Logo help!

[CTBaker]

Hi all, I'm working to put together a new site for the Worldforge open-source MMO project (The WorldForge Project) because, as you can no doubt see, their current site is extremely dated.

One of the things I'm currently doing is designing a basic black and white logo that looks good without any fancy graphical effects. It's quite annoying because I kinda know what I want to do, but it's not coming out right at the moment as I've never been good at drawing basic shapes (and the fact it's an open source project means that there's no money to get a professional in to do it).

So, without further ado, here's what I have so far.



Sadly, as you can see, it's little more than a basic idea. The text's a bit too plain, the ring of the planet is awful (I want it to be a bit more of a stylised swoosh, it looks far too static at the moment) and the planet itself is very...meh. I can't quite describe it, but again it's very static rather than interesting.

So, anyone got any suggestions as to how to improve it? (Photoshop's what I'm currently using even if it does look like MS paint.)

Thanks in advance.

[CTBaker]

Oh, just a minor addendum, the black and white logo is semi based on the concept for the site banner that I made yesterday, which can be found here.

[zumojuice]

The top one is not grabbing me as a logo, the latter is more of a banner really. But that might work on the web in this case?

I'd keep it simple and possible keep ident and text from overlapping.

[paddy]

I don't really like the concept, but the execution is really lacking in both the logo and banner. Overall I think they are pretty dull.

Logo

• The image (planet) has no impact at all. It's too thin and boring. This is made worse by the text overlapping it.
• The type is very poor, both in font choice and kerning.

Banner

• The text again is really bad. You need to download some new fonts. Try dafont.com for lots of good free ones.
• The whole composition is just very bland and boring. Nothing draws me in.

Mostly you need to work on your text. Then try and liven up the logo; perhaps try to create a slightly more abstract representation of a planet.

Keep working at it and keep us posted on your progress.

[Pignut]

The WorldForge project creates multiplayer online roleplaying games

Assuming that you've got a fairly open brief here, have you generated plenty of ideas before getting stuck into creating the actual logo?

I only ask as the existing WorldForge symbol features an anvil, sword and something that looks like a planet. These create an association with "world", "forge" and "roleplaying games" to me. At the moment, your logo simply addresses the "world" part and might seem a bit "generic" for this distinctive client.

I'd be looking to recombine some of the original symbols into the new logo. Anvils and swords are strong, distinctive shapes and it might be possible to integrate these into the text (or the whitespace around the text).

I'd also be trying to generate many ideas based on other possible associations eg:
hammer, molten metal, flames, ,blacksmith, battleaxe, helmet, armour, planet earth, globe, world map etc.

Don't be too critical early on and try to let the ideas flow without too much judgement. Return to the ideas/sketches after a day or two and something might grab you or suggest further possibilities.

The way to get good ideas is to get lots of ideas, and throw the bad ones away

[zumojuice]

Pignut has a good point. Start by sketching ideas down and concepts. Try out the box and even things that you don't think will work first off. Once you have a list of these things, you can start workign these up. At that point you might have a planet with molten metal pouring out below the typography, the world with a distinctive battle helmet on or cloven in two by an axe. Those three ideas came from simply thinking on what Pignut has written, so imagine what you could come up with if you brainstormed even more?

Cheers pignut by the way.

[Pignut]

Cheers pignut by the way.

And cheers to you too Zumo!

Zumo's post has reminded me of another important point:
I always find it much easier to generate ideas in collaboration with another designer.

I just dumped some obvious associations down and at the same time was roughly sketching ideas.

What was interesting is that although I'd done a planet with a helmet on, I'd not considered the ideas of molten metal pouring out of a planet, or of a planet split by a battleaxe! What I like is that both of these are very "active" images with lots of implied drama and energy.

My first ideas wer very "static" (a planet with a sword for a ring, a battleaxe shaped capital "W", an anvil with an integrated globe). I've attached the doodles I did when writing my original post, just to show how rough and ready this ideas stuff is in the early stages. I'd be looking to do loads of these before getting into selecting typefaces and colours etc.

If I were doing this, I'd now be thinking about ways to visually represent Zumo's ideas as well as using them as stepping stones to further ideas involving movement and energy a bit more. At this stage, I'd still be trying to generate loads of stuff rather than focus too much on one single idea.

Dunno if this helps.

[zumojuice]

Thats some good starting points.

I had in mind the helmet more of this ilk:


But that shape would be manipulated into a 'w' if needs be?

[zumojuice]

Of course the other angle is that of the world coming together, a idea that underpins the concept. Gamers forgeing a 'online' world together, so thinking about pioneers, discovery, creation, - which of course links back to out melting pot.... in the forge. and BOOM!

[D856C]

Most logos are irrelevant or even distracting for 1) Giving the target (the client's customer) any clear business identity 2) Focus on the business the client is in

So far, do you notice what's missing here? A connection between the logo design process and the business the client is in.

Taking what we have here so far, lets say you have a business with a unique selling proposition centering around three points. ...Could be a three-step process. ...Could be three promises or whatever.

So whatever you do, you take one element and repeat it three times. While superficial and basic, the general idea is to reflect something about the business within the logo. Sure you want the visual to go with the logotype. But the real problem, and the real reason many designers run out of raw creative ideas, is then never look into the business they are designing the logo for.

Raw creativity isn't the point -- relevant creativity is.

Is the business philosophy or culture progressive? Then a more futuristic visual like the planet may fit.

Is the business more conservative? Then the helmet makes more sense.

Does every competitor in the niche use a planet? "Worldcom" "Earthlink" ....etc ....etc? In other words in a field of fifty logos for companies from the industry category, could the client's customer pick out yours?

Because if they can you've taken a step toward creating a business identity. And if they can't you've taken a step toward creating business camouflage.

A business identity happens 99% outside the graphics program and 100% outside the walls of the corporation. Any company who manages to show up in the parking lot can identify the business. You're looking to create an identity in the mind of the client's customers.