Church-based Student Ministry Identity

[Shooby]

I am the newly hired Director of Student Ministries for grades 7 through 12 at a larger church in South Central Pennsylvania. I've heard about what you all at DesignOutpost do for the "graphically-challenged" like myself through my membership with NeosCosmos.com and am very grateful for your service!

I'm knocking around some ideas for an identity package for us, including a name and logo for the entire Student Ministry as well as names and logos for individual programs. For example, because I really want to emphasize the concept of the ongoing change that should be occuring through a person's relationship with Jesus Christ, I've thought of something like "Shift" or "Different.Now" as a name for the whole Ministry, with "The XChange", referring to Romans 1:25 in reverse, "exchanging lies for the truth of God," our large-group program name and "D (for delta, i.e. change) Teams" our small-group program name. Do you think you could take a stab at this one?

Thanks,
Craig "Shooby" Schuler

[Palmer]

I'd be more than happy to help out. Give me a few days and I'll post something :)

[Palmer]

I had an idea of Generation X (are they still called that?) being changed. It's a work in progress but hopefully I'll get some more ideas...

[Shooby]

Palmer,
Thanks for the work you've done so far on my behalf! I'd would like to let you know, however, that it's much too "kid-ish," not what I had in mind at all. I was thinking of the X in "The XChange" related to "Extreme" and would prefer seeing something somewhat edgy or even dangerous. I hope that helps in your visualization process. Also, I haven't seen much of a reply to this one. Are there other designers interested as well?
Craig

[Palmer]

Ok, that helps. I have a better idea of what you're looking for.

Regarding the participation of the other designers, they'll help when they have some free time. Right now, we're pretty busy around here. I think if they see the contest holder participating in the thread, they are more likely to contribute.

I've been kind of discouraged lately with doing work for free and the person who started the contest ignoring the thread. It really makes you feel unappreciated. So with your active participation in your contest, you'll be sure to see some more entries. :)

Take care,
Palmer

[Palmer]

I made an edgy X and how the word change changes represents your spiritual growth and as it grows it gets whiter representing getting more pure.

After I made it I thought the X could be also changed to look more like a cross on it's side (bringing the right foot of the x down farther) but I had already merged those 2 layers. :( I could probably make the X again if you want me to give that idea a try.

Hope you like it, I'm 37, way past knowing what "edgy" is nowadays :P

Palmer

[Shooby]

Palmer,

That's a lot closer to what I had hoped to see. I like the size and shading change on the word "Change." Could you fool with the font a little?

I'm not sure I like the fuzzy look or color scheme on the "X", but I'd like to see what your cross-themed "X" looks like before I ask you to "schmutz" with it some more. Could you also add the word "The" to the logo somehow, making it read "The XChange"?

And we're in the same boat as far as "edgy" is concerned. I turn 42 this year! :D

Thanks!
Craig

[Palmer]

How's this? :)

[Shooby]

Looking good, Palmer! I like the new font and the way the idea of using the cross to make the X turned out. Just a couple requests . . .

Could you put the "The" in a little larger script font and rotate it maybe about 30° counterclockwise?

Could you shorten the length of the longest length of the cross, lose the "serifs" on it and change the smooth lines, making it look a little more roughly hewn?

Any ideas on logos for "D-Teams" and "Shift" or "Different.Now"?

Thanks for your willingness to freely give of your resources in this way! I am so very grateful! :)

[john]

Just had a quick idea for one of the other logos and thought i'd throw in the idea as its for a good cause.

[john]

Another quick attempt for another logo

[Shooby]

John,

Thanks for your input! I really like the "Shift" logo! But I had to laugh when I said out loud, "It looks like 's***!'" :D Believe me, that's not an editorial comment, but a literal reading of the word! Could you maybe increase the space between the letters so they don't bleed into each other so much and also be sure the horizontal split line is where the word can still be understood? I really like the concept and the distressed font. Is it Killer Ants? If not, could you try using it?

I'm a huge ESPN SportsCenter fan, and I think I've seen them do something like CHRISBERMAN to display the names of their people on screen. I think that's kinda what I had in mind with "Different.Now," either with or without the "dot." So I think the asterisk might be too overbearing in your attempt. Could you show me something else?

Again, thanks for jumping in with Palmer on this one!

Blessings,
Craig

[john]

Dont have the killer ant font. But heres the changes you requested. Added another colour too.
Any better?

[Shooby]

I like the spacing and the color of the blue one. Just shift the bottom parts of the letters to the right, rather than to the left of the top parts please and we'll be done!

If you'd like to try it with Killer Ants, you can download a trial version from
http://eksten.net/webgraphix/fonts/k/killerant.html.

Thanks!
Craig

[john]

there you go. if you need a photoshopformat let me know.