Critique please for DVH Design Logo

[dharrison]

Hi all

I am in the process of re-designing my website and I was wondering if you would be so kind as to review my logo and honestly let me know if you think its OK or if it needed tweaking or changing altogether.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v650/dvhdesign/DVHlogo.gif

Basically I have had this logo for 5 years and it has served me OK, but I need to attract a more professional and younger market, so I am looking to get this spot on and therefore need help.

Any help will be gratefully received.

Best regards,

[Faglork]

Since you will eventually use this logo in print, too: Did you check how it looks in b/w and how it comes out of a fax machine?

faglork

[dharrison]

OK, not very well in Fax copy and the cyan comes up blue in normal colour print.

So yes it probably does need changing :)

[Faglork]

the cyan comes up blue in normal colour print.


Sounds like a case of printer gamut. You should turn on gamut in your graphics program.

See
http://www.boscarol.com/pages/cms_eng/020-gamut.html
for explanation.

hth,
faglork

[technica]

I looked at your image within your site, (http://www.dvhdesign.co.uk/ I'm assuming)
I don't think the aqua blue goes properly with the purple. The font for design is nice, and the DVH letters stand out in their boxes.
However, I don't think the logo is appropriate based upon its placement on your webpage. I wouldn't have it dead center, especially because its just a square in the middle with nothing along the sides. You should try and use your heading space better.

[dharrison]

Hi Becky

Many thanks for your review, there were a lot of useful comments made that I can hoepfully take back to the drawing board.

However, it is fruitless commenting on my website as I am currently working on changing it, as mentioned in the original post.

Also Faglork, thanks for your comments, I read the website you suggested with great interest.

Best regards,

[technica]

Once you get your website up, post a link with the logo. Then we can see what it looks like in the new site.
Good luck :)

[webhost1]

What does it look like in a lighter purple background?

[Paul B]

Sorry, I find your new logo far to twee and complicated both in the curly-wurlies and colors, especially as it is designed to attact "a more professional and younger market".

It does convey much at all - and as a designer it should at least shout "Look I can design!And here's my slick logo to prove it."

[vwebworld]

Hi,

Just changing the colors will change a lot. The
purple color doesn't convey professional. The font
used for the initials is ok... is it a "wood cut"
type font? A different font (cleaner) will communicate
a different message... but the woodcut font communicates
an "artistic/crafty" message... which is not all bad
for a web design site.

~Roland

[dharrison]

Thanks for your comments Roland.

So just to clarify are you saying 'stick with the woodcut DVH' or 'try something cleaner'.

Also change the background colour to a more conservative colour i.e. Navy?

[technica]

Yea the purple is a bit too in your face, not as professional as a darker colour would be. Navy is alright, you can even make it a darker shade of purple. I wouuldn't go with a purple though.

[dharrison]

Sorry, I find your new logo far to twee and complicated both in the curly-wurlies and colors, especially as it is designed to attact "a more professional and younger market".

It does convey much at all - and as a designer it should at least shout "Look I can design!And here's my slick logo to prove it."

This isn't my 'new' logo. This is my current one.

I haven't designed my new one yet, as I wanted to get suggestions to point me in the right direction.

HTH

[vwebworld]

Thanks for your comments Roland.

So just to clarify are you saying 'stick with the woodcut DVH' or 'try something cleaner'.

Also change the background colour to a more conservative colour i.e. Navy?

It's up to you (how's that for a decisive answer).

I think the wood cut is fine. You might change the font
only to change the look more than the color.

~Roland

[Scott Adie]

If you're completely redoing your 'look & feel' then you have more options than if you're just 'freshening up'. We're talking make-over here!

Your trying to appeal to a younger, design-hip professional target, I'd start fresh. I don't know how long you've had the current logo but it doesn't say contemporary to me. It looks a lot like something I may have done myself years ago.

Think of some really successful logos. Most of them combine some sort of text with an icon. If they're really good, you can lose either the icon or the text and the identity remains intact. Think Nike or ATT or Cingular Wireless, etc.

Your icon should shout 'Design' but in a clean memorable way. It should work in B&W or color, in print or on the web. If the icon is strong, then the text, perhaps DVH Design, can be a simple line of copy that will work in any position around the icon. It shouldn't distract from the initial impact of the icon, only complete it's purpose.

Be bold, venture out, this is your chance to stretch and grow and have some fun!

[dharrison]

Thanks Scott.

I am looking to go more contemporary but not so much that I scare off the older sector that have been my bread and butter thus far.

But yeah, I guess its back to the drawing board.

Thanks for your help all of you. I will let you know when I have something else and where it is.

Best regards,

[technica]

Try and scheme the logo to your new page... use colours that will look nice and are bold, yet not as childish as the purple and aqua blue.
Good luck.

[gelcreative]

Try this book ... it might get the creative juices flowing ... urghhh sounds horrid!:

The Big Book of Color in Design by David E Carter.

You can get it from Amazon ... I posted about this on the Graphics Forum.

UK: (£13.99) http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0060748001/qid=1137023789/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i1_xgl/026-6601831-4666832

USA: ($23.10)
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0060748001/qid=1137024475/sr=8-1/ref=pd_bbs_1/104-3028526-2908756?n=507846&s=books&v=glance

It's full of ideas for ads / logos / brochures, etc. and is great for showing you how colours work together. It details the CMYK breakdown of the colours used.

Hope that helps!

Jane

[dharrison]

Thanks Jane that does help. :)

[nozzmoking]

Hi Debbie,

Being in the print biz, I have loads of samples of previously-printed business cards. I can post you a small bunch if you wish, which might help get the creative juices flowing? Many of the designs are simplistic but work very well.

If you're interested then PM me your address and I'll get some out to you.

Paul

[dharrison]

PM'd you - thanks Paul.

I am a bit rusty as this was created 6 years ago, so yes any inspiration would be great.

Many thanks and best regards

[vwebworld]

http://www.vwebworld.com/images/dvh1.jpg

http://www.vwebworld.com/images/dvh2.jpg

[sem_services]

vwebworld
I really like the second design. Wow it looks great!!!

[/b]

[Scott Adie]

I prefer the second design myself with slight changes. Tighten up the kerning on the D V a little and I like it.

Or... what if the word 'design' (love the font), is made the dominant element with the DVH nested between the ascender on the d and the dot on the i. Pretty contemporary!

[vwebworld]

http://www.vwebworld.com/images/dvh3.jpg

[darren13]

Hi,
Not an expert myself, but the blue of 'design' on your original logo seemed to jump out a bit at me - maybe a lilac-y sort of shade might compliment the colour of the rest of the logo?

You can tell I'm a bloke - "lilac-y" is actually a 'real colour' to me!! Ha! - Just fiddled around and came up with a hex colour value of about #CCA4D8 - hope it's a help, even if it's another you cross off the list to get to your final result!

I like the original logo - I think it's got a bit of a Celtic thang going on.

Darren.

[dharrison]

I didn't look at this forum over the weekend, so imagine my surprise when I see 25 replies alongside this thread un my favourites folder.

Wow! Thanks Roland. That 2nd logo is cool. I have had a little test and I was looking at that particular tone of blue.

I also came across a neat little site as well. If you type in a particular hex number, it lists you the colours that are compatible with it.

http://www.colorschemer.com/online.html

Thanks for all your help guys, it is more appreciated than you know. :)

ATB