Fri, March 17th, 2006 by Brandon Stone
A couple weeks ago I sent out some informal emails to people asking for feedback on the new logo. This feedback was pretty helpful, so I figured I'd open things up even more and ask you all about it on the blog.
- Do you like the new logo more than the old one? Is it an improvement?
- Would you proudly wear the new logo on a t-shirt?
- If the new logo was different, would you be more likely to wear a Photoblogs.org t-shirt?
- What are some examples of logos that you think really kick some ass? (Please provide links, if you can.)
Thanks all. Feel free to be open and honest with your feedback. We really want to know what you think.
(Update: Changed to a numbered list.)
This entry was posted
on Friday, March 17th, 2006 at 3:28 pm
and is filed under Photoblogs.org Discussion.
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
Both comments and pings are currently closed.
March 17th, 2006 at 4:46 pm
yes, i like this one. i prefer it to the old one.
i will wear the new logo on a t-shirt if photoblogs.org is not written to big. i don't like wearing big ads on my t-shirts.
i like a lot the photofriday logo.
March 17th, 2006 at 4:55 pm
I think it’s amusing and surprisingly accomplished, if optimized for low-resolution line-art style.
March 17th, 2006 at 5:41 pm
A swastika taking a photo .... cute.
March 17th, 2006 at 6:22 pm
1. i don't like it more than the old one. in fact i didn't like the old one.
2. i won't wear it on a t-shirt.
3. yes.
4. blogger logo [www.blogger.com]
March 17th, 2006 at 6:36 pm
When I saw it my first thought was also a swastika carrying a camera. Not really the type of thing I would want to wear on a shirt.
March 17th, 2006 at 7:04 pm
I have to admit, I also saw the swastika right away.
Without that negative connotation, it looks really cool. Definately a good effort. But in the end, I would never wear it.
March 17th, 2006 at 8:46 pm
I do think the swastika thing is a bit of a problem, but it's something that could be fixed pretty easily without changing the overall impact or theme.
My preference is for logos that incorporate a graphic element into the typo, like Intel's or IBM's for example. It's much easier to do that with short names or acronyms though, so I can understand using a separate typo and graphic mark here.
Overall it's definitely an improvement on the old/current one.
March 17th, 2006 at 11:40 pm
I suggest altering the legs a bit to get rid of the resemblance to a swastica, but the top half is clever. But for the evil legs I'd wear it.
March 18th, 2006 at 12:18 am
I think the logo looks quite good. The swastika kinda look for the looks is not intentional and should be left at that.
March 18th, 2006 at 12:55 am
I like it!
I agree about the swastica, but it seems like it could be pretty easy to fix. The dude doesn't have to be "running" either ... he could just be standing.
I'd wear a shirt possibly..if the shirt were just the icon, no text, and without the dropshadow. And wouldn't shrink in the wash
.
March 18th, 2006 at 2:52 am
It's a bit nazi, isn't it ?
March 18th, 2006 at 4:26 am
This swastika offends. Can be a little change a corner of legs...
March 18th, 2006 at 4:48 am
I also saw a swastika carrying a camera at first. I like very much the upper part of the logo, though.
I wouldn't wear this version on a t-shirt.
I would wear a t-shirt with an ammended version of the logo, if photoblogs.org was not written too big.
March 18th, 2006 at 6:02 am
I didn't see the swastika at first (actually I had to google it before I realized what it means). The logo is great, at least the upper part. I agree with sinnick - the figure should be standing (because you don't actually run when taking a photo, unless you're a paparazzi
and get rid of the shadow.
March 18th, 2006 at 6:24 am
Straighten out the front leg and the swastika problem is solved, that also gives the figure "more schwung".
It's a nice design, and of course the figure should run! Run photographer, run!
More movement!
And keep the shadow, it lifts the image from the flat surface into our eyes.
Logos that kicks ass? Mine of course.
March 18th, 2006 at 7:45 am
Things we've learned so far:
* There is an obvious unintentional swastika thing going on that really needs to be fixed.
* When we eventually make t-shirts we won't make the "Photoblogs.org" text part very big at all... We'll make the graphic part the main focus. (That's very easy to do.)
* So far, it sounds like this new logo could still be pretty decent if we just fixed a couple things.
Please keep the comments coming... This kind of feedback is quite valuable to us. Should we stick with this logo and just fix it up? Or should we go back to the drawing board?
March 18th, 2006 at 8:17 am
1. I like the looks of the new logo better than the old one, but I miss the text baloon. The new one JUST says photography to me; the text balloon in the old logo added the blogging aspect. Did you try adding some element for 'blogging' to the new design?
2. Sure!
I agree that the logo should be more prominent than the URL on the t-shirt, but what about also offering a version with text written on it? Off the top of my head:
- Don't let the camera fool you, I'm a photoblogger, not an international terrorist.
- No cameras allowed?! What's that in the ceiling then?
- VOTE BRANDON
(Well, something like those, only better.)
March 18th, 2006 at 9:31 am
I didn't notice the swastika until I read through the commments. It can be fixed with a little tweaking. I would wear the logo on a t-shirt. I think the colors (blue, green, grey) could make some great shirts. It's very clean and the knock out of the camera that duals as the head of the body is great. Stick with this (but take care of the legs).
Oh, can I get a green shirt with the logo on it? I got pinched to many times yesterday!
March 18th, 2006 at 9:32 am
Good design, just change green to red.
March 18th, 2006 at 10:45 am
I have an alternate version for you:
http://img365.imageshack.us/img365/1075/photoblogslogobackup3kw.gif
Hope you like it.
March 18th, 2006 at 10:55 am
you know i love the logo brandon. i agree that the swastika needs to be addressed. i would try to keep the figure moving though. photoblogs are (generally) dynamic and always moving/changing. having the little fellah on the run really adds punch to the logo.
i definitely dig the green.
any particular reason you chose trebuchet as the type face? i guess it's a popular font for blogs...
March 18th, 2006 at 10:58 am
I dunno. He's a cute little character and it's a clever design but somehow the style is kind of old. There are so many of these two colour "pictogram" logos around. It's very 80s-90s.
If I were going to wear a tshirt -- which I won't as its not my personal thing -- I would prefer it just to say photoblogs.org.
It's classic, there's no style statement and it does what it says on the tin.
Are you doing tshirts to raise funds? Instead of a tshirt I wouldn't mind paying some kind of yearly subscription.
Anyway, good luck and even if we don't all like it -- which we won't -- we will still be back.
March 18th, 2006 at 1:43 pm
First time Im looking at it, as I wasnt one of the ones to preview it so here my feedback:
The font is perfect. it fits the "web 2.0" typography and it fits well with the new beta site, which is very "web 2.0," if I can use that term again.
The image needs to change. That swastika jumps at you and is very distracting. Even the huge "camera" is also distracting. Id say forget the image, just stick with the typography, all the other logos these days are simple text only. eg: flickr, yahoo, weblogs inc, eventful etc etc...
March 18th, 2006 at 3:51 pm
i think you summed up the comments there brandon, and i agree the logo is nice and will be great with just a few tweaks (the whole swastika thing).
i do love this suggestion from david for t-shirts:
"No cameras allowed?! What's that in the ceiling then?"
i think you could do a whole range of really fun ones. i'd wear them.
March 18th, 2006 at 4:53 pm
yeah, i prefer text-only logos, too: photoblogs.org (no drawing). that would be just perfect.
and that, with some of the funny sentences from david s. could make a nice t-shirt collection. i would wear them depending on the place i would go.
March 18th, 2006 at 8:31 pm
how about photoblogs.org on the back, and on the front breast pocket area:
>
;)
March 18th, 2006 at 8:33 pm
ahhh... my message didn't work (damn html).
basically, the pocket area would be the navigation:
previous today next
with little arrows or whatever...
March 19th, 2006 at 1:34 am
A good logo informs you about the intent of an organization through symbolism. This logo is for photoblogs.org, and I see an enthusiastic person with a camera, but where's the BLOG part? He needs a keyboard or a mouse or something that ties the camera to the idea that his photos are on the internet. Otherwise he's just a happy photog.
March 19th, 2006 at 1:53 am
Very, very nice logo. I love it. And... as well as your site
March 19th, 2006 at 9:18 am
I like the new logo but, although the 'swastika' did not jump out at me at first, I agree it could use some tweaking. The new site design is great and I would wear the logo on a t-shirt. Thanks for all of your efforts!!
March 19th, 2006 at 9:40 am
I love the logo. I think it's very clever without being smarmy. And I hadn't noticed the swastika. Having had my attention drawn to it, it still doesn't pop out at me. But I think since so many other people have noticed it, it's probably something a lot more people will see going forward and so should probably be altered a bit. It's true, the guy doesn't seem to need to be running. Although I will say that conceptually, it makes sense. Photobloggers are not like regular photographers in that a lot of people take photos while "on the run" if not while actually running. I hope that the main concepts of the logo can be preserved and yet manage to eliminate the offending symbol.
1. Yes. Yes.
2. No. But only because now I'd be worried that others would see the swastika.
3. Yes, but only if the overall concept could be preserved while eliminating the swastika.
4. None I can think of right now.
March 19th, 2006 at 9:50 am
Great looking logo, but the his legs look like a swastika
March 19th, 2006 at 10:19 pm
Now I'm confused. I've never seen it as a swastika. I was about to say it was really exagerated to think of it as a hidden nazi logo, but as I read the comments, I realised everybody but me would see it, so if you think it could be offensive, change it. I like it, though. And I still don't see any kind of tribute to Goebbels.
March 20th, 2006 at 12:14 am
1. No, I don't. No, it's not.
2. No. I thought it was just me, but nearly everyone immediately picked up on the evocation of a Swastika.
Why don't you just straighten out the legs? If he/she's looking at OUR fotos, he/she shouldn't be running anyway ... but rather, lingering.
3. I'd wear a Tee with the present one.
4. I'll get back to ya on that one.
March 20th, 2006 at 12:47 am
A few more things:
I like Brandon/Lorissa's idea to put funny comments in a balloon re: photography in the New World Order environment we all find ourselves in since 9/11. Making it humourous can only help our situation ... wherever we are.
Keep the shadow under him/her, like Max said, it makes it more 3-dimensional.
On second thought, maybe he/she should be moving ... but walking would straighten the leg out. I think I first thought he/she represented the viewer of the blog. Now I realize it's the fotoblogger being symbolized. But then I agree with Kathleen, something has to show that we're bloggers, not just photographers.
Zac might have hit it with the navigation symbols over the left chest (b-t-w, make a Tee WITH a pocket ... I put my memory cards/filter in it). The logo can be on the back and the little figure can be above the navigation symbols or bigger in the middle.
March 20th, 2006 at 10:12 pm
I just noticed that you capitalized the 'p' in the new logo. Please don't; it's cooler in all lowercase. And do keep that font, love that 'g'!
March 20th, 2006 at 11:52 pm
I think it has potential. It took me a few looks to figure out that this is a person holding a camera.
My first impression was that this was a person holding up half of a little green sun over their head, and I couldn't figure out the connection with photoblogs.org. Then I realized it is a person with a camera, and what I thought was the "head" is actually the "lens" of the camera, and the "little green sun" is the "flash" on the camera. Seriously though, you could easily mistake this for a guy with broad shoulders running holding up half of a green sun over their head. The proportions of the black areas around the "camera" are exactly right to be the "arms" of this figure, just as the "lens" is sized and positioned perfectly to be the "head". It is a little confusing IMHO.
I also noticed the "swastika" similarity (I am sure it wasn't intentional).
Like i said, it has potential, but I think it needs some work to insure that the immediate impact is theone that is intended. Also I agree comletely with the comment that the "photoblogs.org" title should remain all lower case text.