SiteReference wrote:

I would just like to thank Mark for taking the time to do the contest...the turnout was great and the designs were fantastic!  Thanks again mark for taking the time to moderate the contest!

No problem at all I enjoyed it, and would like to hold more in the future.

So...all those new people that signed up for that contest....do they go toward my recruit count

i had a good time with this contest!

can't wait for the next one.

- jason

Congrats to the winner!

Mark,
Cool! You answered! I'm psyched! And, your answers seemed to give me a constant "Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhh, really?!!!" feel to them. (The "Cool!" LOL)

Still got a few more questions from your answers.

This [making logos easy for printing] is only necessary if the logo is going to be printed. A lot of times a logo is needed for a site, and if its all strictly digital then you do not need to worry about the printing options.

As much surfing and buying that I do online, I can't picture many products or services that don't end up including paper in the form of invoices, instructions, or e-mail receipts (for printing out, so, if there is a problem down the road, I can re-contact the company). Matter of fact, the only person that comes to mind that doesn't end up using his logo on paper is Site Reference. How many other services are there like that? Don't even e-book writers have logos for their books, assuming the buyer might print it out?

When designing an image that will be used in multiple sizes, its always best to start big. Big images can be shrunk with minimal loss of resolution, but enlarging a small image distorts it heavily.

Yeah, I remember that lesson really well. Someone came to me with a hand-drawn, fine-line logo to include in printed materials, I scanned it, and then spent the rest of the day fixing it up pixel by pixel! (Part of my business was creating marketing materials, but that's a far cry from graphics design!!! Also, that was close to a decade ago, and the computer field has changed so much, since then, that I know, if I ever went back in business, I'd have to spend a lot of time catching up first.) Ended up pretty much redoing the whole thing, but it was the moment when I understood why vector beats pixels. One thing for sure, I definitely under bid on that "little" project. LOL

Well, what you are looking for is what you like. What design reflects YOUR attitude toward Site Reference. There will never be one that every single person agrees upon, its more of your personal preference.

Isn't the idea of design to reflect something of the owner, in this case Site Reference's? In general, I'm very creative and crafty, but in marketing, over and over again, I had to keep remembering that it is all about what is best for the customer, definitely not what I want the most. Dave, "The Gypsy" keeps saying that egos should never get involved, but I remember how often I had to swallow mine, or ... go back to being an employee. Now, I think you're saying it is up to the designer, not the customer?! Isn't the logo design, since it is part of marketing, supposed to reflect the owner of Site Reference? I would have voted entirely differently, had I chosen to vote for what I thought the prettiest was, or, by voting on who put in the most effort and skill to produce such wonderful logos. Instead, I went with the look that Mark (haven't written to him in so long, that I'm not sure of his name, but I think Site Reference belongs to the other Mark) had already established for his look. I'm now quite surprised, and obviously interested, in reading your thinking on this subject.

I'd also would be interested in other graphic designers' responses -- not any negative thought against you, but, knowing that I can't go back to work, or even go back to school to learn this field, I'd like to see if your ideas are generally assumed in your field.

AND, as a side question -- what's wrong with a clip art look?

With that, again, thanks for the response! I hope you don't mind me asking even more questions.