This is the first of several concepts I will be uploading for you. This is the first 'batch' -- will be uploading more as the contest progresses.
Please note: I noticed you did not wish to have any religious symbols in these designs, so I have built upon meanings associated with your name and your mission. To ignite -- to provide a catalyst to ignite the hearts of believers and non-believers alike. To bring every person to their knees in passionate worship, passionate living. I believe this is what your church and your church's mission stands for.
I've included a match, ignited -- a catalyst has been used; the match is lit. Much like the hearts of the congregation you are building and will continue to build throughout the years.
I just want to give you a perspective on why people are continuing to submit crosses even after your public comments stated you wanted otherwise.
You made those statements, yet kept a cross-containing design at first place. It's not that people don't read your comments...it's just that in the crowdsourcing world, oftentimes a Client will say one thing is not what they want.....then, ironically, the thing they said they didn't want ends up being chosen as a winner. The longer you keep a cross-containing/religious-esque design at first place, the more people stop listening to your words and see your actions as the thing to listen to. So sorry to have to tell you this; unfortunately, there is a long history of Clients saying they don't want something....then winding up choosing that something as the winner.
I've noticed you have logged onto your account a few times since I left these comments, and since I uploaded. I do not know if you realize I am commenting in this area for you; I'm told that each Client gets an e-mail that a private area comment has been made by a Designer. I sincerely hope that notification system is up and running.
I've just uploaded an alternate version of the concept I uploaded previously. I hope you like it! :)
Even if you do not, please let me know why you feel the way you do. I'm tough; I can take it, honest. :)
Feedback is critical, in any design project. It keeps the project moving forward. No feedback is useless, unless it is vague and doesn't say what it is really trying to say. So please -- be brutally honest with me. As straightforward as you wish. Whether that is positive or otherwise, to give you a logo design you prefer I need to know your thoughts. No submission is a 'final' submission; it's a concept that is meant to be refined and adjusted over time. Each submission is a "starting point." :) And I can introduce brand new ones, too!! :)
God bless, take care. Looking forward to your thoughts.
Thank you so much for your comments. I recognize the seeming inconsistency with having communicated not wanting a cross but ranking logos with crosses in the top 4. This is a process and although the designers haven't captured our vision completely, those logos with crosses (Ranks 3 &4) offer an aesthetic that we appreciate outside of the fact that they include a cross. I will make sure to communicate that to them in my comments.
I will also offer you some feedback on your submissions later today.
I very much appreciate what you've submitted so far.
I really appreciate your style and am very interested in what you will come up with in your secondary revisions.
I love the idea of a match in that it is synonymous with the name catalyst and I think you executed that idea very well.
Some things for you to think about.
Certain churches and organizations look to "ignite a fire" meaning they attempt to be big and loud and attract many people. They are attempting to spread their reach as far and as fast as possible. All of this is synonymous with a match and the idea of a wild fire.
Despite our name, this is somewhat different from our heart and vision. I'd like to refer to our top three ideals in a logo: #1 - Authenticity – What you see is what you get. Not pretentious #2 - Community - Connectedness to God and others in the city #3 - The City - Downtown metropolitan San Diego
Our hope is to be a community that brings people in rather than spreads outward. This is true at least for now. That said, I really like what youve done so far with the match stick idea. Can you think of anything else that would represent the three ideals we have and place it in the center as you have with the matchstick.
I have just uploaded another concept. Similar to this one. Have kept the matchstick idea; refined it a little.
Added a symbol that represents the San Diego skyline, to represent your need to express your connection with the city of San Diego in your identity. Have also placed a heart inside the badge logo I've just uploaded, to represent your connectedness to both God and others in the city. Placed a "C" to represent many things -- your name (Catalyst), Connectedness, and City. It's there to be used as you see fit. :)
Will continue to upload versions with alternate fonts, decorations within the badge logo (any circle-like logo I'm referring to as a 'badge,' by the way) such as little dots and dashes and geometric shapes, and the like.
I am also working on a non-badge version that includes a focus on the skyline first and foremost; will be uploading that either tonight or tomorrow.
Looking forward to hearing your thoughts on this upload. :) The submission number is #48...
FYI -- anytime you use a # sign before a number, the system automatically assumes you are referring to a submission number, and retrieves the slide in your contest that corresponds with that number, and makes it a 'live link' -- so when you mouse over it, a slide appears from your contest that had a logo submission on it corresponding to that number. :)
Meant to mention this earlier: the "C" in the logo may also represent Christ; Christ is at the top, at the "head of the church" so to speak. It's another way to express God's presence without blatant christian symbols. And also because of the flexibility of the meaning of the "C" it is able to express many things. :)
I've just submitted several variations of the badge concept I uploaded earlier.
In slide #59, I have gone further with the concept of igniting the hearts of believers with passion -- through a catalyst -- and made the heart itself on fire.
In slide #73, I have isolated the symbol I developed to represent the city of San Diego, and centered that within the badge.
In slide #74, I have made a unique symbol for you; it is a combination of the sun, of a blossoming flower, a star, and an abstract approach to the cross. It is a combination of many aspects of these elements. I made it familiar, yet vague, to evoke a response within the viewer.
In slide #75, I have refined the concept of a lit match, and fine-tuned its shape and presence to reach the viewer more effectively. It is far more aesthetically pleasing than its former version.
In slide #76, I have built upon the need to express connectedness. Specifically, interconnectedness, a union and joining between two entities. Whether this means a connection between God and parishoners, between each and every parishoner within your congregation, between parishoners and non-believers, between your church and other churches, between parishoners who run businesses and new clients at networking events, between parishoners and the city, between parishoners and the world at large, or between your church and unexpected new opportunities....whatever the case may be, this submission has a **ton** of flexibility! Lots and lots and lots of applications here, with #76.
I will continue to submit more variations, including the one I spoke of earlier (that alternate concept and its variations will have to be submitted tomorrow -- Thursday).
Feel free to let me know what you think of these. :) No matter what -- please let me know your thoughts. Don't hold back, whether it's positive or negative. I can work with feedback; whatever it may turn out to be, feedback will help me to continue to develop better alternatives if needed, or continue to refine the ones we have here until we get the best logo possible.
Your designs are definitely catching my eye. I'd like to experiment some more and offer suggestions based on what I've seen.
After talking with our team they would like to explore having you design a cross within the logo.
I'd kind of like you wot work off of #74 - what I'd like you to do is come up with a cross design that's modern and decorative (Similar to the San Francisco City Church logo). We'd like the cross to be symmetrical, meaning the vertical and horizontal beams are the same length. We'd also like the cross to be the only thing within the badge. Could you take the badge and set it next to "Catalyst Church" with San Diego beneath that.
If you could submit 2 or 3 options with the changes described, we'd really appreciate it.
My apologies for not uploading that concept earlier; still working on it. Will upload that as soon as possible. Today most definitely. Once again, my apologies. I'll leave a note here immediately after I upload, to let you know it's available for you to view.
I've uploaded the first of a few variations on a cross within the logo.
Entries #99 and #100 both incorporate an organic and even-handed, clean look to them. I've included the icon in its own in entry #100, so you may see how it looks up close. :)
The four centered dots: they are not merely decorative; they an abstraction of human figures. As connectedness is listed as part of your church's mission and goals, connection is important to display. Your church is connecting to other people, the people who make up your city, and the world around you. This is key. :)
If you'll notice, each head is resting atop raised arms; these arms are lifted in praise, in the motion of hugging, and...in a subtle form, those arms form a 'heart' shape to indicate your love for humanity. Christ's love, shown by His sacrifice on the cross.
The inner portion of the cross has an even-handed feel as well. The ends of each point are rounded off in a 'burst' shape -- much like emotion, light, and water bursts forth.
With the font, I've included a similar look and feel to City Church's typeface. In fact, I'd be willing to bet I am using the exact same typeface for "City Church"; the typeface for "San Diego" is not the same, however. It is similar, yet not exact.
More variations and concepts including the use of a stylized and/or abstracted cross are coming. :)
And as always, please let me know what you think of these designs. Your feedback is highly anticipated. :) It helps to know if we are on the right path. If so, great! If not, time is of the essence; we only have so much time to spend together in this contest, and I'd prefer to maximize our chances of getting the best logo designed for you before the contest ends. :)
You came up with such a solid design with #99. A couple suggestions on that, could you increase the space between the letters so that "San Diego" is spread out a bit more.
My team really loves #99 but I happen to love what you did with the city buildings badge because I think it really communicates the city we live in.
Would you mind experimenting and coming up with more options like #73 but in the layout of #99. Meaning placing a city logo within the badge and text beside it.
Thank you for your willingness to flexibility in working with us in this process.
So, just wondering: if the team loves my design -- #99 -- as much as you mentioned, what is holding it back from being first ranked? I see no qualities you asked for in the currently first place rank. What about that design trumps mine? :)
The type used in my submission, #99...is exceptionally close to the City Church logo. I would have hoped that my meeting your requirements previously would have ranked it at first. So please, elaborate on why the qualities you asked me to include are no longer something you'll rank at first place, while a design that is not close to what you asked for previously is top ranked. Please explain that, as I do not wish to keep going in a direction you will never rank first.
I ranked the other design number 1 simply because their design caught my eye and I had provided them with no feedback whatsoever. I wanted to encourage them to continue to create in the way I've encouraged you. The ranking system is in essence a compliment to a designers direction and I simply wanted to compliment them in the way that we've complimented you.
We're also inching our way closer to the top 5 portion of the tournament and i'm simply trying to encourage all of the designers I see potential in.
You're doing great, please stay encouraged.
Your design is exactly what the team wanted, but as the lead on this, I also have to filter our process and you're right when you say, #99 is very close to city church's logo.
This is all a part of the process that I'm sure you're used to. Please know, it's not my intention to frustrate you. I've communicated with you far more than any other designer in this process. That should communicate something to you.
This does help a lot; thank you for the explanation.
In the crowdsourcing world, it is so incredibly *difficult* to get a feel for the Client's headspace. So, I probe; time is of the essence, and if there is no clear direction or no lining up of interests with the skill of the designer, a logo 'fail' occurs. I hope you understand that my asking for your thoughts was to gain greater understanding, and to get you the logo you really desire most...as quickly and as best as possible. If we waste time at any poin in this contest, we miss the chance to create a beautiful logo. Hope you understand my motivation for asking, and are not offended in the least.
Ironically, I was just finishing up spacing out the lettering tonight. As you have probably noticed, I've been experimenting with the "city in the icon" approach a bit more.
The latest variation is made up of the city skyline I submitted earlier; I've combined the skyline complete with windows in a rotating, repeating fashion. The arms of the cross are city buildings. :) I have also kept many of the decorations within the badge from previous entries. Various versions of this new concept were uploaded earlier tonight as standalone icons. The finished version of that concept with type is entry #184. :)
The type was spaced out for both entries. :) Hope you like it.
And, the new version of 99 is now #185. :)
What do you think? Please let me know. Hope you're having a great night!
So...I'm a perfectionist. Bad habit for me, but works out well for you. :) I adjusted the amount of contrast present in the icon to enhance greater scalability -- so it will look better at smaller sizes. :) Newest entry: #190.
Sorry, had inadvertently 'hidden' (temporarily eliminated) a graphic element within the icon in my rush to upload...it's now been restored to visible status. I'll stop messing with it now, I swear.... :)
So, I'm really excited, and hoping you like the designs I created for you. What are your thoughts on these? What can I do to refine them further for you? Do you have a favorite? :)
Entry #227 is fabulously *clean* -- even moreso than #217. I know that it may not immediately be obvious, but I guarantee you the new version (#227) is far more balanced and better at shrinking to smaller sizes. The waves in #227 are exquisitely balanced, and have exceptionally clean linework. No distortion. Fabulously smooth -- they flow, and do it well. To see what the icon of #227 looks like up close, please view the larger version of it; that entry is #229. :)
Also, please note: if you settle on the circle background, please consider choosing #193 over #99; the kerning between letters is exactly as you wanted (with #193). And the icon within #193 is far better at shrinking to smaller sizes than the former version. :)
Noticed it needed a teeeeeeensy bit more spacing between the water and the city. Just a tiny, extremely tiny amount. But it made a difference enough that it needed to be re-done. So I did it. :)
Entries have all been replaced. Even the entry without water, as I wanted to tweak its position a bit more. :)