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Critque?
- Thread starter JKADesigns
- Start date
JKADesigns
New Member
Update... deleted black line tracings around words so disregard that. Thanks.
ucmj22
New Member
With a name like jazzy, I think you can do better. Show me some more.
JKADesigns
New Member
... I know... Need to go back to school for graphic design or find some better inspiration.
JKADesigns
New Member
Flame
New Member
Alright, to be honest, it's pretty bad. Your name is "Jazzy", and it's a very boring and hard to read logo. If you want to continue in the sign biz I'd highly suggest getting some design books and just practice, practice and practice. Dan Antonelli has some great books to get you started. With the right inspiration and many hours of practice, I think most anyone can become a competent designer (otherwise I'd be screwed lol).
So, to just lay into this real quick. Here's what you have going wrong.
#1 nothing unique or interesting to make this logo. It's just logo on a boring circle.
#2 The text and outline weight combo is just not put together very asthetically pleasing.
#3 NEVER put red on blue unless it's a weird oddball freak design that requires it. It causes strain on the eye, makes text illegible and looks 100% amateurish.
Even a good layout can look horrible with the colors set wrong. Check out my attached doodling. Totally just quick layout, but notice how the first too are easy on the eyes (even though I shoulda fixed the green on blue part), and then the third using the EXACT same layout in a different color combo, doesn't look near as attractive? Color combos are your friend. No layout skills can ever save a horrible clash of colors.
So, hope that's somewhat helpful. Good luck man!
So, to just lay into this real quick. Here's what you have going wrong.
#1 nothing unique or interesting to make this logo. It's just logo on a boring circle.
#2 The text and outline weight combo is just not put together very asthetically pleasing.
#3 NEVER put red on blue unless it's a weird oddball freak design that requires it. It causes strain on the eye, makes text illegible and looks 100% amateurish.
Even a good layout can look horrible with the colors set wrong. Check out my attached doodling. Totally just quick layout, but notice how the first too are easy on the eyes (even though I shoulda fixed the green on blue part), and then the third using the EXACT same layout in a different color combo, doesn't look near as attractive? Color combos are your friend. No layout skills can ever save a horrible clash of colors.
So, hope that's somewhat helpful. Good luck man!
Attachments
JKADesigns
New Member
Thank you! I also need to learn how to lay out a decent design. So help me out here... I'm looking at your design and analyzing how it's done. Flexi 7. three rectangles, equally distributed. Slant rectangles. Create an Oval then copy, make it smaller, and rotated/expanded. Jazzy Signs typed in font of your choice and then outlined about .100. Am I about right? I am assuming the drop shadows in the font came with the font.
Took me an hour to do the other damn logo. I need some serious practice if you can knock those out in 2-3 minutes. I do have several graphic design books.. time for me to start STUDYING them!
Thanks for your help it's appreciated.
Flame
New Member
Yah you pretty well have it except I added in the shadowing myself. Don't worry about that crud for now, just learn basic layout though and then you can learn all sorts of little vector "tricks". A good solid layout that looks good in both black and white AND color is the place to start.
Jillbeans
New Member
Based on your initial post...
I have been taught to never use that color red with that shade of blue.
Contrast is your friend.
If you eliminated the red stuff completely, and just did jazzy Sign in white it would look a lot better.
But it's still a really ho-hum layout.
Jazzy to me is a fun word and needs a bit of bling (but not too much)
Love....Jill
I have been taught to never use that color red with that shade of blue.
Contrast is your friend.
If you eliminated the red stuff completely, and just did jazzy Sign in white it would look a lot better.
But it's still a really ho-hum layout.
Jazzy to me is a fun word and needs a bit of bling (but not too much)
Love....Jill
Marlene
New Member
when I see something like this, I have to ask why you thought it might work. why did you pick an oval and that font and those colors. sometimes hearing the reasons why and then having members tell you why those ideas don't work is a great way to get some quick insight into designs. break it down point by point and tell us the whys and I'm sure we can help by going point by point as to why not.
Circleville Signs
New Member
OK - here's the even more important part....
Understanding HOW to do something is nowhere NEAR as important as understanding WHY things are done. Anyone can figure out HOW to do just about anything. Those who stand above are the ones who know WHY.
You are starting a sign company, but lack just about all of the basic skills necessary to do the job properly. I'm talking basic things like color combinations, etc. Doing your own logo can be a total bitc* - I get that. Been there myself. But what you originally posted shows a complete lack of understanding of design principles.
You got some good advice here in this thread, and Flame even did up a pretty usable concept for you right out of the gate. IMO, before you even start trying to earn revenue in this business, you need to go study those design books - maybe see if your local college will let you audit some design classes. Not classes about how to use software, but actual design theory.
But learn about design first and foremost - BEFORE you clutter up our already puke infested signage landscape with more crap.
Understanding HOW to do something is nowhere NEAR as important as understanding WHY things are done. Anyone can figure out HOW to do just about anything. Those who stand above are the ones who know WHY.
You are starting a sign company, but lack just about all of the basic skills necessary to do the job properly. I'm talking basic things like color combinations, etc. Doing your own logo can be a total bitc* - I get that. Been there myself. But what you originally posted shows a complete lack of understanding of design principles.
You got some good advice here in this thread, and Flame even did up a pretty usable concept for you right out of the gate. IMO, before you even start trying to earn revenue in this business, you need to go study those design books - maybe see if your local college will let you audit some design classes. Not classes about how to use software, but actual design theory.
But learn about design first and foremost - BEFORE you clutter up our already puke infested signage landscape with more crap.
jkdbjj
New Member
I wonder with a name like JKADesigns, what is it you design. Don't mean to be harsh, just genuinely curious.
If I were you, I would look a for a book, or something online, that goes over logo basics. It will be invaluable!!!!!!!! It will show you why some logos work and others don't. It will go over line thickness, empty space, typography, symbols, colors etc. The basics is what you need.
Also, apparently overlooked more often then not, is a sketch book. Even if you can't draw a square, doesn't matter, just sketch your ideas, your business name, your first two letter JS, play with it, then go to the computer.
I think going straight to the computer, you become overwhelmed with all the buttons and whistles.
If I were you, I would look a for a book, or something online, that goes over logo basics. It will be invaluable!!!!!!!! It will show you why some logos work and others don't. It will go over line thickness, empty space, typography, symbols, colors etc. The basics is what you need.
Also, apparently overlooked more often then not, is a sketch book. Even if you can't draw a square, doesn't matter, just sketch your ideas, your business name, your first two letter JS, play with it, then go to the computer.
I think going straight to the computer, you become overwhelmed with all the buttons and whistles.
JKADesigns
New Member
You do have a point there. I HAD the username JKA Design... my inital, my wife's inital, our last name initial and design after the end. IT was a pain in the ***, I want a business name that's sellable, if I can build this into a brand.
Now I changed it to Jazzy Sign .com because it was short, sweet, easy to remember and available.
Thanks!
Joseph
TyrantDesigner
Art! Hot and fresh.
Plus one to Circlevilles stuff.
I will refer this to many of the OTHER logo critiques that have been done here. read through them ... you are suffering from the same stuff.
also, I posted a LOGO RESOURCE ... actually go to the sites and practice first.
and for the love of all that is unholy, sketch your ideas first, they are a quick and easy way to edit your stuff.
I will refer this to many of the OTHER logo critiques that have been done here. read through them ... you are suffering from the same stuff.
also, I posted a LOGO RESOURCE ... actually go to the sites and practice first.
and for the love of all that is unholy, sketch your ideas first, they are a quick and easy way to edit your stuff.
WeekendDirectionals
New Member
I think JazzySign.com is a good name.
Good luck!
Good luck!
JKADesigns
New Member
JKADesigns
New Member
Thank you for the encouragement... we brainstormed for awhile to come up with that. Have other crafters in my area named A La Bling and some other really cool names, so wanted something that that was catchy, easy to remember, and I could get the .com for.
Circleville Signs
New Member
It is better than your first try, you've still got a long ways to go. Try a google image search for "sign shop logos" and get a feel for the prevalent styles.