New logo contest

[cx]

We've dicided the website needs a new logo. But we don't know what the new logo looks like. So we're axe'in y'all what you think it looks like. Hunnert dollar gift card to the member who conjures up the adopted logo.

Not to mention alla glory associated with the honor. Wouldn't it be great to be able to tell the grandkids you were responsible for designing the logo of the Friendliest Website Onna Internet? :)

Email your entry to logo@johnbridge.com.

In case of duplicate entries, earliest postmark wins.

Actually, in case of duplicate entries, we'll know one of y'all cheated and we'll likely toss'em both out. :shades:

Or y'all can just post'em here for peer review if you wanna. Kick the eye-dees around a bit. Then y'all can fight over who actually deserves the prize. Could be as much fun as one of y'all's political threads. :D

[Sponsored Links]

[java]

Can't no Texans win this or I'm gona call shananaguns.:cheers:

[cx]

If a Texan could win, y'all bowdarkskulls wouldn't have got invited. :D

[The Kid]

what kind of deadline yall got in mind?

[cx]

You give us waaaay too much credit for planning, Jeremy. :)

We got already a logo, so it ain't no 'mergency. JB just got a little crazier than usual the other day and decided we wanted a new one. I didn't even recognize that our old one was used up yet. :D

He's also rational enough, on good days, to recognize that he'll get a new logo whenever it is that the rest of us get a new logo. I expect that'll be later than tomorrow and before the Winter Solstice, but that's just a guess. We want a good'un. :)

[oakview]

What image format can be submitted? JPEG? PNG? TIFF? GIF? BMP? Are all those OK for digital submissions?

I ain't sayin' I'm gonna contribute, but just in case, it might be nice to know this...

[Levi the Tile Guy]

You guys should post the e-mailed ones on here to, so those of us with no artistic abilities can see some of the work.

[John Bridge]

"What image format can be submitted? JPEG? PNG? TIFF? GIF? BMP? Are all those OK for digital submissions?"

Actually, all or most of those formats would be great. We would like a TIFF for printed matter, and a GIF for posting on the Internet, but a JPEG makes the most sense for submitting via email. For the winning submission we'll want the ones I just mentioned, so work with the big printable files -- TIFF, BMP or PNG. Then submitt a JPEG. :)

[Hamilton]

I won this the last time we had it. I think I will stay out of it this time, but for fun I'll post some of the ideas myself and others came up with for inspiration. I bet JB has all the versions I have and more, like the cool globe logo.:)BTW If you
can manipulate photoshop or any similar type photo editing program you
can create logos:idea:

[ddmoit]

I think you should still enter, Jack. Whoever wins should have the satisfaction of knowing they beat the champ - even if you win again.:nod:

[Hamilton]

This was too fancy, but I had fun making it..:tup1:

[kilroy]

Will there be any changes to the text in the logo?
Will there be any changes to the color scheme of the site?

[Tilehelperdan]

Hamilton, this ain't fair. Your a talented setter, can make wooden drums, in a band, and good with graphic design. Damn you! Share the talent!

[ceramictec]

yeah but he isnt as good looking as me :D


here's my submission...lol

the logo set on Ditra...what could be better ?
well maybe get rid of those Pittsburgh Steelers looking diamonds.

[cx]

Will there be any changes to the text in the logo?
Will there be any changes to the color scheme of the site? How would we know, Kil? :rolleyes:

Actually, yes, the url will change to www.johnbridge.com. I think. :)

[gwataloo]

I think you have it now Jack. Thats a good lookin logo.

[John Bridge]

That is correct. We've never really used TileYourWorld.com for much. The actual site of the forum is JohnBridge.com, so www.johnbridge.com is what should appear -- if it appears at all on the new logo. Remember, now, some of the best logos don't have much of anything in them. :)

We are in the (slow) process of re-designing the web site, mostly my old "real web site." A lot of people who hang out here don't even know what it looks like. Check it out: http://www.johnbridge.com

I love the old thing, but it's way behind times. We need to bring it up to speed in order to maintain our lead in the rankings. We've been number one for years and intend to remain that way. The old site is bogging us down. Anyway, that's what caused me to decide we need a new logo. The contest is CX's idea and a good one. Back when Jack submitted the logo we have now he didn't even get a prize -- just the dubious honor of having his work at the top of the page. :)

[Hamilton]

And an honor it has been! :usflag: You know, I am no graphics artist. With
photoshop I simply outlined the different parts of the original logo and altered
each part until I had something that looked decent. I think its time to give
someone else the 10 minutes of fame though....batter up!

[Levi the Tile Guy]

That world logo looks great jack:tup1:

[cx]

I think Jack's original World logo was determined to be too difficult to reproduce for a lot of applications. We need something that not only works well online but can also work well on printed material and such.

[oakview]

I'll have a go at it , would be made crisper for print but the idea is clear enough for a first run.

[John Bridge]

Looks good, Dave. :)

[oakview]

Something completely different, a handwritten font included.

[FrankFLA]

I have some free time and would like to give back. No graphics person but have played with a few programs.
Just a few questions to get in the right direction.

What size are you looking for? In pixels if possible.

Any color theme or style it is to fit in with?

I am confused on the actual name if used. Looks to me you are saying tile your world is going away?

Interested in something that moves?
Just downloaded a program and threw this together in about 30 minutes as a very rough example.

Just looking for a bit more direction in what you are looking for.
Thanks,
Frank

[ob1kanobee]

Frank, I was thinking the same thing. I saw jack's globe of the earth and thought, wow that would be pretty cool if it turned. Something with some motion would be really cool.

You could still do a T-Shirt out of one of the still moments in the movement and for stationary.

I like it:tup2:

See what the Chiefs have to say and if they like, just be a little more creative but I like the direction you are heading.

[cx]

Thanks, Frank. :)

Guess we shoulda been more specific.Interested in something that moves? No animation! Gotta sit quietly and very still wherever placed. Any color theme or style it is to fit in with? Colors are pretty much optional, I think (subject to clarification from my partners), but I believe we intend to keep the same color scheme here on the forums.I am confused on the actual name if used. Looks to me you are saying tile your world is going away?Tile Your World isn't going away as a title for the forums, it's only the url that's gonna change back to johnbridge.com for internet continuity.What size are you looking for? In pixels if possible.Don't think we had any specific size or shape in mind, but what you have there shouldn't be a problem I don't think. We need to be able to print it on things like bidness cards and letterhead and such. I'll let DaveM decide if there's any practical limits as far as the site pages go. Looks to me like what you have there (I show 245x81?) would be workable.

We appreciate your efforts (I really like what you came up with there) and thanks for bringing up the questions. Coulda saved you a lot of time if we'd been more specific, but it's tough to be specific when you got no eye-dee what you're really looking for, eh? And we really didn't wanna stiffle any of y'all's creativity. :)

[MudMaker]

Son's submission

[John Bridge]

So what do you think of it, Frank? Looks a little too crisp and clear to me. ;)

[MudMaker]

Don't think I could keep a line straight for that long John..

[Hamilton]

JB I really like the spinning globe gif you have. I remember last time around you posted it. Who was it that made that logo, and is it a possibility?

[FrankFLA]

Ok had a chance to play. No moving. How about a tiled world? Just a rough idea, would clean it up and add better tile and of course text. Just wanted to get feedback before I went further.
Frank

Also seems no matter what format I upload it turns it to a jpg? And it turned the background black and on my local copy it is white?

[cx]

JB I really like the spinning globe gif you have. I remember last time around you posted it. Who was it that made that logo, and is it a possibility?See post 26, Jack. No animation. Gotta sit still.

A tiled globe is certainly not out of the question, Frank. But the one you just posted doesn't say "tile" to me. Of course, knowing that it's for Tile Your World, I grasp the concept, but standing alone I wouldn't have picked up on the tile implication. But, then, I'm kinda dense. Let's see do you get more comments. :)

Can't believe we're not getting a lot more activity on this project, given the absolutely huge prize dinero offered, eh? :D

[jml102863]

what kinda programs are useful in making logos?

[ob1kanobee]

What is wrong with the existing logo?

[jgleason]

If you've got the $$ then Adobe Illustrator or CorelDraw. If you want to do it without spending anything then try Inkscape available here - http://opensourcewindows.org

Logos are best when designed as vector images. This makes them easy to scale up or down without any loss in resolution. Here's a brief explanation - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vector_graphics

[oakview]

what kinda programs are useful in making logos?
GIMP (free Photoshop equivalent) (http://www.gimp.org), Photoshop (pricey) (http://www.adobe.com/products/photoshop/compare/), MS Paint (for simpler designs) for starters. I'm sure others have their own preferred drawing programs.

[cx]

What is wrong with the existing logo? Well, with the exception of it having the wrong url in it, nothing, really, far as I'm concerned.

But some of my bidness partners are of a different mind and want we should have a new one. Soooooo, we're fixin' to have us a new one, eh? :)

[ob1kanobee]

I like this tile globe with tiles in the background for some of you folks to get inspired by. Something basic to work off of.

http://images.thomsonlocal.com/TDLads/273/I30017273.jpg

[ob1kanobee]

What about some of these globes with different stone/tile patterns?

http://subdimensionstudios.com/images/products%20images/Tile%20patterns%20V2%20cover%20image.jpg

or this:

http://www.islhaonline.org/Images/tileworld3.gif


This one could say: Questions, we have answers

http://davidcrane.esva.net/BLUE_PLANET_files/world%20tile-filtered.jpg

[jgleason]

I took the existing logo and converted it to a vector image. PDF is attached with the original GIF image and a couple of sizes of the vector image. The colors aren't exactly right, I used colors from the standard Pantone pallette.

Now that it is a vector image (I used CorelDraw X3) I'll see if I can find some time to rework it a bit.

If you zoom in while viewing the PDF file you can see that the original GIF image (a raster image) gets all jaggy while the vector images simply scale up smoothly. :D

[Hamilton]

Joe I forget the canvas size I created on my last logo, but it was really big. JB has the same tiff file I have. I have corel draw, and while vector rastor is superior
its not necessary for a small logo. Anyone can download a free 1 month trial
of photoshop CS....whatever the latest version that is available. Photoshop CS
is a great program. If you can begin to understand layers and work with them
your imagination is the limit.:cool:

[jgleason]

Hi Jack,
Yep, if the logo is primarily used in a small range of sizes then a bitmap image works just fine. Vector images offer much more flexibility though and I find the level of precision you can achieve working with vector images to be superior. Just my opinion and preference of course. ;)

Why bother with time limited trials though? If you don't want to spring for the full program (Photoshop is pricey) then download GIMP. Totally free and quite powerful. Use Inkscape if you want to work with vectors. :D

[Hamilton]

I have the full version of Corel draw 8. Its a bit old, but still Corel. I do like
photo shop CS better, its easier on the tile guy lol. Easier for moi at any rate:p

[coatingmike]

Inkscape is an excellent program for making logos. I have used it on several occasions. If anyone is looking for inspiration or advice on how to actually make a logo check out a website called justcreativedesign by a guy called Jacob Cass. I found that site a few days ago and it's been a gold mine for me.

A few questions I'd like to ask:
What exactly do you want to have written (is it John Bridges, Tile your world, etc)?
What color scheme do you want (same as your website, etc)?
What do you want the logo to express?

[cx]

Welcome, coatingmike. Please put a first name in a permanent signature line for us to use. :)

1. Only requirement is that it have www.johnbridge.com on there somewhere.

2. We dunno. I like the current website colors, though. But, then, I only git one vote. :)

3. Tile. Tile information. Tile help. Tile.

[coatingmike]

Glad to be here CX. I signed up a while back but had been distracted with other things.

Gotcha. So from what you said, you want a logo that has something to do with, surprise, tile, and contains the web address of the current forum, and has a similar color scheme to the current one.

Any specific shape? Strange question but some companies have a preference.

[cx]

We got no eye-dee what the new one looks like. :shrug:

We've got not much in the way of direction for you. The thing must be suitable for use in sizes you'd find on bidness letterhead, bidness cards, and, of course, web pages. But our geniuses can generally alter the size without much effort if they have a sufficiently large (electronically) master to start from, I'd think.

Color? Dunno. I like our current color scheme, but I'm happy with our old logo, too, so don't nobody wanna hear my preferences, eh? :shake:

The url must be that of our parent site, www.johnbridge.com. Can be dressed up some, I suppose, but that's gotta be very recognizable.

We're pretty much trying to leave all the options open so we don't stifle any creativity, 'cause we know there's a whole gaggle of that out there.

We got time. Just play around with it if you're of a mind, eh? :)

[jgleason]

Need some clarification on the "TM". I did a search and it turns up as an abandoned trademark. Filing date was June 11, 2003 and abandoned on June 19, 2004. The trademark covered: 3) DESIGN PLUS WORDS, LETTERS, AND/OR NUMBERS

So, unless the trademark is active the "TM" should be removed from the logo.

The image they have on file is this one...

[FrankFLA]

Ok another try. Tried to use the colors on the current page.
I wanted the text to curve around the bottom but can't figure that out yet.
Wanted to see if I was close before messing anymore.
Though about using
"The friendliest DIY forum in the world"
But didn't want to change your slogan.

Frank

[Levi the Tile Guy]

Looks good Frank

[oakview]

Another more fancier idea than the first try - mebbe too fancy?...

[coatingmike]

If I might make a suggestion. For a logo that is going to be used on multiple formats, simple is best. You also need to make sure that it is still readable, and pretty, in grey scale and black & white.

It's not the complexity and flash that makes a logo good, it's the impact.

I'd love to post a website with fantastic graphic design resources and hints, but alas I am unable to post links. Check out my previous post for the website name.

[jgleason]

Hi Michael,
You should be able to post links now. We have a "3 post" rule before that feature activates. Helps discourage the spammers. :D

[cx]

Wanted to see if I was close before messing anymore.Our guys are watchin', Frank. Not sure how you'll know when you're close, though, since we don't know what the finished product looks like, eh? :)

I like the globe concept. I like the slogan in there. I like blue.

But I get only one vote.

I presume makin' up those things is a bit of a PITA, but it's easy from over here. So if you've got more eye-dees, toss'em out there, say I. :)

DaveG, the first thing my little pea brain registers on yours is that your and world are separated by the word tile. I know what it says, of course, but don't know how that registers with a total stranger.

Michael, is there a quick and easy way to look at all these suggestions in gray-scale or B&W?

[John Bridge]

I get only one vote, also, but here are some thoughts.

The text part of the logo can be spelled out by the user (us). I think what we're looking for is a simple object type logo. The problem with the current one is that the text is intrinsic and hard to read when the logo is reduced in size.


We could just remove the text that Jack added, the "john bridge forums" and the top and "tile your world.com" at the bottom, and go back to the original image. Joe G. has provided some great vector images in his PDF. That way we could just add text alongside or under the logo when we use it.

I just thought, though, that somebody might be able to come up with a new and fresh image. It doesn't have to say anything; it does have to portray the things CX mentioned -- or at least one of them. ;)

[John Bridge]

Here is the previous logo. This one is a little busy, too, and loses it when its size is reduced.

[jgleason]

Just what does a bowdarkskull look like eh? ;)

[John Bridge]

And here is Dave M's famous "earth logo" that graced the top of the page for all of 2 or 3 days. :)

http://www.johnbridge.com/junk/earthlogo.gif

[cx]

Just what does a bowdarkskull look like eh?Hey! :mad:

You got a mirror at your house, ain'tcha? :shades:


I like DaveM's old globe. :D

[John Bridge]

Yeah, we probably would have kept that one if he hadn't mentioned drinking vast quantities of cheap beer and telling bad jokes. I don't know anybody who does that. :D

[jgleason]

I knew I opened myself up for that cx. :D

[Davestone]

I like Frank and Jacks so far.For something a little more different i think Franks is there.I would submit one but i think we all know why not.:D

[Hamilton]

I like Frank and Jacks so far

One more time for the record. Read back on the first page. I wasn't submitting
a new idea. Simply just showing off what I came up with the first time around.
I have chosen to stay out of this for my own reasons. I think it would be nice
to let someone else design the new logo. Besides the one currently used is
just a tweak on the previous existing one. If ya'll want me to take another
crack at it, I will. I know there is talent out there...so lets give them a chance
to work it out.:p

[Hamilton]

Just wanted to mention you all have done great. My own personal taste
and preference has been DaveG "Oakview's" submission. Nice work brother.:jack:

[oakview]

My own personal taste and preference has been DaveG "Oakview's" submission.
Which one? The first simple one? Or the second more fancier one (which admittedly is more suited to a t-shirt)?

Nice work brother. Gee, thanks Jack! That means something coming from someone with your talent. The first submission should be cleaned up some though, didn't spend a lot of time on the details, I was just getting the idea across.

[cx]

I knew I opened myself up for that cx.Yeah, when the bait's that easy, you alla time gotta wonder if it's a trap, eh? :D

[coatingmike]

Don't know if it was posted or not, but whens the deadline?

[davem]

There's no deadline Mike, it'll be over when/if a logo gets chosen. We appreciate all the effort so far. :yo:

[coatingmike]

Thanks.

[oakview]

Had another logo idea - some of you guys have done some really awesome tile compasses! Colors might need changing, but the idea's there. I don't know if any other outfits have similar logos, but I didn't knowingly plagiarize.

[ceramictec]

guess we aint seeing a new logo anytime soon. :postitbg:

[Hamilton]

guess we aint seeing a new logo anytime soon.

I think the entries are great. Maybe I should jump on photoshop again. I recently found the original .tiff
file JB sent me if anyone would like to play with the original forum logo.
Beware, I think its a 6 mb email. Serious only pm me.

[Hamilton]

Well, was just sitting here eating some bacon and eggs, toast n jelly:blah:
I'm not too good at coming up with new ideas. It is fun to tweak the colors
in photoshop. Its been a while since I've played with the program. Here is
something I did a few minutes ago :D

[cx]

Where gonna be the url, Jack? :scratch:

[ceramictec]

I think the entries are great.me too.
but as the saying goes.."if it isnt broke dont fix it"

I think the logo now is fine.
maybe in 10 more years update it to a futuristic logo or something.

people out there have come to know the logo.

[silvercitytile]

people out there have come to know the logo.

i agree. the logo has been a known TM

[oakview]

Dunno if jgleason got around to vectorizing the current logo, so I went ahead and did it in Inkscape (http://www.inkscape.org/) and converted the result to PNG format (raster) just for viewing purposes, shown below with a transparent background.

The vectorized logo is in SVG format, both for Inkscape and plain for any other vector editing program, available at these links:

1. TYW Logo for Inkscape (http://www.twoheartsranch.com/tmp/TYW-vectorized-inkscape-svg.svg)

2. TYW Logo in plain SVG (http://www.twoheartsranch.com/tmp/TYW-vectorized-plain-svg.svg)

Grab 'em and tweak to your hearts content...

[jgleason]

Oh sure, remind everyone that I didn't do the vector image of the logo. :tongue:

(Actually, I did do it, but never posted it.)

jpg attached and the zip file contains an SVG file.

[Hamilton]

I will remind all that I have the original .tiff file if you would like to
play with this logo. Dave I like your style on the revision of the lettering.
If you would like to play with the logo with photoshop or whatever program
you have pm me. I can email it to you. Its a 6mb file so, be warned you
should have high speed internet service of some kind.:)

[oakview]

@jgleason - (Actually, I did do it, but never posted it.) jpg attached and the zip file contains an SVG file. :wohoo:

@Jack - the font on the curve is Calibri, the "YOUR WORLD" is Segoe UI scaled vertically. Both are good, clean fonts from the M$ typography factory.

Not sure I'd be comfortable working off of your original since it is so well thought of. Doesn't make much sense to change what works. It's simple, recognizable, and scales well for most applications. One thing I might try is enlarging the circular text so it remains legible at smaller sizes. Any thoughts?

[cx]

Glad some of y'all are still workin' on the "project." :)

I think, as a minimum, we should at least adopt the new old version with the corrected URL in it.

[oakview]

Had another idea...
Per CX: We need to be able to print it on things like bidness cards and letterhead and such.
Displayed here in B&W, it's in vector format and can easily be colored to be a fancy web page logo, or remain in B&W for letterhead, etc. if you don't print in color. Scales down pretty well too (see next post).

[oakview]

Scaled down version placed here so it wasn't so close to the larger version

[cx]

We're still watchin, Dave. That one doesn't suit my fancy much, but others might like it. Wish more of'em would comment, though. :)

[Dan the Man]

Hi,

We're thinking of doing something similar on the UK Tile Forum. And I love the idea. Yes, we did 'pinch' it from you. :) Brilliant way to grant Kudos to the members, and lots of fun to.

Firstly, can I ask the lads why Tile Your World is used a lot in big in the logo, though the URL is going to stay as JohnBridge.com. Perhaps use the 'Tile Your World' as the slogan under it? And push the John Bridge. Which is the name we know in the UK for sure.

And secondly, if I can help with THIS (http://www.johnbridge.com/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=788334&postcount=48) post. The TM is for 'Trade Marks' and you establish those yourself, and I think JohnBridge.com, John Bridge AND Tile Your World and TileYourWorld.com should and can all have the TM next to it.

TM is an UNREGISTERED trademark, and you'd use that, show the date you used it, show the date you established it, and show the date a person using it later started using it and I think you'd be able to 'win' that one over in court should you need to. As (and I'm sure you'll agree) All of the above are trade marks of this place, and nowhere else. God, you'd have thousands of testimonials for the Judge to read should you need them.

And secondly, the only trademark symbol you can't use unless it's REGISTERED is the R in the circle. So that's saying you've registered AND HAVE BEEN GRANTED (as there's a waiting period that's in place for competitors or others using that as an UNREGISTERED trademark can contest against you using it) a Trade Mark.

The process you go through might differ slightly than the UK. But the reason it is in place is the same in all countries that use them. (China being the worst for dodging patents more so than trademarks, but they're happy to copy, I'm sure you all know that lol).

So if you would like to use TM, and you can, then I would. And I'm pretty sure by now you should be, as there isn't a cat in hells chance somebody can use "Tile Your World" (which might not be passed in the UK as it's almost a sentence - TileYourWorld and TileYourWorld.com as one word would 100% pass - USA not sure) can pass themselves as being the guys with that name before you had it.

A forum is dated in every way shape and form and there's not even a need to prove the online date etc, as you would need to with a website using something like www.archive.org, and not just your first domain registration date, or a testimonial from your web host or something.

Sorry, I waffled **blushes**.

I just think this place is established enough to NOT Register a trade mark (with the R) and just use TM. And I think you SHOULD use TM, and keep this topic active and that'll go in your favour. You use the name since X (the first post date) and the TM since X (whenever you change the logo) and I honestly think that that is a stronger case than a huge company registering something close as a trade mark (with the R) and saying STOP IT to you (john bridge and the forum).

There is a very slim chance I'm incorrect, or US laws are TOTALLY different. I'm pretty sure they're not though and it applies as it does in the UK. Though a US registered trademark doesn't cover the UK, and visa versa. Though I'm sure you don't mind that. :)

[Dan the Man]

Damn. I waffled that much I forgot to say....

BRILLIANT LOGO'S GUYS. I'd be happy for stuff like that to be submitted to our forums.

All the best

Please pop by a UK version of this place when you have time.

Thanks