Here ya goes....Why is it that designing for yourself can be one of the most difficult things? I have been thru umpteen permutations and I have hated them all....
So I forgot it...and tried to look at what others were doing...signguys, as well as designers in other fields, and I think it really helped. This idea came full blown in a flash, like most of the designs do that I enjoy building most...
This is a new look geared to relate to both my corporate/business crowd as well as the non-commercial custom side o' things....
I made this in Signlab and Photoshop using a lot of custom effects I made myself including the carbon fiber fill on the MTD part.
This is just the front of the card...for "attitude", pertinent info/contact stuff will be on the back....This is the final design, so I'm kinda just looking for reactions...fer good or bad. Whaddaya think?
[ May 25, 2008, 06:51 PM: Message edited by: Barry Branscum ]
Posted by Todd Gill (Member # 2569) on :
Hi Barry,
Critique?
I like the angled bar background with the reflective qualities.
I don't care for the font you picked....and my first reaction is that the text has too many variations: squished on the top, scrunched in the middle, and really squished on the bottom....at least that's the visual I'm getting.
Plus, (and I usually defend red on black) I don't care for the red on black in this case with the font you chose. The thin horizontal strokes of the font seem to disappear into the black.
Don't like the heavy outlines....
The bottom text is almost obliterated with the fat white outline on the light gray wide/tightly kerned text... I think that a solid gray font...with no outline and perhaps a tad more spacing would be more effective. At actual card size....this is going to be hard to read.
Undecided about the flip-flop of color between the MTD and the Master's touch designs.
I like where you're going with the basic idea.... but in my opinion, the font choice kills it.
Posted by Bruce Bowers (Member # 892) on :
I like the "mtd" part. The reflection is a cool feature as is the carbon fiber effect. It is a cool feature, though.
I like the flip flop on the colors. I don't like the extra shadow in the letting. I would lose the glowing outline effect on the bottom copy and make it just gray.
Very corporate looking!
Posted by Terry Bull Sign & Custom (Member # 1876) on :
My only comment would be to drop the red outline on the imagine text though keep the font and letterspace the line to the same width as masters touch etc leaving a clean light yet readable contrast to a good logo
Terry
Posted by Jon Butterworth (Member # 227) on :
Move back 3ft from your screen and the name blurs out and the smaller bottom line almost disappears.
Too many shadows, outlines. They also compete for visual impact with the effects in "ktd". KISS !!!
Print a business card size and maybe an A4 Letterhead and see if it reads.
Posted by Rod Tickle (Member # 575) on :
g'day barry, i like the carbon fibre effect and would be interested in knowing how you went about doing that.
cheers! Rod
Posted by Jillbeans (Member # 1912) on :
quote:just looking for reactions...fer good or bad. Whaddaya think?
Makes me feel itchy. What type of client are you hoping to attract? Racers? Bikers? It works for that but not so much for someone wanting high-end signs. Bottom line has too many outlines, it's hard to even see the dots on the "i"s. The only part that I think is cool is the background. You asked. Love....Jill
Posted by Bevin Finlay (Member # 2159) on :
Barry; that looks pretty darn cool!!! I love the effect of the carbon fiber. For a business card I don't see much of a problem for clarity. If it was a 4x8 sign being viewed from further away, then maybe the less is best rule should apply to some of it.
But I still think it looks pretty darn cool !!!
Posted by Catharine C. Kennedy (Member # 4459) on :
WOW! Very slick- certainly attention grabbing!
Posted by Bruce Bowers (Member # 892) on :
Barry...
The more I look at this, the more the initials "MTD" bother me. It makes me think of my snow blower. It is an MTD, too. Just a thought.
The design is still cool.
Posted by Frank Smith (Member # 146) on :
"imagine the possibilities..." should be a bit plainer, maybe a real skinny Handel or Eurostyle...
Posted by Kelly Thorson (Member # 2958) on :
I like it Barry, It does have "attitude". The fuzzy tag line may not work on a small card, or perhaps it may not be as obvious when it isn't back lit. I think the diagonals, reflections, carbon fibre, font and colours all combine to project a unified image. geared to relate to both my corporate/business crowd as well as the non-commercial custom side o' things.... - works for me.
Posted by Barry Branscum (Member # 445) on :
Well, this logo has certainly gotten some interesting responses. Lucky for me I can eat the proverbial fish and spit out the bones....in other words, thank you all for the constructive critiques.
I cave, the tag line is a bit fuzzy, and in hind sight, the whole thing looked darker posted here than it seemed in pshop...plus there was some color tweaking needed when I converted rgb to cmyk..(don't ya hate that?)
Anyway, here is the final (I think) front side of the card...)
Edited to say...it still looks somewhat darker here than the "real thing" but oh well... Posted by Frank Smith (Member # 146) on :
Perfect!
Posted by Joseph Diaz (Member # 5913) on :
There you go Barry!!! Looking good!
Posted by Todd Gill (Member # 2569) on :
Much better Barry - I'd still argue there's too much *squish, squash, skrunch* in the three different manipulations of the same text font......
Other than that - I really would have used a script for the tagline...too much of the same blocky font...plus the script would make that last line more of a *personal thought*
Much improved though.
Posted by Dave Sherby (Member # 698) on :
Very nice now. Leave it alone. Love the effect.
Todd, you're too picky Posted by Bruce Bowers (Member # 892) on :
Have you considered using Eurostyle Light Extended for the tag line?
Just think you are going to the well too many times with the other letterstyle.
I still think overall it is nice work.
Posted by Jon Jantz (Member # 6137) on :
Barry, I love it. That's super slick.
Posted by Ray Rheaume (Member # 3794) on :
I like it, Barry, but you might be trying too hard.
The word "designs" is hitting one of those nasty frequencies that make it look blurry using the inside shadow.
Just a thought....How about "Master's Touch" as is and "Designs" in a nice red script below it?
Love the reflection! Rapid
Posted by Anne McDonald (Member # 6842) on :
I certainly like the adjusted version better, I have never been a fan of red on black, I would love to see it in orange or perhaps gold. The carbon fibre effect looks great, I really like it.
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