May I ask what your surname is.?

I would maybe tend to choose the surname version..
( Because of you being brothers, sharing the same name and having such close relationship.. )

manson

the manson brothers.

Ok, now I would tend to choose the surname version, for sure..
'The Manson Brothers' sounds too good, to be true..
( A great name, no matter what.. )

You're definitely creating a recognizable and memorable identity if you use your surname, especially if your main marque is something, for the lack of a better phrase, horrifying or scary. Like if your logo was just all-caps 'Manson Design' written in blood.

But you certainly run the risk of repelling potential clients solely on the basis of your name� it isn't something that a jeweler or community centre would care to acknowledge a connection with.

So if you're focusing primarily on an 'edgy' industry like the music or design community, and if the clients are primarily young enough to make the association but not old enough to have been terrified by the slayings, you'd be okay. Otherwise, I'd choose Vendetta Design, because there are a wealth of opportunities associated with that, like using violin cases as portfolios/briefcases and showing up to client meetings wearing chalkstripe suits with fedoras

Whatever you do, do not hire more relatives...

I would not attempt a gory image to go with my surname. But perhaps exploit its eccentricity.

I doubt many people would associate MANSON with gore and I would not even head in that direction.

We do not plan to hire any other family members. Just me and my brother. Since we bounce and feed off each other with respect to design and marketting.

Thanks for the feedback, I shall stew these responses and keep branstorming.

take care

Vendetta. Brothers. Manson. What is this, an Emigre promo? ;-)

I think incorporating "Manson" would be great if the target clientele is "edgy" (like Chase says). The fact that your surname is indeed Manson means nobody can hold any allusions to criminality against you (at least not formally). And when somebody asks you if Charles's reputation had anything to do with your choice of name, you can tailor your answer depending on what kind of person is asking! It can help you create an atmosphere, an illusion, based on the needs at hand.

Visually: I would try some kind of Yin/Yang opposition/unity thing (but not too literal a reference to the Yin/Yang symbol itself). Here's one of my most favorite logos (by Gahlord Dewald): http://www.thtfct.com/

BTW, note that "Manson" is "man"+"son"; maybe you can play the sibling aspect into that. Like maybe some kind of tree with two branches?

hhp

If you're going for an eccentric angle, perhaps a near-minimalist logo would work nicely. The yin/yang idea is a good basis, but it's a pretty common reference.

You could use Hrant's literal idea and design a stylized man that tesselates with itself, either in the same size or in two complementary sizes (man & son).

Hrant

The "man" + "son" was somethng we were thinking of exploiting with regards to our brotherly competitiveness. Promotional material which illustrated that envy, jealousy, and immature brotherly habits (such as the border within the shared bedroom) played a large role in our individual stride to "out-do each other".

We intend to target the "edgy" clientele despite which name we choose. But were concerned with regards to corporate identity.

Do corporate identity jobs tend to be conservative clients? Would YOU be turned off by a surname?

We have constantly been asked throughout our lives about our surname. Resultng in us giving them the answer they were hoping for. Then it changed with Marilyn heading into the mix.

I tend to be optimistic with regards to our name. And since we will also be striving into brandng/advrtising, it could make for a brilliant edge with promotional material.

All your feedback has been great, spurred us both into further discussions and scenarios. I want to get this decided well before my institutional study ends.

take care