Ah, buggers. Sorry for the double post, but I would also like to mention that I do graphic design work (Mostly advertising, and I work on my college’s magazine and newsletter). I also do a bit of website design, specializing in interactive flash layouts. I don’t do a whole lot of branding or work with logo design/illustration, but that is the direction that I would eventually like to go in.

I’m a Sophomore in college (going for a degree in Graphic Design) and I’m taking typography, digital web design and mass media production in the fall semester, so hopefully I’ll get some good experience then.

Hopefully this information will make it easier to critique my design

“wonderpixel” is a great name: super fun and interesting.

Right now, I think that the mark is too small and does not balance well with your type. Also, your kerning is all over the place, although maybe you just quickly posted these mock-ups to give up some idea of your direction.

I think overall it’s a bit static, and doesn’t evoke enough of a sense of “wonder” or “pixel.” The colors are nice, though.

A few questions:

What does it look like in black and white?
Did you start with pencil and paper?

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Nick Hladek

Yes, that was done fairly quickly. I wasn’t paying much attention to size or kerning, more to the effects of different weights. I actually did start out on paper. It’s pretty messy, I did it with a purple marker.

This also shows some ideas with the ’Superhero’ look. I think I might explore that a little.

I always love to see sketches on paper.
If I may comment on your sketches first?

1. Use normal sketching paper with no lines on it.
2. Don’t crowd your sketches. Leave space around them. That way you can better judge them.

From here I feel you are a bit ’afraid’ of sketching.
If these are all of your sketches, you have started to soon behind the computer.
You didn’t explore all you could.
Force yourself to make more sketches. When you think you are ready to jump to the computer. DON’T. Put it asside and look at it the next day and continue sketching.

About your post.
First, you are not sure on the different weights.(I do agree about the kerning)
Looking trough my brows (put aside the ’pixels’ in front of it) I can see that the bottom two are not in balance. ’Wonder’ is too heavy in both of them. If that is what your intention was ... well done. If not. Too heavy.

The first one tickels me the most. It has a modern, webby feel to it. Nothing fancy though.

I was wondering what happens if you place either of them in small caps?

About the pixel-logo.
Like I mentioned before. You started to soon behind the computer. There is more potential in this name.
I think you didn’t find it and perhaps you feel it too and that is why it doesn’t feel that right to you.

My advice: don’t concentrate on the type yet. First make sure you have a solid concept and go further with that. I’m sure you will come up with something better!

Personaly I like the colors.

Hope this helps.

Sorry for my long post.

Uugh.

Ray

Thanks for all the feedback bobby, and you’re right. I’m not super comfortable with sketching, as I often do preliminaries on the computer. I was also wary about the heavier weights of the bottom few, but the bottom one and the first one ended up being my favorites. I like the contrast in the first, and the fifth feels the most lively. I still haven’t decided between them, but I most definitely think that I want to make ’wonder’ as prominent (or moreso) than ’pixel’, as wonder is a much more emphatic and memorable word.

I did a few more mock-ups, but I think I will go pack to pen-and-paper and try to clean up and refine a few sketches.

I was also considering the word pixel in a pixel-esque font. Yay or nay?

Yay – you’re missing something pixel-esque. Whether that’s the font, the logo...dunno. Like the name. Think how you would animate your logo – that might spark some ideas.

That’s a fun idea!
Never thought of it.

Imagine how to animate a logo.

Cool tip.

About the pixel-esque font.
You are definitely missing something pixel, but doesn’t necessarily need to be a font.

a lot of design studios use pixel in there names so it seems so that might be a problem or it might help to let people know that you are a designer...

i love the use of wonder in a design name. I think evoking mystery and unlimited potential is great for clients.

i think you need a few days of sketching as well.

ihoff’s idea of an animated looking pixel logo is great.

there are a lot of pixel esque logos, maybe find as many as you can and save them for inspiration and see how you can make yours unique.

Great name! Looking forward to see some concepts that reflect this.

I vote against rendering “wonder” as a superhero allusion, à la “Wonder Woman.” “wonderpixel,” particularly as one word has an ethereal feel to it, and as j_polo9 said, “evok[es] mystery and unlimited potential.” You need to play with that.

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Nick Hladek

Alright guys, I have a few more pen and paper sketches for you to look at.

It scanned in very badly, so I’ll try and explain a few ideas so that they make more sense.

Number one is just wonderpixel in black with ’pixels’ as embellishments on the front and back.
Number two is a just a hand-drawn version using black and green.
Number three is an idea to put different shades of ’pixels’ together to spell the word pixel.
Number four is wonderpixel with a question mark in the o. I also considered putting it at the end. This is to stand for curiosity or wonderment, both synonyms of the word wonder.
And number five is wonderpixel with a magic wand replacing the i.

On the right side are sketches of marks, but I am really thinking that most of the marks just clutter it. The ideas I am fondest of are 3 and 4, and I really don’t think the magic wand is working, but I am excited to hear your ideas on how to expand!

Also, I noticed that a synonym of wonder is puzzle. Not the noun form, but I’m thinking maybe puzzle pieces instead of ’pixels’. Though, I’m not sure if it would be the best solution.

You make me happy!
GREAT!!!

I would choose for number three.
Doing something pixelated could be the right way. It also adds to ’wonder’.

But I think it comes down to choosing the right font.

You said that wonder is synonym for puzzle, perhaps you can incorporate this into the lay-out of the logo?
I think if you choose for number three, no additional logo is needed.
It speaks for itself.

Good work!

Ray

hi, “wonderpixel” is a nice name. Personally I would concentrate on the “wonder” not on the “pixel” (overused). I like your sparkling idea. I think the wand is not necessary - what about havong a spark cloud and the sparks are squares (=pixel)?

Here’s a suggestion (and like all free advice, take it for what it’s worth). I like number 3, although instead of pixelating “pixel,” what if you had the word “wonder” plixelated, and then moving from left to right, you would remove pixels here and there, removing more as you moved right. It would give the sense of the word falling apart and dissolving, which would give suggest the relationship between abstract and concrete. Then put “pixel” underneath “wonder” in solid type to give a sense of grounding and conceptual contrast.

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Nick Hladek

i like the idea of the four squares alluding to ’pixel’s... for a bit of ’wonder, what if one of the squares began to float away?

I’m curious about any updates.
Something ready you want to share with us?