[Project Complete] Online Reputations $150

[Neil]

(Admin code added by Palmer - G192914B)

Hi everybody
I need a logo for a brand new venture and from what I've seen of the work here I really hope someone will be up for the challenge.
Online Reputations (incorporating The Blog Consultancy) has been formed to help businesses and individuals promote and protect their brand on the internet. Specialist areas include setting up business blogs, providing writing services and creating online media hubs.
If it's not a tall order, I'd like the image to convey something positive, dynamic and driven. It shouldn't be staid and old business. Nor should it be too youthful or cartoony.
Colourwise, I recently found myself oddly drawn to some of the more vibrant blues and reds in the Web Smart palette (www.morecrayons.com). Perhaps it was just that time of night. I certainly don't want yellow or brown.
I'd really like an image which says Internet without being too much of a cliche. I'd like it scalable so it works as well on a banner as a favicon. And I would like to use the same image and font etc with the words "Online Reputations" and "The Blog Consultancy". The two should be swappable, sharing the same identity.
I hope that makes sense.
I am paying $150 because a) I don't believe in paying minimum wages and b) I'm in Scotland, I haven't worked out the rate of exchange yet and I've no idea how much that is.
I'd love to get something nailed within the next few days if anyone has time to work on it.
Best of luck
thanks
Neil

[Just J]

Here is a thought...

[Julie]

Here's my first try...

[Neil]

Hi folks
Thanks very much for your work so far. I don't think we're quite there yet.

Jason, thanks but my first reaction was too staid and dull. I realise we're talking abstract concepts but part of the brief was to convey a sense of something positive, dynamic and driven. And the online idea was important. The quotation marks seem a bit conventional.

Julie, more eye catching but a bit of the same applies here. As I said, I want the logo image to be interchangeable between Online Reputations and The Blog Consultancy so using the initials O.N. doesn't really work for me.

Sorry to sound so negative but a lot of the work I see on this forum is so creative I am really looking for something different and inspiring.

If anyone is confused by the brief or wants clarification, just shout out.

Thanks
Neil

[Julie]

Hi, Neil--it was actually an "or," but your point is taken. Here's another more fluid response to your brief. Might you watch out for your client's interest?

[Neil]

Oooh, scary! Thanks Julie but I think that looks more like I'm spying on them.
Getting much better with the choice of colours though. ..

[Julie]

Here are the same colors...

[Paula23]

Hi,
A couple more for you.
Thanks,Paula

[Neil]

I appreciate the work people are putting in but nothing works for me yet.
Julie - you got it right interchanging Online Reputations and The Blog Consultancy like that but I didn't go for the logo or the colours. If it's helpful - I took a look at your own site and particularly liked the work you did for brain share. For me, clear and uncluttered is good.

Paula, thanks. The first is probably the best logo I've seen so far (even if I didn't actually like it - not your fault) Sorry.

Thanks again.

[mbleigh]

Here's something that I hope fits your desire for clear and uncluttered.

[Neil]

Now THAT has character, Michael! I quite like that. I would probably like it even more if the logo pointed a different way - something more like your own logo (which has a friendlier, less agressive shape to it). And I'm just guessing but would a shadow somewhere give the whole image more shape/life?
The red stands out really well but the font seems too heavy.
Otherwise it's ticking quite a few of the right boxes for me.

Thanks very much
Neil

[mbleigh]

Less aggressive speech bubble, shadow, and a lighter font.

[Neil]

The font is great, Michael, thanks. Freeze that.
That just leaves the bubble.
I wondered if you could twist it round a bit more so the pointy end (is that the technical term?) relates more closely to the base of the words and it looks more as if it sitting on a curve. Does that make sense? Hopefully that should be the easy bit.
The other thing though is I wanted something which worked when reproduced in different sizes and I think, when you shrink that image, the arrows lose definition.
Is it possible to come up with a couple more ideas for the inside of the bubble? Again, very simple. Maybe even an arrow which doesn't complete the circle.
Sorry
Thanks again

[mbleigh]

Any of these catch your eye? :)

[eziey]

:)

[Neil]

Hi Eziey, thanks for joining the competition. Your logo was polished and professional and impressed no end but the stylised boomerang in the middle made me think of space cadets. And I wasn't so wild about the colours or the font. Sorry.
Michael, I quite liked that version of the bubble but I am still not cracking open the champagne. I appreciate the time and work you put in on those different versions. If we were to keep the arrow option, I might go for two separate arrows chasing each other. Just a thought.
But I am still open to ideas thinking outside the bubble box.
Thanks again
Neil

[mbleigh]

Additional bubble ideas :)

[Christian]

I'll have something by tomorrow:)

[Neil]

I'd like to impose a deadline of next Wednesday on this competition so if anyone wants to take a break from the dinner table during the turkey-fest - and who knows maybe Santa will give somebody a new G5 to play with this Christmas - then feel free to doodle up some ideas.
Michael is in the lead right now and the fact I haven't leapt up and down shouting "yes, that's the one" is no reflection on his skills. Which are considerable.
I'd just love to be totally inspired by an eye-catching, clear, clean interpretation of the brief in appealling colours.
Best of luck - and may all your Christmasses be #FFFFFF.

Thanks
Neil

[eziey]

:)

[Neil]

Thanks Eziey but I'm really sorry, that still doesn't do it for me. It looks a little staid and corporate. Also my earlier comments about colours still stand.
Sorry
Neil

[eziey]

:)

[eziey]

:)

[Neil]

I like those a lot better Eziey, particularly the last one which has interest and movement in it. (and reminds me of the British Airways logo )
I'm not keen yet on the actual icon. And I think the small blue shape at the top would get lost if the image was reduced further (though I like the highlight on it). Any more ideas greatly appreciated.
thanks for the hard work
Neil

[Christian]

Sorry for the delay, here's my go at things! Think it's something people will enjoy and remember :D

[Neil]

Very good, Christian. I can see from your other posts you like pushing deadlines to the limit :)
That's ok. As a journalist, I can relate to that.
I'd like to see how your design looks with The Blog Consultancy in place of Online Reputations.
Presumably I can play around with the caption myself. For The Blog Consultancy, I'd probably make it "join the conversation..." or something similar.
The mouse cable figure is very clever, though it's flirting with the cartoonish (which is what I wanted to avoid). I think you get away with it. But I'd like to see a more sympathetic, less dislikeable, profile if possible. Bloggers are not all boorish blow-hards. :D
Is that do-able?
Many thanks
Neil

[Christian]

:D Thanks for understanding, here is the design with suggested changes. The face definitely needed a likeability boost, and leaned the face design towards a more wavy, cable-like shape while making sure it still had character. Don't hesitate to make further suggestions, sometimes it takes a small while to tweak things up to perfection. ;)

[Neil]

Brilliant thanks, Christian.
Great effort - particulalry on New Year's Eve - but I'm still not sure about the face. Either <big breath> could we try another version - or would it work with the cable snapping like a little whip with the red broadcast exclamations transmitting from the end of it? Either snapping off to the left or snaking back over above the letters?
Just a thought.
Oh and maybe we could tuck the "the" of the blog consultancy in somewhere to shorten the logo a bit.
Reckon we're nearly there though...

[Christian]

Here are a few variations :)



Edit: Although minor, just realized didn't work with the "the" in The Blog Consultancy", I'll tackle it on the next post. :rolleyes:

[Neil]

Don't stop now Christian - you're on a roll
Maybe a couple more twists on the tail? We're not quite there yet.
And then that definite article?
Yea, I know. I only ask for blood!

Many thanks

[Christian]

:D Glad you're liking them! I think you can get a clear idea of what can be done with this design. :rolleyes: If chosen we can work on further revisions ;)

[mbleigh]

Any more revisions on my concepts or have you decided to go with Christian's?

[Neil]

You're absolutely right Michael, it's time to bring this to a close for everyone's sake. That's only fair. And personally I am desperate to attach a new logo to my fledgling business.
I'd really like to thank everyone who has posted to this thread but, particularly you Michael and also Eziey for your hard work. I really appreciate it.
I have been very impressed by this process and as I have another couple of new blogs in mind and hopefully some clients to shovel this way, I'll be back.
Christian, you came closest to my brief and, if you are happy to do just a couple of tweaks via PM or similar then I am happy to declare you the winner. Well done.
Another boost to your Online Reputation!
:)

[Christian]

;) Great, thanks, we can continue the process through here. Did you have any specific tweaks in mind? Don't hesitate to ask for whatever changes you need :)

[Neil]

Hi Christian
The main tweak is just to tuck the "the" in somewhere.
But another couple of ideas for the tail and the broadcast exclamations would be very welcome. And I am not sure if the two-tone mouse works or if the red panel is distracting. It might be better to go back to the single colour.
Will I be able to do my own tweaks with the files you give me? Specifically will I be able to play around with the words under the logo. I am still not sure about "hear what they are saying..."
I would also like to experiment a bit with the colours. If you can see a similarly vibrant green in the web-smart palette that might work as a change from the blue I'd be interested to see it as I was wondering about differentiating between The Blog Consultancy and Online Reputations. I have Photoshop 5.5 and Illustrator 8.0 on my machine. If I can just swap hex numbers that's fine.
After that, it should be a wrap.:)
Many thanks
Neil

[Michael]

Moved to revisions

[Christian]

Sure thing, I'll leave it open for you to make whatever modifications you'd need. Here's the version in green and with the The minimized. Have you decided which of the versions you're liking the most?

[Christian]

Here's the attachment :)

[Neil]

Good grief, that is green! Maybe that wasn't such a smart idea.
Ok - Last word on the "the" is I think it looks better tucked above the "og" of blog.
I was hoping for maybe another twist on the face but if I was to choose right now I'd say the last face you did - the top of the four suggestions you posted on 12-31-2004 - but with an all-blue mouse (no red button).
Can you let me see what that lools like? For both the blog consultancy and online reputations? Throw in another face if you can be bothered and we'll call it a day at that.
Many thanks for your hard work
Neil

[Neil]

Hello Anybody there? Yo Christian :)

[Christian]

I'll post the new variations this afternoon :)

[Christian]

Here are a few more variations between the current one, a slightly more realistic profile, and a slightly more cartoony profile.

[Neil]

Great, thanks Christian. We'll go with the top one!
Can you do it for the Blog Consultancy as well?
And then will you be able to let me have all the photoshop and illustrator files for this and the others?
As I said, I might still play with the message and colours a bit but I won't impose on your time any more :)
Well done. Great job. Many thanks
Neil
ps if I want a website banner or buttons based on your designs would I come straight to you or would I have to go back through the competition process?

[Christian]

Here's how that one looks with both Online Reputations and The Blog Consultancy. :) Though regarding the having all files for this, the truth is all these files are just flat artwork, and so I only do in illustrator and highq photoshop the one design that has been chosen. All in all I wouldn't mind you getting the rights to all variations of these designs, but again, don't really have the files for them. If you need any more changes, or have any more suggestions, it's no bother at all, ask on :)

[Neil]

Sorry Christian, I didn't understand about the files. I do now. :)
That's great with those last two. I still might want to play around myself a bit with colours and I hope it's possible to separate the mouse from the words occasionally just in case I have space problems. Otherwise, if you can let me have the files for those - it's a wrap!!
Many thanks
Neil