Information Softworks, Inc.Logo Design Contest

What would "digital gears" look like?

I'm also warming up to "solutio ex machina", I would be interested in designs that incorporated that instead of the woefully stale "expert information blah blah blah"

LOL, sorry, that post was supposed to be in the general category, and I just mis-posted it here. I meant it as a muse for the logo, not copy.

DOH! previous post was supposed to go on #2 comment page. Oh, the humanity!

#12 big points for simplicity. Like the small-caps (like the website). Logo is very interesting, but if you focus on the core being a cylinder, it seems to have a 3-pronged fork (http://www.optical-illusions.in/wp-content/uploads/2008/03/3d_optical_illusion_pronged_trident.jpg) feel.

FWIW, I'm about 85% sure the winning entry will be a left-to-right logo-text entry (like #12 as opposed to #20), and the two-line (3 line with slogan) seem to be turning out better in general (maybe 75%?).

Please use "Solutio ex Machina" for slogan, despite what I said before.

Also, "Inc." is turning out to be a bust. It hangs on like a 5th wheel every time. Don't feel compelled to keep it if it butchers your design.

I just re-sorted. To help simplify, I have kept only my favorite version of a particular theme, but am very much interested in some of the features of similar designs that have been moved to "not interested". If you would like to withdraw some of the entries, please leave the ones that are variations on ones in the ranked area.

If it would be more helpful to simply rank them all, or if there is anything else I can do to help, let me know.

design conjuction you might want to check this:
https://logotournament.com/account/entries?fc=316
Remove that or i will get your a$$ banned from every freelance site i know in this world.
And believe me, you will not be the first in my bag!

Also, please remove #37, is too close to novilabs logo:
http://logopond.com/gallery/detail/45714

Ulahts, when i go to that link i see my entries from delta outdoor contest but i shure now what are you talking about.. He is doing that all the time and that not cool.
I think we should continue this isue on forum.

I think this should be brought to public to discredit theft and copycats.

I agree.

I think it's worth bringing up to the CH where it occurs. If it is brought to my attention, and verifiable, I , for one, will make sure the entries are not finalists, and if it was consistent with a particular designer, boot all the offender entries, no matter how cool [their copies of someone else's work] are. :/

in designjunction's defense, there are clearly a large, but finite number of things you can do with 300x200px by 24bit color (specifically about 1e12). Subset that to "things with triangles" and sooner or later some will start to look alike. In this case, it's not going to be in the top 5 in it's current form anyway, so I'll leave it for now for whatever value it may have as a guide to what I'm looking for.

In any case though, it is good to know. No CH wants a logo that is a virtual copy of someone else's.

=== CONTEST RESET ===

Ok, So variations of Mare's entry have been at #1 forever (well, actually less than a day), but that entry has enjoyed a half dozen revisions, that the other's generally have not. And, it is about as good as it's going to get.

Meanwhile, I had an epiphany this morning. I have wanted to include themes of digital/computer/database (tuna can cylinder, ala wolv's #48, or the ubiquitious "square bits", like designjunction's #36 or #41) and mechanization/automation (e.g. gears e.g. ulahts #44, or Genesis #15). My idea was to have a jumble of [square-]bits at one side "processed" by a (or between two) gear(s) into a straight, equally-spaced line of bits. If I were to sum up our business in a single logo, this would be it.

The real challenge is to keep the simplicity high (maybe showing only a few teeth of a larger gear?), and using shape with one or two colors and no gradients to imply any 3rd dimension features (e.g. logeko's #40). I don't know if this is even possible, but I thought I'd float it out there.

I was just perusing this thread https://logotournament.com/forum/General%20Discussion/29, and just wanted to say that I see feedback as a two-way street, If you see me making requests, or suggestions that are retarded (allow me to direct you to my clashing choice of blue and yellow, and the insomnia-curing "expert information systems consulting"), I would appreciate a hint. It will save us both a lot of wasted time and money.

I didnt noticed any retarded question or suggestion from you and i would shure tell you if i got one of those.

Now that's just not fair. The guy who finally unseats your first-place entry (#59), is you (#62) :)

ok will submit no more... :)

#62 is great! good job mare.

Thx grafix.

Yep, I have to concur with grafixsphere.

I know the best designers here take pride in not sniping another designer's ideas, but I'm hoping that given my "geared bits" specification above, there is still room for a lot of designs that could hit that target, and still not be considered simply a warmed-over #62. Alternatively, the bits becoming part of the "S" I would consider exclusively Mare's

For more direction, it occurred to me this morning that I would probably be inclined to use a reduced version of just the gears as a favicon, so simplicity is still at a BIG premium, and I could also envision commissioning an animated loop (3-5 frames?, what would the logistics be for this?), of it to use as a "Processing..." icon. (though I must admit, #62 would look pretty cool for this).

One angle may be to use only one gear against a baseline, and only 120 degrees or so of the gear (and only up to the chord across it), rather than the whole gear(s). Is this too specific?

Thanks for U feedback! :)

Ouch, it looks like Tyler is doing some developments behind courtains...so the links are broken.
Please see designdisjunction's entries and you will figure it out which ones i am talking. :)

Mare has has shown me there is a fine line between "processing" (#62, #85), and "grinding something up" (#78). I still think this line of thought is really on to something, but it adds yet another thing to think about.

#80 get's a high rank because of it's simplity, and use of two-color 3D (e.g. #40), but would still need to figure out how to integrate "digital/data-processing" to push it ahead.

#76 & #80 point out there is some useful things that can be done on the inside of a gear, but have to be judicious to keep it from getting too busy.

#83 gets high simplicity points, and general likeability. I am thinking about a horizontal flip (so it points to the name), and adding some minimalist drawing to evoke a geared "and" gate (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:And.svg), which may help squeeze in the data-processing angle without the complexity of "data bits"

This has worked out even better than I had expected. It has really helped me refine what it is I'm looking for, and the submissions have all been great. I don't know how it feels from the designer perspective, but for the CH, it's extremely efficient and productive. So, in summary, It looks like the the high-ranking design features are, in order, (again, despite what I naively said before):

1) Gears/mechanization
2) Information/data processing ("and" gate? "data bits"? (but watch out for "information grinding"))
3) two-color 3D (if used)
4) overall simplicity, partly because of:
4a) usability [of some part of the logo] as favicon
4b) usability in monochrome (*new)
5) bonus: integrating aviation theme (most have been using propeller, but wings, airy curves are good too). It's more to serve as an inside secret than really useful, so it's not worth added complexity.

A lot of designs are embedding initials. I can see the value in establishing a brand identity and linking the logo to the company, but have otherwise dragged my feet about it, or preferred a more subtle representation (#88 #112) than direct (#104 #105). What do you think is the role of initials in the logo? I'd be interested to hear opinions.

Also ulahts example of favicons in #97 is appreciated. If [some portion of] your design lends itself to favicon reduction, an example (32x32 & 16x16) in the corner of your entry would really help me visualize that.

" an example (32x32 & 16x16) in the corner of your entry would really help me visualize that."

Unfortunatly that is not alowed in this site, only 1 logo in entry, so i think i better to submit it like Ulahts did in separate entry 3 diferent sizes.

I wonder Mare,
If i wouldn't have submited my entry #94 would you still have had the idea behind #117? :(

Ulahts you know that im not a copycat and i hate copying.

Ulahts, if Mare had not submitted 12 revisions of #63, would you have selected three curves for #94? I actually see his #117 as trying to include the extensive work he did coming up with #63. If Mare came out of nowhere and busted out with that as his first entry, I'd give it more consideration, but since he has, from the beginning, been working harder than anyone trying to figure out what it is I want, I'm inclined to give him the benefit of the doubt.

I think that we have to realize that at this point, we are in a pretty small box, so there is is going to be a lot of overlap as we approach my [as yet unknown] ideal form. Besides, I ranked your in the top two, so relax :)

Although the system forces a ranking, I consider #117 and #124 basically tied for first. #124 presents a very clean professional design incorporating most of the requirements, but #117 is more expressive of the core business, although at the expense of a little added complexity. Sorry I can't be more decisive just now, but I'll get it sorted by tomorrow, with plenty of time left.

I don't think that he would ever thought of that, but there is a very small chance that he would.
I am not saying that he stoled / copy my idea but he completely borrowed the concept of placing the swirl in the gear and making three components gathering into a gear - as you can see he hardly tried in his #98, after he had seen my submission. ;) Again, Mare, i am not saying you copied the concept but my entry inspired you and those are two different things leading in the same point some way. ;)
That what i was trying to convey.
___
Maybe this is the only reason i would apply for hidden submissions.
By me - and i am not full of my self - ideas are my strongest weapon and in this business is a leathal weapon :) , so somehow it should be protected even in it's finest parts - borrowing ideas, slight variations and so on.

Cheers
Emi

Ulahts, im not going to argue with you and certenly wount affened you in any way couse i dont like to do that staf and i think that Paulwehr has said everything and you definitly spoil the hole contest for me!

Here is one interesting link when we're talking about borrowing.
http://99designs.com/contests/9357/entries/643587

Cheers,
Mare

Mare, have you ever seen a Spider calibration tool? Have you ever heard of the Celtic knot concept, Escher's impossible figures, Moebius strips, ancient mythology simbols..read something more about those and you will understand where is my inspiration.
Anyway, in this contest it was about your take of things and not my entries. Think of that: over 500 SOLD logos since now, do you think i care anymore if 1 designer is showing his "smarts" to me?

_
Paul, goodluck with your choice, i understand perfectly what you are saying about #63 and everything but i am still considering that things are not exactly this way and i am not here the one to dispute your choices or influencing you in anyway.
I am out of this and this site also.

Cheers and goodluck!

there is very slim chance you get the inspiration from Spider calibration tool, Celtic knot concept, Escher's impossible figures, Moebius strips, ancient mythology simbols. you have seen and worked with the symbol before and you apply it here again with almost the same result. and the design wasn't even yours, it was pathliner's.

so Tyler, how to deal with this?

Chillout Chahya, if my submited entry is similar, then go do a google search for the images containing: "software gears logo", "gears logo", "propel logo". You will find plenty.
Deal with what ever you need to deal Tyler, i am out of this place anyway.

Cheers
Emi

I've taken the comments on ulahts' complaints to https://logotournament.com/forum/General%20Discussion/46 where Tyler may actually see them :)

#140 design junction thats a rotary engine, rotor and shaft, not that I'm saying anything is wrong
with that, it just I love rotarys myself and have a rotary engined car that I've had for 18 years now.
The car itself was made in 1979. Go the rotary's! booyah!
They have actually used rotary engines in aircraft too.

red #165 nice, different.

:) Thanks Bluejet

thanks montoshlall

I've ranked #192 for where it would fall on it's own merits, for the sake of guiding preferences, but I think we can all agree it's generally a mash-up of trails already blazed here by other designers, especially (as bluejet has apparently picked up on) #187, et. al. (Truth be told I assumed it was bluejets, during ranking, and didn't notice until back at the contest page).

FWIW, since I am defining "finalist" as "entries which contributed in some way to guiding client/designer to the ultimate winner", #192 will probably not be there because #187 and #36 already hold those spots.

Thanks to all for all of the really great entries. This contest has exceeded my expectations. I am going to let the finalists stew for 24 hours to make sure I make the right choice(s). Check back tomorrow for the winner.

blue jet you are most welcome
i know how we all designers work on such small variation by the end of the contest
some time it works and some time it doesnt
some time the most brilliant design are rejected that's the short fall of the client not the design community
idont think we should fight over these issue
there is somuch work happening allover the globe there bound to be some kind of resemblance

any way we are here to enjoy what we are doing
cheers

congrats!!! bluejet. :)

Congrats bluejet!

congrats! bluejet

Thanks hendraku, mare & grafixsphere.
This was a fun contest & a great challenge.
It was close! Mare, I thought you had it in the bag.
You did a lot of great designs (as usual!).