"Chef" ought to be the focal point of the logo, but currently it's overpowered by the decorative ornament, and its position at the end of the line puts it in the least prominent position.

I'd suggest trying variations where "chef" is larger and on a line of it's own. Might try making "the" a lot less prominent, too.

The heart shape is clever, but I"m not quite sure how it fits in with the concept of "tutored".

I will definitely take your suggestions and make chef larger. I was trying to go for an abstract mustache with the decorative ornament. Here's a thought, do you think I could do without the decorative ornament? and just make chef the focal point of the mark? My reasoning for adding the heart is because good chefs like what they do but great chefs love what they do. Maybe I should add a tagline to communicate that? Part of the brief was that the name of the restaurant couldn't be changed since the restaurant already has established equity in the name.

> I was trying to go for an abstract mustache

Okay, now I see it.

But is a fancy moustache something that people associate with student chefs, or with their tutors? Maybe others would feel differently, but to me it just doesn't seem like the most appropriate graphic reference.

Maybe something like a chef's hat might communicate the idea better. Chef's hats sometimes have the restaurant name printed on them, so maybe you could make a logo consisting of the hat with the name on it. Or maybe 2 overlapping chef's hats, one larger than the other, to give the idea of a teacher and a student chef. Not sure if these are good ideas or not, they're just some thoughts off the top of my head.

Is the name a play on 'the pampered chef'? I get the idea of the heart, but I don't know that it connects. I think of restaurants in terms of my experience there, not the motivation of the staff. The heart says to me that it is a romantic destination, great for Valentine's day. What do you want people to expect before they come? Who is the audience? What is the best thing about eating there? The answers to those questions should guide your brainstorming and ideation.

James I think you make a great point, the fancy mustache is associated with their tutors, that never crossed my mind but it makes sense, it's not an appropriate reference. All of your thoughts are good, I'll take them into consideration no doubt.

Luma I don't believe it is, the name was chosen by students, (probably why it isn't the greatest thing to work with) but nonetheless it brings up some interesting challenges to try and overcome. The audience is guests with a sophisticated palate, so food enthusiasts who aren't amateurs if you will. The best thing about eating there besides the food is the price of the food for the quality of food one gets. I don't want Valentine's day so maybe I should probably just scrap the heart idea and keep the custom lettering.

Thanks for all of your constructive criticism, it definitely pointed me towards a more viable solution.

What about this?? The triangle is made of three strands which reinforce : the environment, and the type of food they serve. Which is echoed in the tagline. each strand would consist of a separate color.

While abstract logos can work sometimes, it might be better if the graphic related more directly to the subject.

And keep in mind that clients sometimes change tag lines. If the tag line becomes 2 words or 4 words next year, your connection to the 3 strands is lost. I would hesitate to design a logo around the tag line.

Also the slant of "tutored" and "chef" are slightly different; I'd suggest that they both have the same angle. (Or if you want them to be different, make the difference more pronounced so it looks deliberate.)

At first, I was going to point out all the technical problems (kerning, scale etc.) with your latest version, but I see from your profile that you're a student. I'll give you the best advice I received while I was a student: A logo is complete when there's nothing left to take away, and the message is still clearly in tact.

In other words, adding more stuff very rarely helps.

Refine your graphics to speak to your audience. What you've presented so far shows me that you're unclear on what you want to say to this audience. Remember -- you're using graphics to convey an invitation to dinner guests. Take some time to explore restaurant logos, and while you're looking, ask yourself what the logo is saying to you about the restaurant it represents. How is each logo achieving its message? Texture? Shape? Color? Simplicity? Style?

That's a much better place to develop your concept than trying to abstractly illustrate buzz words. Once your concept is refined, then start sketching.

^ Solid Advice - Wish I had that lesson as a student!

You're in luck, Ian. We designers never really stop being students, right?

:)