I'm not picking up a strong concept out of this. Care to elaborate on your thoughts for pursuing this direction?

I started playing around with the text and liked how things fit together. I don't have a master plan unfortunately.

More:

You need to work with the full name.

I know, I just have to get inspired first.

As an exercise in combining letters it's interesting, but as Jupiterboy said you really need to work with all of the elements to create a successful design. It's easy to fall into the trap of designing one element and then having to force the rest of the design to work with it. Play with the full name, inspiration will come.

I think you should first think of what you want to tell with the logo.
A good concept is half the job.

technicallt it should be more than half eh?

this'd be so much fun to design.

maybe sketch first?

----------
Paul Ducco
Graphic Design

This have any potential?

Perhaps I should distort the text further to better fit around the Kayak.

You are getting there.
I would round the word KAYAK more around the kayak intself

I think you need to simplify the drawing of the kayak for the last one to be usable. Also I don't think the slant of the letters fits.

- Lex

Thanks for all the suggestions. I agree I need to simplify the Kayak graphic. Right now though I just want to focus on the text.

This an improvement?

Not a fan of the color palette or the text. I like your first sketches better. And yes, the kayak definitely shouldn't be this detailed. Simplify, simplify, simplify.

penn

This doesn't play as very strong to me.

The logo needs to convey physicality, effort, outdoors, adventure, playfulness, etc. I'm not getting any of that.

Work on the mark first. Worry about the type later. Right now your mark is kayak clip art. You need to brainstorm some forms on a piece of paper.

Get inspiration from marks of outdoors companies that you like.

--
Nick Hladek

What about warping BAJA to allow BY to be underneath it and then raising the last K? That BY is causing a huge balance problem.

Better?

I agree about the imbalancing caused by 'BY'.

I did however like the color pallette and the kayak.
This new design isn't bad (some problems though. You rounded baja and not kayak or the other way around.)

I would go for the previous one. But place 'BY' in the space of the 'Y' and make the 'K' at the end as big as the first one. And I would simplify the kayak a bit.

Maybe the top could be straightend.

Here an idea. This is VERY ROUGH sketch.

Yes. I is getting there. I like your treatment of the kayak.
I do miss the bright yellow.

What if you straighten BAJA Like KAYAK underneath?

Lovely!!!

The last treatment is much better.

--
Nick Hladek

Heeeeeaps better.

----------
Paul Ducco
Logo Design Melbourne

Ah there it is. Yes. Much better. :^)

Should the Kayak be made to stand out more?

No. I liked the other with even tonality. And you don't want "by" to read before the other.

Flat Top Baja...

Looking good now. What would it look like if the Baja was the same width as Kayak, or vice versa, making it a rectangle?

Looking good now. What would it look like if the Baja was the same width as Kayak, or vice versa, making it a rectangle?

Something like this... (not an improvement IMO)

Here's are two versions with a subtly widened BAJA...

Not sure which one I should go with.

My favorite of those last three is the bottom one.

Just curious about the color palette though. Are the red and blues required colors from the client? or can you experiment with some others?

penn

I like the faded colors. Kind of how a favorite t-shirt fades after you wear it in the sun all summer.

What is more important, BAJA or KAYAK? It seems to me BAJA is the more important so maybe flat top of the 3 is good for that reason. But I do think there is something nice about the flat top.

Regarding the colors, they just kind of came to me. I'm quite satisfied there but if someone wants to suggest another palette feel free.

Now what's more important, BAJA or KAYAK? I don't know for sure but BAJA most likely.

Well Baja is the area it operates in, and you tour it by Kayak. So either could be the emphasis.

Reduced the weight of the "KAYAK" text and gave the bottom of the Y's a bit more breathing room.

"Now what’s more important, BAJA or KAYAK? I don’t know for sure but BAJA most likely."

This would depend on where the bulk of the company's business originates. If people are coming from afar explicitly for this service, then Baja's more important. However, if their customers are mostly people already traveling through the area then Kayak's more important.

If you really felt the need to emphasize one word over the other, you could perhaps create two versions: a Kayak one for all signage and local advertising, and a Baja one for the company website and ads targeting international travelers.

This may be an issue with the writing as much as the design, but I’m reading this as a brand of kayak. The “by”, which conveys something very important is getting lost. I think this would be even more of an issue at small sizes.

My suggestion would be to give “by” and “kayak” an equal weight and link them with more strength.

I made the "BY" a bit larger.

One again I'd just like to thank everyone who commented or made suggestions. Hopefully I can return the favor down the line.

Looks great!

I had one remark. After seeing it for a while.
The kayak also looks like a surf board. Sorry ...
Perhaps the grips at the front and rear (in you early designs) will counter that?

Very good point bobbybobo. Please tell me if this is more Kayaky...

When "Baya" is written like this (without rounded top), letters look bigger than Kayak's. I don't like this. Top rounded, bottom flat as it was done in some previous version.

And I would do something else. Instead of putting "by" into a dark brown rigid square I'd make straight vertical sides more convex. So they'd be rounded a bit and making the kayak image more real and also matching it to type.

I hope you know what I mean. Words are not my friends today...
___________
Robert Koritnik

big night?

----------
Paul Ducco
Graphic Design Melbourne

And I thought I was a perfectionist. :D

How does this look?

Here's a version with a larger Kayak graphic...

I think BAJA looks bigger because it slightly is.
And I also think the color comes into play.
What if the colors are swopped?

However, I like it.

Great job.

It's cool to see how far you've progressed. I like #2 better b/c "kayak" doesn't exceed the kayak graphic. I hope you don't mind I edited your logo a bit. The a's somewhat bother me with the flat then round bottom corners of the letter. I made both of the corners round the letter is symmetrical -- which I think works better with a centered logo like this. I also applied it to the k for kicks.

Agree about the curved edges. It was bothering me too.

penn

BAM!

I'm curious ... how did this thread get SUCH a great response and input?

----------
Paul Ducco
Graphic Design Melbourne

The constant updates and edits made by the author

penn

yeah, and the acceptance of good critique/feedback too.

----------
Paul Ducco
Graphic Design Melbourne

Great work

LOVE the way this ended up! Very nice work

woah! To the time machine Marty!

----------
Paul Ducco
Graphic Design Melbourne

Thanks ;)