[ProjectComplete] Due Jun 27th - Logo Design for Sapphire Garden - $200

[Shelly]

Admin code added by Abby - 8VY13685NL385212H

Project Summary:
:D Hi Everyone,
We need a logo for SapphireGarden.com; a site that sells rare and unique gemstone beads. We are looking for something elegant and clean. We're under a bit of a time crunch so we would like to get the ball rolling quickly.


We would like the text Sapphire Garden and
possibly the words Exquisite Gemstone Beads as the tagline. Not sure if we want to include the tagline or not, use your judgement.

We have been in business 4 years on eBay as crystalcottage and are expanding to include an online store. Please see the post below to go to our eBay store and see our gorgeous stones.

We would like to have this wrapped up by Tuesday June 27th.

We are marketing to an audience that is
predominantly female age 20-50. Mostly jewelry designers and serious hobbiests. We also have some gemstone collectors of rare and unusual gemstones. Our customers are generally sophisticated, knowledgeable about gems, savvy, creative, intelligent. The logo needs to be upscale enough to appeal to that type of woman.

We are looking for something somewhat elegant, not too busy, but interesting and clever. It needs to be feminine and beautiful. We like the garden theme our new name denotes and would like to play on that somewhat.

We tend to go for a mix of aqua, turquoise and greens, but are not married to that color scheme.

We don't have a predetermined image or icon in mind...perhaps something with some vines with the S or G. We have watched some of the recent contests and are impressed with the designers' creativity. We want to give you guys some room to play.

The qualities we would like the logo to portray about our business are:

High end.
Quality.
Beauty.
Elegant.
Rare and unusual.

What is your tagline or slogan?

Exquisite Gemstone Beads (for now...if you come up with something terrific, we might change it. If we use your tagline we would be willing to offer a $50 bonus)


We will be using the logo on our website, business cards, newsletters, invoices, etc. We will probably want to work with the winning designer to help us create some of these things a bit later.


Who are your competitors and what do you think about their logos?

earthstone.com (their logo looks amateurish to me)
rocknrocks.com (I think it looks like a copyright - blah)
firemountaingems.com (Theirs looks too masculine to me)

[Shelly]

Perhaps it would help if you saw our products?
Here is a link to our eBay store:

Crystal Cottage Studio (http://stores.ebay.com/Crystal-Cottage-Studio_W0QQssPageNameZl2QQtZkm)

Hope this helps!

[Shelly]

I know I just posted this contest a couple of days ago, but I'm so excited, I'm having trouble being patient!

If any of you brilliant designers are planning on submitting ideas at a later time :yes: , it would help me be patient if you signed in and let me know.

Also if I've left out any important info, please feel free to ask for what you need.

Thanks!!!!
Shelly (I promise I'll be patient and easy to work with!!!) :blush:

[Titania]

i'm working on this, i'll post asap... :yes:

[Shelly]

Yay!

[tini1]

and I'll work on something as well:)

[Shelly]

:) Great!!!

[cazeyzman]

Hello,
My first thoughts on the logo,
All comments welcome!
:cool:

[cazeyzman]

Hello again,
another quick idea maintaining that garden gem theme.
-Thanks
:cool:

[Shelly]

Wow! What a start, Cazeyzman! Thank you! I like the first one especially.

Would it be difficult to try a different font, maybe something more italicized or a simple script type? I'm wondering how the flower would be in a different position, perhaps dotting the "i" or before or after rather than in between the words? I'd like it to look a bit more flowing if that makes sense. The gemstone flower really gets the idea of the business across. Very nice!

Version 2 is not doing it for me. I don't think I like the enclosed look of it, I like the openness of version 1 better. I also like the bolder font of version 1 better.

[glyphica]

Here's one from me :D Let me know what you think :yes:

[djaka]

any comments are appreciated
thank you
:)

[eziey]

:)

[Shelly]

Thanks you everyone! It's so much fun to log on and see all the great ideas. I can see a lot of hard work already.
I'm not seeing exactly what I'm after yet, but some are close. Let me see if I can articulate the style I would like to get us closer.

All: I'd really like to see something that flows, font that is a bit more organic looking. I think I might prefer somewhat slanted font, maybe with some curves.

Kekepania - Post #11: The bead reference is nice and clear here and I like it, but I think I would prefer something more about garden than beads. I like that teal color you chose.

Djaka - Post #12: The formality and class of this appeals to me. It's very elegant and that is what I'm after. This one is a bit straight though, I would like something with more curves and some sort of garden reference. The way you integrated the tag line is beautiful, I like that a lot.

Eziey - Post #13: This is closer to what I'm after. It's a bit more curvey and has both the gem and the garden reference. I would like the design to be a bit more integrated without being enclosed. I'm not sure how to accomplish that, but in all of the designs so far, the words are very separate from the image. I'd like the image to somehow run through the words or be part of the words. Perhaps the vine could be part of one of the letters or could flow through somehow?

All: I think posts #8 and #13 are closer to what I'm looking for and also the elegance of post #12. I'm not sure how to articulate this, but somehow I would like the whole to be a bit more integrated, for the graphics to be part of the words somehow? Thank you all so much for working on this. I am really impressed and excited about how it is going so far and look forward to seeing where it goes from here.

[Blesseville]

One from me.

http://www.medigraph.net/do/sg1.jpg

[tini1]

Hello...here is my idea for your logo....a vine:)

[Shelly]

Thanks Medigraph and Tini1!

I like the lettering, Medigraph, the curves are nice. Somehow it is making me think of a garden center that specializes in pond gardens, though. Not sure what to do about it, but it's not quite working for us. Would love to see your other ideas if you have time.

Tini, I really like the vine idea and that it is more integrated into the design. I'm not crazy about the lettering style though and would like something a little more subtle in the graphics. This has a nice whimsical feel to it, but we really need to lean more professional than fun. I know you can do that too, as I've looked at some of your other designs, so would like to see other versions from you if you are up to it.

[Shelly]

Djaka, we still love the clean professional look of your design. The star sapphire is not quite right for us. If you can think of another simple graphic to go with the lettering, we would like to see it. I thought I wanted curvier lettering, but the more I look at your lettering, the more it appeals to me. Especially the shaded effect.

This design continues to be my husband's (the other decision maker in this process) favorite if a few revisions could be made. He really loves the shaded lettering.

Hope to see more from you! :)

[castell]

http://www.visualadv.net/projects/other/sapg.gif

Castell

[Taldo]

:)

[Shelly]

Castell: Thanks so much for entering. We like the reflection and the simplicity of the design. I'm not sure about the A being the letter with the curves, but I really like that the letters are becoming part of the graphic. Is there a way to try it with the S? The gem above the i is a good idea, but it looks kind of like the facets are concave instead of convex. Is there another gem image you could use there? Thanks.

Taldo: Thank you too, for joining in! We like the professional look of this idea, but would really like to see a bit more of a garden or gem reference. The placement of the S graphic is good, but we don't really want a letter logo, prefer a graphic one. Is there an icon or something you could try there instead?

[Shelly]

Everyone: We're so happy to see so many talented people joining in. Please forgive me if my remarks aren't helpful. I have not heard any responses or seen any revisions so I am feeling a bit worried that perhaps I am not making appropriate comments.

We are not getting quite what we are after here yet and I'm not sure how to help make it happen. Some I think are close and perhaps with a few tweaks might do it. Please feel free to tell me what might help or what you need from me...even if you just need me to be quiet and let you think. :blush:

[BlueCherryGraphics]

A different take on the garden theme, a butterfly made w/ gemstones.

[Taldo]

:)

[eziey]

:)

[Shelly]

BlueCherry: Gotta say I LOVE this. Unfortunately, I'm not the only decision maker in this process and we are in dissagreement on this one. If you make a few revisions, is it possible to save this version unchanged, just in case?

These are the concerns brought up with this design. Because the first letters drop down and the butterfly goes up, it takes up a lot of space and my husband feels it might be hard to work around in certain applications. Does that make sense? If there is a way make it more compact, perhaps a smaller or more integrated butterfly, we might be able to make this one work.

I also would like to see the butterfly without the little periwinkle outline and perhaps a bit more realism or depth to the stones.

This one is a contender, if you can work with us a bit (and get hubby on board!) :) Thanks so much for entering. Great work.

[Shelly]

Taldo: This is really neat. :yes: I like it a lot. Thank you so much for continuine to work with this project. This version is not at all what I had in mind, but I love it. We are really looking for something with an integrated graphic and you did that beautifully.

I think the gray, although very classy, is a bit too understated for us. Can you show us this in another colorway? I would like the word Garden to show up a bit more and I think it's getting a little lost. It might be something that can be addressed with color only.

[Shelly]

Eziey: Thanks for the revision.:) We especially like the gemstone on this, it has great depth and also we love the way you made the white facet separations on the B&W version so that it looks terrific in B&W too.

Here are our concerns with this one:
My husband feels the vine is a bit too busy for us.

Somehow the graphic still feels too separate from the words to us, even in the center.

The font is not quite right for us. I like the curves, but would like something a bit thicker looking.

Thanks Eziey, we're hoping to see more from you.

[cazeyzman]

:d

[Blesseville]

http://www.medigraph.net/do/sg2.jpg

[Taldo]

oops - this is version 3 - sorry! :)

[tini1]

Hello Shelly...here is a more refined design, thanks for feedback:)

[castell]

Hello Shelly,

Here is the result after considerable hours on perfecting the gem reflections and angles...

http://www.visualadv.net/projects/other/sapphireg2.gif

Castell

[castell]

and of course, some color variations...

http://www.visualadv.net/projects/other/sapphireg2a.gif

Castell

[Shelly]

Cazeyzman: Thanks so much for the revision. You set the bar really high with your version 1. It is a very strong design. Version 3 has a bit too much going on for me. I think a combination of some of the elements in 1 and 3 might make this a contender for us.

Can you make the following changes?

We are liking the font from Version 1. We especially like the 'horizon' effect in it. (wondering what it would be like if it were even more emphasized?)

Can you change the flower a bit, but keep the gems...this one reminds of the type of flower kids draw. Could it change shape a bit? Maybe three larger gem petals going upwards, so it's not completely symmetrical? I really like the gems and I like the flower concept, I would just like to see it be a bit less...predictable? I'm not articulating this well so please feel free to ask if you need me to clarify.


Could we see a version with the flower above the words (as in version 3) and also the tagline included? (Exquisite Gemstone Beads) But without the scrolly lines?

:) Thanks again for the terrific work, hoping to see more from you with the revision or if you get a brainstorm, we are still open to your other ideas.

[Shelly]

Taldo, Tini1 and Castell: Wow! Thanks...I want to comment on these individually, but am too tired to keep my eyes open at the moment. I'll post tomorrow. Thank you guys so much!

[BlueCherryGraphics]

Hi, More compact version here. :)

[eziey]

:)v3

[Shelly]

Thanks Medigraph, for the nice revision. I do prefer this one to the first one. However, for some reason, we are not liking the designs with a picture between the words. We would like a logo where the words and picture are integrated, but I think what we had in mind was the letters being part of the picture...like an S that is a vine or something. (not married to that idea either...just the only example I can think of) I know it must be crazy-making :eek: to try to please people who aren't clear on what they are asking for. This one just isn't quite what we had in mind.

[Shelly]

Thanks Taldo! I do like these colors better. Can we see a version in still more intense colors? I know it might ruin the elegance, but would like to just see. I can't quite imagine the effect in my mind and would like to see if it makes a difference. It is still a bit quiet to me....that might be what makes it elegant, or maybe it's just the clean design. It is a contender for us certainly. :yes:

[Shelly]

Castell - Wow. That gem looks real! :notworthy

I like the font and I like the reflection...very classy.

I'm not sure about the leaves going all the way around the gem...I don't know why, but that part is not working for me. (too symmetrical, maybe?) If I figure out a suggestion, I'll post again. I like all the color combinations, but I think I like the first combo best. I'll think some more on this and get back to you.

[Shelly]

:flowers: Wow, that was fast! Thanks so much for getting this one out for us. Andrew is more satisfied with the layout and I love the butterfly on the third example down with deeper color and no outline. The font is good too. If you can, I would like to try one more revision with the following changes:

Unstack Sapphire Garden
Add the tagline in smaller font underneath (Equisite Gemstone Beads)
Can the butterfly be at a slight angle to suggest movement?

Thanks!

[Shelly]

:) Thank you so much Eziey for this revision. This is a neat design. I think this font is difficult to read, though. As much as I like curves, after looking at all these logos, I am resigning myself somewhat to more blocky lettering. I'm not sure this would work with those kind of letters so I will leave it up to you if you want to revise or not. We still really like the way your gems look with their deep color and great translation into black and white.

[BlueCherryGraphics]

v3

[Shelly]

:D Neat! This one does a good job of integrating the picture with the words. Can we see it with the tagline Exquisite Gemstone Beads?

The only thing that bothers us about this one is the center of the flower. Everyone we've shown it to has made a pineapple comment. :confused: I'm not sure if you want to try something else with it or not, we'll leave it up to you. Other than that, we like it.

[tini1]

thanks for feedback, its based off your briolette beads, which
are unique, beautiful in their cut...... I'll try to revise, :)

[Shelly]

:flowers: Hi Tini... we must have been typing at the same time!

[Shelly]

Great, Tini! We'll look forward to that, it's such a pretty and bold design. I know there is a ton of work involved in that change so I hesitated to ask for it. Thanks!

[Shelly]

You're fast! Thanks this is exactly what I meant. I'll show it to Andrew and see if he has any comments.

[castell]

:) Great feedback, Shelly! Here are revisions...

http://www.visualadv.net/projects/other/sappg2b.gif

Castell

[Shelly]

Castell, Cool! Thanks so much. We like this one a lot.

It does remind me a bit of a head and shoulders, I'm thinking that could be pretty easily changed by extending the lines that are about shoulder size...no need to actually do it now.

[Shelly]

Everyone: Thank you for all the amazing work you have done.We are having a tough time deciding. Andrew loves different designs than I love, there are a few we both might love if some revisions were made. We are hoping for a design we are both in love with. :wub:



We are going to try to decide tomorrow night. There are a couple of designs we are hoping to see revisions for before making a final decision.

We are considering extending the deadline a couple of days (If you need more time for a revision, or if you are considering entering but need an extra day or two please let me know asap). We may need another day or so just to think.


:) Just a heads up....we are going to post a contest this week for a new logo for our sister eBay store, Crystal Cottage Studio, which is going to get a facelift this month since we are switching software companies. Just want to let you know so you can start thinking!

[cazeyzman]

hello,
:D

[Titania]

http://titania.myown.com.ar/do/titania_sapphire.jpg

[djaka]

I will post the revision today,
thank you
:)

[djaka]

thank you for the feedback,
this is the modification to the logo
any comments are appreciated.
thank you
:)

[Taldo]

:)

[tini1]

Hi shelly...here is my revision, I think the shape makes it look less pineapple-ish;).....

[Shelly]

Andrew and I are watching (I can't stop myself from checking every half hour or so!)...we are discussing the new revisions and entries and will be back with comments shortly. Sorry for the delay.

[Shelly]

Castell, While we really like the overall look of the tree and the gem, to be honest, we aren't certain about a tree to represent us...and we are debating whether it looks like it has too much going on. We love the gem, love the balance and the addition of the tagline. The words look simple and clean...we like that too. We would want to play with the colors a bit. We haven't ruled this out, it has elements that are among our favorites in it.

I am just mentioning this so if you do decide to try another image with that fab gem, we are open to seeing it. If not, we are still considering both this one and the previous one of yours.

[Shelly]

Zman, Wow. The gems are really looking shiny and sparkly in this one. We love the rich color. For the overall design, we are still most drawn by the clean simplicity in your orginal design.

Although we like lots of things about Vs 04: the lettering, the colors, the new look of the gems, the placement and proportion is not quite right for us yet.

If you are up to trying again, here is what we would like to see:


~The flower seems to dominate this design. We would like to see it smaller, possibly about the size you had in your version 03. (if this is the only revision you feel like making, this one thing would help us a lot...it can be placed above or after the words Sapphire Garden.) This revision might be enough to do it.

If you still want to do more:
~We would still like to see a slightly different version of the flower. Perhaps just 3 petals (sort of like an abstract tulip or partially open rose?). Possibly little to no stem as in version 03.


If you are still really on board with trying something new:
~Another idea might be to completely replace the i in Sapphire with the stem of the flower, flower head becomes the dot on the "i". The stem might work flowing down and under to balance out the tag line...or becomes a line between tag line and the words Sapphire Garden...not sure if that would work. We would really like to find something where the design is part of the words.

I know there is a lot of stuff here...we do like this design, (and so do many of our advisors) Feel free to do as much or as little as you feel is right for you.

Thanks for all the great work you have already done.

[cazeyzman]

Hello,
You're suggestion sound really great and I'll get right on it although I probably won't post untill a little later if thats OK.
-thanks

[Shelly]

Titania, Welcome, thanks for entering your idea. :)

The leaves growing out of the letters is a neat idea and so are the teardrop briolettes. We appreciate you working to incorporate the image and the letters for us.

Overall, I think we need something a bit more streamlined. The big bold gothic style letters are neat but are a bit overpowering for what we are trying to convey.

We are open to any other ideas you might have.

[Shelly]

Djaka, Thank you so much for this revision. The letters and layout of this design remain one of our favorites of the entries. It is very clean and elegant and we like the way the tagline looks with it and also the "shadow or horizon" effect of the lettering.

We really want a gemstone or garden reference in the graphic element. We have decided against a monogram. We liked the original cabachon reference, but it doesn't quite fit with what we sell and we didn't think it translated well in black and white. If you can come up with a graphic element that would incorporate a garden reference or jewel reference, we still like the layout, font, and colors in this design. It's up to you...there's lots we like here, but the graphic element isn't right for us yet.

[Shelly]

Carol, This design is lovely. It's sleek, memorable, elegant and clean. Lots to love about this one and it is also a favorite among our 'advisors'. We like the new color much better. Afer seeing it, I don't think going even stronger with the colors would hurt this design. If you are up to it, we'd like to see the colors go richer/deeper.

The other think we are wondering is if there is a way to incorporate the tagline without mucking this up. If you can think of a way, please show us. We would really like to be able to show the tagline in certain applications.

Last, we feel the shading in the font on this particular design isn't necessary. It looks great with solid colors, we would just like to see a little stronger pairing of colors.

[Shelly]

Tini, This design is really cohesive. We like the way it all holds together. The modification on the flower is good, no more pineapple feeling. :)

The graphic feeling of this design is really different than the others and not what we expected, but it's good! We are afraid most people looking at it are going to miss the gemstone reference of the center of the flower though.

Here are our ideas for a revision that might make it work:

~ Add a string somehow going through the bead and integrating into the design. Maybe even a subtle hole for the string to go through. Not large or anything, just enough to make it clear it's a bead. The string doesn't need to be fancy or fly around everywhere...I bet you could think of something neat to do with it that wouldn't detract.

~perhaps a mix of shapes that fit, a group of briolettes or other gemstones to make up the center instead of one big one? (perhaps too much work with this idea...you decide)

~Andrew feels that font is too 'common' looking...you might try a more stylish font while maintaining the nice clean lines of the lettering.

[Taldo]

:)

[cazeyzman]

Hello, Hopefully I'll getto the other suggested changes.
-thanks

[Shelly]

Jennifer, I love this design. I want Andrew to love it too and he seems to be getting on board with the butterfly graphic. :rolleyes: We both like the layout of this latest version. It's simple but evocative of the image we want to present.

We would like to see the words in a different font if possible. Something really simple and clean. Perhaps similar to the font used in your graphic...maybe a little rounder, but not curly, wish I knew the names of some of them. Bauhaus or Gradl are almost what I'm thinking of. Andrew isn't fond of the scrolly first letters. We may still want to keep them, but it would be helpful to just try it in a font that he may appreciate more.

It's not necessary now, but if this design gets to the next stage, I want to ask if other color variations on the gemstones would be possible? I think another thing that is throwing him off is the candy hued shades. If the shades were more elegant, I think it might also help.

[Shelly]

Everyone: I'm sorry I was so late today getting the feedback up!

We are extending the project deadline to the 29th so people have time to respond if they want to.

Moderators: I'm not sure if the title of the contest can be changed to reflect the new deadline, if it can, please let me know what I need to do.


We are blown away by the creativity we have been seeing. We are trying to be as straightforward as possible with our comments today. Everything we have seen is excellent and we are still considering each design. We just hope to nudge the designs as much as we can towards the elements we have seen that we love.

Hope to see more from all of you soon!
Thanks! :)

[Shelly]

Thanks Carol and Zman!

[Shelly]

Zman: A question:

On the first image...the one with the neat horizon effect...the font seems slightly blurred. (I notice it especially on the tagline, but also on the main letters) The middle design seems sharper. Can that be adjusted or is that the way it will be if we choose to use the 'horizon style' font?

[Taldo]

another version :)

[Shelly]

Thanks so much, Carol...both are good! I'm so glad I asked, because I was thinking this one wouldn't work with the tag line and as you've presented it, it really does. We especially like the first example with the line separation in version 5 (like that color combo best too) and now this one I can see on a business card or in other applications. Very helpful, thanks!:yes:

[castell]

Hello Shelly,

Here is one more for your consideration.

http://www.visualadv.net/projects/other/sappg3.gif

Castell

[castell]

Here is another one...

I probably can think of some more, but I prefer to wait you see these first, since I suspect that you might like them.

http://www.visualadv.net/projects/other/sappg4.gif

Castell

[cazeyzman]

Zman: A question:

On the first image...the one with the neat horizon effect...the font seems slightly blurred. (I notice it especially on the tagline, but also on the main letters) The middle design seems sharper. Can that be adjusted or is that the way it will be if we choose to use the 'horizon style' font?

Yes, all effects in the gradiated versions can be adjusted. That was just done for effect.
-Thanks

[BlueCherryGraphics]

Hi,

Darkened the colors and changed the font. :)

[Shelly]

Castell, You were busy last night! You must have stayed up late!

Version 3: This is a really strong design. Andrew especially likes it. We like that the picture is kind of ghosted in behind the words and the whole design works together.

For me, I think it's one of the strongest designs submitted, but somehow, it's not for me. I think I need a bit more of the garden reference.

Another thought: Can you think of a different simple icon to ghost behind the words?

Or even...show it to us without that part at all. Just the stone above the 'i' might be enough. (I do prefer the blue-er jewel to the greenish one)

Version 4: Andrew has not seen this one yet.

First thing, I love the leaf on the "S". That is very cool. (If you decide to show us Version 3 again without the figure, I would like to see the leaf on the S if that's possible...really like that element a lot) :yes:

I need to look at this one a few more times before I decide. The layout is great, it's elegant and the colors are good. I like it a lot, I'm feeling I would like a stronger garden reference somewhere, but I'm not sure. I'll look at it a while before I decide. It's a really good one, Castell.

You are putting in a ton of work on this and it's all excellent. We are really impressed.

[Shelly]

Yes, all effects in the gradiated versions can be adjusted. That was just done for effect.
-Thanks
Great. My image software tends to get blurry and I can't change it, it drives me crazy, so I just wanted to check.

Thanks for the reply!<!-- / message --><!-- sig -->

[cazeyzman]

hello,
a version with the flower in the lettering.
-Thanks

[Shelly]

BlueCherry: Thanks for the revision. I'm having trouble with feedback on this one because I love the original font and version 3. Just trying to get a font Andrew will love too.

This font doesn't do it for me, and I think Andrew will think it is a bit too plain as well. It may be enough to give him an idea how the design would look without the script first letters, though. If you still want to try something with a little more pizazz, feel free...we would love to see it. (I really like the font you used for bryllup online - the version 2 font...Andrew will probably think it's too script like) If you can find something with a bit more oomph than this new one, but still easy to read...:bash: I'll try to look around at other logo's today and see if I can find a font I think would work. I know it must be frustrating to try to please two people with nearly opposite opinions on this.

Thanks for the revision on the colors too. This is definately less sweet. I don't want you to spend a lot of time on colors because now I know that can always be done later. I liked the more peridot green color better than the emerald green and I'm thinking perhaps an aqua color (like Swiss blue topaz?) might be a good stand in for the pink.

If you are tired of doing revisons on this, I understand. We can probably make a decision based on this one and version 3. If you don't mind playing with the font a bit, it would probably make it a bit easier for us. It's up to you. Thanks for all the hard work you've already done.

[Shelly]

Zman, Thanks so much! This looks great! :)

[BlueCherryGraphics]

Hi, Here are some other fonts. Yes, we can play with colors later (and add tagline) if you decide to move forward with one.

[Shelly]

BlueCherry,That should help a lot! I love the last one...hope Andrew likes it too. Actually, there are several I like. Thanks so much, Jennifer.
:angel: You're an angel!

[castell]

I am still thinking about the other idea you had of incorporating another ghost image.

http://www.visualadv.net/projects/other/sappg4-1.gif

Castell

[tini1]

Hi shelly...
based off your feedback, I tried a more modern approach:)......

[castell]

http://www.visualadv.net/projects/other/sappg4-2.gif

Castell

[Paula23]

:)

[tini1]

Here is another, simplified version.....thanks:)

[Shelly]

Castell: I like it like this. A lot. Andrew emailed a minute ago and he likes Vs 4 with the diamonds. We will continue talking and work it out.

I'm a bit torn. I like the simple elegant design, I'm wondering if it's a bit too corporate looking for a creative business. I like professional, but am longing for a bit of "sunny day in a sparkly garden" feel. Andrew is, I think, putting clean design as his number one priority. (he doesn't even like the leaf on the S which I think is so cool) :confused:

You've done some fabulous things for us. We are definately considering some of these. I feel like we're working you to death. Sorry! I know we must be frustrating. Thanks for all the hard work! This one and version 4 are both great.

[Shelly]

Tini. I like this one a lot. I'll see what Andrew says. I need to think about how it would look on the website, if it would be too bold, but my initial reaction is very positive. Thank you!!:yes:

[tini1]

Shelly..Thanks for feed back..the colors/text can be modified. for less boldness....:)

[Shelly]

Hi Paula! Thanks for this entry! I really like the first one with the gradient colors a lot. It's clean and has a simple garden/jewel reference...I like that it has the tag line too. Andrew and I will look at them all again over the next two days...you guys are not making this easy for us! :)

[castell]

I feel like we're working you to death. Sorry! I know we must be frustrating. Thanks for all the hard work!

Not a problem, Shelly. I am very glad that I could be of help. :)

Thank You,
Castell

[tini1]

Here is a slight variation to my last version:)

[Shelly]

Thanks Tini! This one is good too but I think I still like the other one. (for some reason, with just two leaves it reminds me of a bat) ;)

I like the color gradient one with the four leaves.

If you feel like it, you can play with the colors a bit. Andrew thinks this one might dominate a web page too much. If you don't want to, that's ok...I think we can picture it. I like the graphic quality of this design. Actually I like the colors too, but he might be right. Still thinking!:)

[Shelly]

Castell, Can you show me this design (4-1) with leaves that are a tad less symetrical, possibly even a little shading in them? Also it might be nice if Sapphire and Garden were not the same color, but something complementary? If you get a chance I think it might help to see it that way.

Thanks!!!!

[tini1]

Hi Shelly...here is a toned down variation....thanks :)

[Shelly]

Thank you, Tini, it looks great!

[castell]

Castell, Can you show me this design (4-1) with leaves that are a tad less symetrical, possibly even a little shading in them? Also it might be nice if Sapphire and Garden were not the same color, but something complementary? If you get a chance I think it might help to see it that way.

Sure. I will try to get it tomorrow. :)

[Shelly]

Thanks, Castell!

[castell]

http://www.visualadv.net/projects/other/sappg4-1A.gif

Castell

[castell]

http://www.visualadv.net/projects/other/sappg4-1Aa.gif

Castell

[castell]

two more options...

http://www.visualadv.net/projects/other/sappg4-opt1.gif

Castell

[castell]

http://www.visualadv.net/projects/other/prev4-opt2.gif

Castell

[Shelly]

Castell, :flowers: Thank you! I especially like 1 and 1A.

I prefer the writing to be in blue, and love the graduated color you did. In green, I think it starts to look like a garden company rather than gems. Andrew doesn't care for the leaf on the "s" so I guess we would prefer the plain S if we go with this. I am working on some feedback to everyone so just hang on for now. Thank you so much for being willing to work with us.

[castell]

Hello Shelly,

I am glad to be able to get close to your preferences. It my pleasure doing the revisions, so thanks. Now I am posting this, since I will be away for the weekend on a family trip so thanks for the contest and good luck with the selection. Plentry of great designs here.

Castell

[Shelly]

Hi Everyone,

What a talented group of people you are. Thank you for all your hard work.

Andrew and I are really struggling to make a decision. We both have different favorites for different reasons. This is where we are right now in our thinking process:

BlueCherry's Butterfly idea is my (Shelly's) favorite idea. (Andrew's #3 choice)

The Good: For me, this concept really helps me visualize a garden of gems. It cements the name Sapphire Garden with a positive image. With a single image, the vision of a sparkling sunny day in a garden of gems pops into my mind when I see this.
Concern: Andrew's concern is that it doesn't project a professional enough look. We do sell diamonds and cater to expensive designers who routinely spend $1000 an order on eBay with us. We want our new web customers to feel confident enough to do that with us on this website so a professional image is key.

Concern: The butterfly looks a bit cartoony to him. I can see his point. However, I think it is a fitting icon and that a butterfly could be scattered not only on the logo but throuout the web site. Especially if we could add a shadow so it appeared to be floating away from the screen a bit, I think it would be memorable and would go a long way in branding.

Question: I'm wondering if we could do some photography of real briolettes to create a real gem butterfly to use on the web, and keep the drawn image for print. I dont' know if that is a realistic idea or not. Jennifer, I would be interested in your thoughts on this. (nor am I married to the idea, it's just a thought) We would of course be willing to pay for additional icon images.
Concern: Neither Andrew nor I are completely satisfied with the font or letters. I would like them to be distinctive enough to stand on their own. We both want something that doesn't look like we did it ourselves on the computer.

Final Thoughts on this one: I guess my hesitation lies in whether some of this could be addressed in revisions or if we are simply expecting too much. Jennifer, please share your thoughts on this as you are the only one who can answer that, and we need to know before we make a final decision.

__________________________________________________ __________

Carol Taldo's Design is a close second for me. (also Andrew's 2nd)

The Good: As it stands, it is most like what we are after. It is distinctive, simple, professional. My only revision request (after being chosen) would be to darken the tagline a bit (the one that is under the line) so that it is easier to read...maybe just a tad bigger too.
Concern: Andrew's hesitation on this idea is that the sphere's on the "P" don't look like gems to him. They do to me, but that is his complaint. (I'm thinking if they were just a tad darker, the sparkle would show up more and perhaps that would be solved) This design is very good with very little revision needed.

__________________________________________________ _________


Andrew's favorite designs are Castell's. (my number 3 choice)

The Good: We both like the professional look of all of Castell's work and we are very impressed with Castell's willingness to go the extra mile and keep trying. Andrew likes versions 3 and 4. I like Vs 4-1A (Andrew thinks that one needs a little something) All of these Logos look as if they could be the logo of a large company and we feel that would engender trust. We both like that.
Concern: They work for me intellectually, but they are not quite speaking to me. I think I need a little... just a touch, of whimsy or surprise. They just don't grab me. Castell, I know that is vague, I'm sorry. We want professional and I want sunny day in a sparkly gemstone garden...all wrapped up in a neat little simple package. Still, these designs are in the running even without changes.

We are going to take a couple of days to think about this. If anyone still wants to make revisions or enter ideas, let us know so we can extend the deadline. BlueCherry and Castell, if you want to discuss with us revisions you would be willing to make once chosen, please do so.

I understand that we are difficult to please and particular. (I didn't before this contest, but now I do!) I'm certain we are the type of clients you guys would like to run from. I'm adding an additional prize of a pair of 18k and 22k gold chandelier earrings with pink sapphires and amethysts to the winner. (these are valued at more than the prize money) These will go to the winner whether we choose one of these designs or a new one.

If anyone still wants to be the person who can get a unanimous decision from us, we will still look at entries and revisions. I don't want to give the impression that we are not thrilled with the entries so far. We are! We are impressed and humbled. We plan to make this a million dollar company in a year's time and are intent on finding the perfect image, please bear with us while we think.

[Shelly]

Castell,
Have a wonderful weekend with your family! Thank you again for your fabulous designs!

[Blesseville]

Something quite symbolic with flowers, gems and ornaments.

http://www.medigraph.net/do/sg3.jpg

[tini1]

:)here is another modern logo....I really think the briolette beads are unique, so I tried to incorporate in design....

[tini1]

..and here is a slight variation.....

[Shelly]

Medigraph, thanks! I like this emblem, it's very old world garden-ey without being overstated. It does capture gems and flowers all at once. The font is not quite what we're looking for. We would like the tagline included in the design too.

[Shelly]

Tini, thanks for the new submissions! I think we are looking for more subtle. The icon with the sapphire on the leaf is nice. I think it's just bigger and bolder than we have decided to go for.

[tini1]

less bold...

[Shelly]

Tini,
Somehow this is reminding me of a flame. I'm not sure this modern style is for us. It still seems bold even in a smaller size. I think a simple icon is a good idea, but this somehow is not conveying the elegance we would like. It does not have the organic feel of a garden to me...does that make sense? That could also be because the letters are very straight and boxy.

[Blesseville]

A few font alternatives.

http://www.medigraph.net/do/sg3-1.jpg

[Blesseville]

http://www.medigraph.net/do/sg3-2.jpg

[Blesseville]

http://www.medigraph.net/do/sg3-3.jpg

[Blesseville]

The fourth alternative.

http://www.medigraph.net/do/sg3-4.jpg

[Shelly]

Medigraph,
I think I like the font and arrangement in 3.1 the best. Although I like these colors, I'm thinking with this design, something less bright...a bit more earthy looking would be better. Still in the blue and green family, but maybe with a bit of brown in the color? If it is time consuming to show it to me that way, just say so. I'll imagine it. If it's pretty quick, I think it would help to see it in some classy earthier colors.
Thanks for the new designs!!:)

[Blesseville]

Something like this? Should I keep the blue or recolor it as well? Please advise :)

http://www.medigraph.net/do/sg3-5.jpg

[Shelly]

Medigraph,
I'm thinking more like a brown-ey tealish blue, a green like that, but less intense and a bit lighter. Actually colors that would look good with your avatar, but a bit deeper. This symbol reminds me of a shady ancient garden...I'm thinking colors to enhance that. Make sense?

[Blesseville]

Not sure if I am close, I hope I am :)

http://www.medigraph.net/do/sg3-6.jpg

[Shelly]

I'm thinking of a color more blue, less green..a bit darker...kind of peacock color, but richer and not too bright?

[Blesseville]

How about this? By the way, I suppose that you are referring to the blue only and not changing the surrounding green.

http://www.medigraph.net/do/sg3-7.jpg

[Shelly]

Medigraph,
That's a pretty one. Yes, I was referring to the blue. I think I like 3.5 better. I don't care for the brown looking separate from the blue, if that makes sense. 3.5 is close enough, I think. This is an elegant design, thank you so much. :)

[BlueCherryGraphics]

Hi,

My thoughts below:

Concern: The butterfly looks a bit cartoony to him. I can see his point. However, I think it is a fitting icon and that a butterfly could be scattered not only on the logo but throuout the web site. Especially if we could add a shadow so it appeared to be floating away from the screen a bit, I think it would be memorable and would go a long way in branding.

I also think it's fitting and unique, and yes, IMO that would work well for branding. Yes, we could do the shadow, no problem.

In terms of "cartoony", we could use a more classic/strong font to up the professionalism and/or perhaps make all the gemstones one color, probably a darker one.

Question: I'm wondering if we could do some photography of real briolettes to create a real gem butterfly to use on the web, and keep the drawn image for print. I dont' know if that is a realistic idea or not. Jennifer, I would be interested in your thoughts on this. (nor am I married to the idea, it's just a thought) We would of course be willing to pay for additional icon images

It *could* be done. I wouldn't.

The reason being, you don't really want two versions of your logo. You need one image. And, while I would love to be selected the winner :) , if you feel you cannot use the design across the board, then it's not the one for you and you should choose another.

The fonts we can work on. I again, would recommend moving away from the script - at least the handwritten style - if he has concerns with the image looking casual.

[Shelly]

BlueCherry,

Thanks, Jennifer, for your thoughts. All good points. We're still thinking a bit and will probably decide tomorrow.

Wishing you a wonderful holiday weekend, thanks so much.

[Shelly]

What a difficult decision! We loved so many of these designs. Thank you everyone for your contributions, hard work and patience.

We have chosen Taldo's design.

Thanks, everyone, this project can be moved to revisions.

[castell]

Congratulations, Taldo!

Thank you for the opportunity to participate in this lovely contest, Shelly. All the best with your business.

Sincerely,
Castell

[Shelly]

Thank you Castell, we will be back with other projects as this new side of our business unfolds, I'm sure. It was a pleasure!
Hope you had a great weekend with your family!

[Paula23]

You are now in the Revisions Forum :)

[Taldo]

Hi. Thanks for choosing my design! Let me know what revisions you would like to see...

[Shelly]

Hi Carol!
We are so excited about your design! The more we discussed ways to use it, the more we liked it. It's so wonderful, thanks for submitting it!

Pretty much, we like it the way it is. We would like to see some color options and we are thinking if the spheres on the flower were a bit darker, the cool little highlight might show up more and make it more obvious they are gems.

We like the green words with the blue flower the best because we think it makes the flower stand out the most. We are wondering if perhpaps an aqua color could replace the green? We're not really sure, we may still pick the green, but we have found on our website that aqua color blends well with most of the beads we sell. Can we just see what that might look like?

We like the version with the tagline underneath the little line.
We'd like the words "exquisite gemstone beads" to be a bit easier to read. Slightly darker color perhaps and maybe just a smidge larger if you can do it without throwing off the balance.

Thanks, Carol!! :flowers:
Happy Independence Day!


PS...You'll have to send me your address so I can send you your earrings. :~)

[Taldo]

here are the changes :)

[Shelly]

http://www.designoutpost.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=62306&stc=1

[Taldo]

Hi. I'm not sure what you are asking me to do now. I made the blue darker and the tagline darker. I also changed the green to aqua in the 2nd example. Can you clarify please? Sorry! :)

[Shelly]

:clap: Hey, you're supposed to be relaxing today! (but thanks for getting this done.)

I love this...it's great. The darker color really makes it pop for me. I think the green is still the best color choice.

If it is not too time consuming, before I make up my mind for sure, could I see the aqua one with a green stem on the flower and the same green in the tag line?

I'm really excited about this! It looks great!

[Shelly]

Hi. I'm not sure what you are asking me to do now. I made the blue darker and the tagline darker. I also changed the green to aqua in the 2nd example. Can you clarify please? Sorry! :)

<!-- / message -->I was just putting that there so I could compare them...it was a post for me...not you...sorry for the confusion! :~)

[Taldo]

oh - ok! No problem!!

[Shelly]

oh - ok! No problem!!
I'm not in a huge hurry, but it occured to me that you might have missed the post previous to this one...just checking just in case. We're excited to get it finished and to our web designers! :yes:

[Taldo]

Yes, I did miss it! Here ya go...

[Shelly]

Pretty!!! :yes: We love this color combination.

Andrew still thinks the gray on the tagline is too light and hard to read, especially if the logo is smaller. If we make it darker will it just look black? Any suggestions?

[Taldo]

Here is the tagline using the dark blue color and also a darker gray...

[Shelly]

Andrew's outside, but I'll show him. I think I still like the gray, the blue seems to make it too heavy on the bottom for me...what do you think, Carol?

Do you think it might work if Garden were the dark blue and 'Exquisite Gemstone Beads" was green?

[Taldo]

I like gray the best for the tagline...here is the other color combo you requested :)

[Shelly]

Carol,
I like the gray too. We love version 9, the bottom one with the gray tagline.

[Shelly]

Hi Carol,
I just spoke with our web designer and he said he would like the files in .PSD. I don't have photo shop, though, so if you can also send it in a form that I can use (sorry I know so little about this) that would be good. I'm thinking probabaly jpg?

[Taldo]

files sent!

[Shelly]

:clap: We're thrilled!