Snowtide Informatics Systems: Logo - $190

[snowtide]

(Admin code added by Palmer - 14717741)

Hi all -- I'm really looking forward to working with all of the wonderfully talented designers that contribute here.

We're nearly ready to re-launch Snowtide Informatics Systems, a software company that specializes in search, collaboration, and information management applications. Our primary market are knowledge professionals (lawyers, doctors, researchers, professors, journalists, graduate students, etc) and the organizations that they inhabit. Our products range in price from ~$350 for a single user license to >$50,000 for a volume product deployment within a large corporation. Given this, purchase decisions will be made by a wide range of people as we try to make a name for ourselves, although it's clear that the real money will be coming in through large volume purchases.

Our current logo can be seen at our website (http://snowtide.com). I've also tinkered around here and there; one completely abstract design that I like the feel of (although the look obviously would need work to make it an actual logo) can be seen here: link (http://snowtide.com/images/tesselation.gif) Here is a shot of a page out of the new website design that we'll be rolling out with the relaunch to give you a sense of where we're going with design overall: link (http://snowtide.com/images/sample.png)

The current preference is to use the maroon that is in that abstract design (and the highlight color in the new website design) AND/OR the blue as shown in the current logo. Other potential colors would be flat greys, and perhaps gold/yellow for highlighting. We're thinking that using the maroon color primarily would be best, as that would provide the best contrast to our new web look and overall design feel (smooth blues, flat greys, etc).

Aside from whatever you all come up with for visual themes connected to search and collaboration processes/technology, we're personally partial to a couple of themes:

(1) Our current logo is a depiction of the Golden Rectangle, and the Golden Spiral that can be derived from it, both classic shapes from number and geometry theory. We'd be very happy to see these, or some different structures from mathematical theory incorporated into the logo.

(2) The notion of order emerging from chaos (this fits nicely with the entire idea of useful search technology)

(3) Nature themes in general, especially those that evoke fractal structure (I.e. leaves, trees [a strong oak, or a subtly-powerful bonsai?], ferns, etc). This goes back to the mathematics theme to a certain extent, but it's less sterile, and incorporates a "softer", more organic ideal.

I have no idea with regard to fonts. Go wild, hopefully we'll stumble across something we like.

Some sample logos that we like:
- Groove (http://groove.net) has a wonderful logo -- the use of three circles to depict connectivity between peers as well as the letter 'g' is brilliant.
- http://www.logoforge.co.uk/images/portfoli..._logo_eviss.jpg (http://www.logoforge.co.uk/images/portfolio/portfolio_logo_eviss.jpg)
- http://www.logoforge.co.uk/images/portfoli...go_dunnbros.jpg (http://www.logoforge.co.uk/images/portfolio/portfolio_logo_dunnbros.jpg)
- http://www.logoforge.co.uk/images/portfoli...go_spacebar.jpg (http://www.logoforge.co.uk/images/portfolio/portfolio_logo_spacebar.jpg)
- http://www.designoutpost.com/forums/upload...-1074316532.gif (http://www.designoutpost.com/forums/uploads/post-4-1074316532.gif)
- Lucent's logo has been a personal favorite of mine for years

Miscellaneous preferences:
We seem to prefer softly stylized, sophisticated designs. The company name probably shouldn't be used as part of the logo; rather it should be positioned next to or below the logo strategically (although we're willing to be proven wrong by a brilliant design that does use the company name as an integral part of the logo). I'm not sure that there's any reason to base the logo on a snow-related theme, despite our name. We're leaning towards using only "Snowtide Informatics" in the logo, and in general communications ("Snowtide Informatics Systems" is probably too long). Acronyms are a no-no (unless someone wants to surprise us with a design that incorporates one that is professional-looking enough for our target clientele).

Technical details:
This logo will be used on the web, in print, and on business cards. We'd like to see both 2- and 4-color mockups. We use Freehand here (no flames please! :P ), so we'd like to get files in that format (or some import-able format) for our use.

Not that it will matter at all in who we pick, but after browsing the contest archives, we've particularly liked some of the work that Eagle, Fuse, and Raja have produced. We look forward to seeing all of your submissions!

[Mowling]

Hello...here is a concept...let me know of any revisions that you would like.

thanks,
Matt

[snowtide]

Matt,

The idea has a nice feel to it. Here's my thoughts:

- I forgot to mention in my original post that we're not really looking for snow-related themes in the logo; your design is nice, but we're not sure that snow themes add much to our overall company image.
- The different colors used to spell Snowtide cause the word to be broken up; we definitely want to keep "Snowtide" as a singe unit

Thanks!

Chas

[Tyler]

*beep* *beep* *boop*

:ph34r:

[CBaker14]

Here is my first attempt at your contest...Tried the different colors you suggested.
Let me know what you think...

Chris

[Bill]

Here's my entry...

[snowtide]

RadicalSeed: That's a little too generic...I'm not sure what the logo conveys...

CBaker: Those are some interesting shapes, but again, it feels generic. Also, gradients probably aren't appropriate, especially within a print environment.

[snowtide]

PennyLn: the font arrangment and use of color is nice. I almost didn't notice the S.I. acronym formed by the graphic. (I'm glad to see someone challenging my initial aversion to acronym-based logos!) Keep playing with it, although I'd certainly love to see some concepts that play off of the mathematical/fractal themes I touched on in my original post. B)

[snowtide]

Everyone: Please speak up if you have any questions, or need any clarification on anything! I want to give you all everything you need to get those juices flowing... :tup:

[Bill]

Revised...

[Carl]

snowtide,

I didn't mean to focus on the "SI" acronym, but it just fell into the attached design utilizing a mathematical concept.

Carl...

[snowtide]

PennyLn: That has potential. The fern isn't right though -- that looks more like wheat. Google for 'fractal fern' and/or 'fractal images', and I think you'll find plenty of examples of the shape/structure of ferns and other natural forms. Keep driving! :)

cadii: That's definitely getting towards where we want to go. :D I'm impressed by the integration of "SI" into an infinity symbol. Play around with it some. Your concept made me think of the moebius strip (http://www.cut-the-knot.org/do_you_know/moebius.shtml) as depicted by M.C. Escher...whether that informs your revisions, I don't know.

FYI, I'll be crazy busy today and Monday morning, so I probably won't be posting feedback until Monday afternoon. Let those first concepts fly though!

[Bill]

A couple new ideas...

[snowtide]

pennyln: I like the notion of a network/neural topology that you're getting towards in the first two. That is a pretty common theme as of late, so I'd want to have something more differentiated. I'm intrigued by the arrangment of the snowflakes in the third concept -- it is somewhat fractal-ish (self-repeating, etc). Some fleshing out of that idea would probably give us a better idea of whether we like the general direction. BTW, I spoke too soon on the font -- I like it, but my partner thinks it's too "cartoon-ish". Whoops... :unsure:

[Tyler]

Here is an idea playing on the fractal/spiral concept.

:ph34r:

[Bill]

font variations...

[ElKootcho]

<img src='http://www.smallbusinessstyle.com/DesignOutpost/Snowtide_01.gif' border='0' alt='user posted image' />

[Raja]

sinedots - no gradients used in this design, although that impression is given

[Raja]

another angle

[snowtide]

RadicalSeed
Sorry, that's not really what we're after -- it feels generic, not something that would catch our customers' eye and imagination. Some different direction is probably needed.

pennyln
The first font (copperplate?) is not right. The second is more on the right track. The snowflake arrangment needs attention though (see my last comment upthread)...and if you're willing to pursue it, some variations on the network/neuronal topology theme you had in your last submission is most welcome. :)

ElKootcho
I see the 'S' in the graphic, but I guess I'm just not catching what else is being conveyed there...

Raja
I see promise in both of your submissions -- nice first shots! :D

The first feels very dynamic, and has the right elements in it (is that out of Mathematica/Matlab?). Maybe if we could play around with different constructs [equations] for the graphic? I like the font, but the company name seems detached from the graphic.

The second is also on a good path. I like the cosine-as-'S' idea, although it might be too subtle for others to catch on; some tweaking might lead to a more identifiable connotation. The graphic and text seem well integrated -- but 'Informatics' is too small compared to 'Snowtide' (that probably goes for your first mockup too). Some size differential is probably good, but not that much.

Everybody
I know I put gradients/shading down a little bit upthread, but the concepts put out by cadii and Raja(#2) that use subtle gradients force me to retract those previous comments.

I look forward to seeing those brain-dumps over the coming days! :tup:

[snowtide]

Raja
I didn't recognize what sinedots was when I first replied. Now that a google search has educated me just enough to be dangerous :devil:: would graphics generated by sinedots be able to be vectorized? Generating such images at a high enough resolution might do short-term, but I worry about us wanting to change colors in the future, etc.

[Raja]

sorry for fast post, this graphic is vector.. :ninja:

[snowtide]

We shall see just how good your vector-fu is, kemosabe! :lol: Oh, ****, it's too late to be doing this!

Hopefully everyone has visions of Snowtide logos dancing in their heads tonight... :tup:

[Raja]

:lol2:

Crouching Snow Hidden Tide

:D

[snowtide]

Hi all...I thought I'd throw out a couple more logos that have some appealing elements to keep your juices flowing:

This one has a nice arragement between the graphic and the text, and the divisions placed in the 'landscape' are a nice touch, very sophisticated: link (http://www.corporatelogos.ws/images/Logos/Terra5.gif)

I've always played around with designs that have mosaic/tile elements that have some interesting form(s) being highlighted, which goes along with the whole 'order from chaos' theme: link (http://www.logo-mojo.com/assets/images/pharmastatweb_logo.jpg)

- Chas

[DesignGeneral]

Hi Chas,

I have something for you :tup:

[beatz]

Hi,

here are some suggestions; note in the 2nd design I combined the "s" with an "I" while the third design combines the "s" shape with 2 dots building a ying-yang kind of symbol.

Feedback is appreciated. :)

Thanks,

Frank

[Aaron]

Hi.

[Aaron]

Something else.

[Aaron]

;)

[CBaker14]

Here are a couple others for you to look at...

Chris

[snowtide]

I'm glad to see concepts streaming through...here are my thoughts:

CBaker14
Your first concept has potential -- a properly stylized cube would probably reach all of our major goals. A stylized cube that is made up of other structural elements would be particularly interesting. The fonts aren't right though -- they scream "TRON", which isn't right for our target audience. Keep going on it! :)

arthouse
I really got a kick out of your first concept, with the SI acronym -- it's a really cool, fun-looking logo. Unfortunately, it's not really the right idea for that reason (it wouldn't go over very well with our target audience).

The other concepts you put together have promise though. I'd like to see you flesh out the idea behind that graphic some more -- punch it up, make it a little more dynamic (it kinda looks like it's just sitting there), and a little less flat. I like where you're going trying to merge the graphic and the company name in the last treatment. I want to see where this might go... :)

beatz
Thanks for your entries...unfortunately, they're not really working for me. The first concept is intriguing, but I can't really make out what the graphic is. A beaker, maybe? Sorry if I'm being dense :unsure:

DesignGeneral
This is really interesting....a sunburst is something we hadn't really considered, but I think it just might work really well if it's stylized in the right way. I actually prefer the look of the smaller version in the lower-right: it's "rays" are more dense, and there seems to be more energy coming out of the center. I don't know if it'll work, but see if the "rays" can be made a little smoother, less "prickly". Another idea -- maybe the light from the sunburst can shine down onto the company name. The font is all wrong though -- too classic. It should be sophisticated, but in a modern way.

This is great guys/gals. Keep going at it! :tup:

[CBaker14]

Ill try the first design with different fonts, post later...

Thanks,

Chris

[beatz]

Hi again,

thanks for the feedback - as for the first design I have no idea what the graphic is :D; it's just something artsy I did a while ago and thought it might fit here :)

Anyway, here is an alteration of the other 2 concepts - let me know what you think.

Thanks,

Frank

[Aaron]

Round one :)

[Aaron]

Some more math/science-based designs

[snowtide]

beatz
The visual feel of the graphic is right -- smooth, sophisticated. It's just not going in the right direction thematically though; see what you can do along the lines of the mathematical, fractal, or nature-based themes that I went through in my original post. :)

arthouse
Your 8:54 treatment is a little better, but the graphic still looks flat to me -- standing upright and tilted, but still flat. Of the concepts in your 8:59 post, the graphic in the first one could work, but it also needs to have some volume, some dynamicism. Graphic #2 looks a little too much like a celtic knot. However, I've often played around with the idea of interlocking rings to achieve a message along the lines that I described in my original post. That might be worth pursuing.... :)

[Aaron]

Thanks for the feedback. I'll focus my edits/revisions in that direction for a while.

[Carl]

I thought about the mobieus strip for enough days that I finally decided to put it down on paper.

Thanks for the inspiration.

Carl...

[snowtide]

cadii
Interesting usage of the moebius strip concept....at the moment, though, I prefer your initial run at it. I think part of my preference boils down to the subtle border that runs around the infinity symbol and forms part of the junction between the two segments of the symbol (the fact that the segments can be seen as 'SI' is fortunate, but that's just a bonus).

The object in the new graphic is missing that interesting joining between the two segments -- it looks more like a solid, homogenous structure, especially in the monochrome rendering. I think if you try some tweaks to add some surface or edging details, it might have the same visual appeal that the original graphic has.

Also, if you could try both the original graphic and the new one in different colors (the flat blue and gray), that'd be cool. :D

[snowtide]

cadii
One thing I've just now realized about your second rendering -- while I see the moebius strip connection, I don't think others would. Your first concept had such a direct relationship to the infinity symbol that it really fit in with our thematic direction, but the second one is one or two steps removed from it (sorry if I led you astray! :unsure:). I think this is probably my main underlying reason for preferring the first concept.

[Carl]

Ever since you responded to the infinity post, I was intrigued by the mobieus strip, so actually taking the time to figure out the right setup via a vector path was payoff enough for not having it move forward here.

I like learning new things every day - being involved in design gives me that opportunity.

Carl...

[snowtide]

Carl, glad to see you're a glass-half-full kind of guy... ;)

I do like the direction of your original concept, and those color variations would be nice to see. Lay it on me!

BTW, I think on Friday, I'm going to post a "status message" -- just to give a rundown of what concepts are in the lead so far. Hopefully, that will give everyone a chance to refocus and maybe ponder different approaches over the weekend... :D

[snowtide]

arthouse
I'm sorry I neglected to provide feedback on your most recent post (10:52)! :oops:

I don't know if you plan on working within the star motif more or not (it sounds like you're shifting toward the interlocking-rings concept I mentioned), but if you are, watch out for star-based graphics that resemble or are reminiscient of the Steelers' logo...that's what I thought of first when I saw that most recent graphic....

[Carl]

Here are the color variations.

Carl...

[Christian]

Here's my first draft! Give me your thoughts! :D

[snowtide]

ChristianSanfiel
The second graphic doesn't do anything for me -- if the dotted field had something going on (an indication of a pattern, some structure, etc), then it'd be different.

The first graphic is interesting though. It's got that segmented look (borrowed from one of the reference logos I posted about yesterday, I assume), which I find visually appealing. The exponential curve going from left to right is getting into the right thematic territory, so I'd like to see something a little more thought-provoking happening across those blue fields. I'm not sure what to make of the spike in the middle...a mountain? :huh:

Looking at the curve happening along the segments, I get the feeling of time passage -- past, present, and future, perhaps. Maybe if you tried that angle along with one of the main themes I outlined at the outset: a tree growing in each time span, the development of a fractal or otherwise mathematical pattern across "the ages", etc. Another thought would be to play around with how the graphic is segmented -- the three distinct parts makes for a visually-striking layout, but maybe there's another arrangement that would play into some of the main themes we're aiming at.

Keep rolling :)

[Raja]

just curious. with all this math, where did you get the name, snowtide?

[snowtide]

Raja,

'Snowtide' is little more than a memorable identifier -- it's very unique, and is a conjunction of concepts that few people would encounter elsewhere. The real functional part of the company name is 'Informatics', a shorthand for the more typically European concept of 'information science'. Quick definition out of webster: the collection, classification, storage, retrieval, and dissemination of recorded knowledge treated both as a pure and as an applied science.

We have big plans (can't go very far if you don't aim high enough, yes? :)), and I wanted to have a name that would carry us through all of them, assuming we are good enough and lucky enough to try our hands at all of them. 'Informatics' is a perfect description of the common purpose of the (eventually) broad range of products we plan on offering. 'Systems' is meant to specify that we concentrate on the applied aspects of informatics (as opposed to the 'pure science' of informatics, as it's phrased in the definition above).

So, to your question of what the connection is between the Snowtide Informatics name and the thematic elements of mathematics, fractals, 'order from chaos', and perhaps natural imagery....such themes really run parallel to what we aim to provide to our customers: the creation/discovery of order in an informationally chaotic world. That would be the achievement of informatics if it were perfectly applied. Obviously that's an ideal; the fun part is, what are the details of what kind of order can or should be created or discovered within a particular vertical application of our informatics products?

To sum it up, we'd like to have our logo mean to each of our customers whatever they consider the ideal to be of finding order in the particular chaos they find in their industry/field of study/profession. The graphical expression of mathematical/fractal/natural structure seems like it would be the clearest materialization of that ideal.

I suppose a correlary would be for a graphic designer that specializes in elegant, breathtaking designs to use as his/her logo a portrayal of something that exemplifies the beauty that they hope to incorporate into their clients' designs.

Boy, that was quite a little essay...thanks for prodding me to verbalize it more completely here. :D

[MOZ]

Hello
Been watching this contest develop. I'm going to attempt to make an entry, if I can work it out in my mind.

Picture Warhol, Pollack & Lictenstein meet Einstein :tup:

Do you have color preference?

MOZ

[snowtide]

Sounds good MOZ! :D

For color direction, see the fourth paragraph in my original post -- I reference our current logo, and a throw-away abstract design that I link to.

[CBaker14]

How is this font...

Chris

[snowtide]

CBaker14
The 'informatics' font is not bad. The shadow effect on 'snowtide' is a little too much though -- it's cool-looking, but a little too flashy for our target customers. Some shadow might be nice, just not too much. I'm guessing that the primary color shouldn't be white though.

[CBaker14]

Ill play around with some others...

Chris

[snowtide]

Hi all -- hope those great ideas are still percolating! :tup:

After reviewing the logo submissions so far, I've decided that once this contest finishes, I will be opening another contest to design a logo for a new product we're planning on rolling out at the end of April.

[CBaker14]

How is a font like this?

Chris

[snowtide]

CBaker14
That looks like Copperplate (or some derivative)...that's not really what we're after.

The font that is used is a necessary detail, but at least with the concepts we've seen so far, the graphic being used is the critical part. I'd like to see what sort of changes you'd make to the cube graphic based on my original comments upthread.

[snowtide]

Attention everybody!

Deadline Change
I've decided to change the deadline for this contest to 4/11/2004. This will prevent this contest from helping to cause a logjam that is probably likely to happen on the 14th/15th of every month. :)
Deadline Change

[Carl]

So, I was thinking about the name. Snowtide, Snow, Tide, both forms of water. And I thought, how about using math, geometry and science to show water. So, here is water...

Carl...

[Eagle]

*
Here's one from me... B)

[snowtide]

cadii
So sorry for the late feedback on those color variations from 3/24 (1:04AM)! Somehow, I just completely missed your post!

I like the new colors, and I like the old colors as well... :P I'll have to put them up side-by-side with the original versions, and I'm still not decided as to whether I prefer the one were the infinity symbol was more upright (and the "SI" is more noticable), or the one where it's nestled around the company name.

I'll have feedback for your newest design a little later, and for eagle's design as well....

[snowtide]

Eagle
I like the overall feel -- very "forward looking" somehow. The typography has a great look, but it probably needs to be toned down just a little. Some flash is good, but we don't want to look too hip :) As for the graphic, I'm having some trouble with it -- I think I see an "SI" there, but not much otherwise...maybe I'm blind :blink: Again, the overall feel is great; if you could soften up the type a little bit and chew on the graphic a little, maybe we'll have something.

cadii
The H2O angle is one I had never even considered -- and you're right, it fits right in with our original course of using something mathematical et al. I wonder if you could do some color variations. I'm not sure what kinds of variations...just play with the color palette we've being using so far and see if anything catches your eye. I do think the monochrome version needs some attention though. I really liked how the infinity graphic you did translated into monochrome, as it was very clean, almost black and white. Maybe the same thing could be done here. Finally, I'd like to see the molecule rotated 180 degrees (so the exposed part of the oxygen atom is facing down and right).

As promised, I'll be posting later tonight my thoughts on which concepts are "in the race" to this point. I continue to be blown away by the overall level of quality I'm seeing. :tup:

[beatz]

Hi,

here are some revisions - feedback appreciated as always :)

Thanks,

Frank

[snowtide]

beatz
I like the last set best...the "movement" of the dots outside of the blue field gives the graphic a nice, dynamic look. I think it would be good to play around with the arragement of the dots to more clearly reflect something along the themes we've all been playing with so far (maybe use a second highlight color to fill certain dots in a particular pattern?). I do prefer the graphic and the company name oriented horizontally, as in the smaller layouts you included. I think we want to stay away from copperplate (or variants thereof, one of which I think you're using for the 'snowtide' text). We seem to prefer sans-serif fonts.

[Raja]

hi, 'snowtide' makes me think of an avalanche :) Anyway, here's another concept

[Raja]

more fragile and wintery, to reflect intricacies

[snowtide]

Raja
I see where you're going with this -- a small network of nodes, connected in such a way to create an 'S' (call me on it if I'm being obtuse here :)). It's a possible direction, but the examples of the concept you've got here are a little too simple (it's the way to create an 'S', but that's a secondary consideration). If there's a way to depict the network concept with a dichotomy of order/disorder perhaps, that might work better. I like the type used in the first treatment; the colors are too saturated though.

Of the three designs you've done so far, I think the first is the best (sinedots) -- some variations on that would be interesting.

[snowtide]

Sorry I'm running late, everybody!

As promised, I've selected the current front-runners in the contest. These are listed in chronological order (times in EST) -- THIS IS NOT A RANKING! I hope that by listing the concepts that are "in the race" at this point, everyone will be able to gain some insight as to what works for us, and what doesn't.

So, here are authors and timestamps of the designs that are in the running so far (again, THIS IS NOT A RANKING!):
cadii, Posted: Mar 21 2004, 02:10 AM</li> Raja, Posted: Mar 21 2004, 09:42 PM</li> Raja, Posted: Mar 21 2004, 09:50 PM</li> DesignGeneral, Posted: Mar 22 2004, 09:09 AM</li> cadii, Posted: Mar 24 2004, 01:04 AM</li> ChristianSanfiel, Posted: Mar 24 2004, 01:29 AM (first concept)</li> cadii, Posted: Mar 25 2004, 10:45 PM</li> beatz, Posted: Mar 26 2004, 11:40 AM (third treatment)</li>
Of course, I encourage all of you to keep striving towards what you think the ideal logo would be for us, given the guidelines I started the contest off with and the company image background that I provided on Mar 24 2004, 02:23 AM. I think MOZ is the only designer to have indicated interest so far that has not yet submitted a design, but everyone is welcome to throw their hat in the ring. By doing this "status update", I am by no means limiting our final selection to the concepts that I've listed.

And, again, I am thrilled with what I've seen so far. :tup: I wonder if I could be surprised some more :D

[MOZ]

MOZ is a little behind :rolleyes:

[snowtide]

After looking over the concepts that I listed above, I noticed that only one designer listed hasn't submitted any revisions. So, DesignGeneral, I'd like to invite you to take a shot at tweaking your sunburst concept. I know everyone's probably very busy at the end of the month -- just figured I'd remind you :D

Just so you don't have to go searching, here are my previous comments on your design:

DesignGeneral
This is really interesting....a sunburst is something we hadn't really considered, but I think it just might work really well if it's stylized in the right way. I actually prefer the look of the smaller version in the lower-right: it's "rays" are more dense, and there seems to be more energy coming out of the center. I don't know if it'll work, but see if the "rays" can be made a little smoother, less "prickly". Another idea -- maybe the light from the sunburst can shine down onto the company name. The font is all wrong though -- too classic. It should be sophisticated, but in a modern way.

[DesignGeneral]

Thanks for the reminder. Don't worry I don't forget about your logo ;)

I was sick for few days. I'll come back with revisions :tup:

[Eagle]

<!--QuoteBegin-snowtide+Mar 26 2004, 02:34 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (snowtide @ Mar 26 2004, 02:34 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->Eagle
I like the overall feel -- very "forward looking" somehow.&nbsp; The typography has a great look, but it probably needs to be toned down just a little.&nbsp; Some flash is good, but we don't want to look too hip :)&nbsp; As for the graphic, I'm having some trouble with it -- I think I see an "SI" there, but not much otherwise...maybe I'm blind&nbsp; :blink:&nbsp; Again, the overall feel is great; if you could soften up the type a little bit and chew on the graphic a little, maybe we'll have something.[/b][/quote]
*
Softened and chewed!...<img src='http://www.eagleimagery.co.uk/smil3y/eaglewink.gif' border='0' alt='user posted image' />

[snowtide]

Eagle
Didn't like my metaphors, eh? :P
Anyways, that font is not right -- too puffy and playful (something out of a children's book, perhaps). Soft *and* sophisticated are both necessary traits. I'm still puzzled by the logo image though...I see that you made the 'border' around the white forms wider, but I still don't see what you're trying to convey there.

[DesignGeneral]

Sorry for delay.

Here are revisions ;)

[Raja]

sensitive, handle with care

[Carl]

Here is the H2O rotated and the burgandy color palette used.

Carl...

[VisualSense]

one more for consideration.... :)
-Diane

[snowtide]

I'll have feedback for all of the recent submissions sometime tomorrow....keep going at it though! :D

[Aaron]

;)

[Aaron]

order from disorder

[Aaron]

A striking one I've been working with

[snowtide]

Arthouse
Of your three newest, the second is definitely the best. It's a very interesting depiction of the "order from chaos" theme, as you indicated. I think it's a great direction -- I'd like to see the extremes of 'order' and 'chaos' played up a bit (I.e. make the order side more distinctly orderly, the chaos side more distinctly chaotic), while maintaining that gradual transition between the two. I won't try to speculate on how best to move further in those directions....

VisualSense
I see a leaf there, but I'm not sure what else is being conveyed. I'm afraid the fonts are way off -- the font used for 'snowtide' is another one that reminds me of Tron.

cadii
The monochrome version is much cleaner now. I think we should definitely keep the two hydrogen atoms white, although I'm not sure about what color is best for the oxygen atom. I noticed that the molecule is slightly larger in the new version relative to the logo text. I'm thinking that it's better to have the logo graphic be the same height as the text, which seems to flow better. I definitely prefer the text in the first logo -- very clean, and the color/grayscale mix is nice. As for the molecule's orientation, a couple people have remarked that the revised orientation results in something that looks a little like a bug's head (with the hydrogen atoms forming the eyes, etc). So, I think keeping the oxygen at the top is probably better.

It occurs to me that, although the logo flows nicely with the text to one side of the graphic, it'd be nice to know that the graphic could also be stacked above the text in an attractive way. While we're tinkering with text positioning, it'd be interesting to see how it looks with the molecule "nested" in the text (with 'informatics' starting below the molecule and stretching to the right even with 'snowtide').

Raja
That's a nice layout...the dots to the left of 'informatics' is a nice touch. Maybe we could pull 'snowtide' together a little (it's looking a little too stretched out). Another nice sinedots pattern -- is there any way to generate ones that are 'flowing'? I could imagine that a pattern with the same general feel that flowed along the length of the logo text at the top would be interesting. The colors aren't right though, they're too weak. Somewhere between this last shot and your first entry with regard to saturation might be just right.

DesignGeneral
Thanks for the many variations. I think the best ones are #2 and #3 -- they have some distinct color transitions that are appealing. I like the monochrome translation too. The fonts are still really off, which I think comes down to them being serif...sans-serif seems to work for us better overall. Also, try some variations that have the graphic to the left of the text.

One thing I worry about with this concept is the color palette -- it's significantly different than the flat blue / maroon palette that we've been designing around for a while now. If you can find some way to get the colors to blend in better with that baseline, that'd be nice.

Hey everybody, just one week to go! Let's see what all you procrastinators can do! :P

[Carl]

Revisions noted and made.

Also, at any point, I can consolidate designs so you can see them together.

I added a bonus image for you this time...enjoy!

Carl...

[bogglins]

Hello,
Here is my concepts.

Thanks!

Regards,

Pieter
:)

[DesignGeneral]

what about this? ;)

[snowtide]

cadii
I think we're preferring the blue color scheme...we can drop experimentation with the maroon. I think the 'informatics' font should be just a smidge darker. A side-by-side with the molecule nested in the text and not would be good (both in color, and monochrome). Also, a side-by-side (a) with the molecule not extending past the upper and lower bounds of the text block and (B) with the molecule extending slightly (as it is in your most recent post) would be appreciated.

The stacked version is OK, but I'm wondering if there's any way to keep the logo rectangular overall -- maybe by making the molecule larger and/or having the text overwrite the lower portion of the graphic? As it stands now, it looks a little disjointed....

Cute bug ;)

bogglins
I really like the text -- very clean, very professional. Maybe just a little lighter on the 'snowtide' part (not in color, in boldness) would be better. As for the image, I appreciate the network/connectivity theme, but I get the feeling that presentations like that are pretty common (and maybe more closely associated with pure networking/hosting companies). If you could broaden the network theme to be a little more chaotic, perhaps showing a larger field of nodes, with only a subset connected, that would be interesting.

[DesignGeneral]

Any feedback regarding my last revision ?

Thanks :)

[snowtide]

DesignGeneral
Sorry, I think our posts crossed. :)

The blue version is definitely the best. It'd be nice to see three tones on that one, as in the orange/yellow/yellow-er version. A nice touch might also to include slightly different hues and brigtnesses of blue in different groups of 'rays'. The font is still wrong though -- too techie. A softer, more sophisticated typeface is needed. Let's try for a horiztonally-oriented logo too: graphic to the left, text to the right.

[Carl]

<!--QuoteBegin-snowtide+Apr 6 2004, 04:39 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (snowtide @ Apr 6 2004, 04:39 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> cadii
I think we're preferring the blue color scheme...we can drop experimentation with the maroon. I think the 'informatics' font should be just a smidge darker. A side-by-side with the molecule nested in the text and not would be good (both in color, and monochrome). Also, a side-by-side (a) with the molecule not extending past the upper and lower bounds of the text block and (B) with the molecule extending slightly (as it is in your most recent post) would be appreciated.

The stacked version is OK, but I'm wondering if there's any way to keep the logo rectangular overall -- maybe by making the molecule larger and/or having the text overwrite the lower portion of the graphic? As it stands now, it looks a little disjointed.... [/b][/quote]
Revisions

[snowtide]

cadii
Of your newest revisions, I think I'm leaning towards the one with the larger molecule, with the nested text. I'd appreciate any comments you might have on the pros/cons of each from a purely visual/design perspective.

The shadows on the monochrome versions should be gray, like in the color versions.

The non-overlapping, vertically-oriented variation is the best of the two. I wonder if it'd look decent with the logo text forming a circle around the molecule ('snowtide' wrapping above, 'informatics' wrapping below). It might look goofy, but that's my next best idea... :)

Everybody
Just 5 more days to go! Of the concepts that I identified as 'in the running' many days ago, beatz and ChristianSanfiel are the only ones who haven't submitted new revisions...please do! I'm very glad to continue working with everyone else who has been submitting revisions...keep them coming. MOZ, you're probably still behind :D, but I was intrigued by your description of the idea you had been brewing a while ago; I'd love to see it in real life if you have time. Everyone else, if you're going to give this one a run, now's the time to do it!

[MOZ]

<!--QuoteBegin-snowtide+Apr 6 2004, 09:26 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (snowtide @ Apr 6 2004, 09:26 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> MOZ[/b], you're probably still behind :D, but I was intrigued by your description of the idea you had been brewing a while ago; I'd love to see it in real life if you have time. [/b][/quote]
Hello my friend
I too would love to see it! I also do massive fine art, yours is in there as one of those massive creatures but I can't get it out. I can see it, but when I try to do it :blink:

I promise I will really try to make it happen for you. If for some reason it don't by deadline, I'll make sure you get to see it when it happens!

I know it sounds wacky, but most of us artist are :tup:

MOZ

[snowtide]

MOZ
Not wacky at all. Engineers passionate about what they do typically have similar experiences. I've spent many a day trying in vain to re-create or make sense of a flash of design inspiration I thought I had just before falling asleep or while dozing early in the morning. At the time, I think I've got it (EUREKA!, or somesuch), but by the time I get a pencil/mouse/trackpad in hand, I go all :blink::blink:

[DesignGeneral]

Thanks for feedback.

Working at revision. I'll be back shortly :)

[DesignGeneral]

here we go ;)

[snowtide]

DesignGeneral
The 2nd and 3rd versions are best. I really like the graphic in the three-layer monochrome. The blues seem to be pastels, especially, the middle ring in the burst. See if that can be shifted to a soft blue-gray. If you could lay the logo out with a number of different fonts, then I think we'll make more progress there -- the newest one you used is better, but it's too round. Finally, if you could rasterize the logos to a smaller scale (maybe 3/4 the size of the monochrome versions you've just done), that would give me a better feel for how it will look in typical scenarios.

[DesignGeneral]

k.

I'll be back :)

[DesignGeneral]

here is a quick revision.

I'll show you more fonts in few min. ;)

[Raja]

revisions

[snowtide]

Raja
The color shift in the sinedots concept isn't right -- it's purple. No purple. :) I think I liked the last revision that had the dots taking up some of the space to the left of 'informatics'. I'm a little worried about this general direction now, though: as things have progressed, I've started paying more attention to how particular graphics translate into grayscale, and I'm not so sure how well a sinedots-type pattern would work in that environment. Feel free to prove me wrong.

The revision to the second concept I really like. The text is phenomenal -- very strong, very "out there", but still soft and professional. The revised graphic is very pleasant too, and works with the text well (good sizing). I'd like to see a monochrome version of that as well.

[Raja]

monochrome

[Raja]

...

[DesignGeneral]

Do you like the font from last revision?

[DesignGeneral]

another font ;)

[DesignGeneral]

B)

I'll leave town today and I'll be back on Monday. If you choose me like winner I can sort out color changes or font changes on Monday or Tuesday morning.

[Carl]

<!--QuoteBegin-snowtide+Apr 7 2004, 12:26 AM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (snowtide @ Apr 7 2004, 12:26 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> cadii
Of your newest revisions, I think I'm leaning towards the one with the larger molecule, with the nested text. I'd appreciate any comments you might have on the pros/cons of each from a purely visual/design perspective.

The shadows on the monochrome versions should be gray, like in the color versions.

The non-overlapping, vertically-oriented variation is the best of the two. I wonder if it'd look decent with the logo text forming a circle around the molecule ('snowtide' wrapping above, 'informatics' wrapping below). It might look goofy, but that's my next best idea... :)
[/b][/quote]
I would agree. Visually, the larger, nested logo has the greatest continuity. The smaller molecule seems to be floating in the background and not part of the text. The nested version, further ties the icon into the logo by using the white space left vacant by the orientation of the molecule.

Your thought that it might look goofy were well founded, but I will show you the circular pattern of the text if you really want to see it. My personal opinion is that it doesn't work very well. I think mainly because the object is in 3D, but not actually round and the text looks forced, not natural.

Finally, I only showed the black shadow in absolute black and white. I always show a one color/no screen version.

Would you like to see everything with the updated black and white treatment, or just the most likely candidates?

Thanks!
Carl...

[Christian]

Snowflake / 3D cube with sphere in center. Thoughts? :D

[Christian]

Lowercase

[snowtide]

Raja
The monochrome sinedots revision is really off-base; there's just too many apparent shades in the graphic, which works really well in color, but doesn't do so well otherwise. I think that might kill the sinedots approach.

The 'S' bage concept is good in black and white. Let's keep the type the same shade of gray though (and maybe lighten up the black regions in the graphic?). BTW, your most recent color revision seems to have lost a very subtle shadow behind the graphic -- that was a very nice touch that should stick around. The snowflake dotting the 'I' is a nice try, but no cigar. :)

DesignGeneral
The font used for 'informatics' in the last set of revisions is the best. It should probably be italicized a little less (and not italic at all for the 'snowtide' part). I think having the text be a dark gray would offset the blue burst in the color version.

cadii
Yeah, let's skip the circular text bit. I wish I could blame that idea on some drunken stupor or something :D I think we can leave the stacked logo concept alone for now...

I see you motivation for the black and white treatment. Having three versions (color, B&W, grayscale) is probably appropriate given multiple possible output environments.

I think we can settle on the large molecule / nested text layout. I've liked the font you've used so far, but just to satisfy my curiosity, I'd like to see as many variations in that area as you see fit.

[Carl]

I will work on it this evening.

I have 1028 fonts installed. I will try to pare that down for you. :D

Carl...

[snowtide]

ChristianSanfiel
Very nice, very compelling. I really like the graphic -- it captures the mathematical/geometrical theme, the network/connectivity theme, and plays off of the snowtide name. I think I prefer the second font, but it's a little too rounded. One issue is that the graphic and the text aren't really integrated. Let's see a couple of font variations, and a couple different layouts that have the image and text working more as a unit. Finally, please keep the size down some, so I can look at it at size it's likely to be used at.

Keep 'em coming, everyone! :tup:

[snowtide]

cadii
C'mon, Carl, that's what scripting is for! :D :ninja:

[Raja]

<!--QuoteBegin-snowtide+Apr 8 2004, 08:11 AM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (snowtide @ Apr 8 2004, 08:11 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> Raja
The monochrome sinedots revision is really off-base; there's just too many apparent shades in the graphic, which works really well in color, but doesn't do so well otherwise. I think that might kill the sinedots approach.

The 'S' bage concept is good in black and white. Let's keep the type the same shade of gray though (and maybe lighten up the black regions in the graphic?). BTW, your most recent color revision seems to have lost a very subtle shadow behind the graphic -- that was a very nice touch that should stick around. The snowflake dotting the 'I' is a nice try, but no cigar. :)

[/b][/quote]

Thanks for the feedback. Those are my final offerings for your contest. If chosen as a winner, I'll make any revisions you like.

[muvment]

<img src='http://www.muvment.com/snowtide.jpg' border='0' alt='user posted image' />

[snowtide]

muvment
Hey, it's nice to see someone picking up on the tree/leaf theme I mentioned in my first post. I like the solid oak outline...completely wrong color though :) Try to work in that blue/gray/maroon palette that I provided examples of. The layout might make the logo hard to integrate into other designs though -- the overall outline of the logo is an odd shape. See if you can pull the tree and the text together somehow without leading to an unwieldy shape. The 'informatics' text needs to be larger as well. It can be smaller than the 'snowtide' text, but not by too much.

[Paula23]

Here is a few from me.
Thanks!

[Paula23]

and a few more...

[Paula23]

and more..

[snowtide]

Paula23
Thanks for your submissions! I like the layout of the first one, but I think the whole molecule theme has been taken care of by Carl (cadii); if you can put a significantly different spin on it, I'd be willing to consider it though. The third concept has a nice visual feel to it, and certainly touches on the mathematical theme. I'd like to see some variations on that one with some different accents on the x-y axes -- the vectors you have going off to the upper left form a good starting point, but I'd like to see something more distinctive. If you take out the 'systems', and put 'informatics' below the x-axis, then the logo would have better proportions; it's too long as it is now. Try some different fonts as well -- the one used isn't bad, but if the graphic is going to be stark (as is necessary with the x-y plane), then the fonts should have a little more oomph to them. :)

[Carl]

Here are the different font treatments.

I stayed away from serifed fonts because they didn't work well with the rounded nature of the molecule.


Carl...

[Paula23]

Snowtide: Thanks for your valuable feedback! I will take your suggestions and post some variations tomorrow.
Thanks again,Paula

[snowtide]

cadii
Variation E is the best of the new ones (I still like A, but hey, we're exploring). Could I see E with 'snowtide' lightened up a bit (weight-wise, leave the color alone), 'informatics tucked in under the molecule a little more, and the molecule a little larger in relation to the text (so that it has the same proportions as option A -- the new font in E has a larger ascent, so it changed the graphic/text relationship slightly).

If you have any other variations up your sleeve that have a mixed text look as in E, please feel free to share :)

[Christian]

:D Then let's try to narrow down a font style; which of these three do you like best or what do you like about each? And what do you think of the smaller mark?

[snowtide]

ChristianSanfiel
The first font is the nicest...it fits the feel of the graphic nicely. I'd be glad to see some variations within the same font family. The sizing is still off, especially for that font -- the graphic is almost twice the height as the text block. It should be somewhat larger, but not so significantly. I know you're trying to keep the logo to two colors, but the 'informatics' text is far too light. Assuming a different color works better (a medium gray, perhaps), we'll eat the increased printing costs. Also, the blue is a little too blue. Keep going :D

[Paula23]

Here are some revisions and some new designs.
Thanks!

[Paula23]

...

[Carl]

Revised.

[snowtide]

cadii
That's just about right; I can't really think of any further variations, aside from the necessary monochrome & B&W versions. Consider your entry complete :D

Paula23
The overall proportions of the upper-right version are right. The circular designs are interesting, but I was looking for something other than lines radiating from the origin. Some other stylized mathematical pattern would be welcome.

I'm afraid the second group of concepts isn't working for me though.

[Paula23]

Here are some more..
Thanks!

[Paula23]

and a few more :)

[snowtide]

Paula23
I like the 2nd concept. I worry that when scaled down, the dots will be too small to be noticed though. A different font is needed -- something like in the 4th concept, but with a more stylized feel might work. We can definitely drop the 'systems' text as well.

Everybody
I'm taking an emergency trip to California tomorrow, so I am extending the contest one day -- it will end on Monday, the 12th of April now.

[Palmer]

I edited the topic title.

[Paula23]

Here is what the logo would look like scaled down, and with the a new font.

[MOZ]

This is not what I had envisioned for you
but I had to get something in ;)

[Christian]

A few more variations ;)

[snowtide]

Paula23
Yeah, that's what I was worried about -- the dots are just too small in the monochrome versions, which is closer to web-logo size. I'm not sure what to suggest in order to maintain the look at the smaller size without drastically changing the concept.

MOZ
Thanks for the entry -- although it seems that we prefer distinct graphic/text components in the logo concepts we've seen so far. I don't really think the spiral in the 'O' is distinct enough, although it certainly is attention-grabbing.

ChristianSanfiel
The font used for 'informatics' in the second revision is right -- perhaps just a tad darker still? 'Snowtide' is best in the first revision, although let's try it not in all-caps. I think the sizing is just about right now.

[beatz]

Last minute revisions :)

Sans serif, everything horizontally, circle arrangement variations...

Feedback appreciated :)

Thanks,

Frank

[snowtide]

beatz
I like the second and third variations of the dot field. The third variation makes me think that using the dots to form some kind of 3D structure within the blue background (a sphere, cube, something else more esoteric perhaps?).

The 'informatics' font is good -- perhaps it should be a little heavier. 'Snowtide' should have a more stylized font though. A little more sophisticated, softer.

I am worried about how the logos scale down though, especially the second variation. If something could be done to enhance the distinctness of the dot pattern in the smaller treatments, that would be great.

[Buginajar]

Here is my last minute submission.......

[Mike]

Looks good Chris. Nice to see you online again. :)

[Buginajar]

What's going on? Nice to see you too.

[snowtide]

Buginajar
The logo has a really nice look overall. The red 'I' is very distinctive. I'm not sure what's being conveyed with the design though -- I get the impression of a planet with the arc, but I'm afraid that it's not speaking to me.

[Buginajar]

This was my ideology.......

The distinctive 'I' is symbolic of both information, and information technology. Since the site/company is based around an information search engine I felt this fit and represented these concepts. The Abstract circle is symbolic of two things, the first being a button symbolizing the effciency of the search engine; being able to locate information rapidly at the touch of a button (note the 'I' is on the button). Secondly, I recall mention of order emerging from chaos. The multilayered edge of the circle's arc demonstrates chaos or disruption while the smooth curves and circle shape symbolize order and organization which also conveys stability and experience.

[beatz]

Here is a revision..:)

[beatz]

Color versions..

[Christian]

Next set

[snowtide]

I want to say 'thank you' to everyone that participated in this contest. My expectations have been completely blown away by the quality of the submissions and by the professionalism of all of you. :tup:

At this point, the contest deadline has passed, so no more submissions are needed. I'm going to take today to mull over the logos that have been built, and I hope to declare a winner tonight. At the same time, I'll be starting another contest for the logo of a new product we're releasing to coincide with the relaunch of the company, so I hope to keep you all busy for at least a little while longer. :D

[snowtide]

It's taken me quite a while to come to a conclusion on the winner of this contest. There were several high-quality submissions that all met our requirements, so choosing a winner was very difficult. Again, I thank everyone for their hard work, and I hope everyone had as much fun with this contest as I did.

The winner is cadii, with his molecule design. Carl, shoot me an email so we can exchange the source file(s). Palmer/2square, pay the man! :D

[Michael]

Any revisions??


Congrats Carl :tup:

[Carl]

Files sent.

[Michael]

<!--QuoteBegin-cadii+Apr 14 2004, 02:18 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (cadii @ Apr 14 2004, 02:18 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> Files sent. [/b][/quote]
I presume not :rolleyes:

[Carl]

Sorry Michael, :unsure:

I don't think so, there were none requested.

Carl...