Logos (and I mean more than one)
Posted: Mon Nov 07, 2005 11:08 pm
So, here's the plan -
There's some interest in redesigning the website, and there's some interest in a new logo. These are not new interests. I believe both are reasonable, the second more aesthetically pressing than the first.
However, what we really find ourselves looking for, in this case, is at least two logo incarnations, potentially distinct - one for a website header, one as a more iconic logo for general usage, and any scaled or otherwise altered versions thereof for various tasks. These logos may end up being fairly divergent in nature, as the requirements differ.
A website header needs to be highly legible. Artistic license with the font is clearly allowed, but if we can't clearly read it, it's not a good choice for the web. It'll need to take up manageable amounts of space across various viewing resolutions. Acceptable color schema will impact heavily on compatibility with the rest of the site, redesigned or otherwise.
The iconic logo needs to be readily distinguishable as "The VS Logo" If the text doesn't jump out at you, so be it - that's not it's most important feature. Ease of recognition and degree of visual impact are key.
I'm going off to Barcelona at the end of this week, and when I get back towards the end of next week, I'm hoping to see the submissions and discussions thereof sitting in this thread.
Clearly, there have been a number of logos already proposed, but none have ever really been 'commissioned', in large part because of grand indecisiveness as to what exactly we were looking for. In light of more definite (if only slightly so) details, and a split of what is wanted for logos, some of the existing authors may wish to revisit their previous work. So, to engage in a bit of redundancy, some things we know we are looking for:
All Logos:
* It's Vega Strike, not Vegastrike. Being able to tell that could be a plus.
* Avoid use of 3D models that aren't actually in the game
* Be careful not to overemphasize game art, even if it is in the game - game content is not static, and the logo could become an anachronism, or a relic of a pre retcon era.
* Be cognizant of the relation of any expressed themes to the thematic directions of the game (i.e. VS isn't about blowing up planets, avoid exploding planets. VS also isn't about any sort of good vs. evil conflict, so overt use of themes commonly associated with such should also be avoided)
* Evoke something. Just writing "Vega Strike" in a petty font gets us... our current logo, with a better font.
* Remember the difference between a logo and a poster (although the website logo will likely be embedded in a richer background) - a good example: Star Wars episode IV logo versus, ep IV poster. Easy, non?
* We're a fickle bunch - there's no guarantee that, even if we choose something now, a couple years from now we won't decide to make alterations. On the bright side, at that point the previous version becomes "Coke Classic"
Website Logo:
* Legible
* Legible
* Plays nicely with others (layout-wise) That is, it will likely not be the only interesting thing on the screen, and will have to integrate (although compromise works from both directions) with the rest of the website design.
* Did I mention Legible?
* Is clearly the Logo - that is, when you arrive at the website, you can look at it and know that if you read that part of the screen you can figure out where you are (if you didn't already know)
* In the same vein - it should be at least slightly eye-catching for new visitors (in the above sense - it doesn't need to make them want to go buy prints or anything so extreme), but it can't be such a "pleasant only in low-doses" experience (due to gaudy or garish color choice, etc presumably used to make it eye-catching) that those of us who'll be seeing it several times per day would come to think it an eyesore.
More General Usage Logo:
* Somewhat iconic in nature. This should be something that is recognizably the VS logo and not something else, without spending a lot of time staring at it. It doesn't need to be as simple as the "lambda in circle" Halflife logo or that quake thingy - we can save that sort of fully iconic nature for more distilled versions of the logo (.. like actual icons ...). However, there should be something distinctively VS about it.
* Expression, not information. The logo doesn't need to go into gory detail about the subtitled name, or even the full Vega Strike name, if it doesn't artistically work, although variants are going to need to exist that can have the name coherently attached to them.
* Has longevity. Whether it be subtle and vast in its complexity, demanding lasting study, or secure in the timeless nature of its minimalism, the logo will stick around, even if it gets replaced and becomes the "classic logo." This means that there's a responsibility for us to choose something that we can live with for a while. It's like getting a tatoo - unless you're willing to endure the annoyance of covering it up, you have to choose something you still want to be showing people when the years have rolled by and you're no longer quite the same person you were when you got inked.
So - link to the relevant submissions here. Discuss them here. Explain them here - what were you trying to accomplish, why is this appropriate for Vega Strike, and why do you think you have succeeded?
P.S. In case anyone has wandered out into left field, FWIW, the subtitle is "Upon the Coldest Sea."
There's some interest in redesigning the website, and there's some interest in a new logo. These are not new interests. I believe both are reasonable, the second more aesthetically pressing than the first.
However, what we really find ourselves looking for, in this case, is at least two logo incarnations, potentially distinct - one for a website header, one as a more iconic logo for general usage, and any scaled or otherwise altered versions thereof for various tasks. These logos may end up being fairly divergent in nature, as the requirements differ.
A website header needs to be highly legible. Artistic license with the font is clearly allowed, but if we can't clearly read it, it's not a good choice for the web. It'll need to take up manageable amounts of space across various viewing resolutions. Acceptable color schema will impact heavily on compatibility with the rest of the site, redesigned or otherwise.
The iconic logo needs to be readily distinguishable as "The VS Logo" If the text doesn't jump out at you, so be it - that's not it's most important feature. Ease of recognition and degree of visual impact are key.
I'm going off to Barcelona at the end of this week, and when I get back towards the end of next week, I'm hoping to see the submissions and discussions thereof sitting in this thread.
Clearly, there have been a number of logos already proposed, but none have ever really been 'commissioned', in large part because of grand indecisiveness as to what exactly we were looking for. In light of more definite (if only slightly so) details, and a split of what is wanted for logos, some of the existing authors may wish to revisit their previous work. So, to engage in a bit of redundancy, some things we know we are looking for:
All Logos:
* It's Vega Strike, not Vegastrike. Being able to tell that could be a plus.
* Avoid use of 3D models that aren't actually in the game
* Be careful not to overemphasize game art, even if it is in the game - game content is not static, and the logo could become an anachronism, or a relic of a pre retcon era.
* Be cognizant of the relation of any expressed themes to the thematic directions of the game (i.e. VS isn't about blowing up planets, avoid exploding planets. VS also isn't about any sort of good vs. evil conflict, so overt use of themes commonly associated with such should also be avoided)
* Evoke something. Just writing "Vega Strike" in a petty font gets us... our current logo, with a better font.
* Remember the difference between a logo and a poster (although the website logo will likely be embedded in a richer background) - a good example: Star Wars episode IV logo versus, ep IV poster. Easy, non?
* We're a fickle bunch - there's no guarantee that, even if we choose something now, a couple years from now we won't decide to make alterations. On the bright side, at that point the previous version becomes "Coke Classic"
Website Logo:
* Legible
* Legible
* Plays nicely with others (layout-wise) That is, it will likely not be the only interesting thing on the screen, and will have to integrate (although compromise works from both directions) with the rest of the website design.
* Did I mention Legible?
* Is clearly the Logo - that is, when you arrive at the website, you can look at it and know that if you read that part of the screen you can figure out where you are (if you didn't already know)
* In the same vein - it should be at least slightly eye-catching for new visitors (in the above sense - it doesn't need to make them want to go buy prints or anything so extreme), but it can't be such a "pleasant only in low-doses" experience (due to gaudy or garish color choice, etc presumably used to make it eye-catching) that those of us who'll be seeing it several times per day would come to think it an eyesore.
More General Usage Logo:
* Somewhat iconic in nature. This should be something that is recognizably the VS logo and not something else, without spending a lot of time staring at it. It doesn't need to be as simple as the "lambda in circle" Halflife logo or that quake thingy - we can save that sort of fully iconic nature for more distilled versions of the logo (.. like actual icons ...). However, there should be something distinctively VS about it.
* Expression, not information. The logo doesn't need to go into gory detail about the subtitled name, or even the full Vega Strike name, if it doesn't artistically work, although variants are going to need to exist that can have the name coherently attached to them.
* Has longevity. Whether it be subtle and vast in its complexity, demanding lasting study, or secure in the timeless nature of its minimalism, the logo will stick around, even if it gets replaced and becomes the "classic logo." This means that there's a responsibility for us to choose something that we can live with for a while. It's like getting a tatoo - unless you're willing to endure the annoyance of covering it up, you have to choose something you still want to be showing people when the years have rolled by and you're no longer quite the same person you were when you got inked.
So - link to the relevant submissions here. Discuss them here. Explain them here - what were you trying to accomplish, why is this appropriate for Vega Strike, and why do you think you have succeeded?
P.S. In case anyone has wandered out into left field, FWIW, the subtitle is "Upon the Coldest Sea."