Matjaz,

My first remark would be that this approach for LC "a" combined with the other letters found in the name make the logotype appear uneven and unbalanced. The size ratio change is a good thing, but don't you think something in between would look better?
Also, the design for "v" interferes with the instant recognition of the letter, thus making the name itself hard to read. out of all there, the first one is neat and has far more potential to be made into a corporate mark.

George

George,

> the first one is neat and has far more potential to be made into a corporate mark.

Which first one did you mean? The current logo (to be redesigned) or my first proposal (A.1)?

YOUR first one. The one to be redesigned was left out of question :-)

The idea is that you overloaded the last two sketches with design gimmicks that are too much even for a logotype, let alone the fact that your name has a symbol alongside. I would keep the name more discreet, or connect it somehow to the curvilinear feel of the symbol.

I think you are right George. I think I will continue working on A.1

Thanks.

You could think of using rounded corners, like in the logo itself.

--Jacques

Did you try to make a one-stroke design? (the �v' would be flowing into the 'e', the 'e' into the 'l' and so on)

--Jacques

Damn, I like the old one just fine. The others look somehow to fashionable for me, will be outdated in a year or two, they typo is entirely too much like a tachno-disco-flyer for my taste. This isn't simple enough, not souvereign enough. Also, the mark made sense in the original (albeit a bit kitschy with the effect of flowing into the l).. bit with the new design it really makes no sense anymore.

Maybe try to keep it simpler, more classic, less fashionable. What looks de rigeur today is tomorrow's bad design.

I'm with HD. There doesn't seem to be any problem-solving with your "directions." You're just making the "thread" in the green square thicker and changing the typeface. Have you come up with any new ideas?

I also don't see the necessity of a redesign. Maybe you could add a more natural typeface to it and create a more elegant whitespace flow inside the box...I'd think about how the white-space "thread" flows inside the green box. It's too mechanical in yours, which is the problem I see with the original. That "thread" (white space in the box, whatever it's supposed to be, I think of a piece of thread for sewing) could flow into and out from the box better. If it's supposed to be a "V" then you can make it better.

The type you have makes me think I'm about to walk into a state-of-the-art Oxygen bar or something. I don't know much about textile companies (feel free to give some more info), but this doesn't have the feel to me.

What are you trying to say with this identity?

i concur with daniel and HD. if all you're really changing is ths typeface, i say don't bother. the current one is quite nice, actually.

i do think there is room for improvement, but it's going to take a conceptual leap on your part. i realize this post may be repetitive of what daniel just said, but i wanted you to know that another person felt the same way.

i look forward to your development.

The logo makes me think of plumbing. Assuming they won't allow you to just dump the old metaphor, if you could throw some angles in there (like in the letterforms of the [new] type) that would help. And try using texture, like maybe letters made up of bands or something.

hhp

The "v" in the "Current logo (to be redesigned)" looks kind of like the folds in fabric or curtains. Do you know if this was intentional? Either way, perhaps you could make this more obvious through a reworking of the mark. I agree with some of the other posts about the type--the "Current logo (to be redesigned)". I like it how it is. It will likely endure for another twenty years. However, it does look somewhat like Parmalat, which is not a good association in Europe right now.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/3401785.stm

The original mark is too straight, like plumbing pipes as Hrant identified. Even straight patterns in textiles have curves once you look up close.

I would suggest that you do something to make this feel more human or fabric like. Not so vertical, horizontal, or straight. Make it flow. Push a more freeform, flowing direction, then if necessary, bring in some more gridded design to control the potential chaos. Am I making any sense? Some of the illustrations in the link below might help loosen you up a bit, but notice how alot of them maintain a controlled grid combined with free flowing forms.

http://www.chapter3.net/

Aloha!
Scott

Ah. I see the whitespace looking like folds of a curtain now. I would have never seen that w/o Ty's estimation. This could be very cool.

How 'bout something like this:

> It's too mechanical in yours, which is the problem I see with the original.

Thanks Daniel and others who suggested this! It is kind of strange that I haven't seen such an obvious solution. Velana's brand is quite known here in Slovenia, so I think I wasn't able to look at it from the proper distance.

So this is a solution with a more organic flow of the "curtain". I also tried Jacques's suggestion of rounded corners (despite I was first sceptical about this solution).


> Damn, I like the old one just fine.

Maybe it sounds strange HD, but actually I like the current logo, too. But redesign (into more trendy ID) was the brief so I am trying to do my best. I am trying (hard) to balance between a very trendy ID and something that would not become a bad design tommorow.

Thanks again.

Hi Matjaz,

I am trying (hard) to balance between a very trendy ID and something that would not become a bad design tommorow.

The problem here IMHO, is the type. I think this kind of lettering reaks of present trends: a monoline where the v=n e=a etc. It does so in the same way that photolettering smells of the 1970s and now looks dated. So be careful with this approach.

One way to distance yourself from this problem might be to use more traditional forms, but keeping the monoline (eg Foundry Monoline). Or you could try a fresh take on an established genre (a neo grotesque, or humanist sans, or a semiserif). How about some of Storm's offerings: Teuton, Sebastian, John Sans, or Dyna Grotesque? Maybe contact Christain Robertson about using Pill Gothic! There's an idea. Good luck!

Randy

I'm going to echo most of the other posts here, and say that the old logo isn't bad, just old. I think that Daniel's suggestions tap into a good new direction. There's still a lot there in the old Velana logo. It just looks a bit stuffy, IMO.

I think the type should stay close to its original (in terms of the typeface), and maybe even a similar orientation of mark to type, particularly because it's quite known in Slovenia. Plus, if you keep the same rough proportions, it can be used in ways similar to the old logo. Don't be too eager to violate the brand equity. I do like your tweaking of the logo in the A examples. The B example looks nice, but starts to lose the 'V' quality of the old mark. The dip seems too shallow to me, if you're going to make the curves more exaggerated.

Be sure to emphasize to your clients the difference between 'new and fresh', and 'disposable'.

Just some of my thoughts:

I like the scale and cropping of the A series.
It keeps the interesting ripple shape of the former logo, while creating a more pleasing negative positive relationship.

The candy apple green is more appealing than the pea green.

Like Jacques, I would be interested in seeing the letters of the name interconnected.

The B mark destroys the previous identity with no added benefits.

Andrew

I'm sorry but I don't read the v at all it comes off as a u. The pipe as Hrant pointed out needs something, it reminds me of roto rooter (thats the name and away go troubles down the drain)

Good call on the Roto Rooter. I knew it felt familiar.

Here is a quick rendering (Please don't be hatt'n on my logo- I did it quick) of what I think would say "textiles" better. It needs to flow more.

Tom I love it no more plumbing and a v rather than a u

This new one looks much better than the others. I really like how the new typeface, and the new icon have a wonderful organic feel to them.

Geeze, we're quick.

Tiffany,

The reason I picture it more fluid is because textiles are used for clothes and curtains and when I think of those things I picture flowing fabrics. I am not an expert so I may be way off. I realize technically the fabric is not fluid and it is straight up and down. I am thinking of the end products after it is made. Just a different way to approach it.

The biggest point Tom is it doesn't look like plumbing. I don't know this company so I have no associations visually with it. So the fluid look works for me. I'd like to hear from our original designer, he probably knows alot more information than we know and we may be way off base. Matjaz?

It also looks like an ant farm with the brown color because it looks like dirt.

Tom,

Your design feels like cosmetics to me, particularly lipstick.

The reason I picture it more fluid is because textiles are used for clothes and curtains and when I think of those things I picture flowing fabrics. I am not an expert so I may be way off. I realize technically the fabric is not fluid and it is straight up and down. I am thinking of the end products after it is made. Just a different way to approach it.

Your logic seems on par for home decorating companies or commercial curtain retail in general, but Velana manufactures curtains.
Smooth and flowing seems inapropriate.

One man's opinion...

To Tiffany's point, the identies found in the interior design world (and much of what is associated with it) often uses extremely clean and simple geometry. Personally, I love that look as opposed to the alternative gaudy designs that I also find common in the industry, but it is also very refreshing when that norm is broken.

I'm not sure that the resemblance of Tom's concept to cosmetics is such a bad thing. This indicates that it has a feminine appeal, which is very appropriate to the fashion and textiles industry.

IMO, go with the "flow".

Matjaz, I like the mark on your last posting better than the other ones, but I'm still not feelin' the type in combination with the mark. I know there's an awesome solution buried somewhere here�hopefully not too incredibly deep.

Aloha!
Scott

Perhaps the original mark was meant to evoke curtain manufacture rather than curtains. Or maybe not.

What if you took the the more perspective-ish style of Tom's idea and made it more regular and folded looking, like a curtain being pulled back (and more like a V)? Like this:



Please forgive the rushed look. The curves would need to be repositioned, but the basic idea is there. I threw Lucida Sans under there just on a whim to see how it'd look. There are better type suggestions in this thread.

>Velana manufactures curtains

I picture curtains as flowing.

The icon with the straight lines is too literal. I came accross a logo the other day called Cloud 9. It was a logo for a massage business. I don't associate clouds with massages, but if I was to get a massage I would like the idea of going to Cloud 9 because maybe they will make me feel like I am on Cloud 9 after they are done.

I agree with Tiffany.

hhp

How about something like this?

Here I tried to play around with letter "v"

I agree with Tiffany. The v-mark in Jan's second posting has some merit/potential.

For those interested, the "v" is Goydy Old style Italic with some modification.

I was looking to see if an old client of mine had a specific catalog design online that would've illustrated where I was going with the whole flowing thing. I didn't find it, but here's a link to their site anyway�not to mention they have some pretty cool carpet solutions for anyone who needs a new floor in their studio. Shaw Carpets seems to work a little harder than most carpet manufacturer's at having some design sensativity.

http://www.shawtile.com/html/html/collections_html/sha_coll_home.shtml

This link supports Tiffany's explanation about the relationship between environments and textile design.

Matjaz, after seeing Velana's site and what appeared to be their current logo, I'd say you have a lot more exploration to do if they are looking for something new�or do they really want to maintain as close of a relationship between old and new logos as you have, thus far?

Aloha!
Scott

Excuse me for not posting for such a long time. After some meetings, Velana's management decided not to change their current logo. Thanks for your help anyway. I have learned a lot from this case.