Archive for August, 2009
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27August
- Criticism Over Obama’s Health Care Logo
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Logos have proved time and time again that they are an important part of creating an identity. It seems President Obama and his administration have realized that, therefore, they have created quite a buzz with their recent logo use.
We were first introduced to Obama’s campaign logo during his run for President. The logo is the “O” with the American flag strips that was a big conversation starter, since it resembled the newly designed Pepsi logo, which is also a circle “O” shape containing a stripe of white across a mass of red and blue.
It seems that the buzz has begun once again with the administration’s new attempt at Obama’s health care logo.
The logo contains the original Obama Hope Logo with an added caduceus integrated at the top. The caduceus is traditionally known to represent the medical profession. The light blue, mono toned background shows the United States covered with hopeful people in front of a rising sun. The overall design looks very hopeful and promising. The people look happy and are looking forward to a bright future, but is it all a lie?
The big argument that the new logo brought up is not about how legitimate the hope that the logo offers is, but the debate is over the way the logo seems to resemble a specific Nazi symbol. It seems that the government logo designers do not think with much originality considering it is so easy to find symbols that compare closely to them, or are people simply looking for flaws?
I personally think that the comparison is reaching a bit. Yes, there is a bird with outstretched wings, which could look like the wings of the caduceus and a circular Nazi symbol at its feet, which could look similar to the round design of the Obama Hope Logo, but the only thing that looks similar is the outward shape. If you stare at both designs and blur your eyes, then I would agree that the outward shapes look pretty similar. The symbol in the Obama Heath Care Logo does have wings, but it’s not a bird. The caduceus is a traditional symbol that has existed since the time of ancient Greeks and has been used to represent medicine for decades in North America. Is the American public so desperate to criticize that they will go to any measure?
-Nora Reed
Tags: healthcare logo, hope logo, Logo Design, Obama, political logo
Posted in Logo Design Tips | 8 Comments »
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25August
- Amazing Photoshopped Images!
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Real or Photoshopped? Sometimes it’s hard to tell. With a little knowledge of the program and some creative ideas, you can do just about anything in Adobe Photoshop and there are many who have. The images below are quite obviously tampered with, but they look so well done that they are as close to real as you can get. Take a look for yourself and enjoy and please, let me know what you think!
-Nora Reed
Tags: altered photos, amazing, entertainment, funny, Photoshop, photoshopped photos, visual
Posted in Logo Design Tips | 7 Comments »
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20August
- Get in the Game: Game Logos Part III
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Recreational Sport Logos
Sports and active competition are a major part of our society. Most days of the week are dedicated to some sporting event and we just can’t get enough of it. Just like most things, sports can open the door for other marketing opportunities like TV commercials, merchandise sales or team logos. Everyone knows the major designs for our most famous sports teams, but what about some of the lesser known ones? In the world of recreational sports, there are a ton of smaller, non-professional teams that have worked hard and created logos that are just as good as the famous ones.
With some inspiration from the NFL logo, the Mount Lawley indoor soccer team uses a shield to express its strength and it stands out with a bold, black line surrounding it. The ink splatter makes it more unique and gives it a distinct look. The spots that are left on the white background somewhat resemble the black and white of a soccer ball.
Simple and to the point. Outlaw Motor Sports sticks to only a few warm colors that compliment each other and don’t overkill the design. The text looks like a low sunset at the bottom of a mountain with the yellow fading into the red.
I love how the “M” and the horse’s legs seem to run together in this design for the Medaille Mavericks. The design has potential, but does not seem complete to me. The “M” could be reworked a little to flow better and some yellow highlights on the horse may help a lot.
I’m not sure why this monkey is kick boxing or how the monkey itself represents anything that has to do with kick boxing, but perhaps that is the idea behind this logo. It may be meant to cause you to question it. It looks like it is done well, simple, limited color use and memorable, but the monkey just confuses me. At least it does stand out.
The Seattle Orca logo is a great visual for team logos. It has the orca whale as the main focus with a football on its fin as if it’s holding it. The Space Needle in the background is a great addition, representing Seattle and the text is a perfect representation of sea life. Overall, the logo has everything and works great.
I know this qualifies as a video game, but since it also forces you to get off the couch and work those muscles, Wii Sports Resort also qualifies as a recreational sport. The logo is just blue text, but the font used for the word sports has an italicized look as if it is leaning from a swift wind blowing by. It’s a nice, subtle touch that seems to carry a feel of energy.
Magic is a race against your other opponents and also works as a social event. Like most card games, interaction with others is involved and Magic brings the fantasy element to the table. The logo has that fantasy/sci-fi look, like something right out of the pages of a book of spells. This version of the logo briefly demonstrate the detailed work that is displayed on each individual card. They all represent different things depending on what the card is about, but the artwork is pretty amazing in itself.
Uno has a very simple logo with bold, block lettering. The letters have a sleek shine and 3D effect. On the box cover, there is a plain, red background, but the individual cards have the “Uno” name within a red oval with a black background. This oval carries on to all the other cards thereafter.
Sports and logo designs seem to go hand in hand. Every team needs a great logo. If they didn’t have one, what would they display on their shirts or helmets? Recreational games are an enjoyable part of all our lives, why not get involved?
-Nora Reed
Tags: activities, Logo Design, logos, recreational sport logos, sporting events, sports
Posted in Graphic Design, Logo Inspiration, LogoBlog | 2 Comments »
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18August
- Get in the Game: Game Logos Part II
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Board Game Logos
I personally never really liked board games for most of my life until the last few years when I took a major interest in them and realized that they are a lot of fun. There are many really great ones out there that are both challenging and enjoyable, however I usually find the classic games to be the best. Its got to be hard to try to come up with games that can top monopoly, scrabble, yahtzee or clue. They are just too good, which is why they have stayed popular for such a long time.
My interest in games lead me to assess the logos and box art that is displayed so proudly on the game’s cover. It seems that most of them are simple designs such as a manipulated font or just colored text. I found it difficult to find pictures of the logos themselves, so you get to see the entire box cover for most of them, but you can get the idea.
This is actually the cover of a Nintendo DS game, but the game is based on a few of the original board games, so it was a good example of a bunch of their logos all in one. Most of these seem to be simple text with few flashy graphics, but I believe that is because high quality graphic design was not as convenient at the time when these board games were fresh and new.
The Monopoly design is very simple with just the name of the game in a red banner. Other versions of the game’s logo had the same design, but with Mr. Monopoly popping his head out of the center. This same design was later modified in which higher tech graphics were used to give Mr. Monopoly a more 3D look. A shadow was added behind his hand and he is in color. The letters themselves are also more 3 dimensional and emerge a bit from their red banner background.
The Scrabble Board game logo has gone through an update as well. The original was very formal and classy, using a lot of curly ends on the letters. The “S” and the “E” had a handwritten script look to it and the “R” only came down below the “A.” In the new version, the “R” extends below the entire rest of the word. It also lost the red scroll in the background and gained an abstract, bubbly design behind the letters. This version has a much more modern look, which may help it appeal to the current generation.
With simple capital lettering in blocks of color, the game of Life always keeps its logo, but changes backgrounds according to different themes it has taken on over time.
Candy Land has the perfect logo for its title. What better way to demonstrate a world of candy, but with lettering that is made up of peppermint sticks? It’s just a preview of the peppermint forest that you travel through while playing the game.
Blokus is quite an enjoyable game if you get a chance to play. It is one that I think every gamer should try out if they haven’t already. It is a basic strategy game, but is a lot of fun. Their logo isn’t bad either. The square design is right from the game and the four colors represent the four players.
I enjoy this game, although I think there should be an apple somewhere in that logo. The lettering and colors do seem to suit it, but with a picture of an apple missing, it just seems incomplete.
I think that board games have been pushed aside a bit with all of the newer technologies that are available, but I still find them to be great pass times. They are something to do that is social and can bring people together. A party just isn’t the same without breaking out a game of Balderdash or Apples to Apples. If you haven’t tried it yet, its a great way to get a party going.
-Nora Reed
Tags: board game logos, board games, brand, classic games, gamers, identity, logo designs
Posted in Graphic Design, Logo Inspiration, LogoBlog | 2 Comments »
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14August
- Get in the Game: Game Logos Part I
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Video Game Logos
Over the past 30 years or so, video games have come a long way. Those of us who remember the days of Atari and old school Nintendo can really appreciate the way games have advanced, but we learn to take the good with the bad. There have been a lot of terrible attempts at games, but then there are others that are created well and pave the way. What helps sell a game? Whether it’s a video game, board game, computer game, card game, DVD game, or whatever else might be out there, games are there for entertainment value, so as long as they are fun and well thought out, they will sell. What makes the the public interested enough to buy a game and start that word of mouth that helps them sell? Well, it seems that is where the marketing aspect comes in and packaging and logos are the best way to get a game started and selling off the shelves.
Creating any game is a challenging concept and some are great, while others fail. Where does the inspiration come from to make a game let alone a logo to sell it? I suppose it can come from anywhere, but usually popular events like sports or skiing or the Olympics inspire most games. As long as there is a collection of quirky characters thrown in, a great game is born. Games have always been the greatest form of interactive entertainment and as technology progressed, so did the nature of the games. With motion sensor and wireless technology, we have Nintendo’s Wii, which opened up a whole world of possibilities for gaming. It’s just a shame that Nintendo failed in almost every way in making successful games for their fantastic system. The best game is still the one that the system came with. Most of their games have great potential but are lacking in many areas. Video games rely more on word of mouth to get sales, but great logos always makes a major difference. Here are a few examples of game system logos.
Game systems themselves have creative logos and they should, since the gaming companies have to sell you on the console before they can sell you the games themselves, so the system logos are just as important. The console logo is also usually displayed on all the games that go with that system as well.
I love how a simple idea became such a popular and addicting game. Guitar Hero is a great interactive game that really is a lot of fun and great for groups. The logo works well because it has a cutting edge font and a great feel for the rocker style. The typography is very linear and the thick, black edges make it appear tough and foreboding.
Here is a classic symbol for a classic game. This is one of those that stirs up arcade memories in dedicated gamers.
I really like the Kingdom Heart’s logo. It is fun and adventurous and really draws you in. The font is very medieval and Gothic in appearance and something like that attached to a video game just screams mythical journey or adventure, which everyone has a natural attraction to. The background heart and crown design just brings it all together and creates a well established overall look.
I like how the DDR logo has that great arcade look to it. Since it is an original arcade game that was later modified to play at home, the logo works very well. It’s bold and colorful and full of energy. The circle of color behind the letters looks like a form of disco ball. It seems to be exactly how a logo should look for a game that represents dancing.
Video games probably still have a long road ahead of them. We still haven’t explored all the virtual reality options that are most likely approaching in the near future. It’s only a matter of time before we feel we can jump right into the TV screen when involved in a game. These future prospects are always good news for logo designers, since future games mean a need for new or updated logos!
-Nora Reed
Tags: classic, entertainment, game logos, Logo Design, video games
Posted in Logo Design Tips | 3 Comments »