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TheIceMan · Feb 16, 2005, 05:44 AM

Guys/Gals: I really need some help designing a logo for our volleyball association. I'm in Saipan out in the Pacific Ocean by Guam. So we were thinking of something island-type. I don't have any graphics skills or designing talent. That's why I thought I'd ask the kind folks here at MacNN for help. Any ideas or creations would be soooo GREATLY APPRECIATED. Thanks.

Randman · Feb 16, 2005, 06:25 AM

posted over at macthemes.

effgee · Feb 16, 2005, 08:23 AM

Originally posted by TheIceMan:
Guys/Gals: I really need some help designing a logo ...

Are you sure you're looking for a logo? As in: NBA, NFL, MLB logo?

Or are you indeed looking for a descriptive graphic element (illustration, etc.)? The difference between the two being that a logo needs to communicate its desired meaning within seconds (= simple visual appearance), whereas a descriptive graphic can be more complex but also requires the audience to spend more time looking at it.

In case you're really looking for a logo - something that could/would be used on jerseys, letterhead, posters, flags, banners, etc. - I strongly suggest you concentrate on one primary and one, maybe two secondary what we ad-nerds call "brand attributes". Meaning that your primary attribute would be volleyball and a secondary attribute could be a descriptor of a geographical region as shown in the NBA logo above - primary attribute = outline of basketball player, secondary attribute = colors identical to US flag.

Unless you go very abstract (e.g. the base shape of the logo is a circle = island), trying to cram these two message into one logo symbol will most likely not work due to the fact that they are two entirely different pieces of information that do not complement and/or support each other.

My suggestion: stick with something simple and abstract. Designing logos is tricky business and the more info you attempt to convey, the more your message will be watered down (no pun intended) - which is of course a friendly way of saying that the logo will then most likely look like shit.

If I have some tiem to spare tonight, I'll take a crack at it - never done a volleyball logo - sounds like nerdy fun.

turtle777 · Feb 16, 2005, 09:50 AM

Originally posted by effgee:
If I have some tiem to spare tonight, I'll take a crack at it - never done a volleyball logo - sounds like nerdy fun.

Got some spare time, eh ?
Hey, about re-designing my homepage ?

-t

effgee · Feb 16, 2005, 10:08 AM

Originally posted by turtle777:
... Hey, about re-designing my homepage ?

Gladly. A "personal brand" - now if that isn't cool, I don't know what would be. As long as you got a thick enough wallet ... I'm all game.

IceMan, here's some food for thought in form of a few iPod / NBA rip-offs - just to illustrate the above mentioned thought of "keeping it simple" ...

E's Lil Theorem · Feb 16, 2005, 10:16 AM

Originally posted by effgee:
...
IceMan, here's some food for thought ..

Man, if I had half your talent, I'd...hmm...be half as talented as you! Or, something.

Anyway, like many around here, you're a very creative individual; just thought I'd let you know.

Randman · Feb 16, 2005, 10:49 AM

Originally posted by effgee:

Gladly. A "personal brand" - now if that isn't cool, I don't know what would be. As long as you got a thick enough wallet ... I'm all game.

IceMan, here's some food for thought in form of a few iPod / NBA rip-offs - just to illustrate the above mentioned thought of "keeping it simple" ...

That'sone of the ideas I suggested at the other post. Nice job.

TheIceMan · 03:07 PM

effgee: Those look great! Thanks for taking the time to make them.

TheIceMan · Feb 16, 2005, 03:52 PM

Originally posted by effgee:

IceMan, here's some food for thought in form of a few iPod / NBA rip-offs - just to illustrate the above mentioned thought of "keeping it simple" ...

Could you change the GVA to NMIVA, as in Northern Mariana Islands Volleyball Association. That would be awesome. Thanks.

effgee · Feb 16, 2005, 04:50 PM

Originally posted by TheIceMan:
Could you change the GVA to NMIVA, as in Northern Mariana Islands Volleyball Association. That would be awesome. Thanks.

LOL ... no problem I'll take care of it sometime tomorrow - too much left to do tonight. A few more things, though:

Which one would you like to use?
What are you planning to do with it/those? I assume you know that you won't be able to print out those mini JPG's I posted above - right?
What about my payment? If you guys put one of those logos on jerseys, banners, stickers, etc. - I most definitely will be wanting one in the mail! I never got mail from Saipan before!

TheIceMan · Feb 16, 2005, 05:18 PM

Originally posted by effgee:
LOL ... no problem I'll take care of it sometime tomorrow - too much left to do tonight. A few more things, though:
Which one would you like to use?

What are you planning to do with it/those? I assume you know that you won't be able to print out those mini JPG's I posted above - right?

What about my payment? If you guys put one of those logos on jerseys, banners, stickers, etc. - I most definitely will be wanting one in the mail! I never got mail from Saipan before!

1. Not sure which one to use yet. Will have to check with the membership.
2. We want to use the logo on t-shirts, letterheads, etc. Yeah, those jpg are pretty small.
3. effgee: If we decide to use this, we will most certainly compensate you for your time. Because we're nonprofit (meaning we have very little money, just a bunch of guys/gals playing volleyball), we may not be able to pay you very much. Hope that's ok.

effgee · Feb 16, 2005, 05:27 PM

Originally posted by TheIceMan:
... effgee: If we decide to use this, we will most certainly compensate you for your time. Because we're nonprofit (meaning we have very little money, just a bunch of guys/gals playing volleyball), we may not be able to pay you very much. Hope that's ok.

Ugh. No money!!

If I had wanted money for this, I most certainly wouldn't have posted the artwork here - if you guys decide to use one of the logos, the only compensation I'd like would be a shirt, sticker, whatever in the mail!

"Design-Shareware"

To have these printed properly, you're gonna need vector art (I did those logos in Illustrator, so that wouldn't be a problem) - since I'm gonna spend a bit more time on them tomorrow anyway, let me know what color(s) you prefer.

rozwado1 · Feb 16, 2005, 05:51 PM

effgee is TEH SHIZNIT once again!

d4nth3m4n · Feb 16, 2005, 06:15 PM

Fo' Serious.

TheIceMan · Feb 16, 2005, 10:54 PM

Originally posted by effgee:

Ugh. No money!!

If I had wanted money for this, I most certainly wouldn't have posted the artwork here - if you guys decide to use one of the logos, the only compensation I'd like would be a shirt, sticker, whatever in the mail!

"Design-Shareware"

To have these printed properly, you're gonna need vector art (I did those logos in Illustrator, so that wouldn't be a problem) - since I'm gonna spend a bit more time on them tomorrow anyway, let me know what color(s) you prefer.

effgee, thank you so much for your artistic contribution. I spoke with one of the officers and the idea is to have some sort of palm-tree, flower-thing also included on the logo. We will use your design as a starting point and then see where the others want to go from there.

CMYKid · Feb 17, 2005, 01:52 AM

ooh, heres the fun part! this is where the design by committee happens.

nice marks, effgee.

OwlBoy · Feb 17, 2005, 02:26 AM

Originally posted by CMYKid:
ooh, heres the fun part! this is where the design by committee happens.

nice marks, effgee.

That part sucks.

-Owl

PurpleGiant · Feb 17, 2005, 02:49 AM

Originally posted by TheIceMan:
I spoke with one of the officers and the idea is to have some sort of palm-tree, flower-thing also included on the logo.

Sandbaggins · Feb 17, 2005, 02:54 AM

Originally posted by TheIceMan:
I spoke with one of the officers and the idea is to have some sort of palm-tree, flower-thing also included on the logo. We will use your design as a starting point and then see where the others want to go from there.

TheIceMan · Feb 17, 2005, 06:24 AM

Alright guys. I hear what you're saying. I wish it could be up to me to be the sole decision-maker. I will certainly do my best to push effgee's design because I think it's super-sweet-looking.

Agent69 · Feb 17, 2005, 06:34 AM

What software are you using Effgee?

PurpleGiant · Feb 17, 2005, 06:36 AM

Originally posted by TheIceMan:
Alright guys. I hear what you're saying. I wish it could be up to me to be the sole decision-maker. I will certainly do my best to push effgee's design because I think it's super-sweet-looking.

That's cool. I don't think we're

n: you so much as the committee - just that personally it sounds very familiar, and I'm sure it does to others here. Do a design of something, work on the fine details of colour and balance, to then take it to a boss or committee and receive:

"Oh how about you change that subtle grey to bright pink"

or

"You know you can barely see that shadow, make it bigger! And I really would like you to use this 'Comic Sans' font"

TheIceMan · Feb 17, 2005, 06:39 AM

Originally posted by effgee:
...I did those logos in Illustrator...

Illustrator.

roberto blanco · Feb 17, 2005, 06:54 AM

Originally posted by effgee:
logos

sweet.

macroy · Feb 17, 2005, 07:37 AM

Originally posted by TheIceMan:
Guys/Gals: ...I'm in Saipan out in the Pacific Ocean by Guam...

Off topic -

Hey, how many TV stations are out there? My buddy's girlfriend is an aspiring journalist - She recently took a job out there so she can get some real experience (i.e. a clerk in some big studio in NYC, or anchor in Saipan). Just wondering if you've seen a reporter named Tina... hm.. don't know her last... I wanna say she's asian, but not knowing the demographics out there - that characteristic may do very little.

BTW - my buddy and I both used to play volleyball... ok.. starting to babble.

TheIceMan · Feb 17, 2005, 08:10 AM

macroy:
What a small world! Yes, I know Tina. In fact, she moved into my old apartment! I see her around from time to time.

TheIceMan · Feb 17, 2005, 08:11 AM

ooppss. double post.

effgee · Feb 17, 2005, 09:01 AM

Originally posted by TheIceMan:
... I spoke with one of the officers and the idea is to have some sort of palm-tree, flower-thing also included on the logo. ...

?????

That is so not the idea - it's (at best) a severe case of cerebral diarrhea. I've turned down paid projects for lesser reasons.

Ask your officer this - if he were to consult BMW on the redesign of their logo - would he recommend they use the old blue propeller logo and superimpose a can of sauerkraut / glass of beer on top of it so that everyone can see that they're a German company? If he were to do so for the latest batch of iPod commercials would he suggest they include a still at the end of each commercial that states "Btw, we sell computers, too. And yeah, we're an American company"?

Imagine the NBA logo above with an eagle sitting on the players shoulder (sort of like a pirate's parrot) - "Well, we're American - so there's gotta be an eagle in the logo"

No, no, no, no - tell him effgee said "You're either a volleyball association or a club of horticulturists - not both". Well at least not on one logo. Nothing against gardening or even palm trees - but they have about as much to do with volleyball as a cow is generally associated with knitting.

Seriously, here's how this needs to be sold (because that's how it works in "real" projects): First you design a logo - simple, abstract, immediate "brand" recognition. Then - and only then - you can move on to expand your "brand image". In your case that might be an expanded illustration (see "descriptive graphic" in my first post above) in which you use the scene from the logo and add one, maybe two new elements (e.g., a palm tree) to it - always in the same graphic style.

That's how branding works.

Enough babbeling - back to pixel pushing. Here's a more refined batch of logos - last nights circular ones first, then a new set based on rectangular shapes. And those are, if I may say so myself, the shit. Especially the red square and (even better) the yellow rectangle ...

If that's not a logo ...

DarwinX · Feb 17, 2005, 09:11 AM

Originally posted by effgee:

If that's not a logo ...

If it has been said once, twice or a billion times...you rock man! Awesome work.

effgee · Feb 17, 2005, 10:05 AM

Last set for tonight ... I promise. This variation was rather obvious to "complete" the set ...

macroy · Feb 17, 2005, 11:48 AM

Originally posted by TheIceMan:
macroy:
What a small world! Yes, I know Tina. In fact, she moved into my old apartment! I see her around from time to time.

Damn! wow... I guess it is a small world.

BTW - effgee's logo looks really good. I'm more partial to a hitter on there... but its pretty awsome either way.

jlemons · Feb 17, 2005, 11:53 AM

effgee, oh my gosh, those are awesom. You know, if you tell someone that enough it goes to there head. LOL Those are very nice logos.

effgee · Feb 17, 2005, 12:54 PM

Originally posted by macroy:
... I'm more partial to a hitter on there...

The hitter it is, then. Damn, I'm having way too much fun doing this

Haven't done any sports-related design stuff in years ...

And of course - thanks for the kind words, everybody. Must. Get. Back. To. Work. Now. (Writing a rather boring thingie on web accessibility - probably the reason why I keep going back to play with this - major procrastination alert!!)

(edit: hotdamn - I knew the font in the one on the left reminded me of something - that'll have to go )

TheIceMan · 03:45 PM

effgee: Those are AWESOME! I am speechless. And not just one but 5 different sets of designs! Thank you!! I will try to sell it just as you said. I agree with you. Just because we live on an island doesn't mean we need to put flowers on everything!

Btw, the last set (the Red one) is my FAVORITE! Woohoo!

TheIceMan · Feb 17, 2005, 04:31 PM

effgee:

or

(same image flipped)

At the risk of coming across as ungrateful and demanding, can you revise the spiker into something more like this? I just think the "hitter" design you did might be confused for a basketball layup. Thanks.

effgee · Feb 17, 2005, 05:08 PM

Originally posted by TheIceMan:
... At the risk of coming across as ungrateful and demanding, ...

no problem - will take a shot at bending the dude into shape tomorrow.

jonasmac · Feb 17, 2005, 05:29 PM

Good stuff, effgee. I'd have given the same comment for the "hitter." He'll look even better jumping up looking to sixpack his opponent.

As an advertising/graphic desinger-type on an island, everyone's ALWAYS asking me to put flowers or palm trees or bamboo or tribal graphics on my designs. It's always, "That's so AWESOME! Anyway we can fit a palm tree in there?"

TheIceMan, you ever been to Guam? I've been over to Saipan a couple of times. Nice, even slower pace than Guam. One of my buddies is over there right now for work. He told me his hotel is right across the street from the "Mermaids."

TheIceMan · 07:33 AM

jonasmac: Haven't been to Guam other than the airport. Hey we have the Marianas Cup next weekend, Sat-Sun. Feb 26-27th. come join us for some fun. There will be 4 professional women's team, one of which is the top Olympic team in Japan. Also there will be 2 men's team, Paul Baxter and Philip Dalhausser from the US and a Japanese team (sorry don't know their names). But, Paul is 6'5" and Philip is 6'9"!!

Boy do i feel like a midget.

Randman · Feb 18, 2005, 07:11 AM

Originally posted by effgee:
Last set for tonight ... I promise. This variation was rather obvious to "complete" the set ...

The red one truly rocks.

effgee · Feb 18, 2005, 03:38 PM

Hitters ...

And something new to better communicate the inherent team spirit as well as the dynamic nature of the game. Why should it always be "me, me, me"?

turtle777 · Feb 18, 2005, 04:02 PM

-t

effgee · Feb 18, 2005, 04:49 PM

ROFL. I had almost forgotten about her - she's the bomb!

TheIceMan · Feb 18, 2005, 05:50 PM

effgee: Thanks for the new designs. Looks great.

Btw, who's the girl?

iREZ · Feb 18, 2005, 05:58 PM

Your new spokeswoman of course.

Apple Pro Underwear · Feb 18, 2005, 07:39 PM

Originally posted by turtle777:

-t

HELL YEAH

Oisín · Feb 18, 2005, 08:13 PM

Originally posted by TheIceMan:
Btw, who's the girl?

IIRC, she's a springboard diver, and that picture is taken "in full spring" during the Olympics last year. Can't remember her name, though...

deomacius · Feb 18, 2005, 08:38 PM

Originally posted by turtle777:

-t

Flippin' classic!

mdc · Feb 18, 2005, 08:52 PM

Originally posted by turtle777:

-t

i _was_ having a conversation until i saw this. i almost burst out laughing, dammit that rocks!

Agent69 · Feb 18, 2005, 09:19 PM

That's damn funny!

d4nth3m4n · Feb 18, 2005, 09:26 PM

Originally posted by Ois�n:
IIRC, she's a springboard diver, and that picture is taken "in full spring" during the Olympics last year. Can't remember her name, though...

close, carly patterson, olympic gymnast