Attempting to make a professional-looking logo

[Robyn]

With the help of a friend, I am starting up a local video production business. Nothing fancy, just an alternative for those who want to showcase their local businesses without spending thousands.

I have come up with this logo for said business, however I want as much critique and any suggestions as possible. Specifically with the play button symbol as the dot for the "i" and the music symbol in the "o".

School is starting up this week, so progress on it will be limited, however I want it to be completed by the end of the week.

Thanks!

[daniel]

Jan 25, 2015 18:07:14 GMT -8 Robyn said:

With the help of a friend, I am starting up a local video production business. Nothing fancy, just an alternative for those who want to showcase their local businesses without spending thousands.

I have come up with this logo for said business, however I want as much critique and any suggestions as possible. Specifically with the play button symbol as the dot for the "i" and the music symbol in the "o".

School is starting up this week, so progress on it will be limited, however I want it to be completed by the end of the week.

Thanks!

The kerning is all off. The spacing between the R and G is noticeably different than between G and 4. There's no spacing between your initials and Video, which sort of diminishes the emphasis on video.

I'm not a fan of the font at all. It looks very school-project-ish. The colors don't really go well together and seem unnecessary.

I like the play button as the dot on the i. I don't like the eighth note in the O. It sort of obscures the O, making it read "RG4Vide (music note)." Having that symbol gives an implication that your service would be music focused. I wouldn't use that unless you're mostly doing concert footage or similar.

Unless there's a strong reason for the 4, I'd probably drop that as an element of the name and logo. If it means Robert G the 4th then that seems unnecessary as part of a business name. If it means "for" then that's not as professional or compelling as something simpler like RG Video.
____________________________________________________________________________________

I'd recommend a fresh start. First, identify the necessary elements. Look around at various logos and different styles. Then, try to incorporate your business name into the style you like, or have a designer do that.

I'm not so great at making logos, so I've explored paid services in the past. There are some sites out there where dozens or even hundreds of designers will submit a proposal based on your parameters and then you pay for the one you like.

Of course, this is just my own personal taste and opinion. It's important that YOU like it and it expresses your own identity. So, feel free to ignore any of my advice.

[Former Member]

Agreed with Daniel, it looks like it's meant for teens. I'm guessing you want a broad range of customers in age wise?

Again agreed with Daniel on the spacing part. The colours also don't mesh well.

I'm not sure where you were going with it. I have mixed thoughts about the logo.

[Graham]

Jan 25, 2015 18:43:54 GMT -8 daniel said:

Jan 25, 2015 18:07:14 GMT -8 Robyn said:

With the help of a friend, I am starting up a local video production business. Nothing fancy, just an alternative for those who want to showcase their local businesses without spending thousands.

I have come up with this logo for said business, however I want as much critique and any suggestions as possible. Specifically with the play button symbol as the dot for the "i" and the music symbol in the "o".

School is starting up this week, so progress on it will be limited, however I want it to be completed by the end of the week.

Thanks!

The kerning is all off. The spacing between the R and G is noticeably different than between G and 4. There's no spacing between your initials and Video, which sort of diminishes the emphasis on video.

I'm not a fan of the font at all. It looks very school-project-ish. The colors don't really go well together and seem unnecessary.

I like the play button as the dot on the i. I don't like the eighth note in the O. It sort of obscures the O, making it read "RG4Vide (music note)." Having that symbol gives an implication that your service would be music focused. I wouldn't use that unless you're mostly doing concert footage or similar.

Unless there's a strong reason for the 4, I'd probably drop that as an element of the name and logo. If it means Robert G the 4th then that seems unnecessary as part of a business name. If it means "for" then that's not as professional or compelling as something simpler like RG Video.
____________________________________________________________________________________

I'd recommend a fresh start. First, identify the necessary elements. Look around at various logos and different styles. Then, try to incorporate your business name into the style you like, or have a designer do that.

I'm not so great at making logos, so I've explored paid services in the past. There are some sites out there where dozens or even hundreds of designers will submit a proposal based on your parameters and then you pay for the one you like.

Of course, this is just my own personal taste and opinion. It's important that YOU like it and it expresses your own identity. So, feel free to ignore any of my advice.

Daniel's basically said everything you need to look at. I'd see if you can get the advice of a branding professional and see what their thoughts are - they'll probably give the advice for free, but won't do work unless you pay them If I get the chance I'll pass it along to my business partner as he's a brand specialist and has worked with massive companies in the past.

[Violet]

What daniel said.

Also, instead of using an eigth note in the 'O', why not use a whole note at the 'O' - assuming you're making music videos. It appears you make music videos just by looking at the logo. It looks really busy. Something along the lines of the attached (not perfect and would need work) might be better suited.

Attachments:

[Robyn]

Jan 25, 2015 18:43:54 GMT -8 daniel said:

Jan 25, 2015 18:07:14 GMT -8 Robyn said:

With the help of a friend, I am starting up a local video production business. Nothing fancy, just an alternative for those who want to showcase their local businesses without spending thousands.

I have come up with this logo for said business, however I want as much critique and any suggestions as possible. Specifically with the play button symbol as the dot for the "i" and the music symbol in the "o".

School is starting up this week, so progress on it will be limited, however I want it to be completed by the end of the week.

Thanks!

The kerning is all off. The spacing between the R and G is noticeably different than between G and 4. There's no spacing between your initials and Video, which sort of diminishes the emphasis on video.

I'm not a fan of the font at all. It looks very school-project-ish. The colors don't really go well together and seem unnecessary.

I like the play button as the dot on the i. I don't like the eighth note in the O. It sort of obscures the O, making it read "RG4Vide (music note)." Having that symbol gives an implication that your service would be music focused. I wouldn't use that unless you're mostly doing concert footage or similar.

Unless there's a strong reason for the 4, I'd probably drop that as an element of the name and logo. If it means Robert G the 4th then that seems unnecessary as part of a business name. If it means "for" then that's not as professional or compelling as something simpler like RG Video.
____________________________________________________________________________________

I'd recommend a fresh start. First, identify the necessary elements. Look around at various logos and different styles. Then, try to incorporate your business name into the style you like, or have a designer do that.

I'm not so great at making logos, so I've explored paid services in the past. There are some sites out there where dozens or even hundreds of designers will submit a proposal based on your parameters and then you pay for the one you like.

Of course, this is just my own personal taste and opinion. It's important that YOU like it and it expresses your own identity. So, feel free to ignore any of my advice.

The font used was styled to be cartoony. I personally thought it wasn't as cartoon-like as others such as Common Sans MS but that was my own opinion. The lack of spacing was to show that it is one whole 'word'.

The origins of the RG4video name came from mp4 video and my initials RG. I merged RG and mp4 to make RG4 then added video. I know, very clever The colors were inspired by RGB (with 4 being B) as the color codes for VHS connecting.

I was unsure of the music note being used as the hole for the O, and I thank you for your comments n that.

I am starting a logo/template class at college this week and wanted to get a jump start before I showed it to my professor who would critique it. Your critique is exactly what I wanted to hear. Thank you for being honest.

Jan 26, 2015 8:52:57 GMT -8 Violet said:

What daniel said.

Also, instead of using an eigth note in the 'O', why not use a whole note at the 'O' - assuming you're making music videos. It appears you make music videos just by looking at the logo. It looks really busy. Something along the lines of the attached (not perfect and would need work) might be better suited.

I like the idea of just RG with an arrow, I might play with that concept further. Thank you!

My services are for generic videos of people selling their local products. It is not intended at this time to be focused on music videos, so the music icon will be removed.

[Kami]

Just chiming in to say that any time you can incorporate something clever visually with the words in your logo, try it out. That "O" / music note is a great start (though I do agree with the idea of using the whole note instead of an eighth note).

My opinion of the logo is similar to everyone else's. Kerning and font choices need work. The font especially. This doesn't tell me "business" or "professional" it reads a bit more "students working out of their garage". Which, hey, if you are that's fine! But even if you are you still want to come across with the same vibe as big professional places, because it establishes trust and confidence in your ability. Your logo is essentially your business card; it's the first impression people have of you, and if your logo doesn't strike someone as being professional, they're going to go with someone who does -- someone who may be less experienced and less skilled than you, even!

I think the thing to think about that other people haven't said, is that there are generally two parts to a logo. First, you have the actual text of the logo that says the name of the brand. Then there's the visual icon that immediately lets other people know what the brand is without fully spelling it out (see: the FireFox fox, the McDonalds 'M', the Windows rainbow window, the Apple apple, etc).

Depending on the type of feel you're going for, you can either incorporate the visual icon with the logo text, or have it separate, eg:

Separate:	Combined:

So first, you should choose what you're going for.


Secondly, I recommend you look at typography tips! The ideal logo typography is creative and legible. At one glance, I should be able to not only like the aesthetic appeal, but also understand what it is you're saying.

And you want to avoid some uh... typography fails that come from a lack of understanding of things like kearning and good font selection.

Here are some other typography / logo tips as well: Typography Tips | More Tips | Choosing a Font | Pairing Fonts | Design Tips |  More Logo Tips | Even More Logo Tips | Are you tired of logo tips yet

Good luck! I hope this helps. (:

[Robyn]

Update guys, I am working on my logo while attending a photoshop/illustrator class at college. My professor likes the top film strip idea. I'm not sure and know that I can be sure to get honest opinions from you guys. Specifically, should the film strip idea even be used? Is colored in or white with colored text better? What should be on the blank blue strip on the left side? Is the red side with half a person in white okay?

I am willing to start over from scratch if this doesn't look good in your eyes.

The goal now isn't a business logo, but a logo for my youtube channel to showcase my videos I have made.

Thanks again.

[Clark-R]

Robert,

The update looks much better. However, consider making the "4" type a tad larger to compensate for its spacing to match the other type. Another aspect you'll learn from class is repetition. If you were to capitalize "video," it would correlate with the emphasized type. You may also want to consider balancing the "person" vector with another object on the left side.

Remember, you want to create a clean design that communicates in clarity. When I seen the first design, I instantly knew RG4 was somehow affiliated with video. Perhaps you may not even need the "video" type- as the bordering represents it.

Hopefully that assisted a bit. Good luck with your project!

[Kami]

I personally feel that the film strip idea is too busy, but that is me. I like my logos clean and concise, without a lot of clutter.

Of the two versions of the film strip logo, I like the one with the white background better. The contrast is better than black text on varying colour backgrounds, and is more accessible for people with vision problems. I agree with Clark-R that 'video' is implied, as well. That said, I do not understand the half a person on the far right. What purpose does that serve?

If I were to make a suggestion though, why not roll* with the film strip idea but in a more minimalist fashion? A smaller film canister/strip, either behind or next to the text 'RG4 Video'?


*edit: no pun intended ;x

[Robyn]

Apr 28, 2015 18:20:01 GMT -8 Clark-R said:

Robert,

The update looks much better. However, consider making the "4" type a tad larger to compensate for its spacing to match the other type. Another aspect you'll learn from class is repetition. If you were to capitalize "video," it would correlate with the emphasized type. You may also want to consider balancing the "person" vector with another object on the left side.

Remember, you want to create a clean design that communicates in clarity. When I seen the first design, I instantly knew RG4 was somehow affiliated with video. Perhaps you may not even need the "video" type- as the bordering represents it.

Hopefully that assisted a bit. Good luck with your project!

Apr 29, 2015 14:49:21 GMT -8 Kami said:

I personally feel that the film strip idea is too busy, but that is me. I like my logos clean and concise, without a lot of clutter.

Of the two versions of the film strip logo, I like the one with the white background better. The contrast is better than black text on varying colour backgrounds, and is more accessible for people with vision problems. I agree with Clark-R that 'video' is implied, as well. That said, I do not understand the half a person on the far right. What purpose does that serve?

If I were to make a suggestion though, why not roll* with the film strip idea but in a more minimalist fashion? A smaller film canister/strip, either behind or next to the text 'RG4 Video'?


*edit: no pun intended ;x

I'm agreeing with both of you about changing my logo to be more simple. I am just not very good using my imagination with logos or general graphic design.

Here's a few ideas I have in this picture. The figure is of me from a video I made that I thought looked okay but wasn't sure what to add to the other frame from the previous logo.

I'm considering playing off the idea that the left side of the brain is logical and the right side is imaginative by showing a plain RG(4 as well?) with video being colored, or RG with 4 colored and video below. Not sure.

[Kami]

Personally, I wouldn't include a person in your logo unless that person is actively interacting with a piece of film equipment. Otherwise, it makes no sense. You had to explain what the silhouette was -- do you plan on including an explanation if you use this professionally -- business cards for instance?

Think, also, how your logo will translate space-wise. Your new version with the silhouette will not fit in a logo space on a website, for instance, unless you crop the image to only show a head (which makes it more confusing as to what that has to do with anything), or shrink it down (which will make it difficult to see.

I'm also completely lost as to what the other two images on the side are supposed to be. The explanation doesn't really matter though, because if you have to explain it, your point isn't coming across, you know?

I don't dislike the 'RG4' though, but putting the 'video' so far, and so small, doesn't make them related.


EDIT: you added more while i was typing, oops. I think it'd be better if you put 'video' under 'RG4' instead of to the right of if you're going to make it smaller than 'RG4', but that's just me.

[Robyn]

Apr 29, 2015 17:04:49 GMT -8 Kami said:

Personally, I wouldn't include a person in your logo unless that person is actively interacting with a piece of film equipment. Otherwise, it makes no sense. You had to explain what the silhouette was -- do you plan on including an explanation if you use this professionally -- business cards for instance?

Think, also, how your logo will translate space-wise. Your new version with the silhouette will not fit in a logo space on a website, for instance, unless you crop the image to only show a head (which makes it more confusing as to what that has to do with anything), or shrink it down (which will make it difficult to see.

I'm also completely lost as to what the other two images on the side are supposed to be. The explanation doesn't really matter though, because if you have to explain it, your point isn't coming across, you know?

I don't dislike the 'RG4' though, but putting the 'video' so far, and so small, doesn't make them related.


EDIT: you added more while i was typing, oops. I think it'd be better if you put 'video' under 'RG4' instead of to the right of if you're going to make it smaller than 'RG4', but that's just me.

Here's some more variations based off your suggestions.

I am trying to find a simple stand-still logo that doesn't need animation to make sense. Although I don't expect to use a print version of my logo much, I'd rather have a strong logo for print that I can animate for video, than a fancy video logo intro that I cannot easily change over to print.

Because you weren't sure what the other two images were (part of a film strip and a video camera with the preview window facing opposite the camera operator) I know to not include them. I just wish I could come up with a clever image or shape that can easily represent my video work or youtube channel, etc.

Thank you for the consistent updated suggestions.

[Kami]

I really like the 'RG4 Video' in the first image, the all black / blue one. My only suggestion would be to increase the spacing between letters in 'video' so that the left edge of the 'v' and the right edge of the 'o' are flush (aligned) with the left edge of 'r' and the right tail edge on '4'.

Alternatively you could do something like:

RG4VIDEO

instead, and change the 'o' on video to one of these things, with the film trailing out a little:

[Robyn]

Not sure if I like the gradient or if I should keep it more simple.

Any thoughts on the film strip?