What kind of food does the restaurant serve?
The logo seems contradictory to the name. It is kind of nice that way. I like it's feminine quality.However,it is very feminine and might alienate most of the male population. How is the place decorated? Your script style is quite elegent and sophisticated. I like the script in the top version but feel like the widow thing is a little much. I think I need more info for an accurate assesment.

Thanks, David, for the response!

The restaurant will serve unique gourmet food, dinners will be quite sophisticated and "fancy" (like Macadamia Nut Crusted Sea Bass) and lunches will have a more casual feel (like Porcini-Gorgonzola Burgers).

It is a long restaurant, half brick walls; the other half of the walls are painted with impressionistic european murals (many have the shape of the window in the top example.) The owners don't necessarily want any correlation to the "brick" or the literal name persay, but they do really like the unique paintings.

Here is another sample that is just the script writing but not quite as "much" as sample "f".

Any ideas on how i might create a logo to represent the ambiance and type of food without being so "feminine"?

I don't think restaurant logos NEEDS to echo the specifics of the food. That's what the food is for...the food will generate its own reputation without the need of the logo. Of course, you need to hint at the differences between a drive in burger joint and fine dining, but I think that's about the extent of it.

The logo should represent the 'vibe' though, IMHO. And I think yours does a wonderful job. I like both implementations and I think they can both be used together just fine.

Is that your own calligraphy?

Good work Sally. I like "f". As compared to "e", it offers more versitility

Thanks for the input Darrel and Scott . . .

Ah, not my own calligraphy (i wish it was!) . . . just a bit modified
Escrita (http://www.fontpool.com/search/escrita/page1.html)

Thanks for the link, Scott, that is a cool site. I completely agree with you about a typeonly logo (that is also a great idea to take cropped portions of the murals -- I will probably use that in creating their identity pieces.

Here is one more idea (this is the one the client likes best so far).

Do you think the bricks add something or take away fromthe typeonly logo? Thanks again for the feedback.

I really like the hand-lettered look of Escrita, but I don't think the addition of the bricks does the logo justice. I agree with Scott's point about the versatility of a type-only logo. If the owners like the use of the brick imagery, I think it could be more effectively included elsewhere in some of the collateral, such as a separate, subtle graphic element on menus, promo materials, etc. The type-only logo is elegant and seems to fit your description of the restaurant on it's own; no need for added bells and whistles.

Nice work Sally!

Sally,

Good job on the designs. I agree with some of the other postings in that I prefer the type only version. And I'd like to see it paired with the murals as mentioned. One small thing though, to me the "r" sometimes looks like a "z" especially in version e, not so much in the later designs but still enough that when I glance quickly it looks like Bzick.

Will the logo be black or color?

Thanks for the feedback . . .

I am scrapping the bricks and any other sort of icon as part of the logo . . . i agree that it is much stronger as a type-only unit. (it seems to "junk up" the logo and take away from the elegance)

I have refined the type and here are three examples of the type-only logo. There are just subtle differences between them -- any thoughts?

any suggestions?

oh, and this will probably just be a one-color logo. I am not sure if it will be black or a color yet.

I definitely like B the best in the large size. It may need to be a little heavier for the small size (or close some of the breaks/gaps at small sizes). I think "Lane" might need to be pulled a bit tighter to Brick (k-L).

They look great.

Aloha!
Scott

I think you ought to draw 'THE' as well as three small typeset letters don't mix very well with a lot of calligraphy. They look out of place as regards style. They may be uppercase-regular-serif like they are now ... but not typeset.

--
S

I vote for B. And agree with Scott that in the smaller version you may need to make adjustments for readability. Note especially the swoosh from the k as it loops back over the i - it's starting to look like a t (and thereby making it look like a completely different word)

I like B's calligraphy most (the forms and the quality of line), but the word 'The' in the circle stroke just seems like too much emphasis on an unimportant element (or, perhaps it's the type with the caligraphy, like S

Thank you for the feedback!

S

I like D, however, I'd like to see the line break effect like on the "L" (as shown) and the "B" seems a little heavy at the bowls and the thick part of the left loop-T-loop

My understanding of S

Sally -- I may have been a little unclear, English is not my native language.

What I meant: 'THE' was a *font*, the rest was calligraphy. And I thought that 'THE', being just three letters, looked out of place with the rest. And should be executed as calligraphy as well, to be in harmony with the rest. Another way of looking at it, if you were to keep the font, you would need more letters, say 'THE RESTAURANT' or similar length. Then it would be strong enough to play a role in a font/calligraphy contrast.

Then I said (and you didn't understand this): while calligraphing the word 'THE' you can *still* make it capitals, and make it upright (regular) (not slanted), depending of what's looking good.

Haven't said so yet, but I think you're a skilled calligrapher.

And I think getting rid of the pictoral element I saw in your first posting was an improvement.

Going to London for three days now, see you later.

--
S

Thanks everyone for the feedback . . . I have refined the lettering, and am getting close to the final version.

Although the owners originally said they did not want "restaurant" part of the logo, they now want restaurant to be used in some applications (such as their outdoor sign, etc). So this is what I have come up with . . .



any further suggestions for final refinement, etc?

Thanks! ~ Sally

If possible, I would separate "RESTAURANT" from the logo. Just drop it below. Niether of the versions you have here are working and restaurant is definitely too small for outdoor signage.

I agree with Scott. 'RESTATURANT' can't be placed there. You have in versions H and I created an unbalanced arrangement where all the elements are placed east-south-east of each other ... (sorry, if my English is inadequate: first 'the', then a little down ... then 'Brick', then a little down ... and so on).

Maybe, as Scott said you should drop 'RESTAURANT' underneath, and then, for balance, 'the' (or 'The'?) should be placed somewhere above 'ick' or 'ckLa' ...

Whether or not 'RESTAURANT' needs a bolder face as regards to signage ... well that depends on the technique of the sign, the colours, the walking speed of the specific street and so on. Although I wouldn't make the so bold/heavy that it were to compete with 'Brick Lane'

--
S

Thanks Scott and S

Very nice work.

The only thing I might consider altering is "the". It seems to me that it needs just a hair more weight, especially at the small size. Other than that, there is nothing I would change. You should be proud.

Aloha!
Scott

Yes, 'the' needs a little more weight, if the marks has got to be printed in small sizes.

Determine what is the 'worst case' as regards to small size and printing on coarse materials. (Paper napkin?) Then look at the counters of 'h' and 'e' ... do you want them to be filled when printing very small sizes? No? Well, then you have an indication of just how big and how heavy the 'the' should be. (But as Scott says, it shouldn't be very much).

Have you considered/tried a capital-T in 'the'? It certainly would fit in with the rest as regards to style (calligraphy, old times and so on). Moreover, it wouldn't add some weight to the element. But then again, maybe it doesn't work -- but it think it should be tried, before you declare the design finished.

Looks nice now, positive as well as negative. I can just imagine it applied to signage, matchboxes, menues and so on.

--
S

Thank you for the positive feedback Scott & S

Okay, here we go again . . .

I have done a little experimenting with the capital T (might as well not dismiss it without trying a few things!)

I have adjusted the weight of the as well as a few other minor adjustments to some of the letters.

any thoughts?

Thanks!

The weight is better.

I prefer an UC "T" to the LC, but I think this one is a little too frilly for the small size. It needs to be simple. If the lower case "t" that you've used had an UC arm across the top, I think you'd be close.

Aloha!
Scott

Thanks, Scott, for the advice.

. . . i don't know what i was thinking with that capital "T" I posted above -- WAY too much. "too frilly" is an understatement!

Here is a toned-down captial T -- although i am still questioning whether the capital t is the best choice:

what i want to convey:
unique elegance
sophisticated, but cozy
excellent dining experience

does the capital t make it just a bit "too" sophisticated, taking away the "coziness" aspect?

Ah, the art of finding the balance of "simple elegance" . . .

Yes, this is what I meant. I simply think this calligraphic arrangement looks better with a UC T ... it suits the UC B and L ...

Goethe said: "Some projects are never finished. You have to *declare* them finished".

I think this mark is finished now ... and you ended up with a solution you will be proud to put in your portfolio.

--
S

Thank you everyone for your feedback . . . especially to you, Scott & S