[Project Complete]Due: Feb 20 - New Logo for Property Inspection Company - $300

[ldruga1]

Admin code added by Abby - 8N4115349M8122308

Project Summary:
What text should be included in the main part of the logo?
I'm open to several layouts. It could be just the word "Specialty" or "Specialty Inspections" or Specialty Home Inspections" I prefer the last one most, but am open to the others, if the three words look too cluttered.

What type of product or service do you offer?
We perform property inspections for buyers and sellers of single family homes and condos. We inspect everything from small units to high-end luxury estates. Real estate agents are our main customer. Almost all of our orders come through them. We will begin offering a new service, "Team Inspections," where an agent can request up to five simultaneous inspections (home, termite, roof, chimney & pool) with one phone call or online order. We coordinate with the individual local inspection companies so that their inspectors all show up at the same time and issue their reports and repair estimates by the next business day. This saves a lot of work for the agent. It's like being able to get inspections done 5X as fast and allows a very thorough and broad inspection of the property to be done very quickly.

How long have you been in business?
Less than 3 months. Our owner has been operating a termite inspection company (Specialty Termite, Inc.) since 2003 and has been in that industry over 20 years.

What do you hope to accomplish with your new identity?
Establish ourselves as the de facto leader in general home inspections for real estate sales.

What are your long term goals?
To become the leading home inspection company in volume and service quality in the California East Bay.

When is the deadline for final entries before choosing a designer?
Tuesday, Feb 20th

Audience Profile:
Please describe your existing audience
95% real estate agents, most are 30-50 years old.
The rest are home owners and sellers.

Who would you like to add to your audience?
Our audience will remain unchanged.

Perception/Tone/Guidelines:
What type of logo would you like?
Conservative, clean and simple, easily recognizable in b&w on paper documents & vehicles.

Do you have any colors in mind for your logo? (if so, why?)
Up to designer

Do you have any specific images or icons in mind that you would definitely like to see incorporated into your logo?
Up to designer. However, any clever way to illustrate the multiple inspector “team inspection” aspect of our service would be a plus.

Communication Strategy:
What attributes would you like your logo to reflect about your business?
No. 1 Attribute: Professionalism and superior service quality (we’re not cheap)
No. 2. Quick Responsiveness & Innovative thinking to solve problems that come up.

What is your tagline or slogan?
None at the present.

What is the overall message you are trying to convey to your target audience?
The look of an established inspection company with a very high level of professionalism and responsibility. Think about the look a life insurance company or bank would like to project and then add some zip.

Where will your new logo be used?
Mostly on b&w print, full color business cards, embossed on leather report covers, and on uniforms

Competitive Positioning:
Who are your competitors and what do you think about their logos?
LandAmerica Property Inspections (www.inspectech.com ) has the professional/established look I want, it’s conservative, but lacks finesse.
Homeguard (www.homeguard.com) I don’t care at all for their logo.

List competitive URLs if possible - see above

What sets you apart from your competitors?
Our owner. He is highly respected for his integrity and professionalism in the termite inspection field. For this reason, anything with his name on it has value for our agent customers. He has successfully transferred those character qualities to his employees. At the present, I believe the termite company he owns performs more real estate inspections than any competitor. We plan on the same thing happening with Specialty Home Inspections.

Targeted Message:
State a single-minded word or phrase that will appropriately describe your company:
Professionalism and superior service quality (we’re not cheap, but we do great work)

[ldruga1]

I realized that the words "Specialty Inspections" is not only shorter than "Specialty Home Inspections," but also more accurately conveys our service: multiple types of inspections as opposed to just home inspections. I would prefer the words "Specialty Inspections" be used in the logo instead. Logo designs that also illustrate or imply that our work is all about houses or that we do multiple kinds of inspections is a plus.
Thanks!!!!

[OffbeatDesign]

Pentagon enclosing a home, representing 5 layers of security the consumer has when they hire your company.

[ldruga1]

Thanks for the post. I like the five points around the house as a method of conveying the security of the 5 types of inspections we do. A good line of thinking for a hard to convey idea… I like the blue colors you’ve chosen. The font does have the “distinguished bank look” that I asked for and is easy to read. To make this a winner, the idea of the pentagon around the house representing layers of security or protection will need to be more intuitive, without making us look like a security guard service. A simpler house silhouette might give a cleaner, less cluttered overall look.

[ldruga1]

Here is a link to another inspection company that uses solid shapes to create a house silhouette for a clean look that could be adapted to the 5 layers concept you were working on, offbeat.: www.inspectit1st.com

[OffbeatDesign]

Thanks for the feedback. I was trying to give the house a little more flair, but I can definitely simplify. I'll repost later.

[OffbeatDesign]

You mentioned "layers of security or protection" so I came up with this. It's a slight departure from the first concept. Thanks.

[Leclerk]

hi, here is my proposal...

http://www.logoholik.com/do/logoholik_specialty_01.gif

[Leclerk]

and second one...

http://www.logoholik.com/do/logoholik_specialty_02.gif

[Leclerk]

http://www.logoholik.com/do/logoholik_specialty_03.gif

[OffbeatDesign]

Version 3

[OffbeatDesign]

Standing for the "S" in Specialty and the "5" layers of protection

[ldruga1]

Thanks for your proposals, logoholik. You've got three good designs, but I like your Version 1 best.

About Version 1: I like how the two blues with the lighter areas in the center of the solids give depth to the main color version of the logo...gives the impression of the VW car emblem. This could also work well as a sort of "gold seal,"...the two main home inspection associations in my area (ASHI and CREIA) use circular icons that look like seals. And the flat color and b&w counterparts still look good.

I like the window in the house more than the door.

The simpler straight lines of the font you are using seem to tie in with the gaps between the solid shapes. Although it doesn't have the "bank" look I was looking for originally, I like it better than the font used in Offbeat Design version 1 because it has a more current look. I also like the overall cross-hairs impression the logo creates, which implies the idea of close examination.

I don't know if it will look better, but some possible improvements could involve:
>Omitting any unnecessary visual detail in the house silhouette to give the logo a simpler, more refined appearance.
>Using 5 colors instead of two in the solids around the house to signify the five types of inspections we offer.
>Widening the house horizontally or moving it upward within the circle to make the solids more evenly sized relative to each other.
> Arranging the location of the words relative to the icon to have them tie-in to each other more naturally, although the current placement does not look bad at all in both Logoholik and Offbeat Design versions.

Regarding Logoholik Versions 2:
I like how distinct the logo is. However the overall appearance might work better for someone marketing multiple unit/apartment community inspections. It seems to overwhelm the words next to it.
Changes to this idea such as shrinking the size of the solids or removing unimportant visual detaiwould make it a better candidate.

Logoholik version 3:
There are definite posibilities with using circle segments/multiple colors. As it is, it is not as exciting as Versions 1 and 2. Making the circle segments louder might give this theme more potential.


Thank you for the great submissions so far, Offbeat Design and Logoholik. I look forward to seeing any other possibilities you may suggest!

[eziey]

:)

[OffbeatDesign]

More modern approach

[ldruga1]

Offbeat Design:
I like your 5 arrows design (ver 3) most among the five proposals you've made so far. It reminds me of a local competitor's name, All Points Inspections...
If possible, the arrows pointing toward the house instead of away from a pentagon would make it more clear that we do house inspections. If the words were centered vertically as in your versions 4 and 5 it would look better.

Eziey:
Thank you for joining. Your overall design is well polished. It gives the established, old pro inspector look I asked for. I like the blue colors and the picture of the house. The magnifying glass and times new roman font give it a classic appearance. I may be wrecking your arrangement, but I enjoyed the more current look created by the font in Logoholik versions 1 and 2. Could you use a similar font, shrink the height of the blue bar around the work "INSPECTION" and add a letter S to "INSPECTION?" Thanks again...

[Leclerk]

thanks for feedback, i'll make some adjustments required. My original plan was to color those parts, but thought that it'll maybe bring you some extra costs, since min 5 colors have to be used there... here is another option meanwhile :)

http://www.logoholik.com/do/logoholik_specialty_04.gif

[OffbeatDesign]

Here you go. The pentagon is added in to allude to security again and to differentiate your logo from other existing star/home logos that already exist.

[castell]

http://www.visualadv.net/projects/recent/si_prev1.gif

Castell

[ldruga1]

Thanks for the changes and resubmissions, Offbeat and Logoholik.

Logohilik: Your version 4 is neat. It uses the circular force field around the house idea. The 5 stars remind me of the emblem on the old Romanian flag before the '89 revolution...I think designs based around your Version 1 have been your best, followed by the more abstract version 2. Thanks for taking costs into consideration too...

Offbeat: I like your Version 6 more than any of your others. I had not realized five inward arrows would form a star...and we haven't lost the security concept in the pentagon...pretty neat...

I'm going to get some additional feedback from the owner and our home inspector on your existing submissions. In the meanwhile, If anyone wants to toy around with some other ideas, how about:

>A much more stylized white house silhouette that would look like the shape of a triangle on top of a square. This is formed by the convergence of 5 solids that form a circle, but do not touch, much like Logoholik version 1. The 4 window panes could be left in for recognizability, or omitted for a more stylized look. There would be no chimney or eaves, so it would look like the plastic houses in the board game Monopoly. A similar effect could be achieved by taking Offbeat Design version 5 and "closing the shutter" further so that the 5 colored sections completely cover the black area, and leave a simple white house shape in the center with slightly bulging sides.

>A simplified silhouette of the Leaning Tower of Pisa next to the words "SPECIALTY INSPECTIONS," (We might have been able to identify the foundation settlement problem under this famous building if they had only asked us to! =)

>A simple cartoon charater lifting a simple house on one side to look under it (similar to common icons of opening one's mind or lifting the roof off a house; the idiom of "leaving no stone untuned" to illustrate thoroughness in investigation).

>A circle of five nested arrow segments using a simple caret point such as (> > > > >) around our house icon to represent 5 types of inspections...similar to Logoholik version 3, except for longer circle segments.

>A round seal made by affixing the words "SPECIALTY INSPECTIONS" to the baseline of a thick circle with the house icon in the white circle center, and a thin line inside and outside the thick cirle to trim it out...

[ldruga1]

Castell, thanks for your submission. Definetly different. My favorite part is the silhouette of the house being offcenter. The moon crescent doesn't seem to fit in, and the green turf? It adds flourish but it is not clear what it is. Variations on this are definitely welcome! =)

[Leclerk]

http://www.logoholik.com/do/logoholik_specialty_05.gif

[Leclerk]

http://www.logoholik.com/do/logoholik_specialty_06.gif

[Leclerk]

and last one :)

http://www.logoholik.com/do/logoholik_specialty_07.gif

[Senter]

I will enter something soon.

[Just J]

Thanks for the changes and resubmissions, Offbeat and Logoholik.

Logohilik: Your version 4 is neat. It uses the circular force field around the house idea. The 5 stars remind me of the emblem on the old Romanian flag before the '89 revolution...I think designs based around your Version 1 have been your best, followed by the more abstract version 2. Thanks for taking costs into consideration too...

Offbeat: I like your Version 6 more than any of your others. I had not realized five inward arrows would form a star...and we haven't lost the security concept in the pentagon...pretty neat...

I'm going to get some additional feedback from the owner and our home inspector on your existing submissions. In the meanwhile, If anyone wants to toy around with some other ideas, how about:

>A much more stylized white house silhouette that would look like the shape of a triangle on top of a square. This is formed by the convergence of 5 solids that form a circle, but do not touch, much like Logoholik version 1. The 4 window panes could be left in for recognizability, or omitted for a more stylized look. There would be no chimney or eaves, so it would look like the plastic houses in the board game Monopoly. A similar effect could be achieved by taking Offbeat Design version 5 and "closing the shutter" further so that the 5 colored sections completely cover the black area, and leave a simple white house shape in the center with slightly bulging sides.

>A simplified silhouette of the Leaning Tower of Pisa next to the words "SPECIALTY INSPECTIONS," (We might have been able to identify the foundation settlement problem under this famous building if they had only asked us to! =)

>A simple cartoon charater lifting a simple house on one side to look under it (similar to common icons of opening one's mind or lifting the roof off a house; the idiom of "leaving no stone untuned" to illustrate thoroughness in investigation).

>A circle of five nested arrow segments using a simple caret point such as (> > > > >) around our house icon to represent 5 types of inspections...similar to Logoholik version 3, except for longer circle segments.

>A round seal made by affixing the words "SPECIALTY INSPECTIONS" to the baseline of a thick circle with the house icon in the white circle center, and a thin line inside and outside the thick cirle to trim it out...
Just an FYI, the designers are not allowed to use parts of designs posted by another designer. However, they can draw inspiration from your comments to come up with a new concept for you.

Thanks for your understanding. :)

[ldruga1]

Thanks for the info, Jason. :blush:

[Fabian]

Hi :)

[ldruga1]

Welcome to the fun, Fabian. Again, a creative approach that illustrates the five kinds of inspections we do. However, not what I'm looking for; it's unclear what we do from the picture and is too busy. Please try again. =)

Eziey:
Your Version 1 is popular with the ladies in our office, but two different people said it resembles one of our real estate customer logos too much. I think they are thinking of Prudential (www.prudential.com)
Could you try some variations on this style? I'm open to other colors too.

Logoholik: I personally still like your version one best, but I've gotten some positive feedback on your version 6 because of the earth tone colors and blocks with rounded corners.

Lawrence

[ldruga1]

Senter: I'm looking forward to what you will propose. I think designs based on these you have on your own website portfolio could work in our situation:
Boydston Enterprises, Gary Roges Homes, Investex Broker Network, your-miami-realtor.com and Lexington Square Office Park.

Lawrence

[ldruga1]

Fabian:
I forgot to mention, I really like the classy look your arrangement of the text in your logo. Variations that retain that element would be interesting. =)

[Fabian]

Great,

Here is an inspector with outstretched arms forming two rooflines.
:)

[ldruga1]

Fabian: Thanks again. I still enjoy the classy look of the words below the icon, but it would be hard to tell what we do from the picture; sorry, not what I was looking for... :unsure:

[Fabian]

one more :)

[ldruga1]

I like this third version, Fabian. Could you make the magnifying lens more centered? Maybe the handle could point down, with the text superimposed over it, even though it would break it into two sections. Or maybe you have a different idea?

[eziey]

:)

[Leclerk]

:)
http://www.logoholik.com/do/logoholik_specialty_08.gif

[Fabian]

I like this third version, Fabian. Could you make the magnifying lens more centered? Maybe the handle could point down, with the text superimposed over it, even though it would break it into two sections. Or maybe you have a different idea?

Sure :)

[Fabian]

one more idea :)

[Artemii]

Hello! :)

[ldruga1]

Thank you everyone for your submissions. I felt that there were many high quality designs posted, with much thought from Logoholik and Offbeat Designs. However, the design submitted by Eziey has been selected for the Property Inspection Company.
Thank you!

Lawrence

[Fabian]

Congrats Eziey :)

Project has been moved to revisions.Lawrence could you please post a quick note once files received.

Thanks
Fabian
DO Moderator

[eziey]

thank you for choosing my design:).is there any revision you need before i finalize?

[ldruga1]

Hi Eziey. Congrats!

Yes, we would like two revisions:
First, the word "INSPECTIONS" is difficult to read. Could you try increasing the font size or making letters bold?

Second is the color scheme. Would you mind trying these three out and letting us see what they look like? The first color is for the picture and the word "SPECIALTY". The color after the slash is for the bar. If you think any other combinations would look good, we would love to see any suggestions you may have. Thanks!

1st color/ 2nd color
burgundy/black
lite gray/burgundy
gray/dark blue

[eziey]

here are the revisions requested:)

[ldruga1]

Thank you Eziey.
The revisions look good. I will submit these to the owner and wrap things up on Monday.

[ldruga1]

Hi again Eziey. Thanks again for the great work.
Version 2a (Burgundy top with black bar) is the version we like best.
The only change we need is the color of the round magnifying glass frame at the area just above the house -- it looks like it is gray colored. Please change that to burgundy to match the rest of the image.
After that, please finalize and send over the files.

Lawrence

[eziey]

link to download your file has been sent to your private message.thank you:)

[ldruga1]

Files have been received. Thanks!!!!!

[BlueCherryGraphics]

PROJECT UPDATE: This thread has been moved to Logo Project Archives.