it's amazing watching you guys get going with a bunch of roughs and then slowly getting your head into the nature of the client's business ... you have a great job. and you must be mentalists!
i don't think a breaking wave will work as a central graphic here ... it's a bit hackneyed in this business plus it's a bit "unmanaged." [smile]
some wave form is possible and a strong link to the water so i don't want to mislead you on waves and water in general. i hope this kind of feedback is useful?
we're really looking forward to seeing more of your concepts and variations!
please let us know anything we can do to help you and thank you for all of your hard work.
Some specifics: I think the boat is too much of a ship for our audience. And we're seeing a lot of waves in this contest. Don't get me wrong, waves are good! But they are so common in the business that you'd need to do something REALLY uncommon in their use, if you know what I mean.
I know this is hard to keep pulling rabbits out of hats ... but I'm looking for the golfer, ball, hole ... motion and success in SimuGolf and the friendly house and B combined graphic of Beste & Company.
Both are really compelling graphic and text blocks.
Think standing out on signage at a trade show booth; readable (or at least intriguing) at ten feet, embroidered on a polo shirt; or instantly eye-catching and recognizable on a magnetic vehicle door sign or vinyl lettering on our boat ...
I really don't know how this "ranking" and "not interested" metaphor is supposed to work.
But, unfortunately, I think it may mislead someone (and that someone could be you or me) into believing a concept is still alive if it's really not. That and Diana and I are trying not to hurt anyone's feelings. So we're probably leaving too much in the "ranked" column.
Remember, this is all new to us so please forgive our blundering.
Here's what I'd like to do and how you should interpret the next round of sorting:
1. If it's ranked, it's still alive and I assume you are working and improving that design along the lines of what we've either publicly or privately commented. I also assume you are generating new concepts because, so far, NO ONE IS WINNING. We are not satisfied with even the leaders (high rankings) ... otherwise we would have ended the contest earlier versus extending it. Make sense?
2. Otherwise, it's in the "not interested" column. Earlier, crcdesigns explained to me how to re-order everything at the end of the contest so as many people as possible get credits, and the leading designs all get ranked in the appropriate order (see above post). Never fear, I will absolutely do that at the END of the contest.
3. But for now anyway, the ranked entries are too clogged and they also aren't putting enough fire into either of us. Me, to drill down and focus on designs that could win the contest, and you to abandon concepts that shouldn't really be ranked and not competitive ... when bringing forth a new concept would serve you better.
So please do not be insulted when some concepts go quickly into the not interested column. Let's both communicate and focus on the potential winners!
And by the way, thanks once again everyone for all of the hard work and patience you're demonstrating,
Really nice typography! But the graphic is way too abstract for our demographic. Unfortunately, American male boaters are definitely not looking for the deeper hidden meaning of art. You may have to hit them a little harder over the head with your concepts .... again, like SimuGolf and Bester & Company.
And the graphic wouldn't make a very good publishers mark either.
I posted some comments last night and this morning on the contest's main page that I think are helping some folks. You may want to check that out.
Please don't give up on us yet. We're not even close to picking a winner yet ... so keep those brain cells churning and those great design concepts coming!