As much as I love #18 (and I do), I'm afraid that it doesn't put forth the warmth and friendliness that I need to convey. I don't know that it was a mistake to post my myspace shot (in the context of my conversation about my bald head and the Michael Jordan logo it made sense and I'd still loved to see that explored), I don't want to frighten anyone. It's a cool logo, but maybe could use some softening.
Here's some of my work (make sure I'm listed as the voice, there are things with other voice-talents on my site as well that I've just assembled).
jjsurma.podbean.com
This is good work...I'm excited to see what else you can do!
JJ, Thanks so much for the feedback! I'll be working on some new versions as soon as tomorrow. The shockmount shouldn't be a problem.
I love #18 too and I was hesitant to submit it because there was no mic but I couldn't pass it up. I would like to try a few more things - softening it, combining it with the soundwaves, etc. It might be a lost cause but I think it makes a really clean and bold statement.
Maybe the head from #18 on the left with the vertical line and text from #13 in the middle then another line and the mic on the right? Just a thought. The head photo is somewhat iconic in my circle of friends. I don't know, does it make a good business decision? TBD...
New logos summary: #24 has the shockmount added. I didn't add all of the detail that I could have because I wanted you to get the general feel of it before I spent too much time on the details. I think it might be too busy feeling and when displayed at a smaller size, might lose some of the impact (i.e. it will look muddier, the smaller it is). #25 - horizontal with sound waves. #26 - Face logo softened with an accentuation of the "baldness". #27 - Face logo combined with sound waves. I like the shape of this one but I might try another version with the sound waves smaller and coming more from the mouth height. #28 - Face and mic combined into 1 horizontal logo. I left out the vertical lines because it started to look a little busy but if you like, I can put them in on another version. #29 - Another take on the face softening.
Regarding using your face as your logo: Using your product or a representation of your productas part of a logo is one of the most common ways to construct a logo. When someone sees your logo out of context, they can still infer something about you or your business because your product is built into the logo. In your case, YOU and your voice are the product. Using a face in a logo is rare because 1.) Most companies have multiple employees and could change owners in the future so no one person could represent the entire company for years to come or 2.) Insecurity. Some people SHOULDN'T use their face or at least think they don't have the face for it. Like you said, the head photo is iconic among your friends - and for good reason! It's a dramatic shot that shows depth and emotion (things that are desirable qualities for your field, right?), it's recognizable and it ends up being a logo that won't be copied or confused with any other.
WOW, I really appreciate the time, effort and thought you've put into this. Many of your points are very well-taken.
The photo is iconic in my circle but I wonder if it conveys who I am as a voice-talent. I also don't have any illusions about my circle: these are friends, not the decision-makers I want to reach (my head-shape means nothing to someone else).
There are so many more people out there who have deeper voices than me, I can by no means compete on an "I am the voice of God" level. I like the logo because it looks, for lack of a better term, badass...but do I really sound like that? I'm versatile, doing TV and radio imaging, documentary narration, on-hold and industrial recordings...but I also seek gigs in Christian Media. Does badass sell there? Probably not. I just picked up a voice-gig for a syndicated Garden Show. Does the head logo say "trust me to make your listeners feel comfortable at 6am on a Saturday while they're sipping chamomile tea and thinking about grass seed with their cat in their lap?"
I don't know the answer to these questions, so I hesitate to go too far in one or the other direction. I feel like the face might pull me into "rock-radio-DJ" territory, though...so I'm reticent to rely on it and I throw myself at the mercy of someone who could with their creativity show me another idea altogether.
If you disagree and want to show me other things I might love along these lines, go for it. I wouldn't mind seeing #28 with the lines and the shockmount. And of course I'd love to hear your opinion, always always appreciate input.
#36 shows the face/mic (with shockmount) with vertical lines #35 shows 2 mics with shockmounts #33 and #34 - I've started to play with the subtle idea of playing cards. From your last comment, I get the feeling of you being a "Jack of all trades" and the "J"s both tie in to playing cards' jack. Just an idea...
It seems as though, as much work as I've done, you've got the hardest job - choosing! You know your clients and job better than I ever will so it's up to you to make the decision that's the best for your image and your money.
Side note: Congrats on being selected as the voice of WUPV! What a great gig!
PMD, thanks for all your work. I like #36 the best and would like to see how that looks with a blue face if that's an easy thing to do. Otherwise, you've given me some great ideas that I will mull over and give more feedback on as I consider.
Again, thanks for very much putting what seems like a ton of thought into this.
p.s. - could you take #27 and do the waves out of both sides?
#84 & #85 are my favorites. The simplicity is winning me over. How could this be translated to letterhead? I know I've been hard-line on black but could it be applied to a white background as well?
There's quite a few different approaches but here's the 3 that I think turn out best - #108 #109 and #110 . #110 is truest to the original but #108 is the best adaptation and would make a nice compliment to either #84 or #85 .
The reflection of #85 is going to look really nice on a website or business card (with a black background) but I don't think the reflection translates well to letterhead, fax cover sheets, envelopes, or anything with a white background. If you have any questions about the logistics of printing (including prices), please let me know - in case the name "PrintMarketDirect" doesn't suggest it, I own my own printing company.