Darren Beamen's new logo I design

You see why people like me (and probably BrianSD) would not do design as a fulltime career eventhough we're madly in love with it. We think we have terrific taste and understand the principles of good design well (and trust me, there are some -but not many- OBJECTIVE rules of good design). But clients don't always agree and it's hard to convince them that logo 1 is better than the rest - I mean, in the end of the day, what could you say to them? For me there is absolutely absolutely no question that the first logo is the best.

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I agree with everything you say here, except that I do plan to make my career in graphic design. I talked to a man who was a typographer (one of the world's reknowned, actually). He designed the GE Logo, a high-end mattress company in Tokyo, Prudential, and Sea Smoke wine. Interestingly, in every instance except for Prudential, he was faced with that exact dilemma - the best designs were not the ones the client wanted. However, due to his qualifications and a way with words, he insisted on the proper design - although he had to make some modifications to satisfy the clients eye. Generally, a client will pick the *wrong* design, and it's tough in my job where I design for a gym, but my boss has no history in art and she's always asking me to do asenine things that are either trendy, or pretty and extravagant but almost never balanced and aesthetically beautiful. And I do agree, NewYorker, #1 of those is my favorite, although I think the font choice could be augmented with a slightly bolder face, and some tighter kearning, expecially between the thinner letterforms. It's also always hard to look at a logo out of context, because you have to be a truly excellent designer to achieve a logo that has the same balance, message and affect regardless of its placement and use. A logo should look as good in black and white (no grey) on a paper as it does in the corner of a website in blue. The Sotheby's logo is beautiful. It is not just Gill Sans, however, it's Gill Sans with perfect kearning, and with the text below it in all caps, which is perfectly lined up, creating an equilibrium of positive and negative space. Everything about it is impeccable, even when all it is is just text. I am rambling, but definitely enjoying this discussion.

And I do agree, NewYorker, #1 of those is my favorite, although I think the font choice could be augmented with a slightly bolder face, and some tighter kearning, expecially between the thinner letterforms.

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I agree with everything you say BrianSD.

I think the logo would work as well with a slightly bolder face, it would certainly look stronger (as Alex pointed out as well) but it would lose a bit of that understatement and the brand's implicit sense of its own security that I was trying to bring out by using that light shade of blue.

It obviously could be perfected further and I would obviously not hand off that logo to a client, but the above was what I was trying to convey....

Cheers mate

A few of my favorite logos: The prominence of the firm is implicit in how they don't take their logo too seriously Hard to forget this logo Very elegant and casual; just like their sportswear collection Nice european feel

another of my favorites BTW, was that font you used Univers Condensed... 47 maybe? I like the font-guessing game.

I like this one, although I am biased...

Nice and Simple: THE best logo ever (simple, clean, effective, instantaneously recognizable): Jon.

I actually prefer Christies' logo. Also the traditional Rolleiflex logo. Leica's is also lovely. Prada is very minimalistic. And who can not recognize this symbol?

How about the StyleForum logo? And here's Ebay's logo... a bit too colourful, perhaps? WJTW

Nice choices, LabelKing. The Chanel is a classic.

LOL...

My graphic design skills get a lot of 'pretty website' and 'wow, great pics' from guests....

From my old webhost though the comment was "Could you do more text?" and the new one says "Screw text, just send money and you can do every page in full graphics."... I think they may start buying my google ads for me just to see the bandwidth dials spin.

I'm betting every professional graphic designer will tell me I'm outta my freakin tree to do nothing but imagemapped high res graphics. Bri?

I'm betting every professional graphic designer will tell me I'm outta my freakin tree to do nothing but imagemapped high res graphics. Â Bri?

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Hahaha. Well, I wouldn't worry about it too much in your spot, as your website is very specialized and I doubt it's losing you any customers right now. But yea, I think you are a little crazy to do that For the same effect, I would personally just break up the images (instead of image mapping) and using several low color-count gifs.

One of the notables in the logo business.

I much prefer:

.... (the BMW logo)

Symbolic of the historical origin of the company (a propeller on a sky blue / Bayerische Luftwaffe blue field) and also visually striking.

and evidently good at protecting their logo so you can't link it.

...now did you know that, J, or were you quoting from "Finding Forrestor"????

and evidently good at protecting their logo so you can't link it. ...now did you know that, J, or were you quoting from "Finding Forrestor"????

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Heh. Which brings me to: The CEO of the luxury car maker Mercedes Benz was proud of all his staff. One fine day, he decided to make a trip down to a company's plant to interact with the workers. All the top managers upon knowing his rare appearance to the plant were very excited about it and made sure they prepared their workers for the Chairman arrival. At the plant, the Chairman posed a very simple question to his managers, "who can tell me what the Mercedes circular insignia at the front of the car represents?" All the managers were dumbfounded. Just then, a young sleepy chap amongst the workers was quick to answer, "Oh that's simple, you fools. It stands for: 8 o'clock start work, 12 o'clock lunch & at 5 o'clock we go home." Jon.