The Chancery DailyLogo Design Contest

Although our publication is legal in nature, we are not interested in having the scales of justice, a blindfolded woman holding a sword, or a gavel portrayed in our logo.

I appreciate the designs proposed to date. I intentionally did not include very detailed design specifications initially because, while I had something specific in mind, I wanted to see what types of alternatives the creative participants might come up with. Generally, though, the design minimally includes (1) a ship, (2) guided by a lighthouse having the characteristic features of the Fenwick Island lighthouse (shown in two uploaded reference images), (3) in a crest. Designs lacking that minimal feature set are unfortunately not useful. Designs that abstract those to the point of being merely symbolic, such as three triangles representing the sails of a ship, are also not useful.

As noted, the design should be black and white. More specifically, it should be a black line drawing on a white background. Large black-filled areas are not desired - for example, the ship's sails should be rendered as outlines, as opposed to filled shapes. The words "The Chancery Daily" need not be featured in the design. The slogan "Aequitas Lux Mea" would preferably be incorporated -- my original conception was to have it included on a banner or ribbon, as some designers have already implemented it, perhaps wrapping or draping over the crest. Having seen the variations on ship design, I prefer those based on the uploaded "sailing ship.jpg" reference image -- a two-masted schooner -- which is classically symbolic of commerce. Sail boats are not consistent with the intended message. With respect to the "crest" element, I anticipated crests used in classic heraldry, such as shields, as opposed to basic shapes such as circles or squares. That said, some of the designs using circles are very nicely done.

I am going to try to add another reference image that best illustrates the "line drawing" composition that I have in mind, titled "Logo.jpg," which is a derivation of the seal of the Delaware Court of Chancery. The point of uploading this is to illustrate the "line drawing" qualities required. Other than the crest, which is closer to what was originally envisioned, the elements are not intended as design references. The preferred design for the ship is the uploaded "sailing ship.jpg" image, not the ship in the "Logo.jpg" image. The composition should be simple, outline drawings of the elements, without significant internal detail. Some of our intended uses of the logo will be fairly small, and internal detail will not be discernible. Elements such as water or light may be stylized, like the water in the "Logo.jpg" image.

Of the submissions so far, some are flat and some portray depth. The design as originally envisioned had depth, with the ship in the foreground and the lighthouse in the distance -- though the characteristic features of the Fenwick Island lighthouse are important, so the lighthouse should not be so distant that its features are imperceptible in a full-size rendering. Alternatively, the lighthouse could be in the foreground, and only the top half, or the top shown, and the ship in the distance. I do not have a firm preference -- it would be interesting to see some design variations changing the depth of the elements.

Hello,

Since the contest is now in the Top 5 phase, only the top 5 ranked designers can submit new entries or refinements of your preferred entries. If you are interested in seeing more submissions/variations, please rank the existing entries according to your preference.

Thank you

Admin approved based on community ranking. Client did not rank and did not respond to emails from Support.