downtube

We have launches new bikes at the end of 2014. We introduced a new site early in 2015. Now we are looking for a new logo, I hired an awesome graphical artist that just sent me an amazing logo. However it looks somewhat familiar....does someone else use a similar logo? If so who? Maybe I saw something similar in Taipei, not sure.

Thanks,
Yan

jur

It immediately reminded me of the logo at each thread on this forum.

smallwheeler

it probably looks familiar because it's pretty generic. the color scheme and font choice reminds me of a logo for an out-patient oncology center or maybe an aluminum recycling facility. it occurred to me that the one good thing about changing the name to bike1.com is that you're likely to get some inadvertent traffic driven to your site from bike.com.

smallwheeler

downtube

Thanks, it is a little more generic than I thought....but I still like it.

Thanks!
Yan

downtube

I was considering SEO when I decided to use the bike1.com name. I am sure it will work out.

Thanks,
Yan

LittlePixel

Yan - I think it's a misleading logo for your company as a maker of small-wheeled bikes—It looks like you make aerodynamic carbon track bikes.
And I agree it looks generic, like you bought a logo from a catalogue, rather than had something made bespoke for your specific company.

To qualify my frank 2¢ opinion (hey - you asked!) I feel I need to say I'm a respected professional graphic designer in the UK with over 18 years experience in branding and internet design.

I would also be cautious about the font choice in this logo - your current font is very unique to your company and works well at lots of sizes.
This font looks somewhat amateur-ly executed (ie it's a 'free' shareware font drawn by a student) and is not nearly bold enough to work well on a bike frame, trade stand, website and stationary.

If I were working on your branding I would be searching to build on what you already have both with typography, rather than throwing the baby out with the bathwater and starting with a totally blank piece of paper.

Please feel free to PM me if you want to talk some more on this - I recall your branding posts here probably about 8 years ago and would always be happy to help out a fellow bike-forumer.

Best
Huw Gwilliam

jur

+1 I also wondered why the logo doesn't depict something to do with the fold-in-half bike frame. That could also lack distinction but at least it would be targeted. Did you tell your graphic designer that you sell *folding* bikes?

downtube

Actually I did tell her that we do folding bikes. She sent me three possibilities, the last two are attached. Littlepix I will pm you.

I want to thank everyone for the feedback.

Yan

idc

Reminded me of the ridewithgps.com logo but then it looks like a lot of others too. I would also suggest making it more obviously a folding bike design.

LittlePixel

Well Yan and myself had a bit of a talk behind the curtains about those early ideas, which resulted in me volunteering to work up a less generic and more folder-appropriate direction, which Yan was very receptive about.

So I went away and did some things as only Littlepixel's do, and now - since the logo is in-situ on the website, he's given me the honour of revealing the new branding to the forums.

Hoping it seems fresh, friendly, folder-specific with enough of a dose of Littlepixel humour.

Decals probably won't be on any actual bikes until the 2016 model year, but we're both pretty stoked with the result.
Thanks to Yan for your patience, trust and the opportunity to get involved.


logo


9FS mockup [photo mockup based on a photo by permission of forum user BruceMetras


Another 9FS


In-situ on a folded model

tds101 

This one looks quite original,... Wonderful work!

Pine Cone

Very nice! I like it much better than either the old logo or the original proposed redo. Great job LittlePixel

BruceMetras

I like what you did to my old white 8FS w/Schlumpf drive and Nexus Red band .. hahaha .. creative to be sure!!

Bruce

Pinigis 

Very nice! That is a huge improvement!

downtube

I wanted to thank littlepixel for everything. I highly recommend him to anyone that needs branding work.

Thanks
Yan

cheran75

Looks unique, great work...

LittlePixel

@BruceMetras - sorry for appropriating your photo without a credit; I thought I'd pulled it from a more official source. [have amended caption, but can remove image if preferred]

jur

That's an awesome result, well done you two!

BruceMetras

Nothing to be sorry about .. good that it could be used! brings back fond memories .. been a Downtube owner/supporter for a long time .. and, very nice logo !!

Capt T

Very nice Logo. Wish that was on my mini.

mconlonx

I thought LittlePixel's original reply was spot-on. And the revised logo is so much better. Works as both logotype with the full name spelled out, but also works as a logo with just the first two letters. Excellent work, there.

I work in publishing and have been professionally critiquing graphic design for two decades now, so take these following nit-picks as constructive criticism, not flip negative comments. And also with a grain of salt...:

- While I like the first two letters as a logo, divorced from the entire name, Downtube for me would be abbreviated "DT" rather than "DO." Like the traditional abbreviation for the downtube of a diamond framed bike... which the Downtube bikes are not... nor do they even have an actual downtube... and in the industry, DT is usually naturally followed by Swiss...

- I'm not 100% on board with the first letter -- we know it's a "d" because of the brand, and in a small format, it works, but the bigger it gets, the less it looks like a "d." Also, the flow off the top of the belly of the d into the o intensifies the not-a-d-ness of the first letter, while at the same time accentuating and remaining true to the characteristic of the product. In cursive writing, the flow would be from the bottom of the d into the o. Basically, the way the ascender portion of the d flows into the middle of the bowl or counter of the letter throws it off.

But whatevs -- I know this is not a first draft and LittlePixel probably struggled with these issues already, just to get to this point. If it's final, I'm all on board with it -- so much better than the first attempts Yan showed. While they were fine for generic bike logo, LP has really made a logo which accentuates and reflects what's unique about Downtube bikes.

Way to go, guys!

mconlonx

I'm really, really impressed with the left-hand drive, especially considering Schlumpf and IGH hub...

BruceMetras

Tricky at first riding in reverse, but after awhile, you get the hang of it..

invisiblehand

I'm a big dope so I have to ask ... I'm assuming that the photograph was reversed somewhere along the way and that you didn't really find a way to do a left-side drive. (I see that the print on the tires is reversed)