Zizi Designs LtdLogo Design Contest

Hello everyone, I am amazed by the rapid response. I have a vision of everyone rolling out of bed and over to their computers and starting to work right away. Well done! There are some beauties here, a few that do not appeal.

No. 5 is my favorite probably because of the way you used the colour with the dragonfly, No.2 is also strong but I find it a bit heavy and static.

There are some interesting ideas among the other entries, but I'll comment on each individually.

Thank you all for making a start.

Apologies, my comment about Number 2 above was meant for # by husk.

Good morning. I am so pleased with the entries so far, but I am keen to see different concepts, one of my primary motivations for running the contest.We will be launching a website soon, and our new logo will define us for wholesale and retail customers. I know it's difficult shooting in the dark, so here are some links to view a few Zizi products:

http://senduit.com/ac5983
http://senduit.com/76f04e
http://senduit.com/4a4770
http://senduit.com/784f48
http://senduit.com/c9ac47
http://senduit.com/436d85
http://senduit.com/601360
http://senduit.com/1ddd5f
http://senduit.com/01324c
http://senduit.com/05979e
http://senduit.com/a36f83

Here is also a little more about the business, so you can understand what we're about and how we hope to position ourselves:

Kenya produces a wide variety of handicrafts that would be classed as traditional crafts. The market is saturated with these items--there is a limit to how many safari souvenirs people will buy and to the number of rooms decorated with an African theme. Yet there is a huge number of people with the ability to create beautiful handcrafted items and very few jobs. And Kenyans are masters of recycling in their daily lives. We work with unemployed women to adapt traditional craft skills to the international fashion marketplace. We hope to make Kenya and our seaside town of Mombasa little cleaner and a better place to live by improving incomes.

I hope this gives you all more to get your teeth into. I'll be ranking all of your entries and giving regular feedback. Your input means a lot to the success of our company, and I am awed by all the wonderful creativity represented on this site. Have fun!

This is starting to get very interesting. thanks everyone for your submissions. Most of my comments have been tied to specific designs but you have obviously taken the time to read them. I think I know what I have in mind, but then someone offers a new take and gets the wheels turning again. the range of perspectives on this site is very valuable, especially for someone working (like me) in a place without a strong artistic community.

Please note the slogan/tagline I've added to the profile: Accessories from Africa. Please feel free to drop the Designs (maybe) and the Ltd (definitely) if it is complicating your concept.

Colour thoughts: Kaffe Fasset and Tricia Guild brights. Would like to steer clear of PASTEL rainbow schemes.

I've looked at a number of contests on this site since we began, and I have to say I think this one is shaping up as one of the most beautiful ever. The breadth and depth of talent in you designers is truly breathtaking. Choosing a design will be one of the hardest things I've ever done.

I don't want to nix the dragonfly idea, because some of you have done amazing things with that. However, I'm really intrigued by some of the different approaches that have emerged and would like to see more of that if you're turning over different concepts before jumping in.

A round of applause for a very hardworking, talented group of people. Mingi thanks!

Apologies for not ranking again today. The entries coming in now are all amazing. I'll take a look at them again in the morning with a fresh eye.

Again, I am sorry for missing another day of ranking, due to LT being under maintenance early today and construction of a new studio, now undergoing the final stages of finishing. I will do my best to rank by noon tomorrow. Please be assured I have been taking a peek at the new entries even though I was not able to write comments. If anyone feels in particular that they need more feedback, please shout!

Whew, there are many reasons to rank every day, and having to work through a backlog of excellent designs is one. I apologize for the lack of involvement in the last two days. I got a site under maintenance message from LT site a couple of times, we had a lengthy power cut on Friday and I had an appointment out of town today.

Please, do not automatically withdraw your designs if I have put them in the Not Interested column. A lot of you have been very prolific, offering many variations, and I appreciate that. It is useful to still have them in the contest to refer to any small details that might need to be incorporated into a final design, but putting them all in the ranking column makes it very difficult to deal with the large number of designs.

Having worked through my backlog of entries, I want to spend some time considering the latest ranking and send further comments and requests.

I am driving to Nairobi to drop my sons off at tennis camp tomorrow. I may have only sporadic opportunities to access the internet between now and Monday evening, when I will be back at home. Then I will be intensively hands-on for the remainder of the competition.

A good weekend to all.

Hi everyone, I haven't made a general comment in a while but just wanted to touch base and say thank you to everyone for all of your wonderful work. I am hoping that some of you will still follow up some of my comments regarding colour, etc. One designer has said that he is too busy with other work to complete his design by the deadline.

I MAY extend the contest by a few days, not because I am unhappy with the quality of the entries and necessarily fishing for more designs but because of my schedule in the next few days, which has me traveling (and unable to access internet) for an inconveniently long period in the middle of what should be the judging period. If anyone has a great new idea, I would of course love to see it. The judging will be difficult because there are so many beautiful designs that COULD work, so perhaps that is the reason there is not yet a single design that has jumped up and said I AM IT. You are all very talented, and I thank you again for entering the Zizi contest.

I have extended the contest for five days. I will check the status of your entries and give feedback as I am able in the next few days, but regret that I will not have predictable access to the internet. I'll be back in the office Tuesday and ready for judging mode next Wednesday. All the best!

apologies to all for not ranking the last two days. I've taken a quick peak at the new entries and there are some lovely things. my internet access is limited at the moment, so please be patient with me for another day. I will be back in my office and able to do a proper review on Tuesday. thank you for all of your wonderful creative work.

Thanks all for your patience for my delays in ranking. I am now back in the office but Kenya has just announced 3-day a week electricity rationing (global warming plus deforestation = no hydro power). I am sure this will mean some erratic internet access but rest assured I am on the case. This has been a wonderful contest. Thank you all so much for participating.

Now that the competition is in judging mode, I'd just like to thank all of you for your stunning, amazing entries., especially those of you who were so prolific including Ujang, Lapinoonette, Alberto Amuedo, and Ilkay. Zizi Designs is truly spoilt for choice and making a decision will be very difficult.

Again, we are facing some problems here with our drought and electricity rationing. There may be some delays due to reduced access to the internet, but I will do my best to get any requests for revisions to you in the next couple of days.

Extended

HI, I think there's some misunderstanding. My competition was already in judging mode, the extension was for a second week of judging. I can't accept new entries from anyone other than my number 1 ranked designer, according to the rules. I will comment on the new designs received out of courtesy, but please don't send more!

Thank you to all of the designers who contributed to the Zizi contest. Your work was really breathtaking, and some of you were amazingly prolific. I truly feel that you gave the competition everything you had, and our business will be much the better for it.

I also want to apologize for extending both contest and judging mode to the maximum allowed. I know this long drawn-out process is harder for everyone than a quick contest. Unfortunately, with power rationing here, I was sometimes able to access the site only every third day, which was a real handicap to decision making.

Thanks for persevering, all of you, and best wishes for your future competitions.