New Logo - I'd love your opinions

di11on

Hi folks,

I run a small consultancy company and we're re-branding. We have some logo designs that I'd really like your opinions on.

The company provides specialised technical consultancy in the energy sector, mainly in the form of power system modelling and simulation services. The services are of a highly technical nature.

I'd be really grateful for your thoughts/opinions and most of all, your star rating on the 4 logos in this poll:

Please vote here

Note: From experience, I know some people have opinions about crowd sourced design services. I'd prefer to keep this discussion on the relative merits of the logos rather that get into this debate.

Thanks in advance!

jimmii

I like negative space logos so I think the orange plug one looks class!

di11on

Thanks Jimmi,

I like it too - but a lot of people don't like it. I like it because it can stand out on it's own without the text.

A comment I've received on the one with the e/sun combination is that it's too agri-pharma for my business which is more engineering related.

jimmii

di11on wrote: »

Thanks Jimmi,

I like it too - but a lot of people don't like it. I like it because it can stand out on it's own without the text.

A comment I've received on the one with the e/sun combination is that it's too agri-pharma for my business which is more engineering related.

Colour combo reminds me of BP too.

highlandseoghan

213 would be my favorite for the line of work followed by 221.
208 I think is a nice logo but petrol / diesel are popping into my head due to the resemblence BP
157 just doesn't do anything for me.

Best of luck with your decesion would be interested to see which one you went with in the end.

di11on

Thanks for the feedback highlandseoghan.

Out of interest, does anyone get the significance of 221, the one with the arrows?

Reedsie

#213 is probably my favourite of the group. The concept is good. In saying that I don't find the rounded 'R' very aesthetically pleasing in it's current guise.

Have you considered posting this on the design board. You might get some very useful additional input.

di11on

Paddy_R wrote: »

#213 is probably my favourite of the group. The concept is good. In saying that I don't find the rounded 'R' very aesthetically pleasing in it's current guise.

Have you considered posting this on the design board. You might get some very useful additional input.

Good idea- and I know what you mean about the R.... it bothers me too

highlandseoghan

I get the meaning with 221 and would have choosen that as a preference over 213 but for some reason its just not sticking in my mind theres something that i cant put my finger on. Im not sure if the image needs to be brought forward like to be more visual or in your face. I get and love the concept its just something is not hitting me.

dulpit

221: Quite busy and the colouring sort of hides the Consulting Services at the bottom.
213: Nicest by far. Clean and simple.
208: I quite like this, but the colouring of consulting services again puts me off. Reminds me of the BP logo too.
157: The poorest of the lot. Bad contrasting of colours

di11on

Thanks for the detailed feedback Dulpit, appreciate it.

makeandcreate

First one I didn't get the arrows at all.
Second - I liked most. Clean, efficent and to the point. Good colour choice.
Third - Runner up. Well balanced design.
Fourth - Blah.

vandriver

213 Is my favourite by a mile

di11on

Thanks for your feedback and detailed comments, they are really helpful (in the poll as well as in the thread).

lucky john

213 is a very smart idea but if you were just to put the logo on a board and ask random people to tell you what they saw and what sector the company who it belongs to was in, I think few would guess energy consultancy.

157. A bit dull I think. Didn't grab my attention really.

208. I quite like it. Simple. I thing its the one people would learn to recognise as your logo the fastest. A few said it reminded them of bp but I didn't instantly associate the two.

221 this is my favourite. A bit of thought in it but not enough to leave people guessing to hard as to its significance. Colours tell a story as does the design itself. Colours say irish company as well. Unique enough to be instantly associated with your company without text. The only negative point about it is, if it was displayed on its own without text, its quit spread out. You have to scan it rather than focus on it. The other 3 are more tight and focused. If you print all 4 on a page without text you might understand what I am trying to say. Maybe drop the two centre arrows and move the two sections closer together.

di11on

Thanks for the feedback John

The services I provide are really quite niche, so it will only really ever be known among a relatively small number of people - the main thing for me is that it looks well and connects well with the business. It's not that important that people instantly know what we do when seeing the logo.

scwazrh

#221 I guess the arrows are to do with flow of energy but it doesn't seem to work well.The writing part on its own would be a lot better as a logo than including the arrows.
#213 In my mind if a graphic on a logo uses brand name letters ,those letters should stand out even if there is no other writing within that logo.If the energy reform was not written under the graphic I would never realise it read ER where #157 clearly does and #208 reads E
#208 Very good but I would change the consulting services to green instead of orange.Green is much more associated with energy than orange.I like the E letter with the sunburst within . Thats how I see it anyway!
#157 I have no idea why but the graphic reminds of the goal charity logo !Probably just colour but I also think immediately of emergency room when I see ER !!

221 is the best imo, but drop the word services from the logo

di11on

Thanks folks - the feedback is really helpful.

I agree with you on the services bit... "Consulting" by itself is much stronger.

aw

#213 is my favourite. Strong and striking but I agree with a poster above that the curve on the R is odd the more you look at it. Still a clear winner.

I get the significance of #221 but I think it is a bit weak overall. It is too big and spread.

#208 is fine but not distinctive enough, as others have said it reminds you of other companies - not what you want to do.

#157 is bland, indistinct and instantly forgettable.

di11on

Thanks again folks...

I posted a version of the Plug logo without the R filled in as many people suggested. See this thread in the design forum.

What do people think? Less Plug and more R or more plug and less R?

dulpit

di11on wrote: »

Thanks again folks...

I posted a version of the Plug logo without the R filled in as many people suggested. See this thread in the design forum.

What do people think? Less Plug and more R or more plug and less R?

I'd choose B if it was me

Reedsie

Yep B as well. But the R still seems to be weighted wrong. The leg and curve seem very thick.


On a side note, it might be worth noting for the future that if you make the contest on 99designs private you should attract more successful designers.

bdo

I voted and commented on the page itself

Woodgate

#213 (Orange logo) for me, really like it.

puppetmaster

I dunno I think i'd go for A in your second choice there.
B to me although clearer loses the whole concept of the logo.

Cianos

I didn't get that 213 was supposed to be a plug. I think more could be done with this and if it was done well it'd be very impactful.

EIREHotspur

#208 is my fav by a long way.
graphic is the strongest...also it is compact to go on anything and stand out.
I know what others mean by it resembling the BP logo...maybe swap the colours around and have the green in the middle.

#157 is a close second
graphic is strong but make it plus the bottom text the same green as 208 to stand out more.

#213 is good but
graphic is trying too hard to be different...can't tell that it has an E in the logo apart from the text underneath.

#221 is the least fav
graphic just doesn't work for me...amateurish looking.

di11on

Thanks for all the feedback.

I'm torn between #213 which is clever and quite strong but a little risky - a percentage of people are likely to see it and think "what the... ?" and #208 which is more of a safe bet, but has less impact (in my opinion).

From the votes, the average rating is quite similar for the 2 but more divided for #213 (the plug) than for #208 (e/sun combo). Few people have a middling opinion of #213 - it's love or hate with more people loving :-)

My services are very niche... the logo wont be going on cars and tshirts... I'm not aiming to establish a big brand... the most important thing for me is that this will look well on a business card, in a report, on stationery and on the website.

Graham

For the last couple of days I've been trying to work out why 213 looks familiar.

It came to me today, it reminds me of the old CIE logo I used to see on the side of the diesel locos.

It's probably the colour with negative space.

di11on

Are either of these an improvement?

C:

dulpit

di11on wrote: »

Are either of these an improvement?

C:

I quite like that. If you had your cards embossed with the outline of the top logo with the E included that could look pretty sweet.

Axwell

That E just gets lost in the white space imo, on first glance at the top one above (C) I see the R, I see the bit of chord to the right and I think Energy or power etc but the E then just becomes the 2 prongs of a plug top and the actual 'E' is secondary and goes unnoticed. Without the actual name underneath I probably would miss the E completely. On a business card you could emboss it but on headed paper etc it will be flat and still be lost. Thats just my 2 cents anyways.

lucky john

di11on wrote: »

Are either of these an improvement?

C:

You probably need another suggestion here like a hole in the head.. but here's a couple anyway. In the 1st one (or even the 2nd one) change graphic to the right of the R to green and then the word consultants or consultancy or consultant services to green as well.

This one you won't like. Put a straight green line to the left of the image. Two reasons. It makes the E obvious and employes that the plug is pluging into green energy. I would also change the smaller words to green on this one.

Cianos

Thought I'd give this a bash (very rough obviously but you should get the idea!)

di11on

Nice one Cianos - I like the idea - I've sent it on to the designer. I'm thinking If the cable was a solid colour, it could be interesting.

Although the nice thing of the original design is the simplicity, I'm ware of over complicating it

sandin

maybe 208 is the best - people will think they recognise it and therefore you stick in their memory more?

mary30

Hi di11on

I like the 208 looks very good.

Good luck with it !!

mary30

Well that of cianos is not bad idea 2 I liket it !

di11on

Thanks Mary and others for the feedback.

The problem I have with developing the plug idea is that a plug is not the best symbol for my business... it's too low level (as someone else said, it suggests electrician). It's ok if it's a subtle inference but not so suitable when it's the main thrust of the logo.

di11on

Thanks again to everyone that's posted - I've really found the responses, thoughts and comments extremely helpful. We've narrowed the choice down to 2... 1 is the sunny e design and the other, a variant of the orange plug.

I've posted a link to a poll on these 2 designs over in the design forum, so please feel free to head over there to post:

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057144282

Thanks again all.

EDIT: Here's a link to the new poll

Piriz

id say the first logo in the survey link is better than passable but i wouldn't call it great.. its about as good as i'd expect from a energy consulting firm if you know what i mean..
(like it does not need to be CokeCola etc. )

the second logo: the ER does not work until you read Energy Reform, the E is lost (as you know) the shape to the right of the R is pointless i'd definitely remove it.

If you persevere with the 'ER' i'd use the profile of the E you use in 'energy' (consulting) the shape is nicer and it may be more visually recognisable.. to aid the e stand out you could use a thin line highlighting the profile of the left of the E.. the line can be short and thin...it will make the E apparent tho.

if you google image search energy logo; yours will fit in in terms of aesthetic.. but it won't stand out...

see this one is similar :


http://www.google.com/imgres?start=137&client=safari&sa=X&rls=en&biw=1249&bih=629&tbm=isch&tbnid=gDddvQaQKbnzoM%3A&imgrefurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cprandpartners.com%2Fwork%2Fdont-tread-on-me%2Fdiversified-energy-logo-web%2F&docid=PmuMpvA3v8H8OM&imgurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cprandpartners.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2013%2F09%2FDiversified-Energy-Logo-Web.jpg&w=800&h=800&ei=OMD2UuP3LoOS7QaZ1YHgAQ&zoom=1&ved=0CJgBEIQcMDE4ZA&iact=rc&dur=4223&page=9&ndsp=20