Hi Tom, this looks wery nice, I like the green clour very much and the type you have used, but its unclear to me (and maybe only to me :^), what kind of signs does this company? Any kind of signs, road-signs... are there any other kinds of signs? Should this be clear from the logo itself?

Sorry for my bad english...

Idea for the admins: spell checker

Mallard Signs offers all types of signs. I am choosing with this logo to not reflect the subject matter because I think "signs" says it all. Most sign companies in town all offer the same services. There isn't (from my knowledge) a sign company that just sells roadside signs, then a company that just sells yard signs.

Plus, there will be decriptive copy describing the types of services offered that go with the logo.

Tom I like it alot except for the tail of the duck. I know its stylized but it seems weak compared to the attention to the head.

I agree. I will work on it

Maybe the head needs to be reduced a little bit to balance the color contrast, between the head and the rest of the duck.

Don't mallards have green flashes on the tops of their wings as well as the tips of their tail? It's been a while since I've really scoped out a duck, but I seem to recall something like that.

Text looks good, tighten up 'Si' just a hair.

>Don't mallards have green flashes on the tops of their wings

Not from the research I have done on them. I personally like just the area of the head being green, because that is what makes people identify ducks/mallards. It may not be balanced, but I think it still works. What do you all think of the structure of the bird. Does the tail look better?

By the way, I am using 343c for the green and Cool Grey 9 the grey.

Here is an alternative to solve the head problem. Ducks have a dark patch of feathers under the line on their neck. I think it makes the green work into the lighter grey.

I would be tempted to go the other direction and stylize the head in order to align it with the tail. Your colour-balancing solution seems nice.

Here is a new and hopefully improved mallard. He has more personality.

Tom, the new mallard looks good. I like the darker ruffle and smoother head.

Thanks. Here is the finished version (as of now). I just smoothed out the bottom of the bird.

Tom do one more thing for me, I was riding my Mt Bike in Manhattan (NYC Greenway) that goes around the island and all the rivers. I saw a few Mallards and I just think the wings are too big. They are longer than the entire duck. Love the tail treatment.

Daniel,

Good suggestion. I will work on it today.

About the placement of the bird wrt the type: first I was thinking it should nestle between the "el"s and the "d", but then I started liking the dynamism you have, and that made me think that maybe you should amplify that: make the "el"s higher than the rest and have the bird on top? Or maybe make the first "el" really higher, the second "el" a little higher (than the caps/"d"), and maybe have them "pushing" the bird or something.

hhp

Hrant,

going off what you said, maybe shape the el's to fit the contour of the bottom of the bird. I will play with it. Good suggestion.

Let me know about the bird. I have looked at it too much, so I am not sure if it sucks or not.

Here is an adjusted tail. I made it thinner.

Plug "mallard" into Google Images and look at some real ducks! Bigger wings, smaller head.

As for placement, I see the "ll" as a perch. You should decide whether it's landing or taking off, and nudge to the left or right accordingly. The latter is the more consistent with the ommission of visible feet, and I doubt you would want to add feet. The new head looks more like landing, and the first head looks more like taking off.

Anyway, great type and colors.

Could you turn the ll into a shotgun and pretend it is
duckshooting season? ;-)
Sorry, it is that time of year round these parts, where
men get into huts and shoot ducks. Male bonding etc.
I like the duck. I think its shape is neat-o. Looks like it
is flying in or out of the space. BTW, what is that font
you are using?

kris.

nice work, the colors are great. I may have one suggestion besides the duck wing/head proportion issue. How about reworking the lc "r's" serif so it is shape more like the duck head and follows the curve of the "d" more.

Patria, Kris.
That 'S' needs bigger serifs! :^)

> duckshooting season?

Too funny. Mental note: when trying to find a name for a hunting supply company, make sure it has a double-el in it.

Ole, that "r" is looking Brutaal!
(Maybe you should take a break from the barbed buddha stuff. ;-)

> That 'S' needs bigger serifs!

Agreed. This is an "advance copy"...
Tom, of course feel free to adjust whatever, as you see fit.

hhp

Tom:

I just read all of these posts and there is an interesting dynamic in your revision process. I didn't comment when I first saw your design, because nothing immediately stood out for critique and I'm too lazy to just type "well done". Anyway, it seems at this point that one of the biggest issues with the design is the proportions of the duck. Interestingly, if you return to your initial post, the proportions are pretty accurate, while in your last post your proportions have created a baby duck (small underdeveloped wings and an oversized head). Also, although the smoother head is more beautiful, it reminds me more of a swan direction than the original mallard head. The first head seems to represent a more agressive, dynamic and proactive business (in flight). I will say, however, that your second approach to the tail is an improvement. I am glad that nobody has suggested a type alternative, because that's a really good selection

All of you make great suggestions. They will keep be busy tonight. I look forward to making the logo better.

Thanks

Here is my attempt to mesh all the advice given in the past few days and come up with something that works. I have made the serif in the "S" larger (I hope I didn't disgrace your font Hrant ;), I have gone back to the original pose of the duck, but kept the good things from the last posted duck, and nudged the bird to the right to simulate flight. I think I am ready for that shotgun kris!

very good! Keep it that way!

Nice! Just make the terminals on the lc "s" the same.

hhp

I have nudged the bird to the left a little more. The reason I put the bird in the position I did was to simulate take-off. I have also adjusted the "s". Let me know if the "s" looks consistent with the rest of the font.

Lookin' good to me.

hhp

Patria looks fresh.

Did you already try centering the duck at the
true center?

I'm with Tiffany. The duck's position above the "ll" isn't appealing to me. I'd say, "but that's just me", but it's not because Tiffany already mentioned it. Either BJ's centering reference or Tiffany's earlier reference to nesting the bird closer to the "a-r" might be helpful. Otherwise, I think this looks great. Good work on the duck.

Aloha!
Scott

Here is the logo centered. To me it seems to loose some juice being centered.

Thanks Scott! Here is another version with the duck coming off the el's.

That is a good idea Tiffany. Maybe on the letterhead put the duck on the opposite side of the page, etc. I agree that the el's get in the way.

I like this half-off-the-els one the most.

hhp

I agree with Hrant. The type/duck relationship definitively represents a duck in flight.

Aloha!
Scott

Tom,

I like your idea, and the color scheme. The gesture still looks wrong to me, is the duck landing, flying, or taking off? Ducks have a distinctive profile in flight, and a recognizable wing motion. If the duck

Tom, if you don't mind, try reducing the duck by 10%, I think what is bothering people is the duck and the type have the same visual weight, so the duck becomes a distraction not an illustration of the name.

Reducing the duck 5% and moving ot up more helped.

As far as the gesture of the duck, there are pics that have similar poses to mine. My interpretation of the duck comes from a combination of images that I studied before I began the project.

However, I know it isn't realistic, but I didn't want it to be. I didn't want the gesture to be too bold. I wanted to make it simplistic and soft. I have seen some really good duck logos that are bold and more gestural that look more like the pics provided above. I just wanted to go in a different direction.

In relation to keeping the duck apart from the type, the client wants the logo to be able to work with the type. On the signage they will have to be used closely together. I really feel the changes above solves the issue of the icon working-with-the-type. I think the duck was just too close to the el's.

Nah, wouldn't do that: it's too anecdotical, and visually interferes
with the mallard motif.

I agree with Yves. I wouldn't get too literal for the type. I'm wondering, however, if there isn't a better location for the duck? Resting nicely somehwhere in between letters?

Tom it still seems to be resting in the wrong position.

Tom -- maybe I'll just have to ignore it. I see what you mean, but to me the placement of the bird is calling too much attention to the double ll ... almost as if it is supposed to conceptually explain something. :^/ Sorry.

> i thought i recognized that typeface! :D

I agree. Centered is not the answer.

Thought. Wouldn't it be better to consider them as two separate entities? Through this you will be given more flexibility, size relationships, location, etc.?

I'd like to see other instances of it in use. Show us how you propose to use them separately? The color balances better with the duck above the "Mallards", but I don't think they should be considered one unit.

This new image still doesn't work. For me. ;)