Personal Logo - Concept

MikeButtery

MikeButtery

Member
Guys,

I wouldn't usually post unfinished work, but I am truly struggling!

I seem to really struggle to design my own work, give me a client, and I am away, but when it comes to branding and designing for 'Mike Buttery' I drew complete blanks.

I have been playing with designs for a logo for weeks, but nothing solid. No matter what angle I look at myself, brainstorm, or find logos inspirations from, none of them are me!

Jabbering on, I found inspiration from this logo: deviantART logo Design by ~akkasone on deviantART

And came up with this quick concept. (Its still rather rough, I was playing!) All I ask is it worth carrying on?

MB-SWISH-BOTH.jpg

http://www.mikebuttery.info/files/MB-SWISH-BOTH.jpg

If anyone has any suggestions (not keen on the font), alternatives ideas ;) or any input I would greatly appreciate it.

Cheers
 
First things first. Are you a graphic designer? Photographer? Illustrator? Tesco assistant? What does your logo communicate about your profession?

Secondly, I have no real problems with the mark itself, only that it's far too big in relation to the type. I know it's tempting to make "Mike Buttery" line up nicely with it, but the logo is making the type look tiny. Reduce the logo by about 40%. In addition to this, MIKE BUTTERY is more important than PORTFOLIO is, yet it's higher in your visual heirachy. Reduce Portfolio either in size or tracking.

Thirdly, you say that you "have been playing with designs for a logo for weeks" - Show us your other attempts and maybe we can sift through what's good and what's not.

Finally, Buttery. Yes, I'm sure you've probably had many people take the piss out of you for that surname, but use it to your advantage. Sell yourself around it. Buttery = Toast. Make your logo a piece of toast or a tub of butter. There's no harm in using a logo that relates back to YOU as an individual, instead of a profession. In fact, you'd probably be at an advantage.

Just a few thoughts.
 
Anagoge said:
Finally, Buttery. Yes, I'm sure you've probably had many people take the piss out of you for that surname, but use it to your advantage. Sell yourself around it. Buttery = Toast. Make your logo a piece of toast or a tub of butter. There's no harm in using a logo that relates back to YOU as an individual, instead of a profession. In fact, you'd probably be at an advantage.
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Berry (yes the monster :p) suggested something similar with my name in another thread (although I didn't use it for reasons in the thread). He said (roughly) that maybe I should have used my name for my business to play on the branding of the jeans etc as it would have made it quite memorable.

The only issue I have with the butter and toast idea is that its done to death for toast and butter :up:

As to the logo, yeah not keen on the text either but not sure what you could use. I'd also say try the logo on the left rather than above and match the height not the width. Also have you thought about going Mike Buttery Graphic Designer rather than Mike Buttery Portfolio, it just seems to have a better flow to me
 
That looks like a logo for a printing company. Agree with working around your surname, you're lucky to have something that has so much potential for imagery.

I'd suggest warping some of the text to look like its melted butter.
 
Thanks for the replies guys.

If I can find a scanner I will scan in my sketches of other logos, they mainly orientate around paint related things (brushes, rollers, paint pot) and digital things, (cursors, mice et)c. I quite like the digital & art merging theme.

Second point duly noted, I only really lined the text up, as the logo there would be on my website.

As for playing on my last name, I have no problem doing that. But, other than a block/knob of butter, or even butter and toast, we have done then.

I just want something clean and simple really.

As I said, really struggling with this. I appreciate the responses though!
 
agree with above statements, also why would you have the following colour on the colour and then not on the B&W?

I realise that sentence doesn't make complete sense, but I think it makes sense.
 
I've been sober for nearly 4 years dear boy, I've just read it back and man that is some rambling gibberish!

this is what I mean...

MB-SWISH-BOTH.jpg
 
I know how hard it is to design logos for yourself. We were given this task at college to complete in a week given that our illustrator skills are a tad slow and I came up with this for me but I don't think it really shows me. I wanted it to be energetic and show imagination and I am definately more designer than illustrator. I just don't know which stream of graphic design I want to go into yet as I don't know what I'm best at yet but this design I feel is more for painting or print. It reminds me actually of the curly 'C' on 'Cadbury's'! It was a good exercise in illustrator though even if I haven't established a logo for myself yet. I quite like brain storming ideas and talking to friends/colleagues to see how they perceive me to get ideas. Will have to do this come February before I graduate in June! How do others come up with their ideas for their own logos? :confused:
 

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This is probably one of the biggest challenges for any designer, deciding to settle on a graphic that represents yourself is always hard because you are too close to the subject. You have to try and take a step back.

Start by doing some brainstorming, what key things to you want to communicate about yourself?
What is your key selling point? Is it a stylistic thing? Is the way you work different from others? (simple, clean) Is it a business thing? Do you want to promote yourself as a dependable solid business person? (friendly, approachable)

Hammer down a list of words that you want to somehow communicate to your target audience, these will be very vague and it will be difficult to use them as a starting point for a design, but this list will be useful to you down the line. When you get to the point of having something to assess (the point where this thread started) you'll be able to look through this list and judge if you are hitting those buttons. It's a 'feel' thing!

Basically you need to be clear in your own head what you are trying to communicate to people before you start, otherwise you are flying blind.

It could be that you want to be quirky or funny, which swings the door wide open to using your last name. Butter doesn't just stop at toast! Think along the lines of buttery corn on the cob (maybe stylise the corn to look like a keyboard? Crap idea, but it might be a start), butter is churned from milk, milk comes from cows. Melted butter could form the patterns on a dairy cow?

This has turned into a bit of a stream of consciousness, sorry. But that's how ideas generation works. You have to trawl through the sh*t ideas to find something worthwhile.

Hope this helps and doesn't just confuse you further.
 
Drinking on this forum?? Surely not haha!

Cheers for all the responses...

I have slept since I uploaded the design, now I see how it looks like a printers logo!

Basically you need to be clear in your own head what you are trying to communicate to people before you start, otherwise you are flying blind.
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This rings so true, when it comes to myself, I am just me, a graphic designer, who does like clean and effective design, but to comminucate this into a logo, its going to end up abstract surely!!

I love the 'corn on the cob' idea btw Krey20 (and your logo & website!), bets the hell outta toast! Plus it always tastes better than canned corn!

I will try and have another play today. Charlieburt85 I will design your logo if you design mine, I always find other peoples design tasks easier to do!

Thanks again
 
am sorry that is not a logo................it's a splurge with a brush:p
 

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Designing your own brand ID is a hamster wheel for designers, Top London agencies often get other agencies to do their ID as they look at it fresh and with a different perspective. It is quite common.
I never get too hung up on brand logos too much, just remember what you see and what clients see are two different things. Also consider where it will be seen and the brand tone that it has to set. Too much 'design' spin will label you as young designer without strategic thinking. All the best Brand ID's are dead simple. - " It's not what you put in, it's what you leave out that's important" BBBOL. Remember K.I.S.S Also If it's not working, then it's because it is crap, so throw it in the bin and start again!
 
I shall hold you to that Charlie, just having a snoop around your Flickr steam, very impressive! Purely for research and brainstorming purposes! ;)

As for my logo, I think I am settled on a Buttercup!
 
I'd stay with 'butter' - butercup is a weak visual theme.
Establish your surname Buttery. it's so simple. If you came to me I would do that and charge you price of a VW Polo for it!

I would use a number of imagery that is 'buttery' to assist the brand ID
Ie: Toast and butter, Crumpets with butter, jacket potatoes, etc etc. maybe a mouse made out of chunk of butter? If you down the diverse strong image route the the brand logo has to be simple and understated, the visual brand imagery is the powerful bit.
 
Stick with Buttery, Mike. As I've already said, it's a great surname to work your brand aroud. As Berry says, anything else waters it down.

And all this talk of toast and crumpets is making me hungry.
 
Cheers Berry! The mental block I have, I maybe willing to steal a VW Polo for you!

My main issue is that I feel butter and ... has been done to death, and I wanted to try and keep the logo as simple as possible.

Other Ideas, Buttery Popcorn, Stick of butter, Mouse pointer made from melting butter...

I don't even really like bloody butter!

Thanks again for the feedback, this place is truly helpful!
 
Sadly, it may not be what you like that works for you! The butter theme is a great hook, and could be very effective and memorable if exploited properly. You may not like it, but it could be a great brand platform to work from.

It's up to you to put a different spin on an unoriginal idea, that's design. There is nothing original anymore.

"Don't try to be original, just try to be good." ~ Paul Rand

Of course "good" is subjective, but in this case it can be quantified by how much business your eventual solution will bring you. It's not about making something pretty and artistic, it's about making something that works.
 
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