact or right amount of creative touch. The colors are complementary and play off each other quite well. Also, putting those two clouds in the other letters was another great added touch of detail that really sells the logo as being top-notch, custom design.

Honorable Mention: gax
Project: Coffee Park
Evaluation: This logo by gax has a nice hand-drawn quality to it, using just the right amount of color, line, and abstract shapes to combine into a whimsical yet professional design. The arc shape in the background with the hashmarks for texture provides a unique visual foil to the foreground illustration, and also ties in the typography quite nicely to form a nice overall crest design.

Honorable Mention: webcore
Project: Queen of Tarts
Evaluation: This logo by webcore is perhaps one of the better examples of picking the right font to match the style of the icon: both the typography and icon definitely go together! We also really liked the iconic representation of a tart that also doubles as a crown: genius! The icon is simply executed with just the right amount of detail. All in all, this design epitomizes what makes logo design a great medium of art and communication! Well done!

Thanks to Luke for his evaluations! You can see more work from these talented designers at BusinessLogos.com.

The podcast is back and better than ever! Paul Browning, a Senior
Designer and Trainer at Logoworks has created a podcast for students,
designers, clients, and anyone interested in what goes into quality
logo design.

Episode #19 features designer John Van Orman discussing Logos in The
News. They also discuss their favorite Logo of the Week, plus their
favorite Logoworks Logo of the Week. Who knows? They may pick yours!

It also features a Logo Design Quiz, Logo Critique, and feedback they
get from designers all over the world. Check it out!

Podcast #19 [ 29:48 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Ever since feudal knights and lords held aloft their shields, people have been trying to communicate their brand through crests. Whether it be your family lineage or your sports team, a crest, or enclosure-style logo is a good way to keep the logo contained and attractive. Here’s a few good examples of this style.

This crest was created for the International Racquetball Tournament. The client chose a different logo, but we recently received a call about it from ManCaves, a popular show in the DIY Channel. They were creating a special mancave for a racquetball enthusiast, and used this crest to make a plaque.

Designed by Paul, one of Logoworks

You can see that the artwork doesn’t necessarily have to be perfectly balanced to create a beautiful logo. Nor does it have to be completely contained by a stroke. Sometimes it’s good to give a little break in the border to give the eye a sense of freedom.

Designed by Aaron, one of Logoworks

Sports logos are commonly crest logos, since they work well on promotional gear and clothing.Here’s one we did for the San Diego Open.

Another composition by Paul

Cafes and eateries are also good candidates for this style, since they create a fun atmosphere and are versatile for different moods.

Another composition by Paul

Yet another composition by Paul

This outdoor supply company wanted to incorporate a canoe or kayak (and maybe mountains) to show that they are New York’s largest canoe and kayak dealer. They also hoped we could add some mountains since they’re located in the Adirondacks. We gave them various styles to choose from, but the standouts were designed by Tom. Check out these beautifully elegant designs.

Designed by Tom, one of Logoworks

The crest logo is a great way to go, but it’s a challenge to keep it simple and beautiful like a logo should be. If you need help with your logo designs, contact the experts at our logo design shop.