Logo Design needed!

[evoluzione]

maybe someone here can help me out...i'm thinking i need a logo for my new business.

i don't have much money but i'm willing to pay a few bucks if i get results...or, maybe put a link to your site on mine or something. anyway, i've registered thee domain MacLessons and have done a quick three page site which will suffice for now. i would love to get a quality logo to design a site around, and to print on business cards, and mousepads for clients etc.


anyone have any ideas? willing to help me out (in return for something) ?


thanks very much!

[Blue Velvet]

A tip: choose a logo that will work in just solid black on white before worrying about colour or gradients within the artwork.

Ideally, the logo should be reproducible and clear at small sizes on a variety of different media from print, web and other surfaces.

See what it's like reversed out from a dark background, try it in different positions on stationery, avoid something that's too wide or long... think about all its possible uses before committing yourself to one design. It's not something which you'll want to change in a hurry.

[evoluzione]

cheers for that one, i kinda knew that already though, maybe should have mentioned it.

i've been in pre-press for years, (oh, thanks to you i found that pre-press forums, great site!) so i realise the importance of keeping it simple...i'm simply using the lucida grande typeface (to match Apple) at the moment. but i need something a little more distinguished shall we say.


i was thinking something close to the whole Apple corporate identity, but then i was thinking how about something organic, not too dissimilar from Adobe's CS logos these days. i live in (the legendary) Woodstock and there's a bunch of writers etc up here, something "earthy, organic, natural" etc could be nice, and (think) different

[Blue Velvet]

How about a hand reaching up to take an apple from a branch?
Done simply...

[evoluzione]

Originally Posted by Blue Velvet

How about a hand reaching up to take an apple from a branch?
Done simply...

hmm...could be interesting....simple enough though d'ya think?

[Blue Velvet]

Originally Posted by evoluzione

hmm...could be interesting....simple enough though d'ya think?

Just an idea...

It was just the organic idea with the Apple association and also with the education thing. After all, don't you usually bring an apple to teacher?

Anyway, I'm sure others will come to you with ideas. I'd offer to throw a few ideas together myself for you but I'm deep in other stuff at the mo for work.

Good luck!

[cgratti]

Threw this together for you.

[eXan]

Maybe a photo of theacher's table with green apple on it? Maybe make a chalkboard also visible in the scene?

[evoluzione]

Originally Posted by cgratti

Threw this together for you.

not really what i'm looking, but thank you anyway

Originally Posted by eXan

Maybe a photo of theacher's table with green apple on it? Maybe make a chalkboard also visible in the scene?

maybe too complicated i think, but yeah, it's a great concept, difficult to get it to what i want though me thinks

[evoluzione]

so i've come up with something myself, after all...

i had some temporary business cards which i cut the corners off, so they were rounded, and i liked it..got me thinking about a few things...

the logo below is a first attempt, you have the orange which is good for me personally, the chalkboard style also, and it has the rounded corners that would translate well to a card. it also is the shape of the Mac Mini and the font is recognisable also as the one Apple itself uses. anyone want to critique this for me?? i can take it, don't hold back if you think it sucks! my girlfriend thinks it may look a little too similar to the GeekSquad logo, but is that neccessarily a bad thing? i'm thinking maybe not. so, what do you all think??

[eXan]

Originally Posted by evoluzione

so i've come up with something myself, after all...

i had some temporary business cards which i cut the corners off, so they were rounded, and i liked it..got me thinking about a few things...

the logo below is a first attempt, you have the orange which is good for me personally, the chalkboard style also, and it has the rounded corners that would translate well to a card. it also is the shape of the Mac Mini and the font is recognisable also as the one Apple itself uses. anyone want to critique this for me?? i can take it, don't hold back if you think it sucks! my girlfriend thinks it may look a little too similar to the GeekSquad logo, but is that neccessarily a bad thing? i'm thinking maybe not. so, what do you all think??

Not bad! But one thing though: I think that Apple logo shouldnt overlap with "Mac". Maybe move it a little bit? or scale down? What do you think?

Oh **** I like it!! I wouldnt mind having a mousepad with this logo

[evoluzione]

Originally Posted by eXan

Not bad! But one thing though: I think that Apple logo shouldnt overlap with "Mac". Maybe move it a little bit? or scale down? What do you think?

Oh **** I like it!! I wouldnt mind having a mousepad with this logo

thanks for that... i have wondered about the apple logo myself, i have it at the present size as it's to scale with the logo on the Mac Mini. and i kinda like the way it cuts into the "a", i'll try it smaller though.

oh, and i am going to be making some mousepads for my clients, another reason i want a decent logo!

vladivostok eh? does the trans-siberian express still run there???

[jsalzer]

Hey, Boys - I was gonna play and try to throw something together, but I really like the orange and chalkboard logo. I doubt I could top that (except by accident!)

Three things:

1. I really kinda think (with no practical law knowledge to back myself up) that you can't use the Apple logo *within* your logo. I definitely wouldn't do it without something in writing from Apple Legal saying you can.

2. Afraid of the Geek Squad similarities? Why not adjust the shade of orange a little? There are "yummy"er oranges out there.

3. On the "Mac" part - can you maybe reduce the opacity on the shadow? Feels more like it's making the "Mac" thick, rather than acting as a shadow.

Other than that, though, wonderful, wonderful job! I would definitely love to spend time at a site built around that look!

Geez - I almost want to get you to throw one together along the same lines for my site (some basic continuing education resources for teachers.)

[Cleopatra]

Originally Posted by eXan

Not bad! But one thing though: I think that Apple logo shouldnt overlap with "Mac". Maybe move it a little bit? or scale down? What do you think?

I have to agree with eXan, further more I would not have had so dark shadow under the word Mac. And I would not have the white stoke between orange and black. And I would have the apple logo all white. By the way did I mention that it looks ok

[cleanup]

Here's my take on MacLessons.

Some colour combinations shown. Any design variation can be used. Solid apple, hollow apple, different font (such as Lucida Grande instead of the shown font, Myriad Pro), different words bolded. All the colourschemes are different (ie. all one colour, letters one colour, apple another, "mac" one colour, "lessons" another). Letter case variations such as maclessons instead of MacLessons or some such.

Hope you like. Comments appreciated. You can see more of my work at http://cleanup.deviantart.com, my website http://www.cleanup.tk is currently performing redesign.

Didn't take too long. Illustrator CS2. You can have the .ai file if you choose to use my logo. Do whatever you want with it, or you can tell me what variation you'd like, any changes you wish.

[sharifweb]

good discussion....

[WeeShoo]

Whipped it up pretty fast. Just tryin to give you Idea's.

[evoluzione]

everyone...thank you for your ideas, and input.

Moxie, i like the logo tons, but there's nothing technical about it whatsoever, and i want to try and get that across (the fact that i do a lot of tech support and not just tuition). i do really like it though.

20rogersc ... again, i really like it, but i really cannot use the Apple logo, especially as prominently as that...i may be able to get away with a subtle one like i have one my design, but even then, i'm not completely comfortable with it.

Josh, nice, i do like that, maybe incorporating that apple with Moxie's awesome school house design could be good, although Apple reckons you're not even allowed to use a picture of an apple

WeeShoo, simple, but clean and effective, maybe if it was an orange gradient?

[Lau]

Just did these, but then just read your post about pictures of apples. Oh well

[highres]

Originally Posted by Lau

Just did these, but then just read your post about pictures of apples. Oh well

I really like this one though Lau, nice concept and original design...I like the mix of the real apple and the type overlay on the apple...definitely stands out and is noticeable, seems like just about any Mac user would get a kick out of it and remember it later...

[Lau]

So if you can't have an actual apple, how about these? (I am so sorry about the pun)

[evoluzione]

Originally Posted by Lau

So if you can't have an actual apple, how about these? (I am so sorry about the pun)

haha, i like the second one, funny, but it works

[20rogersc]

Originally Posted by Lau

So if you can't have an actual apple, how about these? (I am so sorry about the pun)

Wow, thats really cool Lau, I love the second one. It reminds me so much of school playtimes. How about a lunchbox or something with Mac Lessons on it?? Just using the idea of school, maybe with an apple in it?? I don't know, I'm just trying to give ideas.

::20ROGERSC::

[baztaylor]

Hi there, i was just wondering if you had decided on a final logo design yet for your Mac Lessons? I've read through the feeds and i'm guessing it's still going on so i'll create some designs and get back to you...

[DesignerOnMac]

Originally Posted by evoluzione

maybe someone here can help me out...i'm thinking i need a logo for my new business.

i don't have much money but i'm willing to pay a few bucks if i get results...or, maybe put a link to your site on mine or something. anyway, i've registered thee domain MacLessons and have done a quick three page site which will suffice for now. i would love to get a quality logo to design a site around, and to print on business cards, and mousepads for clients etc.


anyone have any ideas? willing to help me out (in return for something) ?


thanks very much!

As a professional graphic designer, it always 'kills me', that people want a logo design, but are only willing to 'pay a few bucks', or go to a website and chose one of the most important things for their company...a logo design!
In the end, you get what you pay for!