EPTAside from planning on getting my own art studio, I decided I would start entering in logo design contests and whatnot. First contest I entered, I won $400. For any to-be graphic designers out there, I thought I'd share the customer/client communication process. It's my first design with a real customer and not a classroom, so I wasn't sure how it would turn out.
Design Briefing, available to all contestants
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Our company specializes in software development for schools and education. We are primarily focused on developing iPhone (iOS) apps, but also create and modern cutting-edge rich internet applications which embrace the latest technologies and standards (such as HTML5, CSS3, AJAX, etc.).
The objective of this contest is to design a name and logo for our new iPhone app development company. It needs to be snazzy, catchy, and cool.
By way of background, teachers and students are tired of existing apps in the market which are difficult to use with bad user interface design and simply do not meet their needs. We provide a "breath of fresh air" with apps that they want to use and find indispensable!
Please note, we do not develop educational software (e.g. teaching how to spell or do maths) but instead we develop software and systems which can be used to achieve educational outcomes and make teachers and students more efficient (e.g. electronic roll marking, learning management systems, student administration systems, etc.).
Education is traditionally a conservative area. We want a ultra-catchy and cool logo which reflects what we do - make awesomely designed apps. It also needs to be memorable enough such that people could immediately type our web address without having to reference a business card or advertising materials.
Stylistic preferences: More young than mature, more modern than classic, more playful than serious, more obvious than subtle
The objective of this contest is to design a name and logo for our new iPhone app development company. It needs to be snazzy, catchy, and cool.
By way of background, teachers and students are tired of existing apps in the market which are difficult to use with bad user interface design and simply do not meet their needs. We provide a "breath of fresh air" with apps that they want to use and find indispensable!
Please note, we do not develop educational software (e.g. teaching how to spell or do maths) but instead we develop software and systems which can be used to achieve educational outcomes and make teachers and students more efficient (e.g. electronic roll marking, learning management systems, student administration systems, etc.).
Education is traditionally a conservative area. We want a ultra-catchy and cool logo which reflects what we do - make awesomely designed apps. It also needs to be memorable enough such that people could immediately type our web address without having to reference a business card or advertising materials.
Stylistic preferences: More young than mature, more modern than classic, more playful than serious, more obvious than subtle
Coming up with the name was the hardest part, really. You'd be surprised how many golden ideas were already registered domains, copyrighted in one way or the other, or too close to an existing companies name that you wouldn't want to confuse customers.
Hours and hours and hours of brainstorming later, I came up with "eduventions" (education inventions hurr) and submitted my first draft.
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![[image loading]](http://www.67250.com/nokarot/logos/eduventions1.jpg)
Nice! I like the name, but I think we can do more with the logo so I would be interested to see more work on that aspect. Good work on the name though 
I misinterpreted what "do more with the logo" meant- I thought it meant he didn't like it. So, I started over, and created this trainwreck of a logo.
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![[image loading]](http://www.67250.com/nokarot/logos/eduventions2.jpg)
Hi again. Thanks for your resubmission This design has gone a bit too far down the line of being cliched. I'd be interested if you have any other ideas. Thanks!
This design has gone a bit too far down the line of being cliched. I'd be interested if you have any other ideas. Thanks!Then I realized that because he eliminated the second design (but not the first) he had actually meant that he wanted me to improve upon the initial design, not start anew. So, I figured I'd take the word "inventions" from eduventions and turn the apple in to a light bulb.
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![[image loading]](http://www.67250.com/nokarot/logos/eduventions3.jpg)
This is looking very good I don't suppose you have any other ideas for some way we could relate this back to the iPhone or apps?
Also, while I do like the eduventions name I would be interested in whether you have any other more "punchy" (i.e. slightly shorter, less syllables) names in mind? Feel free to send them through as a comment rather than doing a complete design if you just want some feedback before embarking. Thanks again!
I don't suppose you have any other ideas for some way we could relate this back to the iPhone or apps?Also, while I do like the eduventions name I would be interested in whether you have any other more "punchy" (i.e. slightly shorter, less syllables) names in mind? Feel free to send them through as a comment rather than doing a complete design if you just want some feedback before embarking. Thanks again!
I threw a few names at him but none of them really hit the mark. In my next submisision, I tried switching the name to "classgadgets," but it was eliminated quickly.
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![[image loading]](http://www.67250.com/nokarot/logos/classgadgets1-eduventions4.jpg)
Days past of on-and-off name brainstorming (figuring I ought to get a name down before progressing on the logo itself so that they stay related.) Eventually, he messages me and says that eduventions was really starting to grow on him, and we continued where we left off.
Hi again. Thanks for your message and it sorry it took a while for me to get back to you. I have to admit the eduventions is starting to grow on me...quite a bit!
Regarding the logo itself, I like the metaphor but fear that some people may not get the apple association with teachers. Could you look at some other options?
Thanks again!
Regarding the logo itself, I like the metaphor but fear that some people may not get the apple association with teachers. Could you look at some other options?
Thanks again!
A big relief, as finding another name seemed impossible. He asked me to remove the tag-line and resubmit (just to have a fresher version) but still think of other symbol ideas.
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![[image loading]](http://www.67250.com/nokarot/logos/eduventions5.jpg)
If the apple didn't associate to the teachers, I thought a book might. With the eduventions name locked in, I wanted to keep the lightbulb idea, so I decided to make a bookbulb.
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![[image loading]](http://www.67250.com/nokarot/logos/eduventions6.jpg)
He liked the apple better- oh well, so did I. At this point we realize that the contest deadline is coming up, but he wants to award me as the winner anyway on the condition that I'm open to still making a few changes post-deadline. I agree, of course.
yada yada reward information
In any case, given the nature of the name I was thinking of a different logo in sort of a sketch or blueprint style, much like the Xcode icon (this is the program you use to create iPhone apps) http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/0c/Xcode_icon.png . In other words, the same logo design (i.e. the light bulb with apple) but designed in the sketch/blueprint style to show that we're inventing something. What do you think?
In any case, given the nature of the name I was thinking of a different logo in sort of a sketch or blueprint style, much like the Xcode icon (this is the program you use to create iPhone apps) http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/0c/Xcode_icon.png . In other words, the same logo design (i.e. the light bulb with apple) but designed in the sketch/blueprint style to show that we're inventing something. What do you think?
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![[image loading]](http://www.67250.com/nokarot/logos/eduventions9.jpg)
I am wondering though whether we could remove the curl a bit on the paper and [add a little depth to it. he was referencing other logos that i'm too lazy to link.]
Could you also possibly do a variant with just an apple (rather than lightbulb apple) as the lightbulb metaphor may be lost a bit now that we are doing a blueprint style affair. Thanks!
Could you also possibly do a variant with just an apple (rather than lightbulb apple) as the lightbulb metaphor may be lost a bit now that we are doing a blueprint style affair. Thanks!
Works for me, although being the idiot I am, I saved over the very first file that had the initial apple drawing without the lightbulb, so I had to trace back over it.
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![[image loading]](http://www.67250.com/nokarot/logos/eduventions10.jpg)
![[image loading]](http://www.67250.com/nokarot/logos/eduventions11.jpg)
Thanks for the update. The new logo looks good and I think we will stick with the apple (pays good homage to both our preferred platform and the teacher metaphor). Could you perhaps do something extra to the apple though so that it doesn't seem like we have just taken the Apple logo itself - maybe something which can relate the apple back to the teacher metaphor even stronger?
Just a few other modifications - would it be possible to make it a bit more "sketch" like and also add some more things so it looks a bit busier like a working document (similar to the Xcode icon). Also, can you remove the "edu" from the mini logo but leave the nut/bolt?
Just a few other modifications - would it be possible to make it a bit more "sketch" like and also add some more things so it looks a bit busier like a working document (similar to the Xcode icon). Also, can you remove the "edu" from the mini logo but leave the nut/bolt?
I wasn't sure how to make an apple look more teacher-ish, so I decided to play it more on the idea of apps and add some "app buttons," and a pencil underneath. Not sure why I did the pencil, but whatever.
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![[image loading]](http://www.67250.com/nokarot/logos/eduventions12.jpg)
Thanks for turning around these revisions so promptly. You're probably going to hate this, but I actually think that the original design (i.e. apple lightbulb) is better than these alternatives we have been working on today. I guess we could only find out by trying!
Let's revert back to the original design, but could you try changing the lightbulb colour from green to an orange/yellow (just to emphasise it is a lightbulb) or perhaps even do some mix of green/orange/yellow to bring in the apple metaphor
Please keep the text colour as-is since I really like the grey and green combination.
Thanks again
Let's revert back to the original design, but could you try changing the lightbulb colour from green to an orange/yellow (just to emphasise it is a lightbulb) or perhaps even do some mix of green/orange/yellow to bring in the apple metaphor
Please keep the text colour as-is since I really like the grey and green combination.
Thanks again
Ah well, kinda wasted a bit of time trying the whole blueprint thing, but I'm more concerned about us both being happy with the result, not with finishing quickly.
From here on out it was merely color experimentation, trying to find something that fit his description and wasn't overpowering. I started with green/orange/yellow as he requested, but, while it was a step in the right direction, the colors didn't blend as well as planned. He suggested I try a red apple, but the end result was extremely overpowering. Finally, we settled on a yellow/green apple with yellow light, and he was thrilled.
![[image loading]](http://www.67250.com/nokarot/logos/eduventions15.jpg)
![[image loading]](http://www.67250.com/nokarot/logos/eduventionsfinal.jpg)
(full color version, b/w photocopier version, silkscreen/watermark version)
In the end, he is happy to have a nice complete logo, and I'm happy to have taken his money and have a good portfolio piece. I'm surprised how well it went, really.
I live with major depressive disorder and leaving school was an extremely hard decision to make, but for the first time in a long time, I feel accomplished and have a good outlook on what is to come. It's a morale booster that I really needed. In the end, winning one contest doesn't mean I'm out of the woods- I'm still taking a path that often leads to that of a starving artist. However, I feel positive, and that is a nice feeling to have, nice enough that I thought I'd share.
Kinda grinds my gears because I worked really hard on it all, but he's probably just butthurt he didn't win (let alone participate.)
![[image loading]](http://www.67250.com/nokarot/logos/aqopeul.jpg)
![[image loading]](http://www.67250.com/nokarot/logos/aqopeul3.jpg)
