Bank Strong Software Logo - $150

[bankstrong]

(Admin code added by Palmer - J4342521)

Hi -

I've been checking out some of the current contests and I'm floored by the quality of the work. I can't wait to see what comes out of this.

We're a software company focused on selling expensive products to banks. The people that we market to are top officers (CEO, CFO, etc.) and somewhat conservative.

Therefore, while I'm not looking for boring, we need a logo that vibes "professional".

In addition, it should be crisp (for some reason, Mack Truck comes to mind), attractive, and have one or two attractive colors to build an identity around (a la Marlboro). While these are suggestions, I'm happy to see what works in the real world from your ideas.

The logo is intended to be used on the web site, stationary, splash screens, as well as marketing swag like golf balls.

Bank Strong is an odd phrasing - here's how I think of it. Our customers will be stronger bankers vis-a-vis the competition and their customers.

Ideally, the logo will convey the same three ideas as the full company name - a software product intended for strong bankers. Of the three, "software" is most expendable - our website name is bankstrong.com.

[Julie]

Here's a start. If you like, I can do a ton of variations.

Julie

[Julie]

A variation...

[bankstrong]

Julie -

A great start. The logo is crisp, clean, and professional. However, it does not tie to "bank" or "strong" other than by using the first letter of "bank". If possible, I'd like something that ties to the name more strongly.

The colors are also nice. But I'd really like to stand apart some from other vendors and banks - for some reason, many people choose blue, green, or black. I'm hoping for a distinct color (or two) that is also professional. Think Marlboro, UPS, or Coke on .00001% the brand awareness budget. :)

[Bill]

Here's my entry...

[bankstrong]

Penny -

1) I like the colors - they're simple and message "strength". I think Excedrin uses the same red/white/black scheme.

2) Please keep some physical separation between the graphic element and the letters of the name. One example, the Starbuck's logo contains letters and graphic, but there is a clear boundary.

3) When spelling out the name, use "Bank Strong Software", with space or new lines between the words.

I've attached a piece of clip art from Microsoft that touches on "bank" (well, suit anyway) and "strong". It doesn't work for other reasons, including too much detail, too many colors - and it's just not as attractive as the designs here.

Mike

[Eagle]

*
An idea... :)

[bankstrong]

Eagle -

Design 1: To my eye, looks kind of like a Chinese pictogram.
Design 2: Don't want a gradient.
Design 3: Best entry. Crisp and professional. The icon is strongish (maybe because it's blocky?), but it doesn't work for me on a couple of counts -

a) the right side is a dollar sign, which can be taken by the target audience in a few ways, including "expensive software".
b) I'm not sure what the left side signifies.
c) As related in a different post, I think that green, blue, and black are over-exposed in banking vendor logos (to say nothing of banks themselves). I'd prefer different color schemes. Pennyln's red/black/white worked nicely and I'm sure that many other colors are also nice.

I just peeked at your web site - there are some great designs that are clean and relate strongly in mood and specificity to their targets. Favorites are Penlan Perennials and organbroker.com.

Mike

[Palmer]

Designers, the amount offered has been raised to $150. Good luck! :)

[Fabian]

Hi

Inspiration: stength,power,The ability to cope under pressure.

Hope this is to your liking and suits your needs,please let me know.

Cheers
Fabian

[bankstrong]

Fabian -

A very good entry. Simple, clean, hits on "strong". The color is nice and also distinct.

I'm not sure if there are any improvements to be made on the icon. Can you think of any way to incorporate "bank" or "software" without cluttering your clean design?

One of the comments here (from someone who also thought highly of the design) is that it looks a little "gingerbread manny" (I hope the description carries into Aussie). Again, the design may simply be the best possible in this direction - and will not improve with change.

Also, the text works nicely as well. However, can you provide a few different treatments for us to check out?

Mike

[beatz]

Hi,

here is a suggestion - pretty selfexplanatory I think.

I believe it brings across 3 terms/concepts: strength, "through the roof" and moving up (arrow pointing upwards).

Oh yeah, and of course it emphasizes your focus on *bank* products.

Feedback is appreciated :)

Thanks,

Frank

[bankstrong]

Beatz -

Another powerful entry. It ties in "bank" and "strong" very well.

Comments:

1) The shades of of red and orange used are attractive. But they are too close to each other and a little confusing to my eye.

2) The arm looks slightly off. Perhaps the fist is too large or there is a bump on the right side of the wrist.

3) The bank foundation is incomplete on the left. Also, the eaves on the roof seem too sharp - perhaps because of the up arrow metaphor (which I like, but less important than a clear bank symbol). I'm not sure, but the same issue may be affecting the width of the columns.

4) I think the shoulder needs a white offset from the bank much like the elbow/fist. This is more apparent in the bw version at the bottom. If the bank should be in front of the shoulder, pull the white boundary from the arm instead of the bank.

5) The fonts / typography are attractive. However, "software" is tough to read on my laptop. I don't know if this is size, font "thinness", or color against white background.

Eagle/PennyLn/JulieT -

I thought your entries were very good and I hope to see more as the process clarifies Bank Strong logo needs.

Mike

[Eagle]

*
Wow!!! If only all feedback was as good as this! If you keep that up, Mike, you can expect a lot of entries...there's nothing we love more than an attentive contest holder! You are well on the way to getting precisely the logo you want!

:tup:

[bankstrong]

Eagle -

<<If only all feedback was as good as this! If you keep that up, Mike, you can expect a lot of entries...there's nothing we love more than an attentive contest holder!>>

Thanks for the comment. I don't want to step on anyone's toes - particularly when I have no artistic talent myself. I'm hopeful that I'm setting the limits as precisely as possible without restricting your creativity.

I hope to get at least one round of comments out per day for the duration of the contest.

<<You are well on the way to getting precisely the logo you want!>>

I agree - you guys are making terrific progress and I'm already wowed by what I see. I've already included one of the entries in a piece of sales literature that's getting previewed by a beta client. Not because I've decided on one entry, but because it is simply well beyond the placeholder logo that I had created (as is every other entry).

Mike

[ejlain]

Hi Mike. Attached are a few of my ideas. The first two play on a bank vault/safe image.

Thanks

Ed

[bankstrong]

Guys -

A clarification - I referred to the crispness of the Mack Truck logo in my initial post. I just checked - and the logo is metallized bulldog dreck. There's a Mack dealer near my house that must be from the Thirties, with a logo that probably dates back that far. I think it's red, black, and white, with a yellow bulldog - a beautiful piece of craftsmanship. The same genius who updated this logo apparently now works for UPS.

I tried googling for the image, but didn't find it. Try not to let my reference confuse you.

Mike

[bankstrong]

Ejlain -

Good entries. Your vault logo picks up on another connotation of "bank strong software". Software that is really strong - bank strong.

I prefer the vault to the piggybank (not professional) and the dollar sign (as posted earlier, can be taken to mean "we're going to soak you for this software").

Comments on the vault:
1) I'd shy away from green and blue - they are overused in banking.
2) The vault is a little too abstract - it could be taken for a version of the peace sign or Mercedes. That said, it is very attractive.
3) I'm not crazy about the text layout, but I think that can be easily resolved - the tough thing is a great graphic.

Hi from Jersey,
Mike

[ejlain]

Hi Mike. Here's another idea for you.

Thanks

- Ed

P.S. - What part of Jersey?

[bankstrong]

Ejlain -

Re: 2nd batch of logos.

I may have led you down the wrong direction. Strong (as in software) is nice, but is secondary to strong (as in banker). The lock makes me think of some kind of security software, which is a different market. On reflection, I think that a "strong software" brand image may confuse the customer.

Also, the typography / design vibes "surfboard". I need the customer to think "professional" instead of "kewl".

Mike

[DesignGeneral]

here is my entry ;)

[bankstrong]

DesignGeneral -

What is it? A bank? A vault? A floppy disk? For all of my confusion, I like it a lot. Among other positives, it's clean, simple, and attractive.

Can you try a different color scheme? I'm pretty open, but pink is a shade too unstrong. CreateMeasures' entry skirts pink and is about as close I think can work.

Also, I'm thinking that the typography (bankSTRONG SOFTWARE) looks great, but is too SanFran2001. I may be wrong on this and will run it by others here. Also, it may be that this is the only typography that works with the graphic.

Mike

[DesignGeneral]

Hi Mike,

Thanks for feedback. Yes, I tried to put all that symbols in a simple concept. You missed one ATM ;)

Here are 2 new color schemes and a more complex symbol :lol2:

Let me know what is your preference. I can play more with colors if u want a high contrast.

Thanks

[DesignGeneral]

for typography options ;)

I think top or bottom options works the best :tup:

[Fabian]

Hi Mike

Thank you for your first class feedback reports on mine and the design teams current design tenders put forward.

Concept update : Using simple geometric shapes to

1. Help give it a move tec/software look.
2. Also to give it a more standalone style,this way the text would look great on say software packaging and the icon on t-shirts and the like.

Cheers
Fabian

[Christian]

Here's a draft of what I'm working with! :D Give me your thoughts!

[bankstrong]

DesignGeneral -

I'm having trouble making out the icon because the colors are so close. Also, the typography issue is that I'm hoping for "classicness" as opposed to "currentness".

Fabian -

Nice change. I'm not sure which version I like better.

Christian -

Nice colors. Somehow, you used blue without crossing into overplayed "bank blue".

The icon is a good start. It plays on the graphic that I posted, a la Fabian, but doesn't hit his gingerbread man issue. It isn't quite recognizable yet - go for a little more banker and a little less chicken embryo.

Also, while it comes out nicely here, I'm worried about the white areas for reflected light. Will these be hard to reproduce in a smaller size (think icon in the corner of a web page)?

Nice typography.

Mike

[bankstrong]

Christian -

I reviewed my comments when I had a little more time - "chicken embryo" was a little harsh. I didn't understand where you were going with that part of the sketch. I also noticed that many of the very creative sketches in other contests are yours (like the drowning chicken).

I'd love to see another iteration.

Mike

[Fabian]

Hi Mike

If my "Gingerbread icon " is not suited,I've come up with this one.

Icon update :
This is icon/logo has two meanings to it.

1.The weights - Making your business stronger and strong.
2.The steps - Taking it to the next level

If you would like any other changes please feel free to ask.

Cheers
Fabian

[Christian]

Sure thing, no problem ;) The style of the art plus the fact that it was a draft didn't combine well to portray a very solid mark. I figured it would be more original and fun to portray a loose suit holding up a firm object. Strong, sharp, fun, flexible, unique, dependable etc. :D

[MOZ]

Here's one from MOZ

[bankstrong]

Creativemeasures -

<<If my "Gingerbread icon " is not suited,I've come up with this one.>>

On the contrary, I think that the icon is a very strong entry. I've described one issue with it as gingerbreadness (perhaps because the man is curvy), but I also don't know that the design can be improved by messing with your vision.

I'm not crazy about the barbells alone.

Christian -

<<The style of the art plus the fact that it was a draft didn't combine well to portray a very solid mark. I figured it would be more original and fun to portray a loose suit holding up a firm object. Strong, sharp, fun, flexible, unique, dependable etc. >>

The second time that I looked at it, I realized that that might be a tie in the center. And now that I see the description, I agree - you're on the right track. I like stylized, but this particular sketch didn't get your idea across yet.

Moz -

A very "strong" design - never a bad idea to use American colors to resonate strength (or was that a French flag I spied?). On the other hand - red, white, and blue are the same colors used by many products. The font also conveys strength.

Minuses - need physical separation between text and icon. Needs to be easily read in the corner of a web page (maybe this is?). Need the word "software". The pose reminds me more of body-building (narcissism) than strength (power).

Mike

[bankstrong]

Julie-

I'd like at least one logo that hits on straight professionalism to choose from. Can you provide a version of the top logo, including "software", in different colors, and in a less recognizable (but still classy) font?

Thanks,
Mike

[Julie]

Hi, Mike--

Sorry that I haven't been keeping up on this contest; I've been extremely busy with work. However, if you can wait until this evening, I'll squeeze in some time then to make some revisions.

Thank you!

julie

[beatz]

Hi,

here come revisions as requested - arm and fist "normalized", white outline etc.

Note I included 2 different versions, each one in a shadowed and a dry variation.

Thanks,

Frank

[MOZ]

Hi Mike
I revised the 1st design
repositioned the art, it is a bodybuilder, but its stylized strength!

sans color...if you like please suggest color

MOZ

[Julie]

Hi, Mike--here are some options for you...

Julie

[bankstrong]

Beatz -

I like the arm much better. I'd still like to see offset between the arm and bank (check out the lower left). You choose whether the offset is taken from the arm or bank.

Be careful to use one shade of orange. Also, there's some confusion to my eye between the orange and white. Possible resolutions: 1) Move to a color with more contrast against white 2) outline graphic in black 3) Simplify graphic.

Moz -

The bodybuilder is well-executed, but is more appropriate for a gym in Malibu.

Julie -

Thanks for the revision.

1) I liked the very first graphic that you posted. It had a vertical rectangle behind the B, echoing the letter. Also, the B had one shade, reducing the "blur" factor. That said, I also like the graphic with the doric (?) column.

2) Avoid blue and green.

3) Use a font for "Bank Strong Software" that is not as recognizable as one of the Microsoft basics. Or maybe my eye is picking up on something that I don't know how to articulate (letter spacing?).

Some favorites based on typography - beatz, creativemeasures, ChristianSanfiel.

Mike

[bankstrong]

Beatz -

Allow me to reise my comments slightly.

I'm not crazy about the orange - probably because my eye is confusing it with the white.

I'd like to see a version with just the bank building (new) and no arm. It brings to mind the old way that banks conveyed strength and stability - heavy Greek archictecture.

Christian -

I'm still hoping to see another version of your mark. Theoretically, it can pull on all three themes - software (font), strength (barbell), and bank (suit).

DesignGeneral -

I'd like to get another version - the first version was pretty good, but the revisions off that didn't go in the direction that I hoped. Please take a look at my first response again.

Mike

[Julie]

Here are my revisions--None of them, or the ones I've posted before have used any of the "standard" MS fonts. I'm running a Mac and I have a lot more choices. When I looked at the examples you mentioned you liked, I think you're referring the the larger amount of space between letters. So, I've done a lot of that here.

Julie :)

[Christian]

Next draft :D Thoughts?

[DesignGeneral]

Hi Mike,

Sorry for delay.

[Raja]

...

[bankstrong]

Christian -

I really like the font, colors, and creativity of the logo. A lot.

I can't exactly put my finger on it, but the logo is a little busy. Perhaps it's the curviness of the man vs. the rectilinearity of the barbell? If you have any ideas for reducing complexity (starting from the bottom graphic), give it a shot. Either way, please create a version without the barbell. Even without the "strong" theme, this is a very good entry.

Less of a problem, but worth dealing with if you can: the banker seems, well, a little obese. While technically accurate for many bankers (primarily due to confusing the act of driving an electric cart across a grassy field with exercise), I'd prefer to appeal to their strong, powerful self-image.

Mike

[beatz]

Just a note that I will post revisions in a few hours :)

[Christian]

Hey there, before I get to the revisions, another idea came to mind, just want to toss it in a sec. I'm still working on it, but it's basically a cross between a bank safe and a computer disk. Posted a quick draft. Thoughts?

[bankstrong]

Christian -

<<Hey there, before I get to the revisions, another idea came to mind, just want to toss it in a sec. I'm still working on it, but it's basically a cross between a bank safe and a computer disk. Posted a quick draft. Thoughts? >>

I think it's neat, but probably not worth spending much effort on - you have a strong concept to play with already.

I inadvertantly led another designer down the vault path. I think that playing up the security aspects of the bank lead to the impression that this is some sort of security (antivirus, vpn, etc.) software company. Without getting too specific, we help banks become more profitable by making some decisions better.

Mike

[DesignGeneral]

Hi Mike,

any feedback regarding my revision?

[beatz]

Hi again,

here come the revisions - 3 different ones, color suggestions, each in dry, shadowed and small-size icon.

Feedback appreciated as always :)

Thanks,

Frank

[bankstrong]

DesignGeneral -

I like the designs on the left (the right is too close to a floppy disk). Still need a little more contrast between the two colors.

Can you work on the typography? Beatz (among a few other entries) has a great example of what I'm looking for - even if I can't articulate it well. Professional font, no liberties with capitalization, integrates well in positioning to the graphic.

Beatz -

Still not crazy about the orange. Please try a completely new shade (I'm not good at describing what I'm looking for saturation? hue?, but ChristianSanfiel and CreativeMeasures are two examples of easy to see, professional colors.

The brown on the bottom part of your graphic may also work, but is too light right now to see clearly.

Thanks,
Mike

[bankstrong]

Everyone -

I'm new and don't want to break with etiquette by stretching the contest out. However, if it's ok, I'll announce a winner and work on final touches with that person afterwards.

If I'm still up, I'll announce the winner at 12:00 midnight (it's 8:30 PM now in NJ).

Mike

[Julie]

Hi there--would you like any revisions from me before you decide?

[Christian]

Here's one without the weight, strong build and a subtle superman symbol thing going for it which emphasizes strength.

[beatz]

Hi again,

here are some blue color variations :)

Thanks,

Frank

[bankstrong]

JulieT -

<<would you like any revisions from me before you decide? >>

Yes, please.

See if you can tie the logo together with the typography by moving the text to the right of the logo. Except for Christian's, the other text treatments that I like all form one rectangular block - a la Beatz. Also, aim for a more formal text look.

ChristianSanfiel -

The new logo is much stronger (I also see a hint of eagle) and cleaner, but it doesn't grab me the same as the fat man. If you have a different way to go strong and clean, try it out. Either way, can you build the lower fat logo without the barbell?

Beatz -

Thanks. I don't think blue is it either, but it also doesn't distract from your design. If selected, we'll find the right color together.

Mike

[CBaker14]

Thought Id try out this before the time ran out...

Let me know what you think...

Chris

[Julie]

OK--I have some revisions for you here--colors, etc. can always be tweaked.

Julie

[DesignGeneral]

higher contrast and different typografy

[bankstrong]

And the winner is ...

Bankstrong.

I am amazed by the quality of the logos that were entered. Almost all of them were far beyond my attempts. In the end, I had a very tough time choosing - and I invite you all back when I need software icon designs and web site templates.

While almost all of the designs were well worth $150, a few stood above for the qualities that we need: creativemeasures (I've been using your logo in my mocked-up marketing materials, designgeneral (most creative abstract design), christiansanfiel, and beatz.

The winner is either Christian or Beatz. Unfortunately, they are both great looks and will move the brand image in different directions - so I need feedback from a few people here. Please bear with me and I'll have an answer later today. While I'll need some minor revisions from either, please wait until I finish my canvas.

Thank you everyone,
Mike

[DesignGeneral]

Hi Mike,

just working at another concept. Seems is too late.

Congrats Beatz or Christian :)

[bankstrong]

Beatz -

By general consensus, you are the winner. This is an excellent design, conveying "bank" and "strong". The conservativeness of the design didn't hurt either.

Christian -

Personally, I judged it a tie. It took the panel of judges to select between the two designs. Also an excellent design. Loved the colors, typography, everything.

Thank you,
Mike

[Christian]

Thanks Congrats Beatz! :tup:

[bankstrong]

Beatz -

I'm not sure of the procedure from here. You are the $150 winner, but I'd like to get minor modifications from the graphic labelled dry c.

1) The graphic appears a little blurry. Looking with zoom, it appears that a few lines are not perfectly horizontal.

2) Some of the columns have a slight white line at either the base or top beneath the plinth (?). Please remove the lines.

3) The base has raised areas beneath the columns.

4) I like the color, but I may send you a new one after these revisions.

This is a beautiful mark. I'd like it to work well even whether as a small pic on a web page or blown up on the back of a trade show booth.

Mike

[beatz]

Hi Mike,

here come the revisions - cleaned up everything, but I noticed there still might be a problem when the logo is shrinked to small size which is a slight blurry blue line is showing up under the middle bar of the roof ( version C small size - C is the winning design).

Now, I'm not too sure if this is just due to sceen resolution or similar, but just in case I have made 3 slightly different variations as following; I'd suggest I'd send you versions A and C - A for both small and big size use, C for big size use only.

Let me know :)

[bankstrong]

Hi Frank -

Please forgive my ignorance - I'm not a graphics pro. Are these pictures in a vector form (like .wmf) and then transformed into different sized bitmaps for display on design outpost?

Mike

[beatz]

Absolutely - you can't display vector on the web without having exported them to .gif/.jpg etc before.

So yes, the native files are all vector, what you see here on DO are always bitmaps for display purposes.

:)

[bankstrong]

Frank -

I emailed you a couple of times with my personal email address. I think that we're almost there, but I'd like to get a vector file in a format that I can easily use (wmf?).

From there, I can check it out. Once approved, I think that all I need is .gif and source files.

It's been almost two weeks since the contest end and we need to wrap this up.

Thanks,
Mike

[Palmer]

Not sure what the problem is, I'll contact Frank and point him to this thread.

[bankstrong]

Frank -

Got your email, but my reply email bounced back.

+++++++++++++++++

<<Please let me know if these would be fine for you>>

I like the graphic very much, but I'd request one change:

- Can you make the columns stand exactly vertical?

<<Anyways, here is the logo in both editable .ai (Illustrator) and wmf
formats.>>

I need help here - I'm not a graphics pro.

------------------
File Formats
------------------

I have the basic Windows drawing software (MS Paint, etc.) and don't plan on modifying anything myself. I would like a graphic that I can simply drop into Excel, Word, etc. and use for anything from a logo on a business card (.5"?) to a trade show booth (4' high?). I would have thought that the best format would be .wmf.

I dropped bank2wmf.wmf into Excel to experiment. The graphic prints pretty well in large sizes, but the lettering starts gapping at small size.

- Do I need to use a different format at small size? Perhaps a large .gif reduced down to size?

At the large size, the lettering seems less smooth than I'd prefer.

- Can you set the .wmf to contain more vector points?

-----------------
Deliverables
----------------

Here's what I think I need for files. Please correct if you see errors:

- variety of gif sizes, varying from smallest legible graphic on web page to full page size (perhaps high-resolution is more appropriate?). Please indicate the graphic that you feel is appropriate on a web page.

- Revised .wmf

- Revised .ai

Thanks,
Mike

[bankstrong]

Palmer -

Can you work the BatSignal again? My communications to Beatz are falling into the ether.

Mike

[Palmer]

Yes, I'll contact him again. I was getting some bounced emails from his account so that is probably the problem.

[bankstrong]

Palmer -

Can you help one more time? I think that Frank has enough to send me the completed files and get approval. I sent my last email to him two days ago without a response. Please check to make sure that he's getting email.

Thank you,
Mike

[beatz]

Hi Mike,

forgive me for not checking my email for one day. :)

Would be great if we could keep the revisions in here (DO) rather than email til final approval because the that's what the revision forum is here for and I will always check here first.

Anyway, in addition to the files I've already sent you I will send you several others in a few hours including .gif for web and high-rez .tif files :)

Thanks,

Frank

[bankstrong]

Frank -

<<forgive me for not checking my email for one day.>>

Not a big deal - with the communications snafus that we've run into, I couldn't tell whether it was a problem or just that you had not gone online for a few days.

<<There is no way to make a wmf higher quality by adding more vector points to
it.
As said, wmf itself is low quality compared to .ai or .eps and it's not a
professional format anyway.

Had just sent it to you because you requested it. :)>>

Glad to have it. I just hoped that it could be improved.

<<Also, would be great if we could keep the revisions in the Revision Forum
(DO) rather than email til final approval because the that's what the
revision forum is there for and I will always check there first.>>

Sounds fine - but we're on the brink of approval.

<<Anyway, in addition to the files I've already sent you I will send you
several others in a few hours including .gif for web and high-rez .tif files>>

Terrific.

Thank you,
Mike

[beatz]

Additional files sent :)

[bankstrong]

Frank -

<<Additional files sent>>

Thank you for the terrific design and your help in creating the files that I need. I'm very proud of the icon that you built and I appreciate your help.

APPROVED.

Mike