New Logo Critique/Advice

[Pignut]

I'm trying to create a new personal logo, in preparation for a website/portfolio redesign and rebrand.

I have a logo, developed wile still at college, but I'm not that happy with it. It's dull and a bit stuffy looking. It looks more like something that a solicitor would use than a designer.

You can see the old one here:
brendanashbrook.co.uk
It uses type with an abstract symbol, which I hoped showed ideas like "flow" and "space" yet still showed the concepts of "boundary" and "restraint".

I've tried to come up with some new ideas where the initials "BAGD" are drawn with vectors, rather than from a prepackaged font. I've come up with a few ideas but although I like one or two, they seem just as dull as the original, if not worse!

http://www.brendanashbrook.pwp.bluey...o.uk/logos.gif

Has anybody any ideas or comments. Have I "painted myself into a corner" with all this interlocking text stuff?
I love crisp, geometric logos (Muller Brockmann, classic 60s trademarks etc.) but my own stuff seems lacking somehow.

Would you advise me to start again - possibly developing a more abstract symbol to use stand-alone, or should I carry on churning out the variations on the themes already shown?

Thanks
Brendan

[Toon]

Number one is great, 1000 times better than the others, work with that but be a little careful as



these styles are very popular now so make sure your's has enough of a unique style about it

[D856C]

Given most people are going to spend milliseconds on the logo and go to the portfolio pieces, it's not something you should worry about.

That said, I like A. Everything else seems like you're overthinking. You do not want to send that message. Most logos send the message the designers spread design on with a trowel as if to shout "This has been designed."

They should call themselves overdesigners.

Anything which smacks of overthinking has the brand connotation this guy is going to be a negative stereotype of the worst kind of designer.

[zumojuice]

yeah A is the strongest here and clean and fresh enough to last. Toon is right about it being very in right now.

The thing with designer's logos is often they are extremely simple, where as agencies take a larger effort seeing as there is more that needs to stand behind it. At the same time however, how many of the large designers/agencies could you tell me what their logo looks like?

In my case with zumojuice, I've developed no real logo for either it or myself. I am happy to let my work create my identity for me. Recently of course, I've had my business cards done to match my website (all stemming from a design manifesto of mine, the seven degrees of separation). This is as close to have any sort of logo as I'ce gone with, allowing stuff to sort of come together...

Before I ramble anymore, simply ask what you want your visual identity and brand to be, and ask if and where a logo falls into that.

[Pignut]

Originally Posted by zumojuice

In my case with zumojuice, I've developed no real logo for either it or myself. I am happy to let my work create my identity for me.

Yes - that's it exactly!
I suppose I struggle with the idea of even having a logo or brand in that I feel that a designer should have an almost "neutral" persona and be able to project a variety of skills, styles and approaches as each job dictates.

Thanks also to Toon and D856C (or may I call you D85?) for taking the time to look at my stuff and post such helpful comments. I've got loads to think about now and can hopefully make some progress soon.

This place is great. I feel like I'm part of a funky design collective, rather than just bashing my head off a brick wall!

Thanks again.
Brendan

[Kelly Creative]

Originally Posted by Pignut

This place is great. I feel like I'm part of a funky design collective, rather than just bashing my head off a brick wall!

Stay long enough and you'll start to feel like some inbred circus freak family in therapy!

[maria_sta]

I agree with all the above - designers always seem to over think
their own logos! Personally I think it is a mistake to create and use a logo
like a company does because not one thing (or two or three concepts) represent you!
you are supposed to be stylish, versatile, thinking out of the box and mainly having the ability to design ‘fresh’ for every new project… now I may be wrong but that it is pretty impossible to portray in one logo.
So pick a style you like and feel comfortable with and go for it.
p.s. it took me over three months and a lot of sketches to decide on my stylist preference and I still consider it as being ‘work in progress’

[Pignut]

Originally Posted by Kelly Creative

Stay long enough and you'll start to feel like some inbred circus freak family in therapy!

You say that as if it's a bad thing....

[zumojuice]

The other thing is it always seems harder to do stuff for yourself than for others. I guess it's the different perspective. Though I always think its wrong when a designer gets someone else to design their stuff. I can see the rationale but it just looks lazy.

[rossable]

ha, your old logo looks like bacon... i jest.

i personally feel that freelance designers have no use for logo's unless they are tying to give the impression that they are a company with a few employees and use plurals when referring to themselves.

that being said i have designed one for personal use... but i have never used it and most likely never will.