All components of these designs are my own or under creative commons license. The assembled designs are to be considered my intellectual property. Sorry about the lack of MV and ACK…couldn’t find open licenses for appropriate maps of them. Please feel free to leave comments, as well. Thanks for playing!
Option A: “Retro”
Option B: “Cool”
Please share widely!
but really dislike the “my word aremine” etc disclaimer on it. Dice that, and B is the way to go, but in the meantime, i voted for A.
Also, I would prefer Ryan’s name to begin with a capital letter.
Sorry bout that typo…it’s corrected now.
But you should lose the sidebar. It’s just distracting, and you can’t really make out the face or places. Other than that, I think it’s great.
I love the retro, i love the blue.. i love the feel as though I’m looking at an old neon sign, except on the internet.
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p>I love the coolness of the second, the synergy it has with the state party’s logo (colors, etc.) and the fact that ryan’s take would be in the same font.
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p>I kind of agree about some of the critiques on the text. Maybe I’ll just lose the text altogether when there’s an eventual winner? that’s an easy fix, though, no matter what I do.
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p>Anyway, keep up the debate! This is years in the making LOL.
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p>Also, a big thanks to Sab! These designs are great. Hopefully, a lot of other people in the local ‘sphere will be oweing him some thanks for their new, nifty designs as well.
They’re both great, sabutai.
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p>I’d choose B myself, but I’d look for a way to hang on to A for use elsewhere or at a later time.
Now that I’m changing my banner on Ryan’s Take, I think I’ll probably change it 1-2 times a year. Whatever wins will go up now and probably through the New Year, then I’ll probably put something else up.
that both designs deliberately blank out Berkshire County? Just Ryan’s (or Sabutai’s) way of admitting that he doesn’t attempt to speak for the land of Shays’ Rebellion? Actually, they may be more environmental exclusions than politcal – the Hoosic and Housatonic watersheds are left out.
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p>It’s fine, though. I’m just being a jerk. They are both very bold, attractive graphics.
that’s where my family comes from. Sab certainly wasn’t instructed to leave them out, but to be fair it’s tough to impliment something from every part of the state. Obviously, the state house is high up on things I’d want in the banner, so that was pretty much my only requirement… along with the picture of Massachusetts in it.
which would argue for design B over design A and decreasing the steepness of the gradient so that the western part of the state can clearly be seen.
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p>Also, is there something special about the location of the star in design B? Do you happen to live in Brockton, or wherever that star is? I can see you putting a star either where you live or in the state capital, but otherwise it seems to be a misleading emphasis. But I may just be nitpicking.
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p>Both designs are good. I will remember your offer — classy logos free for ideological brethren/sistern — wow!
Really.
They’re both nice. But, to be helpful (I hope) here’s some criticism.
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p>I’m not nuts about the font but I like that it is big and loose and informal.
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p>The font for B (what is it–some Palatino clone?) is too “rich” to begin with and the drop shadows just make it pompous–another blogger taking himself too seriously. Lower casing it doesn’t help–that just comes off as weird.
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p>Something about A seems more coherent to me. I get what its about quicker than with B. I think extending the orange line form the type pulls things together better than B, which feels more like disconnected images even though they overlap.
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p>I’d edit the tagline down if possible. E.g., “Politics, analysis, and advocacy for a better future.” The “of the current political situation” is a clumsy mouthful.
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p>Finally, whatever font and whatever treatment you use, how about using a true apostrophe (a “curly” single quote)?
The apostrophe in both bothered me as well, so I ended up importing one from another typeface. I have shortened the fade on Massachusetts to just before the state line to show off beautiful Berkshire County. Also fiddled with a couple more things on B as well.
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p>To answer your question, the font in B is ZapfCalligraphy BT.
it’s much more readable and professional looking. “Retro”?
Damn I am old.
of the old neon signs that no one uses anymore, so it’s more retro out of the 70s and 80s than it is 50s and 60s. So age has little to do with it, because even I can remember a little of the 80s.
I like clean, sleek looks.
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p>I’d get rid of the little image altogether. I like the top one, but I’d make the inside color for the state the same color as outside — that same dark blue. The orange outline makes it clear you’re referencing the state of Massachusetts, so you don’t need the slightly different color blue to emphasize it. Also the apostrophe seems strange; I’m sure it’s part of the font it just looks odd.
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p>Like I said, I like clean and sleek.
sheesh! this is exciting. hopefully, it won’t stay tied for long.
I, too, liked the neon sign like design of A. Should the outline of the state connect with the first word, too, though? That would put WMass back in.
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p>I’d also consider dropping the state house. Or rotating pictures in that spot.
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p>If going with B, I’d suggest putting one of the stars where Ryan is located.
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p>Sab: Interviewer, blogger and graphic designer.
People go to the blog to read the postings, not to look at the logo. If the logo takes 25% of the screen width, it’s a usability problem.
EOM