I LIKE THE OUTLINE OF THE STATE OF ARIZONA IN #10, AND WOULD LIKE TO SEE HOW OTHER ENTRIES WORK IN THIS IMAGE WITHIN CENTER OF LOGO SIMILAR TO ENTRIES #5 AND #6, WHERE THE BOOK/KNOWLEDGE IMAGE IS EMBEDDED IN THE STATE OUTLINE. PERHAPS DESIGNER COULD PUT LOOK UP AN IMAGE OF ARIZONA STATE FLAG FOR IDEAS. I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO SEE HOW THE REVERSE COLOR LOOKS WITH STATE OUTLINE FROM #10/#9 FOR CONTRAST. NO STICK PEOPLE OR SWIRLS!
I like #12 best, and #13 without the figure in the middle. Perhaps a little dot in the place on the state map where Phoenix is on this design. I also like #10, only please remove the figures, and can you use the color palette from our primary logo found here: http://lifedevelopmentinstitute.org/
For the final design, we also request two versions from the finalists – one for white background and one for dark background, so that I can overlay more easily a dark background version on top of a photo for banner promotions, etc.
I also thought that at the top of each column from your "shield" designs, that other icons such as cap/book/diploma/similar on one column representing knowledge or learning and on the other an icon representing work/success/skills. That way, it is incorporated without taking away for the central imagery.
Thanks for the new submissions, check out our updated rankings and if possible, send us some redesign based on the new rankings. We are not in agreement with a traditional shield design, and appreciate work done to date on that theme. If you can or want to make a stab at it, I would love to see what you come up with!