Need help with team logo

deadsuperhero · Fri 21/07/2006 06:53:18

Okay, this is something I really am clueless about. I'm trying to make an original team logo for Dogma Day Games, and I'm just clueless.

What I want is something themed with a sword or something, and I'm going for that classic Sierra styled logo look. Unfortunately, I don't know what to do, so can someone please give some suggestions, paintovers, your own versions, whatever.
Please note: the logo isn't even original textures. It's just a bunch of random textures I found through Google and remapped to look like this. I need something better.

BlueGlowingSword · Fri 21/07/2006 07:30:13

Well my suggestions are:

If you want to make the old logo better:
1. Try to make the "Dogma Day Games"-text stand out (You know, different color than the background)
2. Put the sword in the screen vertical way, and write the text to the sword.

If you want to make a completely new logo:
Draw a calendar that has a picture of mom dog on it. Wait some time, and I might draw you an example of what I mean.

deadsuperhero · Fri 21/07/2006 07:37:45

Quote from: BlueGlowingSword on Fri 21/07/2006 07:30:13
If you want to make the old logo better:
1. Try to make the "Dogma Day Games"-text stand out (You know, different color than the background)
2. Put the sword in the screen vertical way, and write the text to the sword.

Hm..I'll try that...

Quote
If you want to make a completely new logo:
Draw a calendar that has a picture of mom dog on it. Wait some time, and I might draw you an example of what I mean.

Heh, cute idea, but no.

Andail · Fri 21/07/2006 11:33:11

Your image is pretty much what a logo should not be. First of all it's way too complicated; a logo should be fairly simple and easily recognisable. A logo deals with stylistic shapes and symbols. The image is furthermore poorly cropped, showing too much background, too little text and the text is, above all, hardly legible.
Redo!

Alynn · Fri 21/07/2006 12:00:38

Basically get rid of the background just use a plain black or white, or some other contrasting straight color, no real need for gradients or anything of that nature. Secondly, you text needs to be bigger, and contrast with the background as to stand out.

You want your mascott to be a sword, so now you only have 2 elements, A sword, and the text.

A brief note on the sword, there is something to be said for mascotts that convey the meaning of the text without the text with it. Such as BGS suggested. This mascot becomes a mini logo all on it's own. Which can be easily used at smaller sizes when the text cannot be recognizable.

You need to think of what you want to bring more attention to, and in your case I would say the Dogma Day Games section, since it conveys your company more than the sword does.

A simple approach is something like

Dogma Day
--|=====>
  Games

Dogma Day above the sword, and Games below. Now you could start getting fancy and make the D and the G part of the sword pummel, working the sword into the text working two design elements into one.

Now all that being said I'll use mine as an example. Note: I am not saying that I am the master at logos, but I do know how design elements work through my own observations and looking over other peoples, including professional, work. YMMV:

Ok, Simple black background, contrasting easily seen foreground. The portion that I wanted to bring the most attention to was the Yellow Eyed, and the actual picture of the yellow eye. So I have the eye itself very large and taking up most of the screen, it is also centered. The text at the top is curved, which also draws the eye to it. I left the bottom part straight as it was less important than the first two elements, and could afford to be looked over.

Finally the text shading (as if the eye was illuminating the text) was nothing more than a detail I added, it wasn't needed, but I thought it looked better shaded than it did solid.

Now once people see this logo a few times, they will begin to associate that large yellow eye with the name Yellow Eyed Studio, so if later they see a small 100X100 logo of a yellow eye, their mind will recall Yellow Eyed Studio.

So anyway YMMV, but I suggest you consider it

Shane 'ProgZmax' Stevens · Fri 21/07/2006 12:30:17

What strikes me first is that the background in no way seems to reference the name. 'Dogma Day' doesn't conjure up ideas of a sword in a mythical backdrop, no matter how I try and see it. The key to any good company logo is to make whatever graphics you use instantly recognizable with the name itself. The suggestion of using a dog may seem trite but it would make the two blend into a single object. I recommend looking at videogame company logos (logos that use graphics instead of just names) and you will see what I mean. As you are playing on 'Dog Days' you could possibly make a logo with an astrological chart based on Sirius, the dog star, as traditionally Dog Days were used to refer to the rising of Sirius, ushering in the hottest days of the year. There are other approaches you can take as well, but this should give you some ideas.

Mr Flibble · Fri 21/07/2006 14:53:35

I think he was going along the lines of "The dogs of war" or possibly "every dog has its day", at least, that was the impression I got.

deadsuperhero · Fri 21/07/2006 20:27:33

QuoteI think he was going along the lines of "The dogs of war" or possibly "every dog has its day", at least, that was the impression I got.

Yeah, it's kind of a "dogs of war" type thing.
Okay, here's the new logo, thank you Alynn for the idea, and thank you everybody else for the tip.

I'm pretty pleased with how it turned out.

Babar · Sat 22/07/2006 00:17:15

The cropping is really bad. If you're going to make a logo, might as well have the entire logo showing, instead of having a tiny bit of the end of the sword cut out.

Also, something seems unbalanced to me. Perhaps it is that the sword is pointing left while one would expect it to point right, or perhaps it is tilted a bit? I can't really tell.

2ma2 · Sat 22/07/2006 00:37:14

I kinda liked the first arrangement, but move the text so it is above the.. uh.. parry thingie. Or make the text the parry thingie. Albeit as mentioned, skip background and make the text stand out.

Your second attempt is good but unbalanced. It is mainly the sword that is awkwardly bent. The text and sword act against eachother aswell, causing the eye to wander against the handle where the text is not. Try turning the sword around or place the text more centered over the piece.

Hope that helps you..

deadsuperhero · Sat 22/07/2006 01:10:14

Quote from: Babar on Sat 22/07/2006 00:17:15
The cropping is really bad. If you're going to make a logo, might as well have the entire logo showing, instead of having a tiny bit of the end of the sword cut out.

Actually, that's the entire sword. I'll edit it to look more like a medieval sword, rather than a Celtic one.

Babar · Sat 22/07/2006 01:22:02

heheh..sorry, appears you are right. The whole sword is visible. It's just that it is such a close crop that it seemed like something was missing. I'd still suggest letting there be a little more space between the end of the sword and the end of the image.

If it is a logo, perhaps you can have some sort of shape in there as well? Like a circle around the centre of the sword?

deadsuperhero · Sat 22/07/2006 01:28:08

Quote from: Babar on Sat 22/07/2006 01:22:02
If it is a logo, perhaps you can have some sort of shape in there as well? Like a circle around the centre of the sword?

Oooh I like that idea (runs off to work on it)
And yeah, I'll extend it or something.
EDIT: here's what I've got

SinSin · Sat 22/07/2006 12:29:09

i dont know what to make of it i think tht it is still a bit busy but im not sure

ThreeOhFour · Sat 22/07/2006 15:17:02

I think that it makes a little more sense as a logo if everything is positioned in a central sort of way. Try this:

Just tried to get everything towards the centre, and leave a bit more black space.

fred · Sat 22/07/2006 15:30:31

Graphicallly, I think the logo on your site is better than the new one.

To me, the name, when I read it, immediately raises the question "what kind of dogma"? And the sword and the circle does very little towards explaining it. Is it apocalyptic, religious dogma? Or artistic dogma, like von Trier's Dogma films? And if you're remaking space quest, what's with the sword? But maybe you plan on making historical or fantasy games too?

With the last posted logo, I think the composition is a bit busy. It's off balance, wich makes it not very strong. Would be better if the sword were longer, so the text could be centered within the circle.

Personally I would start out with a 2- or 3-colored version and get the composition to work, then add detail as needed.

Edit: Oh, Ben posted while I was typing. Posting this anyway.

Krysis · Sat 22/07/2006 17:05:57

Keep it simple. Less colours, simple shapes. What does the sword have to do with "dogma day"? What is "dogma day"?

deadsuperhero · Sat 22/07/2006 18:00:25

Well, the whole "Dogma Day" is kind of a represenation of an apoclypic world (like in the book of Revelation) and I kind of want a war type theme. I figured it would best be represented with a sword. (unfortunately, I have no idea what to DO with it)

Mad-Hatter · Thu 27/07/2006 02:42:07

Since you said the Dogma Day was modeled after the book of Revelation, why not have something from the book itself?

Maybe you can make it an active logo. One that appears in an animation on the screen. Like the four horsemen, for example, could bring the logo on the screen, and then the sword slashes through.... something.

Or maybe the O in Dogma could be a red moon?

Just some suggestions.