Have you been looking at Alien:Grey3?...

I think the dot pattern idea is great, especially considering the insecty name. I think I prefer the "M" asymmetrical, and not too dark. So maybe take #3 and make it more asymmetrical - one dot difference just looks like a mistake.

As for the subhead, I think Mantinia (is it?) actually works, but the one in #2 sucks. Try Meridien too.

BTW:
> gouvernment

You're canadienne, aren't you... Come on, ADMIT IT! ;-)

hhp

> Mantinia

Hey, wait a second - is this like one of those sad cases where the designer just chooses a font with a name like the client's?... Quelle honte! ;-)

hhp

I don't see any <a href="http://www.identifont.com/show?8NA">Mantinia</a> here, Hranter.

I like the middle top M with the serif text (whatever it is)
from the top left.

Let's see them small. Most logos are rarely seen larger than a half-inch.

Blasted!

nope don't know Alien:Grey3

font choice as per name - oooo gimme some credit, and you typophiles shame shame...its Hoefler Text! the second is Eurostile...Actually what I did there considering the company wants something that shows intelligence - I looked at the Mensa logo, fliped the corporate name to Eurostile extended instead of condensed and vice versa with consulting for Mensa International. I thought what better way to associate intelligence then to subliminally call attention from the intelligent ones. ok maybe that's a lame game-plan...but its a sans serif version so far at least.

yes my grammar and spelling are horrible, happens when you grow up north french canadian, and then work with south bilingual anglophones.

Hmmm, sorry.
Maybe *I'm* one of those designers, since I thought it was Mantinia when it wasn't! :-/

hhp

I'm with Stephen. I'd use that middle M, but I'm
still unconvinced. I see what you're doing with
the juxtaposition of the 'edgy' M and the
traditional type, but I don't think you're there yet.

What if the entire setting weren't so ordinary. I
mean, you've got this big M with centered type
under it. What if the M became more of a textural
mark that reads as an M only secondarily?
What if it were 25% of its size and not centered.

(Stephen our HTML isn't really HTML. Next time use
the 'Formatting Codes'.)

Yeah... why does it have to be an "M"? Think of all the cool logos that don't use an initial. What if Lucent's logo were a big red L instead of that crazy-cool red circle? What if Nike had Ns instead of swooshes?

Think of what the company does, conceptually. On the larger scale, what is the "grandma explanation" of what they do for humanity?

Communicate that thought.

thanks for your comments and suggestions...the whole M thing is a long story - one we as an office had already discussed.

I'm rushing around right now - just handed the presentation papers to meeting go'ers.

the top one is one I lay'ed out pres style and the bottom are variations I'm offering for now.

thank you all muchly for opinions

opps

Nice work. I think that the third one on the bottom is starting to read as "2 people working on a common focus" and thats a good thing that possibly could be emphasized even more with a slight rearrangement of the circles? Perhaps the type could be more closely working with the mark? (a foundation for it?) Just some thoughts hope they are helpful.