University Logo $125

[Marylebone]

(Admin code added by Palmer - 58494Y)

Need a logo for an online 'university'. I would like something that looks quite traditional and similar in feel to real world Universities.

The logo will be used on our website (in colour), certificates and literature (black and white) and will also be embossed onto certificates (effectively black and white). This means that I am looking for a logo that looks great in colour, but also translates to black and white (minimal grays please - needs to be clean) and has medium width lines around 'white' areas to allow for the embossing.

For the coloured version, I would like to use sober colours - dark red, navy, forest green or similar, perhaps with yellow highlighting of some kind. For example, dark red and white shield with a yellow banner.

I will require both a hi res (print) version and a low res (web) version of the logo, and the layered PSD files if available to allow for minor modifications later if necessary.

Here are some examples of the kind of logo I am seeking, please DO NOT just copy any of these as they are all well protected by copyright and trademarks! They're just to give you an idea of the 'feel' I'm after.

http://dis.cs.umass.edu/~klassner/crests/edinburgh.gif
http://dis.cs.umass.edu/~klassner/crests/harvard.gif
http://dis.cs.umass.edu/~klassner/crests/imperial.gif
ftp://ftp.liv.ac.uk/pub/graphics/ulogo/640colld.gif

The name of the University doesn't need to appear in the logo at all, though you can use the placeholder 'Montebello University' if you want to try something with a name in it. It's the 'crest' I'm looking for rather than a page header like the Liverpool logo above.

Remember that embossing won't deal well with 'spindly' or 'boldest' type, so it needs to be somewhere in the middle weight range if you use it at all. Also, embossing requires a straighforward black and white image - no shading, so we must be able to translate it in that way.

This is a tall order, I know, which is why I have added a bit to the prize money - it's $125. I will probably have more work on the same project for the designer who wins this. If you have any questions at all, please let me know via the forum as I'm sure I've missed something important!

Closing date 6th November.

[MUTE DESIGN]

I'll be posting tonight!
Thanks

[Marylebone]

I don't have any preconceived notions or ideas.

You might find these references useful:

http://www.caerdubh.com/heraldry/tincture.html
http://www.ksgarriott.net/arms.htm
http://www.heraldika.si/ENG_heraldika.htm

From the symbols of heraldry, we might say that the virtues of wisdon, applicaton and patience (all important to learning) could be signified by a spider, cubes and/or an arm. However, since this is not a true heraldic exercise I'm happy to look at your idea of what conveys the images of a seat of learning.

[MUTE DESIGN]

Tried :tup: to keep it simple enough for blind embossing, yet elaborate enough to have some credibility on paper...can produce in several colors, but really looks great in forest green.
-Anthony

[Marylebone]

Thanks for that effort Anthony!

I like the overall idea, but can we try a few mods?

I don't like the ermine background on the shield. How about a quartered background instead (grey and white or black and grey, or black and white)? Maybe saltire quarters?

Can we straighten the banner so it's horizontal rather than slanted? The font won't work for embossing - can you try something closer to a medium weight Times in all caps?

I don't think the curliques at the top and bottom work for me. Perhaps lose the bottom one and replace the top one with a helmet or something more substantial?

Not sure about the grapes. Love the vine leaves idea, but perhaps in moderation? ie more vine, less leaves, no grapes?

I feel terrible being so critical/picky... Love to get this right though!

[Marylebone]

I just found something which is VERY close to what I am looking for.

http://www.ngw.nl/int/gbr/s/images/stmaryle.jpg

If you (or any designer) can 're draw' this into a more simplified and emboss-friendly way, losing the dangling tassles and the Virgin Mary at the top, remove the scroll underneath and replace with a scroll across the lower part of the shield (a bit like I've asked Anthony to do on his), we would be 99% there.

Sorry to spring this into the party late, someone who know about stuff like this just came into the office and showed me the pic. As soon as I knew, you knew. honest!

[ElKootcho]

<img src='http://www.smallbusinessstyle.com/DesignOutpost/montebello_01.gif' border='0' alt='user posted image' />

[Marylebone]

Thank you for the additional ideas. I particularly like ElKootcho's one as it most closely resembles the one my colleague found on the net yesterday.

ElKootcho, could you please render it in black and white only, and remove the banner so I can see how it would look in embossed form? If it's possible to replace the lion rampant with an English Rose instead (like Ryan has used) I'd like to see that too.

Ryan, I think your ideas are great, but just a little too modern and 'soft' (curly bits etc) for what I'm after. But thanks man!

[jonmulk]

<!--QuoteBegin-coredesign+Oct 24 2003, 11:00 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (coredesign @ Oct 24 2003, 11:00 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> here's my entry:

<img src='http://www.coredesign.us/designoutpost/montebello_logo1.gif' border='0' alt='user posted image' />

thanks,
Ryan [/b][/quote]
OK, slightly off topic now, but am I the only one who can never see any of Ryan's designs...? They just never load for me. I can never access the www.coredesign.us website either.... weird!!

[ElKootcho]

<!--QuoteBegin-Marylebone+Oct 25 2003, 02:40 AM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (Marylebone @ Oct 25 2003, 02:40 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->ElKootcho, could you please render it in black and white only, and remove the banner so I can see how it would look in embossed form? If it's possible to replace the lion rampant with an English Rose instead (like Ryan has used) I'd like to see that too.[/b][/quote]
<img src='http://www.smallbusinessstyle.com/DesignOutpost/montebello_02.gif' border='0' alt='user posted image' />

[Marylebone]

Looking good (though I want to discuss colours with you later as I don't like the blue and brown). Have sent off a low res version to the die manufacturer to get their advice on whether the lines are a usable weight and I will post when I hear from them.

Meantime, I am going to be incommunicado until Tuesday due to a business trip, but will catch up with the board as soon as I can. I may have read but not post access, so don't think I've run away!

And it's not too late to jump in with a whole new design anyone, we still have a week left on the project.

[Palmer]

No he didn't win. :huh:
And it's not too late to jump in with a whole new design anyone, we still have a week left on the project.

[ElKootcho]

<!--QuoteBegin-Palmer+Oct 25 2003, 12:32 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (Palmer @ Oct 25 2003, 12:32 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> No he didn't win. :huh:
[/b][/quote]
Not yet anyway :shifty:

Contest is still open. I'm working on another.

[jonmulk]

<!--QuoteBegin-coredesign+Oct 25 2003, 12:59 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (coredesign @ Oct 25 2003, 12:59 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> <!--QuoteBegin-jonmulk+Oct 25 2003, 04:40 AM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (jonmulk @ Oct 25 2003, 04:40 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->
OK, slightly off topic now, but am I the only one who can never see any of Ryan's designs...? They just never load for me. I can never access the www.coredesign.us website either.... weird!! [/b][/quote]
yep, you're the only one.. :D

Elkootch! good job, you won man! [/b][/quote]
Fair enough! Lol! That's so strange, though. In both browsers, too!


Shame, cos by the feedback you receive, it sounds like you have good designs!

[Bill]

Here's mine...

[Palmer]

I realize you're giving up but please don't encourage the others by declaring him the winner. It is not up to you. It is up to the contest holder and I am sure they would like to see other entries. Hopefully your opinion is not a representation of the other members of the Design Team. It wouldn't be fair to the contest holder to have no more entries because you have decided it's over.

[MUTE DESIGN]

Another crack at it...Less Frilly :D

[MUTE DESIGN]

BW Version

[MUTE DESIGN]

DuoTone- two colors

[Raja]

heres something a bit simpler and more modern than what you maybe looking for. This is fun, I'm workin on another

[Mark]

Very nice Raja. :tup:

[Raja]

Thanks Mark :)

[Marylebone]

Thanks to everyone for the new ideas.

Pennlyn...
I like the clean lines, but the overall shape is a bit eggy, I don't think the hatching would work on embossing, and the shield itself is a bit uninspiring. Fancy reworkiing it?

MuteDesign...
Looks lovely in colour, but the gradients won't work in embossing, and I'm not keen on the 'modern' shield. Can you try something a bit more 'heraldic'?

Raja...
These are great, but too modern - it shouts 'polytechnic' which is not the image we're going for. Excellent in their genre though!

Let's keep going, we're distilling something really great....

[MUTE DESIGN]

I'll make some changes this weekend...
Thanks!

[Marylebone]

Firstly I want to thank everyone who participated in the competition, it was really great to see everyone's ideas - you're a talented bunch!

However, I am sorry to say that I am not going to choose any of the designs to go forward. This is really because nobody produced a useable version of the crest I posted as my ideal a couple of weeks ago. I really appreciate everyone's efforts, but it just wasn't close enough.

You may remember that I posted the link to the crest, and my desire to have it reworked without the Virgin Mary atop, and of course in a format suitable for embossing as well as mono and colour printing. I have sourced just such a work from another designer, and so will not be continuing with the competition here.

I'm not sure what the procedure is in an instance like this, but if the D.O. people would like to credit the payment made to some sort of communal 'fund' or distribute it amongst the designers who participated rather than refund it to me, I'm quite happy with that.

Thanks again everyone, and sorry we didn't get to the end on this one.

[Palmer]

Yes, the policy is if you receive more than 3 entries there isn't a refund. We'll work something out as to who wins the prize. Sorry they didn't come through for you. This is a first :(

[Marylebone]

Thank Palmer, I'm sure you'll find an equitable solution.

Just wanted to add a link to the design I went with in the end, so you can see in what way it is different from the ones I got from D.O. designers. No criticism intended!

http://www.marylebone.inst.ac/mu2.gif (this is the full colour version, simplified mono and embossing versions were also supplied).

Comparing this to the example link I posted waaaayyy back on page one of this thread, I hope you can see why I went with this over the D.O. ideas - great as they all were. Probably I didn't express what I wanted clearly enough or something. Apologies if you feel that is the case.

Cheers everyone!

[Palmer]

<!--QuoteBegin-Marylebone+Oct 24 2003, 01:07 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (Marylebone @ Oct 24 2003, 01:07 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> I just found something which is VERY close to what I am looking for.

http://www.ngw.nl/int/gbr/s/images/stmaryle.jpg

If you (or any designer) can 're draw' this into a more simplified and emboss-friendly way, losing the dangling tassles and the Virgin Mary at the top, remove the scroll underneath and replace with a scroll across the lower part of the shield (a bit like I've asked Anthony to do on his), we would be 99% there.

Sorry to spring this into the party late, someone who know about stuff like this just came into the office and showed me the pic. As soon as I knew, you knew. honest! [/b][/quote]
This link is not working for me, I wonder if that was part of the problem and nobody spoke up :(

[ElKootcho]

This link is not working for me, I wonder if that was part of the problem and nobody spoke up

The link was working when it was originally posted.

[motiveX]

:o

What a shame for all those amazing entries and have no winner.

:wacko: :tdown:

Great job guys/gals

:tup:

[hheine]

PALMER:

As being outside here, there´s a interesting solution to let the designer´s choose a winner in a fair way.

Interested to know ?

:ph34r:

[Palmer]

There is currently a poll in the designers private forum. You might want to poke your head in there and vote before it's too late :)