Logo Research
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- gramme
So I'm working on an identity and have one concept in particular that I like a lot, but have a nagging feeling I might have seen it before.
Brands of the World doesn't seem to be very helpful. Besides the obvious places to look such as Google or Flickr, where do you guys do your research when checking if a design direction has been done before? I feel like there was another site I came across years ago that has a really thorough visual list of trademarks, but can't remember it for the life of me.
And no, I'm not posting the idea here. So far it's only a pencil sketch, anyway.
Help much appreciated.
- johndiggity0
try logo lounge. you can search and sort by subject or theme.
- also logopond etcAmicus
- Don't I have to pay first? I just tried there, and they tried to get me to sign up.gramme
- yeah it's $100/yr. but that gives you unlimited submissions to their book every year.johndiggity
- Good point, not sure if I want to shell out $100 right this second though.gramme
- Gramme, send me an email and you can borrow my LogoLounge credentials.dMullins
- Since you helped me out with a font once....dMullins
- will do. thx bud.gramme
- Amicus0
there is only so far internet searches will take you. Don't expect to check all the logos in the known universe by yourself before you go with this idea.
The main thing, trademarkwise™ is that you check the relevant industry.
- johndiggity0
and even if it has been done, figure out how to improve upon it.
- gramme0
Yeah, I checked Logopond too.
So far Google, Flickr, Logopond and Brands of the World aren't showing me any bad news.
- inkpink0
hate to say but it's pretty much all been done before anyways... not matter how original or outside-the-box you go, chances are someone out there on the interweb has done something very similar.
i just try to make sure there's no conflicts with direct competition.
- identity0
why not post it - name removed - and we can possibly tell you what it looks like?
- spendogg0
post it so i can do it first or second
- gramme0
Good point, inkpink. So far I see no conflict in the client's industry.
- bbaida0
you may want to try this russian site i found a long time ago
- gramme0
All I've got so far is hasty thumbnail sketches. The concepts I'm concerned about are pretty easy to describe, so here goes. I don't have nearly as much time as I'd usually prefer to execute this, so I need to knock it out of park in the first go-round.
The client is in the journalism industry. Couple symbol concepts as follows:
1. A sword, the point of the blade being in the shape of a broad-nibbed pen. The "pen > sword" saying is such a ubiquitous phrase, I feel like this must have been done before (side note, speak up if anyone finds the idea lame to begin with).
2. An arrow (short, like a crossbow bolt) with a broad-nib pen in place of the arrowhead.
Dunno why I have weapons on the brain, but trust me it fits the vibe of their content. I've got a number of other concepts, but the above are the only ones I'm concerned about. Most of my other ideas work in the name or initials in some way that it would be nearly impossible to accidentally rip someone's prior design. But all these ideas above work work best set apart and kept distinct from the logotype.
- flashbender0
and here I figured they would be tree based ;P
- lukus_W0
I think a possible problem with the ideas you're considering at the moment, is that each metaphor involves 'old world' icons.
As far as I know, the journalism industry is feeling a lot of pain at the moment from the move to digital. If I owned a company in the journalism industry, I'd want to project a forward-thinking image.
Of course, maybe your client is very much about traditional values - in which case, please forget everything I've said :)
In terms of your current ideas, I personally think that the pen / sword idea might be a bit _too_ ubiquitous - but with a great execution maybe the ubiquity could work in your favour.
I prefer the idea of the of the crossbow bolt, because it's saying something specific about the culture / character of the company. I think a crossbow bolt is more emotive than a sword.
- gramme0
Good points lukus, thanks for the input. I'll try the sword and see if I can avoid making it look too stodgy.
Another nice thing about the arrow is that news is constantly changing, like an arrow in motion. Also, an arrow connotes accuracy, i.e. diligent pursuit of the truth.
Re: the move to digital, this company is doing fairly well for their size. This is because they refused to give away their content for free when all the other news organizations were doing it.
- skt0
i agree with v3. if it isn't in los logos or the other 3, then you are probably good to go.
unless it's for a clubnight, or your own design collective or something.
- johndiggity0
just fix the thompson reuters mark.
- Wish I could. I like their type though. Hate the mark.gramme
- mikotondria30
Arrow = Cursor
Writing = Pixels
- i_monk0
- mirror / reflection / impartial intentions / reliable reporting / timely reporting.lukus_W
- thats a great logo, btw!identity
- interesting thought. I still like the ideas above as well though.gramme
- Done properly, they'd be about more than just writing per se, you know?gramme
- that's a clever mark there.jazmine