I find the centre row, first column one interesting but a bit busy (thus not well scalable).
Have you tried using a geometrically constructed typeface in a light weight?

With all those different directions it doesn't seem like you know where you want to go with this. Focus on the word clarity & use as little as possible to communicate that.

These sketches all seem to be following graphic design trends, rather than your client. You pretty much have covered 7 current (cliché) logo trends: Banner motif with all caps gothic type > Plain Helvetica bold > Type reversed out of a cloud blob shape > Different sized dots with a C in the negative space > Set in Avant Garde > Type on a slant reversed out of a circle with gradient > CMYK.

What do any of these communicate about his position as a researcher / strategy advisor or his personality?

Judging by your work you've got it in you, just keep working through ideas and sketching.

--
penn

These sketches all seem to be following graphic design trends, rather than your client. You pretty much have covered 7 current (cliché) logo trends: Banner motif with all caps gothic type > Plain Helvetica bold > Type reversed out of a cloud blob shape > Different sized dots with a C in the negative space > Set in Avant Garde > Type on a slant reversed out of a circle with gradient > CMYK.

Agreed.

I would write "Clarity" in a rectangle, period.
But i agree with penn..

Hello,

Sorry the slow response - I hope you're all still following this thread! Monday was a public holiday here in England... and all of a sudden it's Thursday! All work and no play makes jack a dull boy.

Thank you very much for your comments. Penn sums it up well; they are all cliché and don't really reflect any of my friends character. Bezier's suggestion, "Clarity" in a rectangle, is very much the direction I would like to go in but my friend is keen to have a mark of some sort and so my trail of thought has been something like this:

1. "Focus on the word clarity & use as little as possible to communicate that."
2. Q. What symbolises clarity?
3. A. Diamonds
4. Q. What is the simplest way I can illustrate this?
5. A. Using basic shapes
6. Reference: wooden mosaic toys (they're not really diamond shaped but in my mind closely related)
7. Add a heavy dose of Swiss design - Akzidenz Grotesk
8. And ta-da!

What do you think? Good/bad/off my rocker? My friend's always sharply dressed - wears bright but slightly muted colours. He has a Slavic background but is often misplaced as Scandinavian. If he were a movement he'd be a modernist.

Your comments would be much appreciated.

With thanks,

R

i like the blue one!!

please help me http://typophile.com/node/73439

Of these I like the blue one best too, for the simple reason that it's the simplest one.

"2. Q. What symbolises clarity?
3. A. Diamonds"
Maybe we have a language-barrier issue here (English not being my first language) but to me «clarity» would best be shown by transparency. Crystal is clear. Glass is clear. Diamonds are potentially too many other things (precious, valuable, shiny, a girl's best friend); and the many colors in these recent drafts make this approach seem even more complex.
I'd go back and look for simple shapes, in search of not complexity but transparency.
One good thing you have is symmetry, which helps make it feel more balanced and regular, which helps «clarity» I think.

How about just a wordmark? Or if you need a mark, maybe look at "C"s from typefaces with «simple», reduced (~geometric) shapes?

This most recent mark you have is beautiful. I too wonder, however, how much it relates to the idea of clarity. Everything is a bit too complex at the moment. The all blue mark is the most suited to the idea of clarity because it simplifies the mark.

The type you have is a little heavy for my tastes.

As far as orientation of the mark with the type goes, I prefer the one in the dead center. It looks the most balanced.

Nina, Penn,

Thank you very much for your comments.

I don't think this is an issue with language - more with my tail of thought! I was thinking of the phrase 'crystal clear' but confusing crystals with diamonds... dear me.

I agree the link between diamonds and clarity is a bit strenuous and complex and could be confused with too many other things. I need to go back to the drawing board again.

I may not have time to post anything new on this till mid-week but please keep an eye on this thread.

Very many thanks.