New Logo Design

[ironhead13]

My initial thought is you've created your business card, just need to add your phone number or email address.

A logo is generally a simple graphical representation of your company's identity. I should be direct enough that a client looking at it can immediately identify it as yours. What you've created provides multiple identities that the viewer has to connect together to figure out what they are looking at. Here's what a first time viewer sees and has to identify:

1) FHL

2) Firehouse Leather

3) FirehouseLeather.com

4) Craig Ferguson * Leathersmith

The first question I would ask if designing your logo would be, "which of these four entities is your main identity?" i.e. - what do you want people spreading word of mouth to call your brand? Once you figure that out, design around that and leave the rest for the website & business cards. Keep in mind also, that many good, memorable logos don't include the company's name at all or it is the logo by itself.

Every design article will name the standards, Coca-Cola, VW, Nike, McDonalds, Shell Oil, IBM, Apple. Here are a few more industry specific ones you'll recognize as well: Danny Gray, OCC, West Coast Choppers, Harley, Honda, Indian, Jesse James' FTW, etc. think about what they all have in common.

Heck, you can even look here on LW.net for some great examples: Bobacat & ARM Leather. Why are they great? Because I remember them off the top of my head and can tell you what each looks like without reference. In fact, a google search shows what extent Andy went to in designing his logo, he had his design critiqued by an actual logo/graphic design forum...now that takes guts as designers & artists can be brutally honest with critiques when they don't like something. http://www.graphicde...hp/t-43249.html

Also, check out some articles on best practices and common mistakes. It's OK to and sometimes it's advised to break a rule or two but you want to make sure you don't end up wiping your arse with the rule book either. Here are a couple of short articles that are a good jump off point:

http://www.webdesign...signing-a-logo/

http://www.smashingm...in-logo-design/

Hope this helps, it's definitely not an easy process but once you get it right it feels great.

Cheers,

Chris

Three Mutts Customs

I agree! The ARM logo is the most memorable and best one I've seen, I could not tell you what anybody else's looks like.

However, I did just read that thread, and disagree with everything those guys said. Other than, the average joe may not know what a head knife is. But the changes some were wanting to see in my opinion were terrible idea's. IMO.

Now that I think about it further, you need to focus on the company name and or abbreviation. Come up with a solid logo for the letters. Then fit that in either the sheild, or an axe near it, above, below sideways whatever...,axe with a handle. As I do agree just the axe head and the average firefighters axe head is not a good looking or memorable design without the handle.

do yuo get waht Im saiyng. Recognition.

Edited May 11, 2012 by ironhead13

[Spinner]

However, I did just read that thread, and disagree with everything those guys said. Other than, the average joe may not know what a head knife is. But the changes some were wanting to see in my opinion were terrible idea's. IMO.

I agree for the most part, but the point was he went outside of his normal peer group, folks who mostly would not recognize a head knife and such, for unbiased critiques. I did like how a few picked up on the medieval and semi-aggressive nature of the logo. It definitely sends a strong and memorable message.

I went a similar route and had an acquaintance who is currently in design school take some of my ideas to class for their open discussion time. Many great tips and ideas came out of it and while I went a different route than what they were thinking, the final result received high marks.

The true test was wearing my jacket with the logo embroidered on the back to a car & bike show and having half a dozen people, all non-clients, recognize it and come up to say Hi and comment on my work. Objective met.

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On a related note, I just came across Eric Luther's "Luther Leather" logo today in reading other posts and it is a good example of straightforward, simple design. Reminds me a bit of PJD's (Paul Jr. Designs) logo in the way the letters are simply stylized/reconstructed to create the idea of an alternate shape for their logo:

[AndyL1]

Heck, you can even look here on LW.net for some great examples: Bobacat & ARM Leather. Why are they great? Because I remember them off the top of my head and can tell you what each looks like without reference. In fact, a google search shows what extent Andy went to in designing his logo, he had his design critiqued by an actual logo/graphic design forum...now that takes guts as designers & artists can be brutally honest with critiques when they don't like something. http://www.graphicde...hp/t-43249.html

I agree! The ARM logo is the most memorable and best one I've seen, I could not tell you what anybody else's looks like.

However, I did just read that thread, and disagree with everything those guys said. Other than, the average joe may not know what a head knife is. But the changes some were wanting to see in my opinion were terrible idea's. IMO.

Hey thanks fellas! It kind of helps that I do this stuff for a living (graphic design that is) so coming up with my own logo was rather easy. (Sorry I don't freelance... I'm busy laying out Motor Trend every month.)

So in response to this thread, it's best to first design in black and white ONLY. Color is something that gets added later. A good logo/mark works best if it looks great with zero color. Keep that in mind for sure. And yeah, lose the Bleeding Cowboy font. I do like that one but it has been very overused as of late. Think about size too. If the image can be scaled down to the size of a dime and still be legible it is a good design. That's about the size it could appear on a business card.

Also, I think I would explore your logo being contained inside a Maltese Cross. That is a bit more recognizable as a firefighting icon rather than an axe head. I see axe head and I think lumberjack or woodsy. My two pennies.

Cheers,

Andy

EDIT: Purely just messing around. If I put more time into it, I'd use a different font than what I chose in the attached image, but you get the idea. Maybe a banner streaming across it too with Firehouse Leather written out inside it to support the abbreviation?

Edited May 11, 2012 by AndyL1

[chancey77]

I do like the Axe, but Arm is right, AXE THE BLEEDING COWBOYS FONT.

I think everyone has said enough to confuse you and I won't continue:)

LOL

I know it is tuff...but sometimes you should maybe be careful what you wish for.LMAO! hahahaha

[FHL FERG]

Thank you everyone for your candid responses. I had some of the same thoughts, except about the bleeding cowboy font (I'll ponder that one)

Just to clarify a couple things: The blue background you are seeing behind the image won't exist, the file is layered and you will only see the actual logo, a lot of the script you are seeing on the faux leather is actually the watermark from the artist that did the designs once I decide on one, that comes off. So the image may seem a little busier than it should right now.

I had a lot of the same thoughts on legibilty and printability. My delima is that a friend is doing this gratis for me ( actually we're trading services) and I had already requested the font and several other changes. I don't want to overstep my bounds on the favor. I may go with what we have for now and make some alterations later when I can afford to pay for them.

Andy- we originaly looked at using a maltese cross but avoided it due to it's overuse in the fire community, much like I am seeing about bleeding cowboy now. I am in favor of the helmet shield as it is readily recognizable in the firefighting community much like the maltese but without falling into the realm of being cliche. at least I am hoping so..... Thanks for the advice!

THANKS AGAIN!

Ferg

Edited May 13, 2012 by FHL FERG

[FHL FERG]

P.S. I'm on the hunt for a font.....

[FHL FERG]

A black and grey...

[benlilly1]

Ferg, I use the bleeding cowboy font and I like it. (www.buttskinz.com) I may change it in the future but for now I'm alright with it. It's a gut feeling and what's pleasing to you. Good luck on what you end up with.

[cmantz]

As an embroiderer/screen printer/promo products distributor, if you came to me with that design I would probably cringe. There is so much going on in all of those. I am definitely of the mindset that less is more especially when it comes to designing a logo. Also, rule of thumb...a good logo will look just a good in black and white as it does in color! And as one poster already pointed out, be prepared for extra costs when doing market materials. There are going to be times when you have to provide a black and white image (ie: maybe phone book - if people even advertise in them anymore, newspaper, etc) and that could be a problem. Think about all the things you will want to put your logo on and make sure that your final design will work.

A good, effective logo doesn't have to have tons of colors, colored outlines, drop shadows, gradients, etc.

Also, although the distressed "look" looks pretty cool on a screen printed tshirt, probably not so much on a business card.

As an imprinter, this is just my opinion of course and something I tell all my customers when they come into the shop wanting us to design a logo or imprint a logo they have.