#5 Anna, This is beautiful. I appreciate how you paid attention to my color palette, created a design that looks like something I've actually made (I never would have thought of this!) and even the bail you used looks like the ones I use. It's very clever to have part of my name as the cord on the pendant. I have some comments.
First, I'm not sure I want the logo to be so specific to jewelry as I also sell home goods. This is something that I never thought of and I'm still considering. However, I could envision having two final designs that look very similar...one like this and one with the same type of design but it's a "dish" not a pendant. In that case, I could use the jewelry one on the labels I use for gift boxes, etc. that are jewelry specific and the other for business cards and home goods. So, I'd like to see a similar design that's not a pendant. (I haven't ruled this one out yet though!).
Second, the font is a little too curly for me, and the "K" is too hard to read. Is there a cleaner font that is still script like but not quite so fancy (more like what's in design #5, but of course, not that exact font)?
Finally, I'd like to see a design where the entire business name is written in the cobalt blue.
Thank you so much for entering and I look forward to more to come!
#6 - I didn't expect such a different second design, and again, using the idea of a piece I made. Here are my comments.
First, I don't care for the shape or the use of the "C" in the middle.
Second, I'm also not sure about the mosaic idea for the logo because mosaic is not really representative of my body of work. I think I prefer the colors and design in the pendant. You can also look at the top right picture on my home page (it's half blue and half squiggles...I'm thinking the squiggles part) or the top picture on the "About CKD" page for other ideas of my more typical designs.
Third, this font seems a little formal. So somewhere between this and the one in #5 will be perfect. (and in my comments above, I meant to refer to design #4)
Fourth, it doesn't have "designs" in the name, and that is part of the full name so that will need to be in any future designs. I also don't need the "one of a kind".
Fifth, I liked the "home-jewelry-decor" and use of different colors for each word (though I'd choose different colors) and would consider that as a possibility in future designs.
#7 is meant to be the melting glass. So you are not tied to a particular object. Also this implies the process it takes to create your beautiful jewelry, which by the way is amazing! I was salivating over it just now :)
Thanks for the wonderful complement about my work. That means a lot! I’m going to comment on all of the designs, but I don’t expect you to change them all. There are two front runners and I’m just tweaking the designs slightly and working on the fonts.
#5 – this is still one of our favorites. But there are still a few tweaks we’d like to see.
First, we like the way the cord is connected to the “C” in my name, and we like the font (it’s playful) but we don’t like the “K”. Is there a different K we can try with the same “Carolyn”? Also, we would like to see it with the font you used in #9, but where the cord is connected to the top of the “C”.
Second, the piece looks a little “flat”. We love the highlight you used in #7 (it makes it look like it’s shining glass) and wondered if you could add some of that to this piece also. We’d also like to see if you could do something to make the surface look more rounded like you see on most of pendants or on the magnets on the home section of my webpage. That might be accomplished, in part, with the highlights I mentioned.
Third, we’d like to see it with more of a reflection than a shadow, as if it were sitting on white Lucite and you saw a little of it in the reflection. I don’t know if it’s the coloring, or the cleaner line (the rest looks more fluid like brush strokes), so I’m hoping you can make a minor adjustment there.
#7 – we like the design and the shape. It does look like flowing glass would. We also like the highlights. Here are some changes we’d like to see.
First, I don’t like the blockiness of the font in the “arolyn”. You could try the font from #8 or #9 (in color).
Second, I’d like to see what it looks like with the drop to the side of the name, like in #5.
Third, the top of the teardrop (where it’s just medium blue and turquoise) looks different from the rest of the teardrop.
#8 – something about the plate looks flat, and the teardrop is more interesting, so we’re not going to work on this more right now.
#9 – we’d like to see the font with the cord connected to the “C”, but that’s discussed above in #5.
#16 – I think I prefer the design moving vertically (as in #5 and #9) better than horizontally as you did here. So no need to work on this design at this time. But, can the font be done not italics? I’m getting drawn to the non-italicized cursive fonts. If so, we could try that font with the revised design #5 or #7, our two favorites.
Two general things that you could try it after the tweaks with #5. One is that I’d like to see the “home-jewelry-décor” (from #6 but in the colors used in #5) in the design, to see if I like it with this design. That would help deal with the fact that it’s jewelry in the image. The second is that almost all of the designs I have been given (by you and others) emphasizes my name and minimizes the “designs” part of the name. This is something I had not thought of before I started seeing the logos and I’m still undecided about how I feel about it. So, I’d like to see what you’d come up with if you kept the full business name (Carolyn K. Designs) all the same font, size, color, etc., as a full name. I may not like it, but I’d like to see it so I know.
Finally, I don’t know what the rules are about borrowing ideas from other designers, but I clearly feel that someone copied your very original design. Minor tweaks I understand, but not whole concepts. I won’t be using their design, so no need to worry. On the other hand, I know that fonts are often publicly available, and there is a font another designer has used that I really like. Let me know if you’re able to use it or if we just still need to find one that seems perfect.
It’s great working with you, I hope I’m not being too much of a pain. I’ve never done this before and they say to write detailed comments, so that’s what you’re getting!
Anna, I have one more request. I talked to some friends today about the designs. They suggested trying the image from #5 with the font from #6, still trying to connect the ribbon through the bail to the "C". Thanks for trying!
#38 and #39 - I know you're working on these right now. It's an improvement, but a couple of things. - I don't like the "star" at the top left. It looks fake. - There appear to be two "dots" or spots in the lower right on the turquoise. I don't like those. - I see you tried the reflection, but it doesn't really look like the image. It appears to be a horizontal blue line above a horizontal green line, and there's nothing in the image that's horizontal. Is there a way to make look like a real reflection?
Thanks for connecting the ribbons to the "C" and changing the K. Still a work in progress.
Thank you, Anna! I really appreciate your efforts. What a quick change. I really like the the highlights look, as well as the drop shadows and the new fonts. Here are a few more tweaks. Sorry!
#40 - we like the font, but prefer it in the darker blue for the "Carolyn K", and maybe the turquoise for the "Designs". Please also add the drop shadow you used in #44. That was a great addition. It really looks like it's floating!
#41 - I'd like to try to add the "home-jewelry-decor" under "designs" in the same colors you used for #42 and #43. I'm not sure three lines will work, but want to see it.
Thanks again. We seem to keep the same late hours!
Carolyn
#43 - It looks good (the shadow, font, etc.), but I'd like to see the "designs" under the "Carolyn K", as in #40, but still keep the "home-jewelry-decor". Again, we'll see if the three lines works.
#42 and #44 don't say "designs". Any logo needs to have that since that's part of the business name. But now that we've seen the font in #42, we don't love it, and the changes that would be needed for #44 are what I've suggested for #40, so there's no need to work on either of these any more.
Yes, in some ways they did. What I really like is the colors. It actually looks like the piece I'm wearing right now, which is one of my favorites (and not on my website). That's why I ranked it highly. I also liked the font. I don't think you and I are done with things because I still really like your design as do many of my friends who have weighed in. This is a process, new to me, and after much thought about the rules, I feel a "pendant" may be considered an "obvious" concept as described below. I've really enjoyed working with you and your prompt responses, as well as your desire to work with me. I hope that continues. I'm still very enamored with your design.
No, pendant is open to all. I have no problem with that. But string going to form one of the letters is my concept. Borrowing other people's concepts is not allowed and is overall unethical.
Feel free to upload a pic of your pendant as a reference.
Sorry for the quick note before. i was running out to an appointment. I don't have a pic of my pendant. I've got other appointments today, but as soon as I get a break, I'll try to take a pic and send it to you. It was pure coincidence that that piece he/she designed used the same colors (you'll see the design is different) of this pendant.
So sorry about the string thing. I still do love that part of your design and think it was very creative. So I can understand your being upset. You have been so wonderful to work with and the last thing I wanted to do was to damage that relationship in any way.
The photo of the pendant is not very good...I don't have the right lighting set up. It's much brighter and more vibrant in person. But here's a link anyway.
I'm smiling since you've now created images of two of my favorite pendants. These are pieces in my personal collection...not for sale!
#81 - I like the multi-colored palette of this design, but it's very dark. If there's a way to brighten it up, that will be great. I'm concerned that when printed small (and sometimes I use small print), it will be too dark and you won't be able to make out the detail.
I thought the way you looped the pendant through the letters was interesting, as was the treatment of "designs". However, if we use a pendant as a design element, it will need to have the "home-jewelry-decor" tag line. I'm not sure that can fit in the current layout. One way may be to put the "designs" under "Caro" and then wrap the "home-jewelry-decor" around the pendant like a "U". Also, with many of your other layouts (like that in #41 for example), the "image" is bigger and that may also make it look less dark. Finally, I use small labels (like return address labels) on the back of earring cards and on gift boxes and I think a more horizontal design might fit better for many treatments...maybe we'll end up with two versions of the same design for different purposes!
I think it's an image we can work with.
Here's an idea...a brighter more vibrant version of the image in #81, the layout of #41, the font of #81 and/or #44 and the tag line of #44. Another option would be to use the image, but not make it a pendant.
Thanks for writing. I’m sorry if I have misunderstood any rules of LT. I have had “jewelry home décor” on my business cards and marketing materials since my business started years ago. If the rules don’t allow another designer to use those words in a different order because you came up with that alternative order (albeit, not realizing I already used them), then I will ask anyone else, if they use them, to use them in the order I have been using them. I had assumed that since I’ve been using those words already in my material, they weren’t an issue for LT, so I’m sorry if I was mistaken. In the meantime, I’ve asked the other designer to remove that line.
Also, I don’t know if our paths had crossed on my previous note to you (from 12/9 at 9pm), but since I haven’t seen a new design, I wanted to make sure you had seen my note and suggested tweaks.
I’d just like to clarify…does that mean that the tag line can’t be used in any order, or just the order you came up with?
As for the design of the pendant in #82, can you envision a design where you use that “look”, as a pendant or not, but with the colors more vibrant? I don’t mind the “black background” necessarily, but maybe the colors could be brightened so that the colors “pop” more. Or maybe if it was larger, as in #41 it would look brighter. When I print it at home (which I know is not exactly how it will look when printed professionally), it just comes across as too dark. I’m just brainstorming here so that we can continue to develop this interesting image you created.
Thank you for the additional designs. They definitely seem to "pop" more than before. I prefer the look in #93, where the "pieces of glass" within the image are distinct and more straight edged, than in #94 where they are more curved and blended. But I prefer the rectangle shape in #94. I also prefer the layout of #93 because it needs to have the full business name of "Carolyn K. Designs". I'd like to try this with a much thinner black border, and a more dense grouping of "pieces of glass" so that you see even less of the background. That doesn't necessarily mean more pieces, but just that they are closer together. In the business, those top pieces of glass are called "dichroic", it's what "sparkles", and I'd like more of that in there. I think they might have even been denser in #82, but they pop more in #93.