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Logo Madness
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Poll

Best font for the logo..?

Arantor

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[Archive] Re: Logo Madness
« Reply #720, on October 27th, 2011, 11:29 AM »
Sure they do. Creativity is the manifestation of instinct.
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Nao

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[Archive] Re: Logo Madness
« Reply #722, on October 30th, 2011, 05:37 PM »
Looks like a blurry font as used in old typewriters... Funny.
Posted: October 30th, 2011, 05:37 PM

Actually 19th century style.

Arantor

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[Archive] Re: Logo Madness
« Reply #723, on October 30th, 2011, 07:04 PM »
Well, it is a blurry font but because of how it was made, not because it was trying to be a 19th Century style by design. The story is rather interesting, actually.

Nao

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[Archive] Re: Logo Madness
« Reply #724, on November 5th, 2011, 12:32 PM »
Post #722 (the usual one) has a few extra logo attempts which I made in the last week or so... I figure it's time to ask for opinions since I've cleaned up the attachment list and removed the logos that really don't cut it for me.

- Variations on the text, using an Helvetica. There's also another font (in the two *ca153.png), Candara Italic (which is as close as I'll get to a Serif font), which doesn't look great in large size but looks quite a bit better in small format, so I only uploaded the small format version.

- The two-petal logo, still not giving up on this one...

- blocesque - A new 'orange wedge' logo (using our typical brownish color to stand for an orange so that we understand it's a "wedge" not a "slice" :P), inspired by Bloc's submission from last September. (I redid it in vector graphics.)

Any opinions...? Any faves?
Posted: November 5th, 2011, 12:27 PM

And completely unrelated, but... I'm pondering whether to simplify the sidebar by removing all backgrounds.
I like both... The complex version looks cooler on first look, but when the sidebar is very crowded, the simple version is probably easier to take. I can't make up my mind so... Maybe you guys have something to say about it :)

(BTW, the 'simple' version was done in two minutes. It can probably be tweaked.)

📎 simpleside.png - 37.93 kB, 539x413, viewed 325 times.

📎 complexside.png - 40 kB, 537x422, viewed 325 times.

Dr. Deejay

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Re: Logo Madness
« Reply #725, on November 5th, 2011, 12:41 PM »
Looking cool Nao :)

Nao

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Re: Logo Madness
« Reply #726, on November 5th, 2011, 12:45 PM »
What is looking cool, that's the question(s)... :^^;:

Dr. Deejay

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Re: Logo Madness
« Reply #727, on November 5th, 2011, 12:50 PM »
The thoughts feature and the simple sidebar :) I like the simple sidebar because it's more simple than the complex one :P

Nao

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Re: Logo Madness
« Reply #728, on November 5th, 2011, 01:22 PM »
I should probably mention that one of the alternative skins for Wedge already has a simplified sidebar-- Warm it is.

(Come to think of it -- it might be the first time I'm ever posting a Warm screenshot... ;) As you can see, the top bar is merged with the sidebar in this. And it only took a few seconds to do with the help of our new template system.)

📎 simplewarm.png - 43.64 kB, 466x430, viewed 317 times.

and

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Re: Logo Madness
« Reply #729, on November 5th, 2011, 02:00 PM »
Quote from Nao on November 5th, 2011, 12:32 PM
Post #722
Any opinions...? Any faves?
the last two - pacman  :lol: detected ?!........
Posted: November 5th, 2011, 01:48 PM

more like the one on complexside.png
- more than just a forum <br />sorry for my english

Arantor

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Re: Logo Madness
« Reply #730, on November 5th, 2011, 03:00 PM »
Quote
I figure it's time to ask for opinions since I've cleaned up the attachment list and removed the logos that really don't cut it for me.
I still like simply-green and orig, as well as safe6, and any of those would be more than suitable, IMO. (The two tone text in safe6 sort of works for me depending on my mood, sometimes I like the emphasis on 'we' and sometimes I'd prefer the whole rather than a part to be emphasised)

*ca153 looks nice but the g seems out of place compared to the other letters.

I'm not a fan of bloceqsue, personally. I understand the mentality of the circle + wedge but it just doesn't really fit for me.
Quote
And completely unrelated, but... I'm pondering whether to simplify the sidebar by removing all backgrounds.
I like both... The complex version looks cooler on first look, but when the sidebar is very crowded, the simple version is probably easier to take. I can't make up my mind so... Maybe you guys have something to say about it
As someone that's creating sidebar blocks pretty heavily in different projects I have to say that without some kind of visual cue between blocks, that's more than just a heavier header, it looks too jumbled together. The style on Noisen and here works quite well, I find.

I wouldn't be opposed to removing the border on the sidebar but leaving the bar headers in.

Note that I don't use Warm often and any time I've looked at it has been to look at the way the sidebar is outside the main content, as it were, not to look at how the sidebar blocks looked, though looking at your screenshot, the one thing I was getting at is taken into account: headers are not just heavier weight compared to the content but a different colour, which is important.

Nao

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Re: Logo Madness
« Reply #731, on November 5th, 2011, 03:38 PM »
- Any opinion on the petals? I'm not sure...?
- simple-green works great as a favicon, BTW. So far it's the best result I've had when reducing a logo to 16x16 dimensions.
- The Candara font uses a classic 'g' that you'll find in pretty much every Serif font, where the upper circle is smaller and misaligned compared to the rest. This is something I always disliked, and the main issue with that font. I do like how its curves complement the petals, though.
- I wasn't too sure about blocesque. I like its simplicity, but perhaps it lacks a bit of 'soul'. Considering the 'orange wedge' was one of my original ideas... Maybe I just outgrew it. I mostly wanted to make various layouts with this logo (not simply 'logo followed with text'), but nothing struck me as interesting.
- I'll keep the sidebar the way it is for now, then. We can always rediscuss it later. Perhaps I'll make a Without Alcohol skin where I'm simplifying the overall style. (Who am I kidding... I'm already working on that :lol:)
- I don't use Warm a lot either, and that's mainly why I went crazy with it a few weeks ago. Plus, the whole 'sidebar put to the very left' thing was the perfect catalyst to start working on the template skeleton system. :)
- Actually it's Wuthering I like the least... It lacks personality. This is mainly because it started as Curve, then evolved progressively into Wine and I stopped halfway. I should probably make a REAL clone of Curve (perhaps using CSS3 only, like IIRC Fustrate very cleverly did a couple of years ago), and get rid of Wuthering. Then it would give me some extra space to make a 'Very simplistic skin' (à la WordPress default skins -- i.e. mostly white stuff, no backgrounds, no CSS effects, something to use as a base or something), and then another skin that would be used on Wedge.org exclusively. (Basically something halfway between Wine and Noisen...)
- I agree that just using bold on the headers is not enough. Warm not only uses a different color, but also a text shadow. Overall it's not THAT important though.

One of the things that's important, IMHO, is to be able to recognized the two main needs to change an ever-evolving skin or logo:
- actually prospecting ways to improve them...
- and being bored with the current version!

The latter can be tricky, because I've often seen a great design being given up in favor of something simpler that lacked personality. This is often a sign of boredom. It's not forbidden per se, but sometimes we designers need to be awakened :P

Arantor

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Re: Logo Madness
« Reply #732, on November 5th, 2011, 04:08 PM »
Quote
- Any opinion on the petals? I'm not sure...?
I dunno, they just don't quite work for me.
Quote
- simple-green works great as a favicon, BTW. So far it's the best result I've had when reducing a logo to 16x16 dimensions.
Dooooooo eeeeeeet.
Quote
- The Candara font uses a classic 'g' that you'll find in pretty much every Serif font, where the upper circle is smaller and misaligned compared to the rest. This is something I always disliked, and the main issue with that font. I do like how its curves complement the petals, though.
That's my point. The classic g in serif style is out of place in a sans-serif font, and as much as it looks out of place, it also looks like it's not meant to be there, as though it's an after thought not implemented cleanly.
Quote
- I wasn't too sure about blocesque. I like its simplicity, but perhaps it lacks a bit of 'soul'. Considering the 'orange wedge' was one of my original ideas... Maybe I just outgrew it. I mostly wanted to make various layouts with this logo (not simply 'logo followed with text'), but nothing struck me as interesting.
It is an evolutionary process and I think you just outgrew it.
Quote
- I'll keep the sidebar the way it is for now, then. We can always rediscuss it later. Perhaps I'll make a Without Alcohol skin where I'm simplifying the overall style.
Call it Tea. ;)
Quote
- I don't use Warm a lot either, and that's mainly why I went crazy with it a few weeks ago. Plus, the whole 'sidebar put to the very left' thing was the perfect catalyst to start working on the template skeleton system.
As ever, necessity is the mother of invention ;)
Quote
- Actually it's Wuthering I like the least... It lacks personality. This is mainly because it started as Curve, then evolved progressively into Wine and I stopped halfway. I should probably make a REAL clone of Curve (perhaps using CSS3 only, like IIRC Fustrate very cleverly did a couple of years ago), and get rid of Wuthering. Then it would give me some extra space to make a 'Very simplistic skin' (à la WordPress default skins -- i.e. mostly white stuff, no backgrounds, no CSS effects, something to use as a base or something), and then another skin that would be used on Wedge.org exclusively. (Basically something halfway between Wine and Noisen...)
To be brutally honest, I'd rather have a clone of 1.1's Core with a few subtle curves than have a clone of Curve. Don't get me wrong, Curve's nice enough but I'm just fed up of it, it just feels way too bland now it's sort of saturated. Core, though, never felt like that to me.

Having a unique site theme would be good, actually. I still miss the theme sm.org had back in 2009 before they updated and put Curve on it. It had some of the Curve vibe without actually being Curve.

Spoiler for anyone who doesn't remember. (It's the only picture I have, since I long since lost access to the theme files themselves...)

(click to show/hide)


Yes, I designed this way back, as shown in http://www.simplemachines.org/community/index.php?topic=317545.msg2109090#msg2109090
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- I agree that just using bold on the headers is not enough. Warm not only uses a different color, but also a text shadow. Overall it's not THAT important though.
No, but it's the sort of detail that elevates a design from being good to great.
Quote
One of the things that's important, IMHO, is to be able to recognized the two main needs to change an ever-evolving skin or logo:
- actually prospecting ways to improve them...
- and being bored with the current version!
If you're finding yourself unable to improve it in a given direction, it's usually a sign that the current direction is ultimately a dead end and that backtracking to find another direction is probably the answer.

Zootalaws

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Re: Logo Madness
« Reply #733, on November 5th, 2011, 04:53 PM »
I don't intend this to be a serious effort, but pissing around for 20mins produced this...

📎 wedgelogo.png - 24.13 kB, 600x184, viewed 312 times.

Nao

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Re: Logo Madness
« Reply #734, on November 6th, 2011, 01:22 AM »
Quote from Arantor on November 5th, 2011, 04:08 PM
Quote
- Any opinion on the petals? I'm not sure...?
I dunno, they just don't quite work for me.
Not at all? Too... girly, maybe?
Quote
Quote
- simple-green works great as a favicon, BTW. So far it's the best result I've had when reducing a logo to 16x16 dimensions.
Dooooooo eeeeeeet.
The favicon is already done, I'm using it on my local install...
Do you mean uploading it on wedge.org?
Quote
That's my point. The classic g in serif style is out of place in a sans-serif font,
In terms of typography history though, that 'g' is a staple, especially in the Humanist family. (Much less in Grotesque, except Franklin Gothic for instance.)
Quote
Quote
- I'll keep the sidebar the way it is for now, then. We can always rediscuss it later. Perhaps I'll make a Without Alcohol skin where I'm simplifying the overall style.
Call it Tea. ;)
Well that wouldn't start with a W... :whistle:
Quote
To be brutally honest, I'd rather have a clone of 1.1's Core with a few subtle curves than have a clone of Curve.
Hmm, sure... So, ditching Wuthering entirely and focusing on a Whore (sorry, Core :P) conversion...?
But I have to say, I haven't seen a Core in a long time... :^^;:
Quote
Don't get me wrong, Curve's nice enough but I'm just fed up of it, it just feels way too bland now it's sort of saturated. Core, though, never felt like that to me.
The idea was simply to make it easier for SMF themers to start from a base they know well. I guess Core is also such a base...
Quote
Having a unique site theme would be good, actually. I still miss the theme sm.org had back in 2009 before they updated and put Curve on it.
Heck, I miss the sm.org of yore... Circa 2003-2005 :lol:
http://web.archive.org/web/20050617025016/http://www.simplemachines.org/

Anyway...

I've updated the sidebar logo to use Helvetica + a slightly modified logo where the drop shadow is much, much more subtle. The slogan has also been updated to use Helvetica.
Go back to post #722 to compare with the earlier logo if you'd like. I'm taking a couple of days considering this one!
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