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slavetogravity
Mar 21, 2005, 8:09 PM
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I have a proposal for how we RC.com can get a better logo.
Ok, so I’m sure we can all agree that RC.com needs a new/better logo. From what I’ve seen, RC.com has a never ending supply of people who know everything there is to known about climbing rocks, but when it comes to the department of graphic design and commercial advertising, where’re lacking. I agree that it’s important that RC.com has a new and better logo. Something that can easily printed on business cards, t-shirts and magazine adds, and most importantly, a logo that represents us as an international/ multi cultural/ multi lingual climbing community.
So here’s the plan. Every two horse town out there has a high school, college or university that stuffed full of fine art students with artistic talent poring out of their ears. I propose that we create a competition for any wannabee commercial artist willing to submit their ideas for our new logo.
Here’s how it will work. A single page poster for the competition is created and posted on RC.com, then RC.com users print off the completion poster from the site and go to their fine art school, university etc. and put the posters up on local bulletin board for all to see.
On the poster an introduction to what RC.com is, and what we’re all about will be stated. Our old logo/ logos should be on there, as well as rules and suggestion of what we’re looking for should be stated. (Something simple, easily recognizable, our name on it, easily printable, etc)
Once the word is out, submitions will be made the same way people submit photos. Perhaps a link to a (logo competition) section could be created on the title page and the people who have logo ideas, but are not familiar with RC.com, will still be able to find and submit their ideas easily.
Once we have some QUALITY logos submitted a competition could be held and all RC.com users could have their say and cast their vote on the logo that they like
So the question now is. Why the hell should any artist out there want to make an effort submitting their work for our benefit? Simple. Are we or are we not the biggest, best, most frequented rock climbing web site on the net? Hundreds of thousands of people will be seeing their design. On the poster these incentives must be stated. Give numbers on how many people frequent the site, how many people we represent, how many hits a day the site received and how that compares with other web sites. (Saying that you created the logo for Rockclimbing.com would look good on any up and coming commercial artists resume)
If we’re a non-profit site and we got no money to offer, then state that. If we do have a couple of bucks to offer to the winner, even better.
So what do you think?
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collegekid
Mar 21, 2005, 8:20 PM
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Sounds good except for the having to print out posters and do work part. I honestly don't care that much about how the logo looks, and I have a feeling most other users don't care too much either.
A friend of mine made an extremely simple logo for the climbing club he started at my school...
http://acs.ucsd.edu/~climbing/
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slavetogravity
Mar 21, 2005, 8:37 PM
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In reply to: Sounds good except for the having to print out posters and do work part.
Yes, pushing the "print" button and pushing thumb tacks in to cork boards is hard work indeed. Thankfully, I don't think it will take that many of us to make this idea a reality.
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slavetogravity
Mar 21, 2005, 9:14 PM
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In reply to: Respectfully, not a good idea, slave. Ultimately, it's a nice exercise for the students and a good way to harvest a large quantity of ineffective work.
Good point.
Oh well, I guess I saw it as a way to create a maximum out put with minimal input. All I know is professional graphic artists cost money. If money is out there, then hiring a professional is definitely the way to go. I only hope money isn't spent to create something that isn't well received. Like the image of an angry brown monkey.
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edge
Mar 21, 2005, 9:20 PM
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In reply to: It goes to branding, positioning, philosophy, how to capture market share, and WHICH market share we want to capture, then we create an Information Architecture.
Martha, I couldn't agree more. Unfortunately, however, the Tori Allen marketing bulldozer has made the monkey their own. All monkeys, all of the time, 24-7.
Knowing Tori and her parents, I admire her talents and their prowess, but in my eyes the primate is no longer a viable alternative for any organization trying to make a unique impression. I sold official "USCCA stuffed monkeys" as a fundraiser at the regional level a few years ago. In fact I sold all that they gave me, all to 12/13 year old girls or younger. I also got so many negative comments that I had to send college age men outside for a "think about it and come back in 15 minutes with a normal tone and no obscenity" time out. Such is life.
Coke has the bright idea to make their signature bottle look like the female form. Now, any container, even out of wood, with a perceived set of hooters and a waist is subject to trademark infringement. God love America for it's brand recognition; how I long for radio to make a comeback.
Bottom line for me is that the monkey is A) not unique, B) carries baggage that is perceived as negative or polarizing, and C) he just didn't "do" anything for me.
The last one is a purely personal response from seeing him not only the first time, but multiple times over the weekend.
I would mention that the "gecko" is the official Dover Indoor Climbing Gym mascot and is also off-bounds, however our corporate lawyer (my 16 year old daughter Meaghan, who has participated in 2 years of mock-trial competitions) is more prone to habeas coruptus than habeas corpus.
i.e. she will say anything for a good bribe.
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thomasribiere
Mar 21, 2005, 10:51 PM
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first, excuse me for my low drawing abilities, but my hands can't always express what is in my brain...
here's my idea (for skibabeage who wants some philosophy :wink: ) :
I liked the round shape of the monkey, I kept it to make a reference to Mother Earth (Gaïa) who gave us the mountains, cliffs, boulders.
I looked for the common point of every climber : boulderers don't use biners and ropes, mountainers don't use chalk, sport climbers don't use nuts, trad climbers don't use crash pads. But we all use our hands to climb. The hands are also what make Primates and Humans so special. The open hand can also be seen as a sign of friendship between climbers.
I wanted to create a contrast between the rock and what surrounders the rock. A dark tone was chosen for the rock, that the hand grasps. Green (here) or blue or any other color could be used to represent the environment : teh sky, the sea, the forest, the desert... My choice is pretty aggressive for the eyes, but I made it very quickly on paint... :wink: By the way, the contrast is made by the classical yin and yang circle. We could see in it what rock climbing is : the pleasure to climb and the fear of the void, the smoothness (?) of sandstone and the sharpness of granite...
http://us.f1.yahoofs.com/...jpg?phID1PCBj1mSlhF2
Of course, my idea is copyrighted... :D
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dingus
Mar 21, 2005, 11:59 PM
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I suspect the more thought put into this, the shittier the outcome.
The California State quarter was pretty much designed using the process outlined in the OP. And most people hate it as a result.
A logo conveys virtually nothing about the company, such as the old Chouinard logo, a C inside a diamond. It need merely be distinctive.
Angular stick figure chalking up on overhanging stick landscape, men at work style. 10 seconds start to finish.
Stick figure, arms raised, on summit. 5 more seconds.
Come on, this isn't rocket science. Just pick something and thick skin it through the resulting windstorm. Like the monkey... whatever it is, just pick it and stick to it. And for godsakes, don't poll your way to a shitty selection! That is the buck stop dodge.
DMT
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dingus
Mar 22, 2005, 12:06 AM
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In reply to: first, excuse me for my low drawing abilities,
You have a perfectly good hand in that logo, why not fist it in a crack, or jam the hand, or finger stack it, or Gaston an edge ... something that would be instantly recognizable to almost any rock climber?
Rock climbing dot com... a fist in a crack, how simple is that??? Or the thumb down karate chop hand jam?
Or a quickdraw with a rope in the basket.
Or a coiled rope.
Come ON, this is a rock climbing site! There are a million jingies and technowidgets to use and any one of them would do...
Just use one of those stupid smiley faces, any of them would work (cept the ones already taken, lol)
DMT
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jt512
Mar 22, 2005, 12:31 AM
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In reply to: Just use one of those stupid smiley faces, any of them would work (cept the ones already taken, lol) DMT
I think Dingus is onto something. Consider these:
R8^)C
n :shock: b
:deadhorse:
Connection: close :P
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overlord
Mar 22, 2005, 11:51 AM
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i catn see tomass logo :?
though i like the hand idea.
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nikegirl
Mar 22, 2005, 3:20 PM
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In reply to: In reply to: Just use one of those stupid smiley faces, any of them would work (cept the ones already taken, lol) DMT I think Dingus is onto something. Consider these: R8^)C n :shock: b :deadhorse: Connection: close :P
hehe
made me laugh.
I like Andy's (meadors) logo.
I keep my large sticker/logo with Pride on my truck.
~T
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grayhghost
Mar 22, 2005, 3:38 PM
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There are no shortcuts if you want to design
a lasting brand. If you ask for amature work
you will recieve amature work, simple as that.
As for the UPS logo, the first logo was designed
by Paul Rand. The story goes that he asked his
young daughter what the logo was and she said
"it's a present, dad." and he knew he had the
solution. The new "slick" logo is an attrocity and
I have no doubt the company will suffer as a result.
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dingus
Mar 22, 2005, 3:45 PM
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In reply to: There are no shortcuts if you want to design a lasting brand. If you ask for amature work you will recieve amature work, simple as that. As for the UPS logo, the first logo was designed by Paul Rand. The story goes that he asked his young daughter what the logo was and she said "it's a present, dad." and he knew he had the solution. The new "slick" logo is an attrocity and I have no doubt the company will suffer as a result.
UPS is going to suffer because of a change in their logo, eh?
Do you think they'll go straight to Chapter 7? Should I dump the stock NOW?
DMT
DMT
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wanderinfree
Mar 22, 2005, 3:53 PM
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SELL!!! SELL!!! How about forward options on concentrated orange juice?
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fitzontherocks
Mar 22, 2005, 4:20 PM
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Is RC.com even looking for a logo? I mean somebody "official," the mods or whomever? I've always thought the current logo is weak. And yes, even a simple "non-graphic" logo (like IBM) can communicate something about the company. It does so at a more intuitive level. That's why it's a logo and not a picture. I work at an ad agency with a bunch of very talented professional art directors. (Me, I'm just a lowly copywriter.) Say the word and I can get one produced. Again, that's IF RC is even interested in a new one.
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fitzontherocks
Mar 22, 2005, 4:30 PM
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Is RC.com even looking for a logo? I mean somebody "official," the mods or whomever? I've always thought the current logo is weak. And yes, even a simple "non-graphic" logo (like IBM) can communicate something about the company. It does so at a more intuitive level. That's why it's a logo and not a picture. I work at an ad agency with a bunch of very talented professional art directors. (Me, I'm just a lowly copywriter.) Say the word and I can get one produced. Again, that's IF RC is even interested in a new one.
And btw: What's with the monkey? Skibabeage was talking about branding and positioning and philosophy, etc., and then Edge up and says "The monkey's taken!" Am I missing something here?
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cliffhanger9
Moderator
Mar 22, 2005, 4:57 PM
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In reply to: Is RC.com even looking for a logo? I mean somebody "official," the mods or whomever? I've always thought the current logo is weak. And yes, even a simple "non-graphic" logo (like IBM) can communicate something about the company. It does so at a more intuitive level. That's why it's a logo and not a picture. I work at an ad agency with a bunch of very talented professional art directors. (Me, I'm just a lowly copywriter.) Say the word and I can get one produced. Again, that's IF RC is even interested in a new one. And btw: What's with the monkey? Skibabeage was talking about branding and positioning and philosophy, etc., and then Edge up and says "The monkey's taken!" Am I missing something here?
You must have missed it. We released a site design trial this past weekend for 24 hours. The new logo was a monkey.
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fitzontherocks
Mar 22, 2005, 5:06 PM
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Clearly, I did miss it. My bad. But hey, monkeys are the shizzle. Haven't you seen those Career Builder spots with the monkeys in the office? Nothing funnier than a monkey in a business suit putting a whoopee cushion on somebody's chair.
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dingus
Mar 22, 2005, 5:44 PM
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In reply to: And yes, even a simple "non-graphic" logo (like IBM) can communicate something about the company. It does so at a more intuitive level.
Please, what intuitive communications are contained in the following logo?
http://www.ibm.com/i/v14/t/ibm-logo.gif
List them for me right here if you would be so kind.
Thanks
DMT
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zozo
Mar 22, 2005, 5:49 PM
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In reply to: In reply to: And yes, even a simple "non-graphic" logo (like IBM) can communicate something about the company. It does so at a more intuitive level. Please, what intuitive communications are contained in the following logo? http://www.ibm.com/i/v14/t/ibm-logo.gif List them for me right here if you would be so kind. Thanks DMT
Stability
Simplicity
Conservative
Order
Functionality
Quality
Reliability
Here are a few starters.....your welcome.
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fitzontherocks
Mar 22, 2005, 6:02 PM
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Innovation. Solidity. Stability. Universality. Technology. What... you can't SEE those things?
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dingus
Mar 22, 2005, 6:08 PM
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In reply to: In reply to: In reply to: And yes, even a simple "non-graphic" logo (like IBM) can communicate something about the company. It does so at a more intuitive level. Please, what intuitive communications are contained in the following logo? http://www.ibm.com/i/v14/t/ibm-logo.gif List them for me right here if you would be so kind. Thanks DMT Stability Simplicity Conservative Order Functionality Quality Reliability Here are a few starters.....your welcome.
Thanks.
Surely intuition is in the mind of the human, not in the graphics of the logo?
DMT
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zozo
Mar 22, 2005, 6:13 PM
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In reply to: In reply to: In reply to: In reply to: And yes, even a simple "non-graphic" logo (like IBM) can communicate something about the company. It does so at a more intuitive level. Please, what intuitive communications are contained in the following logo? http://www.ibm.com/i/v14/t/ibm-logo.gif List them for me right here if you would be so kind. Thanks DMT Stability Simplicity Conservative Order Functionality Quality Reliability Here are a few starters.....your welcome. Thanks. Surely intuition is in the mind of the human, not in the graphics of the logo? DMT
It's in the brand, the graphic doesnt matter squat. WTF is the Nike Swoosh? Unless you were getting to a more esoteric point like is reality an external absolute or is it purely a construct of the mind? :wink:
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