Dear CH - part of being a responsible designer is guiding the client through the process of selecting a graphic representation for their company. Because of the way this website works, sometimes this is lost here. However, I wanted to just make an observation regarding your organization and the process of selecting the logo.
You are very lucky that your organization has a very graphic name. There is no doubt as to what your organization does and how it does it. The location is clearly identified and to support "Michigan", the name is "Farm to Food Bank". It is concise yet very informative. Without knowing anything else, when I read your name, I knew what your organization did. This leads me to the logo. If I was working for you, I would suggest that your name already says it all. I don't believe you need a logo that will graphically illustrate what your organization does. I would advise you to select a simple logo that will look good in black and white and that supports the name. This is how I came up with my designs. I realize that I have a vested interest here, but even if you mark my designs "not interested", I would still advise you to select a simple, straight forward design.
To be fair to my colleagues here, if you decide that this is the best way to go, I would suggest that you change the brief. What is going to happen now is that due to the high-ranked designs, you will be getting some really complicated designs that may be difficult to reproduce on a budget.
Thank you so much for reading this and your consideration . If you have any questions regarding any of this, please let me know.
Thanks for your feed back. I'd like to put yours higher in the ranking so as not to discourage other like concepts. I mentioned in one message that while I, personally, could like a word logo...I know my coworkers REALLY like pictures. Have to keep them happy too. So, that's the dilemma.
Thanks for the ranking. Now you'll see that you'll get lots of like concepts. I don't want to disparage my colleagues here, but often all that is reviewed is the ranking.
The thing about having a logo that is very complicated is that it will undoubtedly fight with the rest of your collateral material. If your logo ends up looking like a Thomas Hart Benton painting, though beautiful, it will end up clashing with everything else unless the same style is used. Then you are looking at high design costs, reproduction costs, etc. A simple logo allows you to open the design of your collateral to many other possibilities.
Something I do often is ask clients to identify the most recognized logos they can think of. After they mention two or three, they realize that they are all very simple in design - think Apple Computers, Target, Coca-Cola. You might want to try this with your co-workers.....
Thanks again for your feedback. Regarding your logo concept, I'm thinking that's an apple, but it really reminds me of a peach. Apples are associated a lot with the Farm to School programs that are gaining popularity and while we do grow peaches in Michigan, they're not often donated to food banks because they're really fragile to handle. Can you come up with some other agricultural product symbol? Thanks, Mary Kay
Hello there - thanks for the ranking. What I was going for was a fruit that could be either an apple or a peach - kind of whatever the viewer wants it to be. I've been doing a little research on agriculture in Michigan and I'll rework the icon with another agriculture symbol. In the meantime, if you would like to see something in particular, please let me know. Now then, how do I make a potato beautiful.....
The carrots and onions just didn't do it for us. Carrots too fancy. The logo with all three was just too much going on. Thanks for all you help in steering us in the right direction.
Gosh...you really changed the direction of what we were looking for in a logo due to your insightful comments. I feel bad that I'm not loving your concept. I'm sorry. Maybe you can come on board as our visual consultant!!! ; )
Hey there - You have to love your logo, so no problem with not liking my concept. I'm just glad I was able to play a part in your decision-making process. It's very easy to let the process get away from you especially with talented designers putting out wonderful illustrations. And well, if you weren't kidding, and even if you were, I actually am a branding and business development consultant. So I've been treating you as a client all along. If I can be of any service in the future, I would love for you to keep me in mind. From my portfolio page on this site, there is a link to my website. Good luck with everything and if you have any questions, about the process here or after you've made your final selection, please do not hesitate to ask.