New MSF Logo Design

evmoevmo SydneyAdmin
edited March 2015 in Admin Communications
I recently solicited some design concepts for a new MSF logo, and have narrowed it down to three that feel pretty close (again, these are concepts, not final products).

Thoughts on these? What do you like, not like? Ideas for improvement?

If you have no particular ideas or thoughts but want to express a preference, I encourage you to use the 'like' button :)

Concept #1
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«1

Comments

  • evmoevmo SydneyAdmin
    Concept #2
    TCE5Q48YBKRM.png
  • evmoevmo SydneyAdmin
    Concept #3
    QP05FQDMKCLB.jpg
  • FrancoFranco Chestertown, MDCharter Member
    I like the look of number 3 but I would like "Marathon Swimmers Federation" in larger font so us older guys wouldn't need reading glasses to make out what it says.
  • TimDexTimDex Member
    I like #3 but without the yacht
  • Number three, by a long shot, sans the boat.

    Excellence is born of preparation, dedication, focus and tenacity; compromise on any of these and you become average.

  • IronMikeIronMike Northern VirginiaCharter Member
    2 gets my like.

    3 also gets my like if/when the boat sinks.

    I like 1 for its simplicity and the fact that MSF is spelled out, but I prefer the waves/swimmer of 2 then 3 better.

    Thanks @evmo. Looking forward to seeing this on products soon.

    We're all just carbon, water, starlight, oxygen and dreams

  • I like the older style of #1 (also makes it appear as if MSF has been around a long time:). If #3 is the preferred, I agree that the boat should go. But leave the sail, which then becomes a...
  • flystormsflystorms Memphis, TNSenior Member
    I like the look of 3, but the font in 2 looks cleaner, more crisp.
  • The latest version above is better with the emphasis on the words rather than the initials. Folks can actually see what its all about now, too much emphasis on MSF loses the meaning. If you were to expand it further, I would increase the size of the words again but leave MSF unchanged.
  • evmoevmo SydneyAdmin
    This is great feedback, thanks all! Keep it comin' if you have further thoughts. We have a few more days to work with the designers on producing a final product, at which point I will purchase the art on behalf of MSF.

    I'm glad I posted this thread, because to be honest my favorite prototype was #1... an opinion shared by apparently nobody else except @cold_water_zen! :)

    It reminds me of an old-school patch... and we are a decidedly old-school crowd! Anyone else for #1??
  • gregocgregoc Charter Member
    I actually like the "old school" style and look of #1, but I don't like the look of the stylized swimmer. Find a better swimmer and I would vote for #1.
  • No 1 shares the same clear identity as No 4 so I'd be happy with either. In fact it's probably clearer.
  • ChickenOSeaChickenOSea Charter Member
    #1
    #3 has a shark
  • paulmpaulm Senior Member
    Niek's design Plus the Boat/shark from 3 plus the colour blue from number 1......Hopefully that's not too confusing
  • david_barradavid_barra NYCharter Member
    OK, the monitor crapped out at my office, and I switched to an older one... with different display settings.
    It is showing all the above designs as elliptical (longer in the vertical axis)
    and with this new view, I like #1 the best.
    The well defined border satisfies my sense of order in the world.

    Color-wise, I prefer the greyer blues of 2&3

    ...anything worth doing is worth overdoing.

  • AnthonyMcCarleyAnthonyMcCarley Berwyn, PACharter Member
    I love the imagery on Concept #2. Great to see something so fresh, new and creative. (Tired of the same old swimmer icon images.) Love how the wave is an arm. Love how the circle could be a head, the sun or the moon. Love how the swimmer is part of the water/ nature and vice versa.
  • SalishSeaSalishSea Nanaimo, BC CanadaMember
    #1 it has a more 'classic' feel to it.
  • gregocgregoc Charter Member
    I'm not a graphics person, but here is what I came up with after merging logo #1 and #2.
    I see @Niek beat me to it and I like his over all the others.
    FE3P73ONUXOR.png
  • evmoevmo SydneyAdmin
    edited June 2014
    looks like a winner to me. thanks greg!
  • DanSimonelliDanSimonelli San Diego CASenior Member
    I like #2 and the way the swimmer is incorporated into the wave...and like Niek's version.
  • bobswimsbobswims Santa Barbara CACharter Member
    Does the logo have to be round? Just asking.
  • evmoevmo SydneyAdmin
    It doesn't... but there were some minimal specifications I provided to the prospective designers, and roundness was one of them, as I felt it would be the shape most adaptable to different uses.
  • david_barradavid_barra NYCharter Member
    edited June 2014
    evmo wrote:
    It doesn't... but there were some minimal specifications I provided to the prospective designers, and roundness was one of them, as I felt it would be the shape most adaptable to different uses.

    If I were a bit more computer savvy , I'd figure out how to post a screenshot of the elliptical deformities as they appear on my office computer.... I think it's a game changer.

    I’ll figure something out when I get to work in the morning.

    ...anything worth doing is worth overdoing.

  • gregocgregoc Charter Member
    @Niek, knowing Dave, that isn't warped enough.
  • JenAJenA Charter Member
    I like #1, except for the way the swimmer is portrayed. The scoop of the arm doesn't quite look right to me. I really like the vintage look though.

    With number two, I could see some people thinking the dot is the sun/moon, and not the swimmer's head.
  • Are the two = signs either side of MSF really necessary or are they just eye clutter?
  • emkhowleyemkhowley Boston, MACharter Member
    I like Greg's merged version the best. I prefer the more blue vs. less blue option Niek posted.
    Nice job on all the concepts!

    Stop me if you've heard this one...
    A grasshopper walks into a bar...
    https://elainekhowley.com/

  • david_barradavid_barra NYCharter Member
    0DHSDDT8HNJG.jpg

    ...anything worth doing is worth overdoing.

  • david_barradavid_barra NYCharter Member
    edited June 2014
    I like elliptical Gregs best as ... though the darker blue coordinates better with the pseudo gothic color range of my wardrobe.

    ...anything worth doing is worth overdoing.

  • edited June 2014
    How long will it be before someone starts to see the wavelets at the bottom as shark fins?

    Also, if the one under the "swimmer" weren't there (but the other was and it was repeated more distinctly at both ends of the "water") then the "figure" of the swimmer would pop out more.

    Or even if it came to the right a bit so that it inferred a second arm...

    David_Barra,

    Can I just say that I found this to be as ironic as all heck? "The well defined border satisfies my sense of order in the world." From a world class guy that doesn't let "borders" into the equation as he orchestrates the longest marathon swim in the known universe.
    :ar!
  • ViveBeneViveBene Member
    edited June 2014
    I like the slightly abstract nature of #2, which still incorporates the notion of forward motion, and maybe, if you squint, a freestyle arm. Plus, it has a celestial body, or a fish eye.
    Tired of same old swimming arm emerging from the water, #1 and #3. Worn-out visual meme.
    Do like the sail. A tiny bit of rigging makes it a sail (rather than a sh*rk). It adds depth and perspective and adventure. Said choice undoubtedly influenced by my reading The Plover.
    The words and fonts need a lot more attention to be both legible and integral part of design.
    But overall, very nice! Could replace my Kingdom Swim attire!
  • Additional thoughts:

    I'd be interested in seeing what the designers could produce if asked just to be excellent graphic designers (which they are, yes?) and let loose, with a mild suggestion to avoid the old memes of, say, goggles or a stroking arm. A single wave, done just right and harmonized with lettering, might open up new ideas (for example).

    Some of the variants posted today - which I recognize were created quickly in each case to illustrate a principle - don't say "Marathon Swimmers Federation" but "Marathon Federation" and "Swimmers."

    This strikes me as a difficult assignment. Lots of words, not much space.
  • SharkoSharko Tomales BayGuest
    We do need to give recognition to "Shark Fins" as part of the logo!!!

    "I never met a shark I didn't like"

  • JBirrrdJBirrrd MarylandSenior Member
    Marathon Swimmers Federation w/ no acronym, or MSF prominent w/ Marathon Swimmers Federation underneath in smaller font. Cluttered logos are, ummm, cluttered looking. #3 artwork is more unique. We want to be unique, don't we? Wondering what a border around #3 would look like.
  • courtneypaulkcourtneypaulk Richmond, VirginiaMember
    I like Greg's best. Agree with Elaine on the blue versus white.
  • molly1205molly1205 Lincoln, NebraskaSenior Member
    I like the darker, sort of slate blue of #2. That's all. Thanks for your patience with the design-by-committee process. This is cool.

    Molly Nance, Lincoln, Nebraska

  • evmoevmo SydneyAdmin
    edited June 2014
    Thanks everyone for the feedback & engagement. Behold, the new logos of the Marathon Swimmers Federation!

    3N4YW7B327HK.jpg

    55AVIOPUBVJC.png

    I ended up going with both #2 and #3, and we tried to incorporate as much of the feedback from this thread as possible. Although I initially preferred #1, the refinement process did not go as well with #1's designer.

    These are the pretty-much finalized designs. I think it may be possible to request a couple minor modifications before the final goods are delivered... so if anyone has any last-minute thoughts, please post them here ASAP, like in the next 12-15 hours.
  • gregocgregoc Charter Member
    I actually agree with @Niek
  • david_barradavid_barra NYCharter Member
    #2

    ...anything worth doing is worth overdoing.

  • I like the top one of the two but the MSF is butt ugly. We are Marathon Swimmers, not initials. MSF means diddly bo squat to 99.9% of the world's population so why is it over emphasised?
  • IronMikeIronMike Northern VirginiaCharter Member
    Looks good @evmo! Profile picture changed. ;)

    We're all just carbon, water, starlight, oxygen and dreams

  • bobswimsbobswims Santa Barbara CACharter Member
    Just a thought: I have found that when determining colors, the color you choose should work with the products you plan on applying it to. frankly white T Shirts don't last long. I am always staining them. For a slob like me, I prefer to go with dark color garments.
  • evmoevmo SydneyAdmin
    edited June 2014
    bobswims wrote:
    Just a thought: I have found that when determining colors, the color you choose should work with the products you plan on applying it to.
    Thanks Bob. I have the original image files in various formats so it will be fairly trivial to invert the color scheme, or even change it to orange, or whatever. I share your habit of ruining white garments.

    For those who are interested, I got an improved version of logo #2, with smaller initials and a larger full name:

    5UVGMS3TWG0X.jpg

    But I think logo #1 is the main one we will be using.

    Thanks again to everyone who provided constructive feedback.
  • emkhowleyemkhowley Boston, MACharter Member
    I think this is a really sharp logo. Can't wait to start sporting it. Thanks for all the legwork on this, Evan! :-)

    PS I have the same problem with white shirts...

    Stop me if you've heard this one...
    A grasshopper walks into a bar...
    https://elainekhowley.com/

  • JBirrrdJBirrrd MarylandSenior Member
    edited June 2014
    Great job on the logo. I am partial to #1. Yes, it is sharp. Thanks for including us in the process. May I ask though, why 2 logos?

    @evmo said:
    Thanks everyone for the feedback & engagement. Behold, the new logos of the Marathon Swimmers Federation! But I think logo #1 is the main one we will be using.

    Having 2 logos is confusing. When a company develops a logo, it is w/ the intention of establishing its brand identity. http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/71902
    I suggest choosing one and go w/ it. The dark colored shirt problem can be addressed w/ a contrasting color border.
  • evmoevmo SydneyAdmin
    edited June 2014
    Thanks Elaine and @JBirrrd.
    JBirrrd wrote:
    Having 2 logos is confusing. When a company develops a logo, it is w/ the intention of establishing its brand identity. http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/71902
    I suggest choosing one and go w/ it.
    I wouldn't say we have 2 logos. We have one logo (#1) with another one in the back pocket (#2). Perhaps I shouldn't have announced #2 publicly, but in the interest of transparency, I did. We're going with #1 for now. Maybe someday we'll find a use for the other one.
  • IronMikeIronMike Northern VirginiaCharter Member
    OK, so it looks like I've got the right one as my FB profile pic. Phew! #:-S

    We're all just carbon, water, starlight, oxygen and dreams

  • I realize I'm probably too late as things seem to have been decided, but can you explain why the initials MSF have to be so prominent, to the detriment of Marathon Swimmers Federation? Some of the logos Niek posted are IMHO far more swimmer proud and less meaningless initials.
  • evmoevmo SydneyAdmin
    WarmWater wrote:
    can you explain why the initials MSF have to be so prominent, to the detriment of Marathon Swimmers Federation? Some of the logos Niek posted are IMHO far more swimmer proud and less meaningless initials.
    Sure, I can explain: Because I like it that way.
  • JodanJodan Member
    I like logo #3 and for what it is worth, I design logos for a living.
    The bold italic type gives a feeling of forward motion. The illustration conveys the feeling of being in open water, not a pool. The boat is a nice touch and confirms the scene is open water, but is probably not necessary.
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