Design A Logo For ValveTime - Win Valve Goodies + CS:GO Keys

[Tinckerbel]

And here is the version without the grunge.

 

[Blue1510]

Let me know what you think, here is the first and second attempt:
Cheers!

I really like that one, would like to see it with a white wrench (more recognizable maybe?) and possibly no leather-ish background. But otherwise that's a very smooth logo.

*Edit:* Eep you beat me with a leather-less one a second before i posted!

--- On another note, i tried animating the clock i posted earlier!
http://www.swfcabin.com/open/1335457777

I realize now the clock design is too clunky to put it perfectly symmetrical all around, but it seems like a rough enough approximation of whatever time your Computer thinks it is ^.^

 

[Tinckerbel]

I really like that one, would like to see it with a white wrench (more recognizable maybe?) and possibly no leather-ish background. But otherwise that's a very smooth logo.

*Edit:* Eep you beat me with a leather-less one a second before i posted!

--- On another note, i tried animating the clock i posted earlier!
http://www.swfcabin.com/open/1335457777

I realize now the clock design is too clunky to put it perfectly symmetrical all around, but it seems like a rough enough approximation of whatever time your Computer thinks it is ^.^

Haha, Thanks!
Yes your clock works, pretty perfect! You only have to create a lot more instances with the perspective on it.

 

[Tinckerbel]

This is the last modification for this logo, (for now) i recreated the center button to be different from the outside 2 and gave the innerlines more body so it would look better when scaled down.
I think i'm done with this study for now. With still a week left i'd love to come up with a total different one and throw it in here.

Cheers!

 

[Vegeta897]

I like Tinckerbel's the most out of what's been submitted. Not perfect, but at least it's original.

Still have to get around to doing my shot at it.

 

[Tinckerbel]

I like Tinckerbel's the most out of what's been submitted. Not perfect, but at least it's original.

Still have to get around to doing my shot at it.

Thanks Vegeta897,

I think there is alot not submitted just yet and a lot not made public yet, i think the topguns will submit next week.
In the meantime, please feel free to shoot on the design. What do you miss, what do you like. Besides the stopwatch element, i personally kind of miss a 'time element' like clock hands the most. But then again i wanted it to be different and bold and not to much explain everything you see.

Ah well! Getting there, maybe the next entry!

Good luck with yours!

 

[Chris D]

And here is the version without the grunge.

What would it look like if the grunge was still applied, but only to the wrench/stopwatch part?

 

[Tinckerbel]

What would it look like if the grunge was still applied, but only to the wrench/stopwatch part?

It would look like this, but i use the latest version of the design, wich works a lot better when scaled down. I removed the grunge effect on the right part for 95%, this way it looks clean but keeps it 'real' at the same time.

 

[Tinckerbel]

So since i couldn't sleep yet i started working on another idea in my head triggered by some responses over here, on the first design and designs from other contenders. I created a complete new logo. The ingredients are again, concept of time and reference to valve but more obvious then the first design. It is more basic and not a strong departure from the ingredients. Though, i still wanted it to be bold and really fit well with the site design.

The design uses the same bold font as before en makes the typography the centerpiece of attention. The center E also serves as the screw with the valve as we know it on top. This valve serves as the center of the other ingredient, the clock. I'm not showing a complete clock because that is to obvious, it is referenced with on additional hand pointing to the two, no sense in three right. It is a bold blended design wich is more obvious and still has room for discovery.

(I even included a tagline in one screen but i must admit, i'm also really charmed by the 25th timezone tagline... very original. I'll stick to design)

Here it is, hope you like it:

Grunge all over the place!

 

[Vegeta897]

First thing I thought was speedometer, so I don't much like it.

 

[Tinckerbel]

First thing I thought was speedometer, so I don't much like it.

Thanks for that.
I do see what you mean, it kinda does that because the red on black is typical speedometer appearence and you sort of miss the bottom half at first.
On the other hand (no pun itended) if i also see/discover the other hand in the E (it's multipurpose) i don't get that feeling. That way it leans more to a clock.

Anyway, lets see if i can do something with this.

 

[MekoFox]

I must admit Tinckerbel is quite possibly the most dedicated person in this. Even taking "critique" from a person who needs to learn how to critique with a bit more respect to the other person.

 

[Vegeta897]

Even taking "critique" from a person who needs to learn how to critique with a bit more respect to the other person.

I'm not going to dress up my criticism just to sound nice. Tinckerbel said thanks and doesn't appear to be offended or irritated with me, so why are you making drama?

 

[MekoFox]

I'm not going to dress up my criticism just to sound nice. Tinckerbel said thanks and doesn't appear to be offended or irritated with me, so why are you making drama?

By no means am I asking you to sugarcoat a critique since critiquing means to find flaws in something, but there is no reason you can't be respectful to someone and the work they've created at the same time. Regardless this isn't the place to talk about something of this nature so if you'd like to continue I'd say it would probably be good to do so via the message system.

As for everyone else good luck with your submissions! ^.^

 

[Blue1510]

I must admit Tinckerbel is quite possibly the most dedicated person in this. Even taking "critique" from a person who needs to learn how to critique with a bit more respect to the other person.

I wouldn't be so quick to judge dedication, many people have submitted more than 4-5 pieces of artwork to the Valvetime team.

-- On the note of Tinckerbel's artwork, it's streamlined and has some very aesthetically pleasing elements. Honestly i look upon it kinda with envy, because placing words and colors in tandem to look good isn't as easy as it looks.

At first i was a little sad when he submitted them, i was like "oh man i thought i had a chance".

But really looking at them, they are dark and serious logos, where as some of the others submitted are very light and cartoony or even humorous. It's a very important choice for the website what the logo is going to be and it will ultimately effect how the information here is presented and received by users.

But uhh, i think i need to go take a condensed graphic design class to compete with Tincker and come back with something nitty-gritty dota2 style.

Serious might be exactly what this site wants.

 

[MekoFox]

I wouldn't be so quick to judge dedication, many people have submitted more than 4-5 pieces of artwork to the Valvetime team.

Very true, I can only judge based on the people who have submitted via these comments so there may be some very dedicated individuals out there who aren't as public with their submissions.

 

[Tinckerbel]

I wouldn't be so quick to judge dedication, many people have submitted more than 4-5 pieces of artwork to the Valvetime team.

Very true! And the other dedicated artists probably will submit their work under the radar and at the last minute so nobody can take a peek or get any inspiration of their work. Wich is fine in a contest, that is what i used to do to. But by sharing i might hope to get a better logo or better concept in the end. I also learned how to handle criticism even when not sugarcoated, otherwise you wont last long in this industry.

At first i was a little sad when he submitted them, i was like "oh man i thought i had a chance".

But really looking at them, they are dark and serious logos, where as some of the others submitted are very light and cartoony or even humorous. It's a very important choice for the website what the logo is going to be and it will ultimately effect how the information here is presented and received by users.

But uhh, i think i need to go take a condensed graphic design class to compete with Tincker and come back with something nitty-gritty dota2 style.

Serious might be exactly what this site wants.

Thanks for the feedback, really appreciate it!

 

[Chris D]

At first i was a little sad when he submitted them, i was like "oh man i thought i had a chance...

Just to be clear: every single entry received so far has a chance and nothing is being prejudged here.

The best thing people can do is challenge themselves and try and come up with something better.

We were really worried about doing the contest in case the quality of the entries weren't high enough. We were so wrong to think that.

 

[Áka]

I know that the hourglass idea has been done a dozen times already but I couldn't resist the urge to do one. And I would like to ask the public opinion before submitting it via email, because I miss something.

 

[Yorick]

I know that the hourglass idea has been done a dozen times already but I couldn't resist the urge to do one. And I would like to ask the public opinion before submitting it via email, because I miss something.

Don't be discouraged from trying something just because it's been done before - your hourglass concept is different from ones that have been submitted. There are a finite ways to display the idea of Time, and I'm continually impressed by the originality presented in these logos. With a limited number of tools, some really cool things have been done.

 

[Tinckerbel]

I know that the hourglass idea has been done a dozen times already but I couldn't resist the urge to do one. And I would like to ask the public opinion before submitting it via email, because I miss something.

I really like the approach on this one, it has the potential of becoming a distinctive brand, like a badge almost. I like the VA approach, most of the time you end up with the V and T wich don't align that well. Also the colors are refreshing (and very Portal like). I think i like the left one the most at first but after a while the right one becomes better, more aligned, calmer but there the V and A make lesser sense.
Cool job. It sure triggers my creativity again!

 

[Chris D]

I love to see this creativity flowing.

We're so impressed we are going to up the ante somewhat... We're going to throw another prize into the mix

We'll post more details later, but the new prize is a key for the Legend of Grimrock game which we reviewed last week

 

[Blue1510]

We were really worried about doing the contest in case the quality of the entries weren't high enough. We were so wrong to think that.

We could save them as jpegs/bitmaps if you want

<3

On that note, i've got a concept i'm trying to flesh out, and i'm definitely stuck as to if i should elaborate, or make it symbol based or what.

Going for a sharp hit of nostalgia, admit it you had one!

Another version

Kinda the good-ol normal Valve logo, but with a digital twist.

Not sure what i like the most, or if it even looks good.

 

[voythas]

I love to see this creativity flowing.

We're so impressed we are going to up the ante somewhat... We're going to throw another prize into the mix

We'll post more details later, but the new prize is a key for the Legend of Grimrock game which we reviewed last week

That's great!

Also I like few entries here. For example I really like Tinckerbel's one. Keep up the good work.

 

[Chris D]

Anything you guys can do to spread this around a bit to attract more entries is much appreciated. Though I seriously find it hard to believe we'll get any better than the ones we've already got!

 

[Narft]

Not to bash anyone, but the entries with the "Grunge" outlines look pretty bad on a low resolution screen. Meaning the site might look bad on mobile devices. There's just not enough pixel space available for that level of detail to do anything but make it blurry.

Not that it's a big issue though, but remembering that people like to browse news on iphones/ect when bored is an important feature.

As for the entries, Tinckerbell has probably hands-down the best entry to the contest in terms of a logo / title. Simply because of the color choices and contrast probably match the currently dim-mood of the site the best right now.

However, i think that having an icon (a stopwatch, a huge hourglass, a huge tf2-ish clock) might just be outlandishly uneeded. I would love to see more entries along the line of Blue's "Digital Clock" which i feel is really a great piece (it's just missing something)

Valve themselves pride the company on not having some silly huge logo, they intentionally chose a bland but meaningful name in an easily recognizable format.

It's the difference between plastering your logo on everything, or simply putting your name on it.

Maybe i'm just repeating what i read here.
http://www.destructoid.com/blogs/SovietMudkipz/the-meaning-of-the-valve-logo-120894.phtml

But i don't know, it's like a logo could be great, but i feel like cutting the red banner part out of tinkerbell's work and just using that could probably be just as meaningful, and more in line with actual Valve.

It's the question of if you want to stay true to the company, or go out on your own branch. For instance if you saw the aperture science video, there was the logo plastered along with someone saying "Valvetime" in the intro.

I feel like a simple banner in the top would be simpler, less intrusive and mean more. I don't know, i'm rambling.

 

[Yoyo1244]

My entry:

Hope you like it .

 

[Tinckerbel]

Not to bash anyone, but the entries with the "Grunge" outlines look pretty bad on a low resolution screen. Meaning the site might look bad on mobile devices. There's just not enough pixel space available for that level of detail to do anything but make it blurry.

Not that it's a big issue though, but remembering that people like to browse news on iphones/ect when bored is an important feature.

As for the entries, Tinckerbell has probably hands-down the best entry to the contest in terms of a logo / title. Simply because of the color choices and contrast probably match the currently dim-mood of the site the best right now.

However, i think that having an icon (a stopwatch, a huge hourglass, a huge tf2-ish clock) might just be outlandishly uneeded. I would love to see more entries along the line of Blue's "Digital Clock" which i feel is really a great piece (it's just missing something)


...snip...

I feel like a simple banner in the top would be simpler, less intrusive and mean more. I don't know, i'm rambling.

I agree on some of your points. The grunge look for me is more about presentation, it gives the logo more feel to it when presenting. But i agree the logo should stand on it's own even without the grunge effect on it. Scaled down you lose the effect anyway. I definitely agree.

It is funny you mention to cut out the banner part and just use that, the rest is unneeded. Today i happen to do just that and then some... see my other post.

Thanks, good feedback.

 

[Blue1510]

However, i think that having an icon (a stopwatch, a huge hourglass, a huge tf2-ish clock) might just be outlandishly uneeded. I would love to see more entries along the line of Blue's "Digital Clock" which i feel is really a great piece (it's just missing something)

Thanks, but i'm currently banging my head against the wall with that one.

I feel like the bottom "Digital clock box" is my best idea, it's bright, easy to read, iconic and it conveys the name really well.

I feel like it's insane, to submit something like this , so simple to compete with some of the elaborate and beautiful entries other people have. But i keep changing it and eventually coming back to the same thing, i tried drawing different lettering styles, changing the colors, messing with the border and such.

But it just feels right to me, it feels like something i could see in the upper corner of something and it wouldn't feel intrusive or obnoxious. Just an instantly recognizable symbol.

Someone tell me I'm not crazy please, or suggest something to make it better.

What really worries me about my sanity, is that the top one with the longer "M" has a different shade of red than the bottom one. When AI tells me it's the exact same color

 

[Tinckerbel]

Today i've done a new attempt on the logo design. It is really fun to do!
This time i asked my self (just like Narft) how can you create a logo, wich is clean as typography, is not cluttered by a accompanying 'logo' and still has enough character to be more then just a line of text and a appealing font.

Well i killed my darlings.. and took the best of the first two designs and brought it al back to the basics.

A clock and a stylistic sideview version of the valve (from the second design), these are the fundamentals, basic, recognizable and stylistic. (and no grunge )

Well, this is the new logo design. The basic elements blended in a beautiful font in a way that doesn't clutter the overall esthetics. The words, Valve and Time in a no-nonsense bold font, distinctive and balanced. And a typographical crossover across the middle wich in itself is almost a compact logo.

Nothing special, just a tagline wich i really like, but can be easily replaced.

A compact version of the logo, just for the fun of it, or a t-shirt.

Ah, hell with it, here's another grunge one.
--
Hope you like it as much as i do!

 

[Tinckerbel]

Thanks, but i'm currently banging my head against the wall with that one.



Someone tell me I'm not crazy please, or suggest something to make it better.

Your not crazy! It's really a nice design. I had a digital clock pencil draft too, but couldn't make it work as well as you did, the bottom clock is hands down the better one!

Good luck!

 

[Blue1510]

Nothing special, just a tagline wich i really like, but can be easily replaced.

That motto made me giggle, it's great.

I keep wondering why your letters are so much prettier than mine until i compared resolutions (doh!, time to go back and replace my pictures with higher-res ones!)

Your not crazy! It's really a nice design. I had a digital clock pencil draft too, but couldn't make it work as well as you did, the bottom clock is hands down the better one!

Good luck!

Thanks!

 

[Yorick]

I'm trying not to respond to these individually, and just sit back and watch without steering you guys too heavily, because I do like what you're coming up with.

But I can't resist chiming in on two of them:

Tincker: I do like the latest shot you've taken at it, with the more simplistic approach, but I don't quite see the Valve in it. I like how the L makes the clock hands, but I think perhaps I'm missing something?

Yoyo: The gears approach is cool, and is something that we haven't really seen too much of.

In my own interpretation of the logo was a broken hourglass that was controlled by a Valve, signifying their control over things and how the sand in the hourglass is information that is now escaping. It sounds silly when I say it out loud.

But what I mean is that I like the idea of the Valve actually controlling something. A lot of logos (not just submissions, but things we came up with before) focused on how clocks and Valves are both round, and merely combined them based on that, with little actual application for how it would work. One of the things that I really like in the current logo, that doesn't come across all that well because of the size, is that the hands of the clock are actually wrenches that go around a Valve.

So what I'm saying is that I like your idea, I think it's on the right track, and I'd definitely like to see more along those lines. As it stands now I don't really understand the quotes, and the Valve looks like it's being buzz-sawed by one of the gears.

 

[Tinckerbel]

I'm trying not to respond to these individually, and just sit back and watch without steering you guys too heavily, because I do like what you're coming up with.

But I can't resist chiming in on two of them:

Tincker: I do like the latest shot you've taken at it, with the more simplistic approach, but I don't quite see the Valve in it. I like how the L makes the clock hands, but I think perhaps I'm missing something?

I see what you mean, i dont think you're missing something, the valve is a little harder to recognize then the hands of the clock, i'm not sure if the valve has this purpose in the first place to be instantly recognizable. It is a over simplistic version of the valve from the second design (see shot below). Though it's good to know where it originated from.

Thanks for the feedback, without steering creativity you sure fill the creative process with both comments.

 

[Yoyo1244]

Yoyo: The gears approach is cool, and is something that we haven't really seen too much of.

In my own interpretation of the logo was a broken hourglass that was controlled by a Valve, signifying their control over things and how the sand in the hourglass is information that is now escaping. It sounds silly when I say it out loud.

But what I mean is that I like the idea of the Valve actually controlling something. A lot of logos (not just submissions, but things we came up with before) focused on how clocks and Valves are both round, and merely combined them based on that, with little actual application for how it would work. One of the things that I really like in the current logo, that doesn't come across all that well because of the size, is that the hands of the clock are actually wrenches that go around a Valve.

So what I'm saying is that I like your idea, I think it's on the right track, and I'd definitely like to see more along those lines. As it stands now I don't really understand the quotes, and the Valve looks like it's being buzz-sawed by one of the gears.

First of all thank you for your comment.

After reading it I thought it's only appropriate to clear up a few details about
the logo:

Along with the things you mentioned;

The gears represent time also.
The Quotation Marks as well as the triangle on the bottom represent
the site is also a community (forums).
The Valve also forms the talk bubble; the quotation marks also give
the feeling the gears are spinning similar to cartoon movement lines.

 

[voythas]

To be honest - it's totally unreadable. You put there few good ideas but made it really unreadable. Logo must be clear for everyone and by explaining your creation to us you just proven my point .

 

[Yoyo1244]

To be honest - it's totally unreadable. You put there few good ideas but made it really unreadable. Logo must be clear for everyone and by explaining your creation to us you just proven my point .

I know.
I just explained the thought process behind it, you (a general you) might not see
it all right away but as long as a logo is appealing it doesn't matter. As I mentioned
above the subconscious part makes it.

 

[voythas]

My opinion about logos is that they should speak much through simplicity. Let me explain myself.
When I look at your logo I see many random elements. By random, I mean - it's not really clear why they are there so, especially quote icons and I'd definitely remove them. I really like your idea with combining valve with gear, so I would go further with this idea.

Also logos need to be simple, because they need to be remembered. It's like emblem.

If I can suggest you something - try to recreate your logo but in much simpler version. Remove unnecessary items, redo rest so they fit well.

I'm just giving an idea, that's all.

Keep up the good work

 

[MJ12]

This is a really nice direction.

However, I think the "E" and the "T" should be regular; It looks like an "=" sign, and doesn't really have any purpose to look like that.

And for the hands of the clock in the "L" I would change them to slight points like you see on most clocks. I also like the tagline.

 

[Yoyo1244]

Well you guys gave some very good points to think about, here's the result:

^_^ .