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critique of new logo

emdotdee

emdotdee

macrumors regular
Original poster
Nov 6, 2003
240
4
Widnes, Cheshire, England.
For a while now i've wanted a logo for my websites/blogs but haven't been able to think up anything. tonight i got a flash of inspiration and decided to do it in photoshop straight away.

anyway, here it is, well, a few slight variations to see what the pros and non pros think.

logo01.jpg

original version
logo02.jpg

added my name, i think thats important so people can get the reference to my initials.
logo03.jpg

added 'emdotdee' how its supposed to be said (i'd like this to be written photically but i don't have a good font or person to translate it for me)
logo04.jpg

got rid of the vertical line in the 'D' to see if it changed the balance at all.

i would love some opinions.
 
It really just reads as 'Emdee' to me. Not sure if that's ok or not.

First thought- why are you using photoshop to create this? You really should be in Illustrator.

It appears to be some sort of stretched Century Gothic? Not a big fan of stretching type.
 
i used photoshop because i had it open, this is just a very quick version and i don't have illustrator yet.

the font is called STHeiti and i've changed it to about 70% of its height which is probably why it looks stretched.

also, i've included the word "emdotdee" for exactly the reason you stated (that it just looks like emdee) although, that's not a big problem to me because "emdee" would still result in my initials being pronounced.

just for the record, this is a very very quick version, if i get enough feedback then i will make changes accordingly, when i get enough time i will re-do the whole thing for a final version.
thanks
 
A non- professional opinion: Looks like em-dot is in the curl of a big wave and i like it... first impression was M D.:) could you just do without all the eeeees?
 
emdotdee said:
like this??..
logo05.jpg

maybe as a super simple version for watermarks but i prefer the eees for titles and such

with an extra dot..
logo06.jpg
Click to expand...

I actually like the first one way better.

I would think of at least trying it without stretching the type. Perhaps you haven't found the right font that gives you the look you are going for by stretching it.
 
I think the plain MD without the em dee works best. I'm not sure how the dot is meant to work but if it is important maybe it can be put as 'DOT' reversed out of a solid bar, which could also be a stroke for the 'D'. I'm not too fond of the font.
 
i'm not quite sure what you mean by the "reversing the DOT out of a solid bar"

do you mean moving the dot and the 'm' to the left so that the dot goes where the vertical line of the D would be?
 
i unsquashed the font by 10%
if i leave the heigh at 100% it looks too tall
newlogo04.jpg

i've decided that the ee's have to be there but i like the idea of a smaller version like this..
newlogo03.jpg


i also had a look through some fonts and couldn't find anything that matched until i got to this..
newlogo02.jpg

simple version
newlogo01.jpg


i like the second version but i think there's a bit too much going on.

hmm, when i look at the first one i think there is too much dead space, maybe i will close things up a little.
 
Good job on the Logo, I actually like the style, I think all the versions are looking pretty good, but honestly to me your first idea at the very top was best.

As for making it in Photoshop/Illustrator, don't worry about that. Photoshop can do Vectors just like Illustrator does. What I would recommend doing is starting with the original type, and then converting the type to a vector shape (Layer>Type>Convert to shape) and then use your Path Selection & Direct Selection tools to do the adjustments. Having control over the individual points can give you a lot more control, and make it more fun. Funner. Whatever.
 
To be honest when I look at this thing I think of sex products.

Dildos, condoms, sex toys, oils and stuff... or it makes me think of torpedoes and missiles.

With one of the other choices you had there it sort looks like a new racquet's brand that's trying too hard to copy "HEAD" just to barely make it into the business, and ending up with a weak brand that will be forgotten quite easily.

I honestly think this logo needs a lot of work. It doesn't communicate anything to me really.

Also, don't squash typefaces (fonts). This only destroys the shapes and ads an elements of "cheapness" to it.
And try to do it in illustrator. Nothing stinks more than a logo done in photoshop. It will only affect the logo and its sharpness. Plus you won't really be able to reuse the logo (file) if you need it larger than its current size
 
final-colour.jpg


this is pretty much the final version, there will also be one with just the "m.D" and nothing else.

i was also concerned about sexual references, but i thought that was because i went on b3ta.com too much. i think i've remedied the problem by not squashing the text.

i also worried about the sports logo thing you mentioned and that is why i decided not to go with the sportier looking font.

i'm still debating the use of the "michael.dyer" part (i think its important to have my name in there, but only when the main logo is big enough for it to be read), i'll scrap the extra "emdotdee" text though.


as for the "it doesn't communicate anything to me", well all it needs to communticate is my name, or my initials which is think it does just fine.

if people read it and think em dee or em dot dee then they've technically come to the same conclusion. extra titles for my photography or film etc can be added when appropriate.

i know i've not changed the design very much from the original but i want to say thanks to the people who have commented.

overall i am happy with the design and in the end, that is all that matters.
bye d bye


[sorry for any bad spelling, typos or sentences that don't make sense, i'm freezing cold and shaking like mad, gonna go to bed now]
 
The text where you write out your name is entirely too small in proportion to the mark. What application WOULD you use the logo where that would be large enough to be visible? Lose the written out part.
 
decksnap said:
It really just reads as 'Emdee' to me. Not sure if that's ok or not.

First thought- why are you using photoshop to create this? You really should be in Illustrator.

It appears to be some sort of stretched Century Gothic? Not a big fan of stretching type.
Click to expand...

yea

keep emdotdee on there so people know
 
please lose any notion of people referring to you as "em dot dee" because it's not an easy thing to say or remember.

and as far as your logo... i'm digging the new blue one.
lose the dot in the middle, but if and only if you think you have to keep it, center it more, the kerning is way off and hard on the eyes. also, the mD alone would catch my attention more than the entire spelled out version. remember, in logo design, simplicity is better.

keep things scaleable. your name super small will NOT show up on a business card or other smaller stationary, and if you're making a logo for yourself, keep that in mind.


other than that, you are progressing well. remember to never ever ever go to the computer straight from an idea ever again. sketch sketch sketch until you are absolutely sure you have some good ideas. then revise revise revise.

sketch > figure out the best ones > get a critique> revise > computer > critique > revise > THEN decide on what you need.
 
emdotdee said:
final-colour.jpg

overall i am happy with the design and in the end, that is all that matters.
Click to expand...

Wrong. That is the thing that matters the less.
What matters is that people can understand what the logo means.
Communication is #1 by far.

Anyway it is your logo and you will do whatever you want with it even if it's not effective at all. And well, good luck with it.
 
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