[Designer Chosen] Retail Gift & Home Decor Shop - $125 - Deadline?

[khitch]

Admin code added by Abby - 9AU2243057128774S

We are looking to professionalize our logo. I have a look in mind, but don't want to shut my mind to other opportunity, so I am keeping all possibilities open right now to see what you can come up with. Please read the answers to the questions posted below and if you are interested, check out my website http://www.bearcreekmercantile.com and spend some time there so you will know what my shop is all about.
Thanks! Karen

[abby]

Project Update: This project is now open and validated.

Client you will have to answer these questions http://www.designoutpost.com/forums/showthread.php?t=7819 and then copy and paste the questions and answers into a message here in your project. This will help the Design Team better serve your project. Please let me know if you need any other assistance.

[khitch]

Design Outpost Creative Brief Worksheet

Project Summary:
What text should be included in the main part of the logo? Bear Creek Mercantile

What type of product or service do you offer?
gifts and home decor
How long have you been in business? since 2003

What do you hope to accomplish with your new identity? a more professional, yet welcoming look

What are your long term goals? to make my business GROW

When is the deadline for final entries before choosing a designer? It is open, but I would like to have something perfected by Dec. 20 or so.

Audience Profile:
Please describe your existing audience - middle age women, medium income

Who would you like to add to your audience? the twenty-somethings

Perception/Tone/Guidelines:
What type of logo would you like? I am thinking oval with a banner and a pen and ink look to it.

Do you have any colors in mind for your logo? (if so, why?)
we currently use chocolate brown on ivory. i don't want much color, but some would be ok... it is very important that the logo transfer well into newspaper advertising.

Do you have any specific images or icons in mind that you would definitely like to see incorporated into your logo? a black bear (not a brown/grizzly/polar/teddy) Their body shapes are different.

Communication Strategy:
What attributes would you like your logo to reflect about your business?

What is your tagline or slogan?

What is the overall message you are trying to convey to your target audience? Our motto is "For Gifts You'll Want to Keep" We want to keep that, and we want people to feel a bond with our store.

Where will your new logo be used? Printed on shopping bags, labels, door signs, new overhead sign, newspaper, postcard mailouts.... in general, everything,

Competitive Positioning:
Who are your competitors and what do you think about their logos?
Our main competitor has a very nice logo. Her business is Ivy Villa and she uses a strand of english ivy in every ad. It just looks clean and sharp, yet warm, too. (yes, i am envious)

List competitive URLs if possible - she doesn't have one.

What sets you apart from your competitors? A wide selection... very wide.

Targeted Message:
State a single-minded word or phrase that will appropriately describe your company: "For Gifts You'll Want to Keep" We got the motto from what our customers kept saying (and still do) I came in for a gift for.... but I want to keep this.

[khitch]

Just some elements from other logos/artwork I like are shown here...

I also like fleur de lis and colonial shells

[khitch]

Here are a few other bits and pieces of things I like to build from.

[khitch]

Just checking in to see if anybody is working on this project? :D

[Titania]

i'm working on it! i'll post asap! :yes:

[Titania]

http://www.dergolem.com/titania/do/titania_bear.jpg

[khitch]

Thank you. It has some interesting elements and is a nice start. Hoping to get other's input, too....

[Senter]

When is your deadline??

http://www.senterbrands.com/designout/BearCreek1.gif

[khitch]

Senter,
Thank you for your entry. There are elements I like, but we don't live near any mountains or hills. I would like to see the bear be a little more prominent in whatever design we pick.

Our deadline is 12/20ish.

Thank you, Karen

[eziey]

:)

[Senter]

Thinking ahead to your signage! Your sign company will love you for this iconic look.

http://www.senterbrands.com/designout/BearCreek2.gif

[khitch]

Eziey:
I like the bear coming thru the oval... just not wild about that particular bear. It almost looks like one of his legs is coming out of his head. Also, note the spelling of Mercantile. I would like to see a modified design using more earthy colors.


Senter:
Thanks for removing the mountains.

All:

I would really like to see our motto incorporated in the design somehow.
"For Gifts You'll Want to Keep" is our motto.

Keep it up -- I love seeing the options!

[Senter]

http://www.senterbrands.com/designout/BearCreek3.gif

[Senter]

http://www.senterbrands.com/designout/BearCreek4.gif

[Leclerk]

http://logoholik.com/do/logoholik_bearcreekm_01.gif

[khitch]

Thanks to each of you who have posted so far. I like elements of some of each of them and would change things about each of them as well. I am looking forward to what else pops up.

Logoholic - nice pen and ink style bear and you encorporated much of my feedback so far,...colors, oval, with motto, prominent bear. Good first try!

Senter - thanks for the change of color.

-----------

I would like to see somebody try a full body bear standing up on its hind legs kind of hugging onto the B in Bear Creek Mercantile.

[Paula23]

:)

[Paula23]

Thanks :)

[eziey]

:)

[eziey]

:) :)

[Titania]

http://www.dergolem.com/titania/do/titania_bear2.jpg

[khitch]

Thanks to all... I see some very interesting possibilities. To those who have bears that are in greys and blacks... can we see brown bears please?

[khitch]

:)

A couple of questions... can this bear get a slightly skinnier neck, slightly smaller ears, and a slightly bigger butt? Also, can he be brown? Note a spacing problem on For Gifts You'll Want to Keep

Thanks!

[Titania]

http://www.dergolem.com/titania/do/titania_bear3.jpg

[Titania]

http://www.dergolem.com/titania/do/titania_bear4.jpg

[Paula23]

Thanks for the feedback.
Here is the bear in brown:
smaller ears
thinner neck
bigger rump :)

[Paula23]

...an alternate color combination.


Thanks, Paula

[BlueCherryGraphics]

v1

[freetime]

Here's a look.

[khitch]

Thanks to all for your artwork and time. We will consult with each other and post our selection soon.

[khitch]

If we choose a designer and logo now, can we still make slight modifications and ask to see variations? How close do we have to be to declare? One designer is on the verge of having something we really like, but we don't want to declare yet because there are a few things we'd like to see different.

Thanks! Karen

[Senter]

You can choose a winner and have that winning designer make tweaks to your logo until you are happy with it.

[khitch]

Thanks to all who submitted logos on this project. We have chosen Paula to work with (that is if you are open to a few tweaks Paula). How do we continue from here?
Thanks again,
Karen

[Paula23]

Thanks so much for choosing my design :)
We are now in the Revisions Forum.
I'll be happy to make any revisions on the design.
Just let me know which design you like,what revisions you would
need and I can get started on them :)

Thanks Again, Paula

[khitch]

Paula -
Can we please see the oval with the bear, with the font shown on post 20, with a bow added to the oval (similar to the bow in post 20)? We think we want the logo in gray scale and like the bear with white shading in the 100% black and white as shown in post 20. Also, the "For Gifts You'll Want to Keep", we would like to see it in a simple script font.
Thanks! Karen

[Paula23]

Hi Karen,
Here are the requested revisions.
Let me know if you would like to see
any other options :)

Thanks, Paula

[khitch]

Okay - lets bring the ears down, stick the rear end out, thin the neck, & blacken in the ears on the bear. Can the side embellishments get slightly bigger? The script font is ok - not wild about it, but ok. It seems to run into the oval too much, though. Also, there needs to be a space between You'll and Want with a capital letter on Want.
Thank you for your work, Paula!

[Paula23]

Hi Karen,
Here are all of the adjustments.
I changed the text on the tagline in each of the logos.
Let me know if you think one of those fonts would work.
I'll be happy to show you more
:)

Thanks, Paula

[khitch]

Sorry to have been so slow to respond . I've been ill and just getting back to the real world.
A few things I'd like to do...
1. Lets try knocking the ears down in size a little bit more and making them black.
2 Can you grey in the eyes a little?
3. For fonts - MS Word has a font called monotype corsiva. Are you familiar with that one?

[Paula23]

Hi Karen,
I hope you are feeling better :yes:
Here are the revisions. Let me know if the ears are small enough ets..
I had the Monotype Corsiva font, and I think it really suits the logo I like it!

Thanks, Paula

[khitch]

We are getting really close now!
Just a few more tweaks
1. Capitalize the W in want
2. Lets get MERCANTILE a little more noticeable, it may have to come back towards the bear's stomach in order to get enough room to do this but that's ok.

[Paula23]

How does this look? :)

[khitch]

No, I didn't fall off the face of the earth. Just went to market in Chicago. Can we lighten the grey scale in the top design a little?

Also, the bear's eyes look a little blank, almost "deer in the headlights" look. Can you suggest something to give them a little life?

Keep up the good work. I am really liking what I am seeing!

[Paula23]

Hi Karen,
Good to hear back from you!
Here are the requested revisions.
Let me know if the bears' eyes look better.
Thanks, Paula :)

[khitch]

Hi Karen,
Good to hear back from you!
Here are the requested revisions.
Let me know if the bears' eyes look better.
Thanks, Paula :)

Looks like we've finally made it!

Please email the final images to me in jpeg form
Karen
bearcreekmercantile@hotmail.com

[Paula23]

Files have been sent :)

[khitch]

I just wanted everyone to know how incredibly happy we are with Paula's work! She is great to work with... incredibly patient, listens very well, and has talent galore! Thank you, Paula! :D :D :D :D :D :D :D