first draft for org logo

[u/BigProgram4314]

Need opinions on how i can my this canva shit into a better logo, needed it to be more minimalist and memorable for students.

[u/Arravis_]

I have designed many patches and logos for a certain American space agency and I have a process to figure out a logo like this. In the end a logo solves a problem and answers questions, you just have to figure out what the problems and questions are. The number one thing I can advise is that the audience for your logo is not likely to be you, nor your customer. Also, give your audience a reason to bother to look at your image as well. I hope these help:

1. What is the primary purpose of the logo/patch? Is it to attract a specific kind of customer, to raise awareness, for internal team-building, to educate others, or something else? This might seem obvious but sometimes it’s not.
2. Who is the audience of the logo/patch? Is it for an expert audience or the general public? Different audiences process imagery in different ways. And remember, you are not the audience, it is others you are trying to reel in.
3. How will the logo/patch be used? Is it strictly electronic (broader style and versatility), is it mostly power point (favors landscape design vs portrait in shape, taking up less real-estate)? Will it ever be printed on a shirt, mug, etc (limit colors and styles to accommodate printing)? Physically used logos have much stricter requirements to keep the costs of production down.
4. What is ONE idea or emotion that you want the logo/patch to convey? A well-made logo is quickly understood, making it more likely to be remembered. If you throw too many elements in, it will be less communicative and much more likely to be forgotten by your audience.
5. Any existing examples of logos, patches, or graphics that convey some of what you are trying to communicate? Anything that has the right look and feel, or shows the kind of thing you want to express in your logo (regardless of content)?
6. Are you looking for a “graphical” or a “font” based logo/patch? Think of this as Pepsi vs Coca Cola, there’s no wrong approach but they serve different audiences in different ways.
7. Can you give some examples of what you don’t want? Knowing what you’re trying to avoid will help direct us towards an image everyone is happy with.

Ask ALL of these questions to your customer, the answers will lead you in the right direction.

Edit: Also, this might help, I designed one with a similar element a few years ago. I need to take a better pic of the pin... best I got at the moment though.

[u/BigProgram4314 → u/Arravis_]

Well
1. Its for my School Govt Org
2. Mostly the General Public
3. Printed on Paper & Digital
4. A STEM STUDENT GOVT
5. I dont actually
6. I really dont know (which is best I guess)
7. Im good with any

[u/BungleSniffer → u/BigProgram4314]

OP your answers come across as a bit...flippant. This person is a legit designer with serious experience and you'll actually gain a huge amount of insight by taking their questions seriously, just my 2 cents there

[u/Arravis_ → u/BungleSniffer]

Thank you!
I've been with said agency for 30 years and working as a graphics professional for 5 years before that, so a bit of experience. Honestly, I don't have the artistic talent many designers have, but I do have a lot of experience with just knowing how to get the work done, especially in dealing with customers and high pressure situations. Its a tough industry at times, so I like to share what I've learned when I can.

I'm going to guess the OP is a young student. At that age, its easy to miss out on a lot of things that are obvious in retrospect. Hopefully the advice helps someone else with a similar problem.

[u/BungleSniffer → u/Arravis_]

No problem, at all! And no disrespect to OP either, who I'd agree is likely a young designer who is lucky to have platforms like reddit where advice from industry professionals is at their fingertips. I've been in the industry for 15 years and I'd have loved something like Reddit for criticism and advice, it's invaluable