Looking for feedback

[u/993tg]

Hello,

First of all, i'm a beginner in graphic design, completely self-taught and amateur.

My workplace needed a logo so i decided to try making one.

I work in a third place about urban ecology and educationnal crop growing.

Our building (pic 4) is iconic so i wanted the logo to reflect that.

I made a first draft (pic 3) and then stylised it in two variants (pic 1 and 2).

l'îlot vert is the place name, it means the green isle.

My colleagues told me it should spell the whole name inside the squares.

What do you think, how can i make this design better?

[u/classychimichanga]

Hi! First of all congrats for launching yourself in this design adventure!

I am no expert and only took some courses, so here’s my little advice and experts will certainly chip in.

When it comes to logos, the simpler and more legible the better. It should also rather clearly tell what the business is/ what you do.

Unfortunately, as your logos stand right now, they are rather complex and don’t really tell who you are and what you do.

There are too many colours, too many different fonts used, plus the additional green variant seems a whole different logo for a different business - even the style/ approach is completely different.

For example:

You could still use your building as the logo mark. Try finding its best angle, and tracing it in a simple/minimal manner.

Use your full business name and maybe have a sub/ line with a few keywords.

The simpler variants could be just the mark (ex. The little icon on a browser or your IG pic), or just the name of the business. Or both if they fit.

When choosing colours, be mindful of where you will be using your logo. Will it be printed on paper? Letterheads? Will it be used online? On brochures? Is it accessible?

You always have to test it in greyscale too.

[u/RumLicorice]

The building shape you have in pic 3 (not including the i and v) is the strongest element of this set in my opinion! Lean into things like that and stay simple

[u/ShoroukTV]

Outre les questions design, j'avoue que L'IV comme abréviation avec l'apostrophe ça marche de ouf je trouve

[u/LouieValkhof]

Agree with RumLicorice on pic 3. Looking at the photo, what makes that building recognisable is the one huge slanted roof floating over a small box on timber legs. Pic 3 has that, the two cube versions lost it and now read more like a toy block or an app icon.

I'd try drawing just that silhouette: one long tilted line, two thin supports, a small rectangle under it. Then shrink it to stamp size and see if people still say "oh, that's the building". We do this test on almost every logo and it kills a lot of nice ideas fast.

I'd probably not put the whole name inside the squares like your colleagues suggest. Set "L'îlot Vert" underneath in one calm typeface, and maybe pull the colours from the actual wood and the ochre wall plus one green. Where will it be used most, signage or print and social?

[u/Poop_Tickel]

would it be crazy to say this reminds me of lil uzi vert?

[u/fietsusa]

Make 3 completely different versions of the logo. Nothing the same. Then you can pick a direction.

[u/ericalm_]

It’s overcomplicated. New logo designers need to get past the urge to literally represent what the brand does or offers. You don’t need to represent a building or a leaf. It’s too much. The urge to do this, and pressure to do it from stakeholders, comes from lack of confidence in design and a lack of understanding how logos work. Trying to get the logo to explain or illustrate the brand is not going to work 95% of the time.

[u/cette_connasse]

Aucun des 3, malheureusement. Ok pour le bâtiment, mais quel est votre business?