Feedback Please: New Business Logo Concept
 

Hi all!

I've been working to re-brand my main overall business, since I'm now doing graphics in addition to video. So, I've come up with this:

New Logo Concept

The new separate wedding logo and tagline will remain the same - the filmstrip with the heart, clock, and butterfly and "Capture. Relive. Treasure."

I love the new film strip twisting into the paint stroke, but I'm still wavering on keeping the present "spark line" instead of the paint stroke.

Anyway, I'd love some honest constructive feedback on the new logo and re-branding concept. Thanks so much for your help! :)

First impression: it's a little bland. Overall I like the steampunk-looking mechanical graphic from your Web page better than the filmstrip, though I can see the filmstrip as making the film/video point. But what is the film supposed to be twisting into?

One other note (you did say you wanted honest feedback...): I suggest using an email address with your business domain rather than mac.com. Using a generic email address (mac, gmail, aol, whatever) for a business says to me "amateur" or at least "didn't bother to set up email forwarding at custom domain".

To me, it's painting a concept. But, then again, my brain's quite obscure at times, so that's why I need others to look at it. What makes sense to me, might not to the masses, and it's the latter that I need to speak to here. So, now I know it might not be conveying my thought, and that's what I need to know. Thanks for that! :)

You hit that one on the head. I have an email with my domain, but I've yet to set it up. Good point to get on that prior to making new business cards, etc., because I didn't think of it as a priority. Good one! :snap:

I'm also thinking of a main business tagline of "Dream. See. Do." But, I'm afraid that when spoken, it sounds like I'm taking off on a wave-runner first thing in the morning. Any thoughts on that?

Sorry this going to be negative, but trying to convey honest first reactions.

I looked at the image before reading your post. I had no idea what the paint stroke was until I came back and reread it. And now that I know what it is, I'm not sure what you're trying to convey with it.

Overall, though, I agree with Andrew that it is bland and nothing about it really pops. The filmstrip looks a little too hand drawn to me and does combine with the mac.com address to promote a feeling of amateur (though as an actual printed business card, which is what it looks like that might go away).

Not sure if you wanted feedback as just a business card or as a more general logo. For that I assume it would be without the contact information but then I wonder about the vertical heft of the name and graphic combination but would need to see it in context of other uses to really develop a solid thought.

Sorry again for being negative.

Although the graphic is curvilinear the whole layout is a block. Blocks are not "dynamic" and don't visually depict what your business name suggests.

I'd also work a bit more with color. The blue and black is also very staid and not dynamic.

I think there needs to be more overall motion and sense of excitement.

Well, I never view "negative" feedback as actually negative - I view it as a way to achieve what I'm going for, so thanks very much and no apologies needed! So far, it's sounding like I need to go back to the drawing board, and that's totally fine by me.

My $0.02

1. Idea on the logo is good, but I don't like the execution. It looks too much like two disparate parts kluged together. The transition needs to me much smoother so that the two parts flow together more smoothly.
2. If possible, try to have the logo blend in with the other elements (text) of the card more: do more wrapping (not make letters with the logo; just have the logo interact with the text). Make it look less like a logo just stuck in the middle of the card. I am not creative enough to help you accomplish this: just my opinion.
3. The colors and overall look on the card are too generic, too bland. I like clean looks, but this one is just flat. Use the brown/copper/Steampunk colors and theme from your web site more.
4. No generic email. You have a long domain name (hard to get away from these days), so keep the address before the '@" short. But get that email set up; it will help lend professionalism to who you are.
5. Minor detail I just noticed from your site: you list photography as one of your services. However, your equipment list includes no still photography equipment. Don't know if this is a problem, but I did notice this.

Either that or the whipping post :evil:

Where the film twists no longer looks like film but the piece right before the paint stroke looks like film.

Font is a little bland...

Aren't there specific numbers of sprocket holes per frame of film, too? Nitpicky, I know...

On to the words:

I think "Capture. Relive. Treasure" sounds reasonably apt for what you do. However, I don't understand how "Dream. See. Do" does.

This may not be in play, but I think you should change the name of your business. The name Total Dynamic Studios strikes me as 1) grammatically incorrect and 2) a satirical name for a big movie studio one might hear in a Bugs Bunny cartoon.

I like Teresa Whitmore Studios. I can see where you might not want to sound like a one man band, though if you're getting work through word of mouth, people are going to be saying your name anyway, not Total Dynamic and it will be clear to everyone if you work alone or not.

Good luck with it.