We went back through the submissions and noticed Entry #17. We feel this is the simplest and strongest logo of the bunch, but it needs a bit more pizzaz. Let's try the following.
1) Color. We want to incorporate green color(s) somewhere. Perhaps the type. As long as it's well balanced and it "pops." The colors should be soft and should feel non-threatening and inviting. They should say that this organization is well established, but fair and transparent.
2) Dimension. The vector object to the left of the words could definitely benefit from being 3D. Turn it on it's axis and give it some depth. Might be nice to see an outline of the image (i.e. photo negative).
3) Architecture. Spanish Colonial/Revival homes are the predominant architecture in the neighborhood. The vector object you chose isn't bad (looks like a museum) but we need to find/create another tall object that resembles a Spanish style house (i.e. adobe tile roof, arches, hilltop). Google "Spanish Colonial" or "Spanish Revival" for inspiration.
4) Motion. The logo really needs some movement. Perhaps a door opening up. Eventually we plan to create a full motion graphic of this logo. Right now, the object seems very planted, which is great because it promotes a solid foundation, but we need something more actionable.
5) Hidden Objects. This was not part of our original contest brief, but if we can incorporate it, we like the idea of playing with some hidden objects (i.e. the hidden arrow between the "E" and "x" in the FedEx logo). We thought this might be cool to see in negative space.
6) Other Examples. We looked at your profile and saw several logos that we really liked. a. The Sandhill School - Feels traditional, rich. We loved the pop of color from the bird. b. Collaborate, Innovate 2012 - Promotes community spirit. Nice colors. Logo has motion. c. Children of the Sun - Looks official. Also lots of movement. d. MKT Nature and Fitness Trail - Great colors. And also the train creates great movement. e. Show Me Jeddah - Love the people. Promote community. Soft, welcoming. Great motion.
Side Note From a philosophical standpoint, our neighborhood is going through a major transition right now. Lots of construction in and around the neighborhood. The home owners association does nothing. The community is desperate for leadership, and they look to us to preserve it's rich history and identity.
Thus, the logo must evoke trust. Something that says we're on solid footing. That we welcome all opinions, respect all points of view and believe in a fair, open and transparent system to get things done. In other words, the logo should say we've got your back. Let's try to incorporate all of the above (1 - 6) and really make it pop.
We chose this logo because it's very conservative. Like the other logos you designed under 6, now we need to give this a little attitude.
Thanks. FYI – We temporarily ranked another designer #1 because he was late to respond to our notes. Please proceed as planned and we'll move you back when you're ready to resubmit. Thanks.
Yes, almost. Looks really good. Here are few more negative space examples.
Maybe we can play with the open door as negative space. Also, the icon in Entry #108 is great but some find it confusing. Looks more like a bell tower or a church. Is there any way to fix that? Perhaps close one side of it and create an opening door on the other side?
Check out the logo called "Ulrich Design" on this page. Maybe one side of the building is in white and the other is (right side) is in black for shadowing. If you did this with the door opening, then that might be cool. Try making the door bigger so that it uses up all the space in the arch. http://www.logoinlogo.com/Logo-Gallery-Best/Logo-Gallery-show-418.htm
Font Example http://lafayettesquare.org/ We love the serif font you chose. If you can identify the font on for the Lafayette Square logo on their webpage, we'd also like to try our logo with that type face.
I know you're currently working on a negative space logo.
I also want to try something else on Entry #115...
Solid logo, but some of the response is that the house feels like a museum. I think we can fix that if we built out the sides of the house a little more. I know you don't have a ton of space to do that, but see how it looks. Ultimately, we need to make the icon feel more like a "house" and less like the entrance to a museum. Adding shapes to the sides is my suggestion, but however you can make it work, feel free.