I LOVE the creative idea of using houses for leaves in the tree. Great job!!! A couple of comments that hopefully will help...
I think you made the tree round to be a literal interpretation of "perfect". What we like is the "perfect" tree that is beautiful...like in a photograph...you see a perfect older oak tree that is not round, but is just really well proportioned and beautiful...does that make sense? Is there a way to use the same idea of your original submission, but make it more like a beautiful oak tree with houses for leaves?
Also, I think the font that you used is very professional, but maybe a little boring. I want to try to keep it professional, but give it a little personality...kind of like the font used in submission #1 with the window.
Finally, I like more muted (maybe even a little trendy) colors of greens and browns that can still give a classic look but be a little more unexpected.
Hopefully, that gives you some direction. Thanks for your work so far and I look forward to future submissions!!!
Thanks for the new version (entry #17). I really like the new shape of the tree. Extremely creative...awesome!
Now I'm rethinking the font again...sorry for my flakyness. Now I think I want something back towards the professional side...something like entry #19 or entry #4.
Actually, if I had not given you any direction, what font and colors would you have chosen for entry #17? I'd love to see a version with what you think should be used.
I will get some more font and color options for you tomorrow at the office. Can tweak however you want. There are websites to show you color trends and combinations that have impact. I will look at that for you and suggest some alternatives and also look at RE Signs around here. I love your story. Reminded me that I always counted blue houses when I was little (there were not many).
What a great thing to count blue houses...Austin's a pretty eclectic town...if you had grown up here, you might have had more blue houses to count...I think there are two on my street alone! :-)
A couple of additional thoughts after talking to my sister (who will be in business with me):
Is it possible to try a version where somehow the "Perfect Tree" wording is below the leaves to the right of the trunk? (Almost like the tree is shading the words.)
Also, I've gotten the feedback that the houses with windows look like small ghosts. Can we do a version where all of the houses are solid?
One other thought...can we make a version where one of the houses a completely different color...so that it stands out? (Kind of like a client's "perfect house" among all of the houses available) What do you think?
Thanks again for listening and for all of your work on this. Look forward to seeing more. This is so much fun...what a great website and opportunity for a small business guy like myself to get access to such great design talent!
Austin - I graduated from UT a LONG time ago - grew up in Dallas in the 60's with very few blue houses. Looked up the current favorite color trends and made your tree a bit brighter to show up more on signs and adjusted the type to one that would be more 'fun' and readable from a distance. Can do different versions for you with the type under / next to / etc. You can also use the little house icons separately on marketing materials - as bullet points for features of houses etc (I will give you a set of icons you can place in a word file or whatever you used to make flyers). Hope this helps.
I lived in Dallas for about 7 years in the 90's...still not many blue houses there!!! :-)
Thanks for the new version. I love the bullet point idea! One comment I have is that I think it's starting to look a little too casual. Here are a few ideas...
- I'm not a fan of the cream background, but like the idea and would entertain other background color ideas. - I'm also not a fan of the new font...a little too casual. Could we try a version with a font more like submission #21 or #33? - Can you put "Perfect Tree" on one line together next to the tree? - Can we try a version that has more house leaves so the tree looks fuller? - Can you do a version where the tree trunk, and the house "leaves" are all one color and the highlighted house "leaf" is the only thing that is a different color? Does that make sense?
hope this works for you - tree one color except one "leaf" went for a green that will show contrast to a light background and just did a slight gradient for the trunk to be distinct - type changed - I like serif styles for your industry - not as stark - There can be multiple versions of the 'official logo for different applications.