opinions needed

[mesmerized24601]

Posted: 1/29/08 at 8:00pm

Hello everyone,

I am not sure how everyone here feels about posts like this, but I really need opinions from people I respect, and I know people here who have alot of them!!!!

So I am trieng to start a buisness and have a $0 budget so I am trieng to do everything myself, logo design, website, etc...

here is what I came up with and I am getting mixed opinions from the people around me, it is hard to tell if the people who say nothing is wrong with it are just bieng nice, sooo I thought where can I find people who don't feel the need to be nice.....and here I am (hahaha)

so please share some constructive critisism....

just logo...


1st page of website and buisness card

[lovelyspotlight]

Posted: 1/29/08 at 8:06pm

Honestly, I really like your idea with the "Photos by Michelle" being in there in the middle of "Simply Smiles"...but it gets a little confusing at first glance. I think what gets me a tiny bit disoriented is the the P and the LY and the M and the ILES are a little too spaced for the words to flow. I think if they were a little closer together, the design would be more fluid, even with your other information added in there.

Did that make sense?

[mesmerized24601]

Posted: 1/29/08 at 8:10pm

yes it makes sence, that is actually what the more "honest" friend said, but she has as much creativity as my shoe, soooo

[lovelyspotlight]

Posted: 1/29/08 at 8:23pm

Hah, well sometimes you need perspective from people of all walks of life.

[artscallion]

Posted: 1/29/08 at 8:40pm

That was the first thing that struck me as well. You'd have to play around with it but maybe you could stretch it vertically so that the "otos" and "ichelle" began slightly below the P and M. That would allow you to compress it horizontally, eliminating the interruption in flow.

The leg works nicely in the composition. And it has a great feel to it. But I wonder why you chose legs. The main page of your site should clearly convey, at a glance, exactly what you're about.

It's really a good design concept. But I'd rethink the leg and change it to something more related to smiles or photography. I assume you do portraits, considering the emphasis on smiles? Maybe some element that connects with that.

Aside from that, I think the design is both striking and attractive. Best of luck in your new venture!

[mesmerized24601]

Posted: 1/29/08 at 8:47pm

hmmmm, no one had a problem with the feet yet, Yes I enjoy doing portraits mainly kids and those were kids feet, there is also my favorite quote, "walk condfidently in the direction of your dreams" that is the picture and quote on the cover of my portfolio that I hope to integrate into the design somehow...thank you for the compliments and i will take your suggestions in thought

Updated On: 1/29/08 at 08:47 PM

[nygrl23]

Posted: 1/29/08 at 9:03pm

I like the color and the playful theme. But I think the logo is a little complicated. The flow is interrupted like someone has already said, as the eye is immediately drawn to the center of the logo with the joined circles. Maybe you could make the central part smaller so everything integrates better. I don't quite get the legs, either. And instead of a circle with "click here to enter," how about a camera with a "button" that can be clicked?

[mesmerized24601]

Posted: 1/29/08 at 11:15pm

gosh, now I feel like I should rethink the feet...ugh

i loved that part

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 1/30/08 at 1:21am

It's a bit too cluttered.

[erikaamato]

Posted: 1/30/08 at 3:04am

I agree with the comments so far. The logo's a bit cluttered... At first, I thought those circles were supposed to be o's, and I read it "SIMPOLY SMOILES."

And I'm a creative type...

The feet don't bother me, per se, but I think you might be able to come with something better. I mean, your business isn't named "Simply Feet," right?

Good luck with everything!

[mesmerized24601]

Posted: 1/31/08 at 12:54pm

thank you again

[Craww]

Posted: 2/1/08 at 12:46am

I think perhaps the logo on the second graphic would pop more if the extra background circles were at a lower opacity (somewhere between 50 to 75%) than the logo. It would also keep it from looking as cluttered and monochrome.

I don't mind the legs. You don't necessarily need to be 100% literal with SMILES, I think that your image has a whimsy that invokes a smile well enough. But I think it might be better if you go with a little higher contrast on the photo. It has that flat greyscale look to it, not that lovely black and white look.

With the drop shadow, I feel like it's a bit dark. It's especially troublesome in the logo where the white P and M have no outline or shadow, so it makes that look inset when it really should stand out a little more.

Overall, it looks good. The only thing that I absolutely think should be changed is on the "click here to enter" the drop shadow makes it difficult to read. It should be set closer to the text, or be much lighter. Good job, though, and good luck.

[Clarinetbiter135]

Posted: 2/1/08 at 1:39am

I agree with the no legs thing. Since you mentioned you photograph kids, do a zoomed in picture of a kid's smile?

I think the logo could be fixed easily by taking out the blue dots and moving them to a less crowded area. if you have to look at the logo for more than a second to figure out the name, it needs more clear. I love the simplicity of the color scheme. Overall, this is great, and will look lovely on a website/business card/flyer/whatever

[son_of_a_gunn_25]

Posted: 2/1/08 at 4:39am

I am sure it goes without saying, but make sure you have permission from the legal guardian to use their children's photos online. Some parents are very protective of their children and it is against federal law to use a photo of a child under the age of 13 online without permission from their guardian. It is important to protect yourself legally. I'd even get the permission in writing.

The easiest way to do this is include this stipulation in any forms or contracts you use giving you permission to use the child's photo, but offer them an opt out also on the same form.

The link should tell you everything you need to know.
Children's Onlne Privacy Protection Act

Updated On: 2/1/08 at 04:39 AM

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 2/1/08 at 5:25am

When I glanced at it, it says simPMS to me.

My eye goes from the P down to the matching M and then back to the capitol S since it looks like the start.