The first one would persuade me to hire you :-)

Web Design Portfolio

#1 is beautiful!!!

j

I also vote 1.

I’d be interested to see how you’d represent it in a one-colour environment. A split where the colours meet? One colour in outline?

- Lex

I read S J rather than J S. Dunno if that might be a problem.
It prolly wont but its worth mentioning since your name is James Saleska.

I agree with everyone else. But if you want something unique that stands out, it should probably be something other than your initials. It takes many designers a long time to really realize that.

Thanks for the comments. Here is how I was thinking I would portray the logo in a one-color environment.

Hey cerulean, do you have any good examples designer’s logos that are not their initials?

Which logo do you feel is the best designed?

What do you mean by ’best designed’?

Better yet…which logo would help persuade you to hire me?

None of ’em.

I am really just looking for critiques on my work Hiroshige. It would be helpful if you gave me some sort of feedback that is constructive like what you dont like about them.

If you don’t like my answers - don’t ask the questions.

I never said I dont like your answers Hiroshige. I do like your answer-I just want to know why you dont like them. I am simply trying to learn and I think critiques are an important part of learning. So if you would not mind be brutally honest and telling me what you think is bad about them, I would like that very much. I apologize if I was a little misleading with my first questions-all I really wanted to know was what people thought about the logos and what they liked or didn’t like about them.

How about we just decide that next time Hiro posts something, we just all reply “I don’t like your designs and I don’t like you,” and see if he can make anything constructive out of it?

How about we just decide that next time Hiro posts something, we just all reply “I don’t like your designs and I don’t like you,” and see if he can make anything constructive out of it?

Ok.

I’ll stray from the pack and suggest a simplified #5 as the one I’d go with.

That said #1 does have that simple elegance to it.

I like ambigrams, so i’ll pick number 5. :)

By the way, I do appreciate Mr Hiroshige’s honest opinion. Sadly it isn’t really helpful. :)

I also agree that “best designed” is kind of a silly term. Hey everyone! Please tell me which of my logos is most contrasty!

In second year art school I made a logo with my initials. I would suggest you do something a little more original. The ones you posted are nice... I just feel like I’ve seen them all before.

I respond so negatively to the gold/grey combo (reminds me of high school football) that I think I’m biased when I say I definitely prefer #1 - I think it’s mostly because I love the b/w you posted. :)

I’d advise you to think more about your context, your *brand*. If you want a logo so you can show a sample logo, instead design logomarks for fake entities, non-profits, or some other entity that needs a logo. If you want a logo only for your business card, then design the whole card. If you want it for your website, too, sketch out how you might incorporate a logo into your website. I recommend questioning your desire for a logo, and your answers will probably help you design one if you decide to go for it.

For conceptual branding stuff: “Johnny Can’t Brand” is great, and your library probably has it.

Good luck!

Beth

—-
http://www.flickr.com/photos/eeblet/
Live near Oakland? Now in Jack London Square on Sundays: screamsorbet.com

Thanks for all of the comments. I really appreciate it. I am currently working on some additional logos that I will post soon.

eeblet...I hadn’t heard of that book. Looks like a good read!

Wait, it’s called “Why Johnny Can’t Brand”. Er, to quote my own blog (ugh, lame):

“So I checked 5 branding books out from the library: 2 were horrible (Brandscendence™; The Philosophy of Branding), 2 were entertaining (Brand Failures; From Altoids to Zima), and 1 was extremely useful, despite its dopey title: Why Johnny Can’t Brand. It’s a simple approach to branding: be the best at something even if you have to make up a new something, and push only a dominant selling idea, clearing aside all marketing clutter.”

I like the black and white one best too. And agree with beth/eeblet with trying a logo for something you feel could benefit from a redesign and why.

Immediately, was drawn to #1

however, feel that #4 has lots of potential. There’s something funny about the letterforms, now...I think they could work better if they were simplified a bit. There’s alot of friction between the star and some of the neg/pos space the letter S is making.

I like the basic, chuck taylor thing it’s got going on...

also, maybe try sketching only in black (Not grey and black...just black) and see if you can get the shape working.

Good explorations, though. Logos in school were fun...

susy

www.susanconnordesign.com

Ive been working on a few more designs. They are all based on a lowercase “j” and “s.” Please let me know what you think.

If you hate them or like them...dont be afraid to let me know why.

I would also like to know whether or not you think they are an improvement from the last logos I posted.

To me they’re still brutal, and just like your first go ’round, they’re trying to be too damn clever.

Try using different weights, or even different fonts to rep your first and last initials. Play one initial off the other - use one to highlight the other,instead of trying to merge/force one into the other (and all the effort that needs). And use the j’s tittle as a playful element.

That way you’ll honor your family name, whilst adding your own vibe...

5 is brilliant. and ignore that too damn clever business. but maybe adjusting it so that it’s more pictoral might make it more powerful. so that it becomes an object first and then the viewer sees the letters, rather than vice versa.

I love #4 & 5!