Logo Critique

For my logo critique, I decided to try and get a broad range of logos from a variety of different sources.

1. Nashville Predators

When you think of Nashville, you think of country music. You think of Southern hospitality. You don't think of extinct animals. Interestingly though, the Predators logo and name do have a connection to Nashville. Supposedly, the logo is in reference to a Saber-toothed Tiger skeleton that was found in 1971 during a construction project in the city. Still, this is a fairly weak connection between the city and the team when compared to other teams in the NHL. Of course, the teams colors make up for this as they are the same colors that are on the city's flag. Even though the aesthetics of the team have little connection to Nashville, I still am a big fan of the logo. It is sharp. It is bright. And most importantly, it is simple. It doesn't assault the eyes with colors and details, but has enough to not be bland.

2. Konami

The Japanese game company responsible for Metal Gear Solid, Castlevania, and Silent Hill has one of the most unimpressive logos that I have ever seen. According to the official Konami website, the serif font is meant to represent "substance and reassurance." The color is cardinal red (referred to as "Konami Red" by the company) and is meant to represent "quality and class." If you truly want to represent these values, you need to have a logo that is uplifting. You need to have a logo that inspires trust in the future. Having a logo that one can create in Microsoft Word is not that logo.

3. Pemex

Pemex is short for Petróleos Mexicanos. It is an oil company based in Mexico City and owned by the Mexican Government. I could not find any history regarding this logo on the company's website. So we will just have to look at the logo and dissect it from a purely aesthetic standpoint. Right off the bat you notice that the logo features the colors of the Mexican flag, which makes sense given who the owners are. The depiction of what I assume to be an eagle signifies speed and moving forward, a good mentality for a business. Unfortunately, the oil drop is colored red, which reminds me more of blood. It would have been better to have the oil drop be green and the script be red.

4. Southwest Airlines

This is the most recent organization that I have mentioned to receive a new logo. And the results are utterly horrifying. According to CEO Gary Kelly "The Heart emblazoned on our aircraft, and within our new look, symbolizes our commitment that we'll remain true to our core values as we set our sights on the future." That's great, Gary. Doesn't change the fact that the logo is still as appealing as a root canal. I hate the heart. It is stupid. It has nothing to do with aviation. It is not a national symbol. It has no place and it makes Southwest look like a fitness studio. The colors are also poor. This is a company called SOUTHWEST Airlines. Let's get some Southwestern colors! True. Yellow and red are Southwestern. Not blue! This is especially problematic when you consider that blue is the main color. Every time I look at those colors, I think of Romania.

5. Altria

I feel like ending on a high note. And nothing is more uplifting than big tobacco! Altria is a conglomerate of international tobacco companies, headquartered in Virginia. The company utilizes a mosaic logo, which is meant to represent the diversity of their holdings across the globe. While this makes sense and would make sense for any business, the logo feels out of place for two reasons. First, the concept of using a mosaic has been utilized by the computer industry in a variety of fashions. When I see a mosaic, I think of computers. This logo was made in 2003, so it can be forgiven since computers were still young at the time. Still doesn't help it get over the stigma the mosaic is a computer image. Second, this is a tobacco company. Bright colors are not something I associate with tobacco. In fairness, all of the negativity that surrounds the tobacco industry makes creating a logo depicting the product a tough sell. Of course, that's what all tobacco companies want as they want to be depicted as something else in order to attract business.

Company Ideas

1. Coliseum Constructors
Coliseum Constructors is an architectural firm that specializes in the construction of sports stadiums. By sports stadiums, I mean facilities for football, soccer, and baseball. Buildings that typically seat at least 40,000 people. Each stadium is custom built to represent the team that will play in the facility. For example, a stadium for the New England Patriots would have an American Revolutionary War feel to it or something to do with that period of history.

2. MagnoReach
The MagnoReach is a simple device. It's just an adjustable ten-foot pole with a magnet attached to it at one end. The point is to make it easier for people to reach metal objects that have gotten stuck in hard to reach places. The MagnoReach has different sized magnet heads for different sized spaces and the pole is thin enough to fit pretty much anywhere.

3. Inward Wipers
I literally only came up with this, because the windshield inside my car got fogged up this morning and I couldn't see out of it. It's pretty simple. They are wipers that you can put onto your interior windshield and with the flip of a switch, you can get rid of any fog that might be in the way. Because car companies would have to make their own for their specific models and that this isn't required under federal law (I checked), the wipers would be sold as being controlled by a small device that sticks to your dashboard, making it easy to reach.

4. Hanzi Scanner
With the global rise of China, we are most likely going to see an increase in usage of the Chinese language. Anybody who doesn't know the language has had this thought at least once: what do those characters mean? The Hanzi Scanner app immediately scans the characters and provides an explanation. You can scan anything and the scanner will pick it up. Also, because Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese make use of Chinese characters, those languages can also be scanned.

5. Faster Food for You!
They call it fast food, because it doesn't take very long to make. So with an name like Faster Food for You!, you would think this would be a company that has made the creation of fast food even quicker. And you would be absolutely wrong! By Faster, I mean speed. As in, car speed. The company are independent contractors that sign deals with fast food restaurants to provide speedy delivery to you, so you don't have to waste the gas to go out and get it yourself!

Introducing Me

Where do you live?

I actually live in the Tampa area. I went to Sickles High School, about 30 minutes north of downtown. I live in the nearby town of Odessa. I am originally from Dallas, Texas and lived their for ten years. I also lived in Atlanta, Georgia for five years.

Why didn't you go away for college?

I had serious thoughts about it and was accepted to Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton. However, I felt more comfortable being close to my family. In addition, I received a scholarship offer from UT.

What year are you?

I am a senior, studying communications. I am on track to graduate this December.

What do you like to do in your free time?

I enjoy watching sports (Bucs, Bolts, Rays), playing video games (PS4 mostly), and playing card games (Cardfight!! Vanguard and Weiß Schwarz).

Why are you taking this class?

Two reasons. First, this class is a part of my communications degree, so I am required to take it. Second, I have always enjoyed digital arts. However, I have never really had a proper course in the field other than two elective classes in high school. This will make up for lost time.

What are you expecting to learn from this class?

More about computer programs. We had Adobe at my high school, but I only ever got to play around with one or two programs (Don't recall which ones).

Have you ever competed in a digital arts contest?

Yes. I was a member of FBLA from my sophomore to senior years in high school. I took home a 3rd place award for a design contest when I was a senior. The contest was to design a logo for a charity.