I like Berislav's point as well. But what we really need are
alternative sketches -- since it's easy to point out things that
aren't compatible with our tastes in writing, but much harder to
express them visually so others can really grasp what we're saying and
then respond in kind...!
In any case, I've created a page to collect these logo ideas and mockups:
Feel free to start collecting and adding your own. By all means
contribute simple sketches -- surely someone from the community will
come through and turn your sketch into something more refined if it
has legs!
I'm with Berislav on something simpler, more re-usable. I'm not crazy
either about the look of a starfish, the symbol is excellent.
I think a direction that's less of a circular badge would be a good
thing to try. Maybe making the starfish smaller and using it on the
side, above or under a larger "Coworking" would make sense, somewhat
like the Barcamp logo. Work on the word as the basis for the logo and
make the starfish more of a stamp/symbol/brand (not sure which word to
use here) associated to it, like the apple with Apple or swoosh with
Nike, that can then be used next to the name or separate. The starfish
could then be used small with the text on documents but blown up and
central on a t-shirt for example.
Looking good…although as I told Chris, I really don’t want just a plain star. It’s too much of a strong American symbol (stars and stripes forever, man) and coworking is international. It also would be a leap to explain that the star was actually a fish. If we can find a better starfish (as it seems that there are a few of you out there who don’t like my star…sniff…a noisy minority, but I haven’t heard from many who like it), incorporate it. I sent out a bunch of links to other starfish to play with (and there are tons in istockphoto and in flickr commercial cc licensing)…it would be great to see if any of those work.
Tara
p.s. start putting these up on the page that chris created…
I want to take some time to flesh out some different versions, as these are all pretty similar. I want to try some different fonts, incorporate the “curvy” starfish, and try making a more vertical, square-shaped logo with the same basic elements.
It’s challenging to make a square or circular badge because the word “coworking” is so much longer than the star shape (hence, I believe, Chris’s efforts to wrap the words around the star).
I also found a nifty starfish-esque asterisk… Comic Sans of all things. I used it in a couple of the mockups.
Let me know what you think and if I’m on a halfway decent track… I’ll elaborate from there and provide PSD’s if anyone wants.
My initial inclination is that it may need to be further simplified if possible. Will review again in the evening.
I’m with Berislav on something simpler, more re-usable. I’m not crazy
either about the look of a starfish, the symbol is excellent.
I think a direction that’s less of a circular badge would be a good
thing to try. Maybe making the starfish smaller and using it on the
side, above or under a larger “Coworking” would make sense, somewhat
like the Barcamp logo. Work on the word as the basis for the logo and
make the starfish more of a stamp/symbol/brand (not sure which word to
use here) associated to it, like the apple with Apple or swoosh with
Nike, that can then be used next to the name or separate. The starfish
could then be used small with the text on documents but blown up and
central on a t-shirt for example.
Will add the logos to the wiki later this afternoon
I agree on the star- I orignally had sketched these with the more organic looking star instead of the pointier one but just ended up picking the other one for these mockups.
I will make some more versions that better emphasize that “living creature” imagery and see how it goes.
Looking good…although as I told Chris, I really don’t want just a plain star. It’s too much of a strong American symbol (stars and stripes forever, man) and coworking is international. It also would be a leap to explain that the star was actually a fish. If we can find a better starfish (as it seems that there are a few of you out there who don’t like my star…sniff…a noisy minority, but I haven’t heard from many who like it), incorporate it. I sent out a bunch of links to other starfish to play with (and there are tons in istockphoto and in flickr commercial cc licensing)…it would be great to see if any of those work.
Tara
p.s. start putting these up on the page that chris created…
I want to take some time to flesh out some different versions, as these are all pretty similar. I want to try some different fonts, incorporate the “curvy” starfish, and try making a more vertical, square-shaped logo with the same basic elements.
It’s challenging to make a square or circular badge because the word “coworking” is so much longer than the star shape (hence, I believe, Chris’s efforts to wrap the words around the star).
I also found a nifty starfish-esque asterisk… Comic Sans of all things. I used it in a couple of the mockups.
Let me know what you think and if I’m on a halfway decent track… I’ll elaborate from there and provide PSD’s if anyone wants.
My initial inclination is that it may need to be further simplified if possible. Will review again in the evening.
I’m with Berislav on something simpler, more re-usable. I’m not crazy
either about the look of a starfish, the symbol is excellent.
I think a direction that’s less of a circular badge would be a good
thing to try. Maybe making the starfish smaller and using it on the
side, above or under a larger “Coworking” would make sense, somewhat
like the Barcamp logo. Work on the word as the basis for the logo and
make the starfish more of a stamp/symbol/brand (not sure which word to
use here) associated to it, like the apple with Apple or swoosh with
Nike, that can then be used next to the name or separate. The starfish
could then be used small with the text on documents but blown up and
central on a t-shirt for example.
I've just finished reading the starfish book...and I'm wondering
why the logo would not use the same kind of starfish shape as the one
on the book. It has a very distinctive form with elongated legs and
rounded tips that can not be confused with a plain star. Also, the
long legs and the imperfection create a feeling of movement and it
looks like the starfish is growing, especially if we put it over a
smaller black circle (I like the idea of the circle) like in the other
logos.
Also, around the circle and between the legs, we could write Coworking
(in bold) and then 4 core values.
I've just finished reading the starfish book...and I'm wondering
why the logo would not use the same kind of starfish shape as the one
on the book. It has a very distinctive form with elongated legs and
rounded tips that can not be confused with a plain star. Also, the
long legs and the imperfection create a feeling of movement and it
looks like the starfish is growing, especially if we put it over a
smaller black circle (I like the idea of the circle) like in the other
logos.
Also, around the circle and between the legs, we could write Coworking
(in bold) and then 4 core values.
I love the starfish symbol too, and I just ordered the "Starfish and
the Spider" to read ASAP. However, in the back of my head, I keep
turning it into an asterisk, so I figured I'd mock that up. I just
posted two versions on the wiki (http://coworking.pbwiki.com/Logo\).
The starfish was chosen due to starfish having a decentralized neural
structure permitting regeneration. Which is the contrast given in "The
Starfish and The Spider." The basic idea being decentralized organizations.
You said that a "star" has no relevance to the coworking community, which
after much thought I must beg to differ. The "star" in symbolism has many
meanings, not least of which is freedom and independence, which is an
intricate structure of decentralized movements like coworking. http://tinyurl.com/2r67wk
The US is one of many countries that use this symbol and unless red, white,
and blue, most star icons are not associated with the US. The icon of the
star is used the world over to show independence. More popularly, however
negatively used, the star is usually the adopted symbol of organizations
that find their roots in anarchy like the Zapatistas and Communists which
follow the same political base of decentralization.
If you want to go back to true decentralization then Taoist symbols could be
used to portray the philosophy of coworking. Taoism has no organizational
philosophy; it is a conglomerate of different collective thoughts, which is
what the coworking movement preaches as well. However there are several core
beliefs that are taught under different schools of Taoism, but isn't that
the way different coworking organizations are as well?
The fact that a Starfish follows the same radial symmetry as the symbol of a
star, should allow you to use just a star with soft points as the symbol
that both represents independence and decentralization.
On the other hand the 5-pointed star is used abundantly in logos, and other
symbolism. Which I am sure is deterring you as well from using just a star.
However you already chose a symbol that so visually relates to the symbol of
a star that using the 5-pointed symbol is almost practical as it relates to
the philosophies you want to exhibit.
This was just me playing devils advocate, I have tried so many ways to make
the "starfish" look simple yet organic and it is not turning out very well.
I keep finding that the 5-pointed star has such a presence that I keep going
back to it. I guess I am just making a point in the argument that may get
you to think twice about just using a star or perhaps some other symbol.
-----Original Message-----
From: cowo...@googlegroups.com [mailto:cowo...@googlegroups.com] On
Behalf Of Tara Hunt
Sent: Tuesday, September 11, 2007 2:32 PM
To: cowo...@googlegroups.com
Subject: [Coworking] Re: Coworking Logo
Mock it up! We tried the skinny star but it looked odd on our
end...maybe you can do better.
I've just finished reading the starfish book...and I'm wondering
why the logo would not use the same kind of starfish shape as the one
on the book. It has a very distinctive form with elongated legs and
rounded tips that can not be confused with a plain star. Also, the
long legs and the imperfection create a feeling of movement and it
looks like the starfish is growing, especially if we put it over a
smaller black circle (I like the idea of the circle) like in the other
logos.
Also, around the circle and between the legs, we could write Coworking
(in bold) and then 4 core values.
My basic thought is that many of the ideas out there so far are too
busy to be a simple, extensible, community mark. Something that acts
as a "call to action" (as someone else said) and can be very easily
modified. Think "coworking sf," "coworking philly," "coworking
boulder," etc... just like BarCamp.
My basic thought is that many of the ideas out there so far are too
busy to be a simple, extensible, community mark. Something that acts
as a "call to action" (as someone else said) and can be very easily
modified. Think "coworking sf," "coworking philly," "coworking
boulder," etc... just like BarCamp.
$0.02...
Hillary
On Sep 11, 11:31 am, "Tara Hunt" <[email protected]> wrote:
> Mock it up! We tried the skinny star but it looked odd on our
> end...maybe you can do better.
>
> T
>
Danke, Tara. That's what I was going for. That starfish lends itself
well to larger imagery, too (as Chris's logos illustrate). I hope to
have a bit more time to play with it. I think something like Chris's
last logo would be a great t-shirt / notebook / swag logo.
Much to ponder... (Hope your preso goes swimmingly today, btw!!)
hh
> My basic thought is that many of the ideas out there so far are too
> busy to be a simple, extensible, community mark. Something that acts
> as a "call to action" (as someone else said) and can be very easily
> modified. Think "coworking sf," "coworking philly," "coworking
> boulder," etc... just like BarCamp.
> $0.02...
> Hillary
> On Sep 11, 11:31 am, "Tara Hunt" <[email protected]> wrote:
> > Mock it up! We tried the skinny star but it looked odd on our
> > end...maybe you can do better.
Danke, Tara. That's what I was going for. That starfish lends itself
well to larger imagery, too (as Chris's logos illustrate). I hope to
have a bit more time to play with it. I think something like Chris's
last logo would be a great t-shirt / notebook / swag logo.
Much to ponder... (Hope your preso goes swimmingly today, btw!!)
hh
On Sep 13, 12:24 am, "Tara Hunt" <[email protected]> wrote:
> I quite like the simplicity of these, Hill.
>
> T.
>
> On 9/13/07, Hillary Hartley <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> > I'm not a logo designer by any stretch of the imagination, but I put a
> > few mockups out there for review:
> >http://flickr.com/photos/hillaryandanna/1369795451/\(click thru to
> > next 2 files, too)
>
> > I also put them on the wiki with some color commentary:
> >Coworking wiki / Logo
>
> > My basic thought is that many of the ideas out there so far are too
> > busy to be a simple, extensible, community mark. Something that acts
> > as a "call to action" (as someone else said) and can be very easily
> > modified. Think "coworking sf," "coworking philly," "coworking
> > boulder," etc... just like BarCamp.
>
> > $0.02...
>
> > Hillary
>
> > On Sep 11, 11:31 am, "Tara Hunt" <[email protected]> wrote:
> > > Mock it up! We tried the skinny star but it looked odd on our
> > > end...maybe you can do better.
>
> > > T
>
> --
> tara 'miss rogue' hunt
> co-founder & CMO
> Citizen Agency (www.citizenagency.com)
> blog:www.horsepigcow.com
> phone: 415-694-1951
> fax: 415-727-5335
Actually, our conference has long passed, and it was a great success,
and we're planning an antipode event, specifically a BarCamp (we'll
call it CroCamp), most likely sometime at November. Any chance of
seeing you over here?
Okay, I finally got a chance to mock up some coworking logos. Wanted to get
everybody's opinion... Coworking wiki / Logo
I am working on a couple more, and will get them up as soon as I can.
I did have a problem uploading these. When I went to login the wiki kept
crashing my browser. Can anybody shed some light on this? I am using
Firefox on a windoze XP machine.
-----Original Message-----
From: cowo...@googlegroups.com [mailto:cowo...@googlegroups.com] On
Behalf Of Tara Hunt
Sent: Thursday, September 13, 2007 3:24 AM
To: cowo...@googlegroups.com
Subject: [Coworking] Re: Coworking Logo
My basic thought is that many of the ideas out there so far are too
busy to be a simple, extensible, community mark. Something that acts
as a "call to action" (as someone else said) and can be very easily
modified. Think "coworking sf," "coworking philly," "coworking
boulder," etc... just like BarCamp.
$0.02...
Hillary
On Sep 11, 11:31 am, "Tara Hunt" <[email protected]> wrote:
> Mock it up! We tried the skinny star but it looked odd on our
> end...maybe you can do better.
>
> T
>
Okay, I finally got a chance to mock up some coworking logos. Wanted to get
everybody's opinion... Coworking wiki / Logo
I am working on a couple more, and will get them up as soon as I can.
I did have a problem uploading these. When I went to login the wiki kept
crashing my browser. Can anybody shed some light on this? I am using
Firefox on a windoze XP machine.
-----Original Message-----
From: cowo...@googlegroups.com [mailto:cowo...@googlegroups.com] On
Behalf Of Tara Hunt
Sent: Thursday, September 13, 2007 3:24 AM
To: cowo...@googlegroups.com
Subject: [Coworking] Re: Coworking Logo
I quite like the simplicity of these, Hill.
T.
On 9/13/07, Hillary Hartley <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> I'm not a logo designer by any stretch of the imagination, but I put a
> few mockups out there for review:
> coworking-helvetica | starfish files courtesy of factoryjoe … | Flickr (click thru to
> next 2 files, too)
>
> I also put them on the wiki with some color commentary:
> Coworking wiki / Logo
>
> My basic thought is that many of the ideas out there so far are too
> busy to be a simple, extensible, community mark. Something that acts
> as a "call to action" (as someone else said) and can be very easily
> modified. Think "coworking sf," "coworking philly," "coworking
> boulder," etc... just like BarCamp.
>
> $0.02...
>
> Hillary
>
>
> On Sep 11, 11:31 am, "Tara Hunt" <[email protected]> wrote:
> > Mock it up! We tried the skinny star but it looked odd on our
> > end...maybe you can do better.
> >
> > T
> >
>
>
> >
>
Nice! I really like these John. My two cents: play with the simpler logo in the middle (yellow one). I’d like the see what it would look like if you fattened up the lines that make up the star fish, and play with a few more gradient options.
I am working on a couple more, and will get them up as soon as I can.
I did have a problem uploading these. When I went to login the wiki kept
crashing my browser. Can anybody shed some light on this? I am using
Firefox on a windoze XP machine.
My basic thought is that many of the ideas out there so far are too
busy to be a simple, extensible, community mark. Something that acts
as a “call to action” (as someone else said) and can be very easily
modified. Think “coworking sf,” “coworking philly,” "coworking
-----Original Message-----
From: cowo...@googlegroups.com [mailto:cowo...@googlegroups.com] On
Behalf Of Erica Douglass
Sent: Monday, September 17, 2007 2:29 PM
To: cowo...@googlegroups.com
Subject: [Coworking] Re: Coworking Logo
I am working on a couple more, and will get them up as soon as I can.
I did have a problem uploading these. When I went to login the wiki kept
crashing my browser. Can anybody shed some light on this? I am using
Firefox on a windoze XP machine.
-----Original Message-----
From: cowo...@googlegroups.com [mailto:cowo...@googlegroups.com] On
Behalf Of Tara Hunt
Sent: Thursday, September 13, 2007 3:24 AM
To: cowo...@googlegroups.com
Subject: [Coworking] Re: Coworking Logo
I quite like the simplicity of these, Hill.
T.
On 9/13/07, Hillary Hartley <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> I'm not a logo designer by any stretch of the imagination, but I put a
> few mockups out there for review:
> coworking-helvetica | starfish files courtesy of factoryjoe … | Flickr (click thru to
> next 2 files, too)
>
> I also put them on the wiki with some color commentary:
> Coworking wiki / Logo
>
> My basic thought is that many of the ideas out there so far are too
> busy to be a simple, extensible, community mark. Something that acts
> as a "call to action" (as someone else said) and can be very easily
> modified. Think "coworking sf," "coworking philly," "coworking
> boulder," etc... just like BarCamp.
>
> $0.02...
>
> Hillary
>
>
> On Sep 11, 11:31 am, "Tara Hunt" <[email protected]> wrote:
> > Mock it up! We tried the skinny star but it looked odd on our
> > end...maybe you can do better.
> >
> > T
> >
>
>
> >
>
Those are beautiful, John. How do they work in greyscale? We need to
make sure that we can print a one-color logo on stuff (some schwag
won't allow for more than one).
-----Original Message-----
From: cowo...@googlegroups.com [mailto:cowo...@googlegroups.com] On
Behalf Of Erica Douglass
Sent: Monday, September 17, 2007 2:29 PM
To: cowo...@googlegroups.com
Subject: [Coworking] Re: Coworking Logo
John, nice work! I really like these.
-Erica
On 9/17/07, John Bilotta Jr <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> Okay, I finally got a chance to mock up some coworking logos. Wanted to
get
> everybody's opinion... Coworking wiki / Logo
>
> I am working on a couple more, and will get them up as soon as I can.
>
> I did have a problem uploading these. When I went to login the wiki kept
> crashing my browser. Can anybody shed some light on this? I am using
> Firefox on a windoze XP machine.
>
> Thanks all!
>
> Johnny
> web / graphic designer
>
> 609-680-8247
>
> jbi...@gmail.com
>
> www.jbiljr.com
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: cowo...@googlegroups.com [mailto:cowo...@googlegroups.com] On
> Behalf Of Tara Hunt
> Sent: Thursday, September 13, 2007 3:24 AM
> To: cowo...@googlegroups.com
> Subject: [Coworking] Re: Coworking Logo
>
>
> I quite like the simplicity of these, Hill.
>
> T.
>
> On 9/13/07, Hillary Hartley <[email protected]> wrote:
> >
> > I'm not a logo designer by any stretch of the imagination, but I put a
> > few mockups out there for review:
> > coworking-helvetica | starfish files courtesy of factoryjoe … | Flickr (click thru to
> > next 2 files, too)
> >
> > I also put them on the wiki with some color commentary:
> > Coworking wiki / Logo
> >
> > My basic thought is that many of the ideas out there so far are too
> > busy to be a simple, extensible, community mark. Something that acts
> > as a "call to action" (as someone else said) and can be very easily
> > modified. Think "coworking sf," "coworking philly," "coworking
> > boulder," etc... just like BarCamp.
> >
> > $0.02...
> >
> > Hillary
> >
> >
> > On Sep 11, 11:31 am, "Tara Hunt" <[email protected]> wrote:
> > > Mock it up! We tried the skinny star but it looked odd on our
> > > end...maybe you can do better.
> > >
> > > T
> > >
> >
> >
> > >
> >
>
>
> --
> tara 'miss rogue' hunt
> co-founder & CMO
> Citizen Agency (www.citizenagency.com)
> blog: www.horsepigcow.com
> phone: 415-694-1951
> fax: 415-727-5335
>
>
>
> >
>
If we can find a better starfish (as it seems that there are a few of you out there who don’t like my star…sniff…a noisy minority, but I haven’t heard from many who like it), incorporate it. I sent out a bunch of links to other starfish to play with (and there are tons in istockphoto and in flickr commercial cc licensing)…it would be great to see if any of those work.