Mortgage logo - crit welcome

[skippers]

Here are some more drafts. Still not quite there though.

http://www.timberfloor.co.nz/images/umbrella.jpg

[skippers]

What do you think peeps?

[vdowsett]

I like the one where you use the b as the handle.

[skippers]

any one of them in particular?

[skippers]

OK, what do you guys and gals think of this?

http://www.timberfloor.co.nz/images/umbrella3.jpg

[skippers]

OK, I've showed the client my ideas but they want to go with these 2 in-house designs! Could anyone point me out where I am going wrong?

http://www.timberfloor.co.nz/images/InhouseUmbrella.jpg

[vdowsett]

Sometimes clients are hard to understand. I like the last set you designed actually. The colors wasn't great, but the concept was nice.

[thom0975]

I suspect they'll eventually choose an iteration of the first of their two in-house designs. The second in-house one screams the letter J from a distance- not good. Probably flatten the graphic portion by 60% on the horizontal (fit margins better) or increase it to 150% (square it up) and call it a day.

First things first: You final concept was, indeed, quite nice. I can only speculate as to why they chose what they did...

-The active phrasing in their choice is set in all lower case- not only does this have the perception of appealing to a younger set (not as "buttoned up" as someplace that uses proper title caps) but it also makes the action phrase more approachable and humble. All caps on something like 'DEBT' or 'MORTGAGE' is a lot more intimidating and less intimating than 'debt' or 'mortgage'. All of your designs include all caps in this title case.

Second: Costs and execution. Their choice will be a simple 2 color job in the end; and be printable on just about ANY toner or ink based printer out there- hell, doesn't even need postscript to get it right. Yours is 3 color and the gradient makes for hinky quality output.

From experience: Anything in the Finance sector is a strange beast and often a design language unto themselves. Kudos for the attempts- like I said, they are really nice, just not on the mark for that client. Frankly, I prefer yours to theirs- it's got better impact by skewing the balance and imparts a more 'professional' vibe- it would just be more expensive in the long run to produce and do it right.

[nick awkward]

yeah try to do it with the umbrella concept and try some typograhic logo.. which will luk gud with the company's theme

[skippers]

Thanks for all the advice.

There has been a turn around. They are scrapping Greenbank Mortgages and want a new logo for Greenbank Homeloans instead. Here are my latest drafts at:

http://www.greenbankhomeloans.com/im...loans-logo.jpg

Any feedback on the website also much appreciated:
GreenBank Home Loans - Secured & Unsecured Loans, Commercial Finance & Business Mortgages

I need to do more work on the forms, learn how to produce multi page forms, and improve the navigation bar.

Cheers