Discussions

First logo design - stupid?

Posted by EchoMe • 5/14/09 • Subscribe to this Discussion [RSS] • Report This Topic
Topics: design, logo

www.bebetteratlife.com

My very first try at a logo design in Illustrator - ideas on how to improve it?

(top left corner)

User Comments

5/14/09

codesucker

I think it's too creative. I can't read it, I know what it's supposed to say only from the domain name. But stupid? No.

You have some layout issues on the site which should be addressed.. I'm using IE, not sure what browser you are testing with. I think adding margins to the styles would help.. But in all honesty you have wayy too many divs, this should be a 3 column thing.

I commend the way you've separated your code from design, a perfect example of smart use of stylesheets.

Just warning you, this thread may disappear because of the link to your site, try to edit before the admins get to it.

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1. 5/14/09
  
  jtsantos
  
  I second that. overdesign sometimes kills the art. and I guess you would want your readers to read your site's title clearly.
5/14/09

rfburnhertz

I don't think the "L" in "Life" is very obvious.
It looks more like a underlining or underscore.

Better than i could have do to be sure.

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5/14/09

EchoMe

codesucker: Yeah you might be right... slam design of the site atm :-/. Will try to fix it and test it better - thank you.

rfburnhertz: Hmm yeah I suppose after looking at it for too long it isnt very obvious at all.

I'll try at something more simple - thanks both!

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5/14/09

Friday13

Am I the only one who's getting a chunk of text hidden by the sidebar background?

I shouldn't be an image, anyway.

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1. 5/14/09
  
  dbowles1017
  
  i get the same thing.
  
  I can't tell the logo from the layout
5/14/09

EchoMe

Friday13: Hmm this might be what codesucker is talking about as well - using IE browser?

Edit: Removed the black background from the left section.

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1. 5/14/09
  
  Friday13
  
  Nope. Firefox!
  
  EDIT: It's gone now!
5/14/09

wagerwitch

I'm seeing it ok in FireFox

And that chunk in black is text that somehow got skewed by your browser view.

Uhm... The LOGO is alright - neither bad nor super fabulous.

But - I would suggest giving a little more thought into it - like maybe a different font... giving it a CENTER layout and DIFFERENT coloring than just your BLOG colors.

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1. 5/14/09
  
  EchoMe
  
  Any color ideas? I like the black/white contrast and thought orange would do well with it but I am open for input if you got some :-D
5/14/09

wagerwitch

Also..

roflmao!

What is this: My name is "blank", 23 - I am a stud.scient.adm

what is a STUD?

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1. 5/14/09
  
  EchoMe
  
  Do not follow... blank? Does it not say my name, Stefan Toft?
  stud is a student :-)
5/14/09

willrhodes1961

It's too complicated, wrong colouration and I only charge 200 bucks for doing you one.

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5/14/09

EchoMe

Bum bum bum... guess less is more sometimes :-D.
Later today I'll try to develope an idea for the BB icon and then just place it left of the domainname [BB bebetteratlife.com] or something like that.

Think I will keep that 200 bucks willrhodes1961 and eat the rest of the month instead hehe.

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5/14/09

wagerwitch

OK - I think you should go BLACK/WHITE/RED

I think you should put in top center --- with a background setting.

Such as:
shop.centralscredcross.org/repository/product/Red%20Cross%20-%20Gala%20Logo...

blog.runforoneplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/logo_red_black_on_white...

www.fedsig.com/multimedia/logo_library/

And incorporate it into your background

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5/14/09

willrhodes1961

Call me Will - Glad to meet you.

Seriously if you want one doing send me a mail with the size and I will do a freeby - if you use it all I ask is that you credit me with it and promote my blog once, just the once, that is all.

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5/14/09

EchoMe

Hello Will, I am Stefan
That sounds like a really good deal for me... I'll send you a mail when I get home from my nightshift - thank you.
Looking forward to see what you come up with!

Wagerwitch: Thanks for the input and think I will start thinking about a redesign of the site. Sometimes I wish the right side of my brain would work better.

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6/01/09

EchoMe

After losing contact with Will I thought I would give it another try.
I did some thinking. Thought about what my blog should be...

Healthy, organic and "green".

Therefore I ended up with something simple, green - ofc - and a leaf.

www.bebetteratlife.com - what do you think about the logo in the upper left corner now?

[reply]
1. 6/01/09
  
  noetic
  
  The sideways 'B' reads like an underlined 'm'. o_O
6/01/09

PeacefulWmn9

I love the logo's simplicity and creativeness. The only trouble I had was thinking the B lying down was an underlined M, until I read the blog name in the address bar at the top of my screen. : )

A very good first design, though.

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6/01/09

wagerwitch

It's ok - it looks TIRED.

Why not just mess with STRAIGHT Text - and insert the Leaf or Leaves as something "extra" or as a usage on top of the lettering - or centered, separating the words?

When you make something hard to read in a logo - people IGNORE the logo.

Also - the color on the blog is very nice - for what you're looking for.

Take Care.

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6/01/09

EchoMe

Thank you.
Great idea and I think I will make it one sentence with the leaf between Be and better.

Take care all and thank you for the fast response.

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6/01/09

wagerwitch

It's off a little in FireFox - dunno about other browsers.

I can see the concept tho - Easier to see, read and understand.

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6/01/09

wagerwitch

There - now it's just about perfect - in my opinion.

See what it would look like totally Centered

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6/01/09

wagerwitch

One of the best things you can do is Google other blogs in your NICHE - and look at their design - and see how complimentary their design is to their topics...

And then design your own - in a similar - BUT completely different way.

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6/01/09

EchoMe

I've been looking into logos around the web to get ideas but important to me that it is something I've done my self "by hand" and it is simple.

Centered on the hole page or on top of the blog section? I think I'll play around with it and see what it looks like :-)

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6/01/09

wagerwitch

OK - I'll check in - in a bit - if you'll bump up the post - and if I see something I like - I'll let you know.

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6/01/09

EchoMe

Bump.

Either this or keep it to the left - do not like it in the "real" center or on the right.

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6/01/09

wagerwitch

How about -

@ Life

or AT LIFE...

Underneath the BIG LETTERS --- in small letters... like an afterthought.

Heck - Check Your EMAIL...

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6/01/09

wagerwitch

Well here's hoping you liked it at least a little... LOL!

Let me know.

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6/01/09

FunologieDotCom

If you want logo I can design one for you

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6/02/09

EchoMe

wagerwitch: Thank you for the e-mail! I like your idea with the "@ life".
I'll try to work it into my "style" and see what it looks like. Just so that it will be my own design. Though I would like to give you a blog post for all your feedback and work. Let us talk about it via mail if you are interested.
Also think @ is better than "at"?

FunologieDotCom: That is very kind of you but as said above I would like to keep it my own design so I can say it is all me hehe - but thanks a ton for the thought!

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