The Frustrations of Logo Design

Hi everyone... sorry for my lack of blogging lately....

*hangs head in shame*

Does anyone else get in blogging slumps where you think to yourself, "What the hell do I have to say right now that could possibly be worth reading?"

Well, that's how I've been feeling.

I've been so consumed with school work lately and stressing over being some kind of creative genius that I am making things harder than they are supposed to be and I'm not really getting anywhere.

For example, my store concept idea totally went out the window last week.

Originally I thought of doing a boutique that carried a line of vintage clothes that were designed for the modern girl. I wanted to call it "Modern Vintage" and started working on sketches for the logo design. I planned on posting about my thumbnail sketches to give an example of how the creative process works, but that was before I discovered there was not only another store called Modern Vintage, but it almost had the same exact logo design I had sketched out AND was located less than 10 miles from me.

So I kind of had to start all over... meh :(

I figured I could still keep the concept but I had to think of a new name and new design, and of course I overcomplicate it.

The thing with store names and logos is that they are supposed to be simple. It's easy to be gaudy and add and add until you come up with a clusterfugg of a design, but it's the simpleness that really creates the brand.

For example, Nike. A swish and its tagline... "Just Do It"

What's more simple than that?

It sounds easy, this simplicity, but it's a long and complicated process... trust me!!!

It's kind of like getting ready in the morning after a shopping trip wanting to wear all of your new things... then you take a look in the mirror and realize you look like you're trying wayyy to hard to be cute and think to yourself, "You're not from Jersey... take some shit off!"

That's kind of stretching it but it's the only way I can think to analogize the situation. Is that really a word? Analogize. Spell checker didn't catch it. I'm gonna look it up...

a·nal·o·gize /əˈnaləˌjīz/ 

Verb: to make a comparison of (something) with something else to assist understanding

Huh. I love when I make up words and realize they already exist. Awesome.

Anyway... this has been just a little snippet of my frustrations lately. And what the hell, I'll share some of my thumbnails just to give you an idea of my very beginning stages... (keep in mind, a lot of them are shitty!)

First round of sketches...

Second round of sketches...

After reviewing them with my instructor I decided to focus on this design...

Then I came up with a third round of sketches focusing on this design and introduced a pink, gray, and black color scheme, added more detail to the design including a crown, and touched up the custom script typography...

You can kind of see where I started brainstorming new store name ideas. 

Pretty sure I Googled my brain silly that day, but I think I came up with one that I really like. I was inspired by my birdcage thumbnail and wanted to incorporate birds somehow.

I love birds (I have some tattooed on me) and they have that vintage-y feel to them. I also was thinking about old music and The Beatles song, "Blackbird" so I came up with "Blackbird Vintage" or it could be "Blackbird Boutique" or even "Vintage Blackbird." I Googled and it does exist but it's located in Seattle, Washington... that's OK right?!

I don't know, I get really self conscious when brainstorming and sketching, and then sharing them for critique... probably because I know they aren't even close to perfect but also because I'm really not sure if it's even a good idea.

I also have the challenge of being the only female in this certain class, so trying to get men to understand from a female perspective can be difficult. I'm sure compared to their hardcore testosterone-packed designs all the guys think I'm a cheesy girlhead cornball with sugary sweetness oozing out of me...


*que whiny crying voice*


"No one understands meeeee....."


*sniffs* *blows nose*



Just kidding. I haven't cried over this... yet.

Maybe I should open it up to you guys... what do you think of my store concept?


Please... be gentle!!!