I couldn't quite figure out what I had to say about your logo at first. I could see how your colors were kind of candy-shop, but I don't think that's a bad thing. I mean, take a look at your house. You surround yourself with deliciously sweet, sugary colors. Fitting. But there was something about the font that I couldn't pin down, something that didn't work for me. And now that I see the bottom version that just has your name and the info at the bottom with the little blurb bubble, I think I can identify it. I think there may be too many "primary" or strong font choices competing for dominance with the "whim, fancy, curiosity." In the bottom frame, your name gets the dominant font choice for that "space," while there is a simpler more generic (not in a bad way) font used for the other information. There's no competition between the two here. I like the font for "whim" and "curiosity," but somehow I'm not diggin' "fancy." I want to though, because it's not a font I recognize, and I like to give credit for fonts that aren't generic or over-used. However, this one isn't working for me. Maybe it's the spacing of the letters. Or that, even though they are in lowercase, each letter is "scripty" enough to be trying to stand alone. The other two fonts have a distinct line to them, a flow, which I like, so maybe I want "fancy" to have a similar cadence or "line." I'm totally rambling. Blah.
Ok, so, I know this might defeat the purpose of your playing with font in the first place, but I kind of wonder what it might look like if the three words were all in one font. The sizing and layout could still be played with. I don't know. Just a thought.
I would be much better at critiquing this and giving my feedback if I were in person. Keep that in mind as I've been fumbling through this comment...
Again, I dig the colors. It's good having a richer, darker color in there (without just being black and white, which may have added to the checkerboard floor, candy shop feel). And I like the clean, professional yet playful address side of the card.
Keep us updated. I like seeing type work. It takes me back to Biola days.... Although now I'm a little rusty with my thought process in critique-mode. But yay!
sorry i have been out of touch!! I second Libby: essentially you need a stronger heirarchy with the fonts. I don't mind 3 diff fonts sometimes, but I think because these are all more script fonts, they are fighting each other.
also: do you have the color theory book? i would look through that for color choices OR.... I would pull a color palette from this spring/summer's clothing lines. Those colors often make their way into designs.
Also important: what kind of design niche do you excel in? your branding should represent the type of work you can do...make sense?
I am actually also working on an identity system for my design. I'm going freelance! more about that later.
thanks lauren--this is the kind of critique i am not receiving in class--very helpful!!!! i am going to go back to the drawing board. however, a large part of the problem is that i have no idea what my niche is......????
I am currently facing the dilemma of branding myself as well. but think of the feel of your work up to this point.
Your paintings are very whimsical, so I think a color palette that emits this message is ok, but meanwhile making sure that the palette is current, sophisticated, and polished. I think playing with it will be key.
ALSO you need to get your hands on a Pantone swatch book...things look so different printed in CMYK than they do on your moniter, and paper quality will effect this too. How many mock-ups have you actually printed? sometimes I find that the elements I like in a design changed drastically once I have them physically in hand.
5 comments:
I couldn't quite figure out what I had to say about your logo at first. I could see how your colors were kind of candy-shop, but I don't think that's a bad thing. I mean, take a look at your house. You surround yourself with deliciously sweet, sugary colors. Fitting. But there was something about the font that I couldn't pin down, something that didn't work for me. And now that I see the bottom version that just has your name and the info at the bottom with the little blurb bubble, I think I can identify it. I think there may be too many "primary" or strong font choices competing for dominance with the "whim, fancy, curiosity." In the bottom frame, your name gets the dominant font choice for that "space," while there is a simpler more generic (not in a bad way) font used for the other information. There's no competition between the two here. I like the font for "whim" and "curiosity," but somehow I'm not diggin' "fancy." I want to though, because it's not a font I recognize, and I like to give credit for fonts that aren't generic or over-used. However, this one isn't working for me. Maybe it's the spacing of the letters. Or that, even though they are in lowercase, each letter is "scripty" enough to be trying to stand alone. The other two fonts have a distinct line to them, a flow, which I like, so maybe I want "fancy" to have a similar cadence or "line." I'm totally rambling. Blah.
Ok, so, I know this might defeat the purpose of your playing with font in the first place, but I kind of wonder what it might look like if the three words were all in one font. The sizing and layout could still be played with. I don't know. Just a thought.
I would be much better at critiquing this and giving my feedback if I were in person. Keep that in mind as I've been fumbling through this comment...
Again, I dig the colors. It's good having a richer, darker color in there (without just being black and white, which may have added to the checkerboard floor, candy shop feel). And I like the clean, professional yet playful address side of the card.
Keep us updated. I like seeing type work. It takes me back to Biola days.... Although now I'm a little rusty with my thought process in critique-mode. But yay!
thanks libby--you articulated yourself very well and those were things I was thinking but avoiding....I will give it a go....talk soon!
sorry i have been out of touch!! I second Libby: essentially you need a stronger heirarchy with the fonts. I don't mind 3 diff fonts sometimes, but I think because these are all more script fonts, they are fighting each other.
also: do you have the color theory book? i would look through that for color choices OR.... I would pull a color palette from this spring/summer's clothing lines. Those colors often make their way into designs.
Also important: what kind of design niche do you excel in? your branding should represent the type of work you can do...make sense?
I am actually also working on an identity system for my design. I'm going freelance! more about that later.
Keep working Sydney!
thanks lauren--this is the kind of critique i am not receiving in class--very helpful!!!! i am going to go back to the drawing board. however, a large part of the problem is that i have no idea what my niche is......????
post what you have been working on!
I am currently facing the dilemma of branding myself as well. but think of the feel of your work up to this point.
Your paintings are very whimsical, so I think a color palette that emits this message is ok, but meanwhile making sure that the palette is current, sophisticated, and polished. I think playing with it will be key.
ALSO you need to get your hands on a Pantone swatch book...things look so different printed in CMYK than they do on your moniter, and paper quality will effect this too. How many mock-ups have you actually printed? sometimes I find that the elements I like in a design changed drastically once I have them physically in hand.
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