We’re finally in the home stretch of selecting a new logo for Creating the future and this is where you help us decide on the direction to take.
As a reminder, the design criteria we’ve been using to embody the spirit, look and feel for Creating the Future, is based on your comments and suggestions. Here is a link to the post at the end of August that includes your previous comments and here is a link to the post at the end of July that defines the outcomes we were looking for in the logo design.
We are so grateful for your taking the time to participate in this process. Based on your input we’ve narrowed down the likely candidates to 4 possible designs. Most of the designers were responsive in making adjustments to their original designs as you will see in the finalist below.
Before going further though, I have to confess that one of these designs came in after the blog post last month, so it was not in the original batch you voted on. But we think it so embodies the spirit of “Change the Questions, Change the World!”, that we have included it as one of the 4 possible logo designs.
The final 4 logos are posted below. Please look them over and tell us, in the comments, what you think. The most important thing to consider now is the logo design (not the specific colors or fonts, those can be adjusted later).
Our goal is to be able to make our decision by Wednesday the 8th .
Here are the potential logo designs. We look forward to seeing your comments.
POTENTIAL LOGO #1
POTENTIAL LOGO #2
POTENTIAL LOGO #3
POTENTIAL LOGO #4
Number 2 says “future” to me. The reach and stretch I think of when pondering what you are doing. While the others are pleasant, they don’t grab me the same way.
Matt
I had a really strong positive reaction to number 1. It definitely wasn’t matched by the same for the others.
So for me, #1. Absolutely. Cleaner, clearer – more impact.
I prefer #1 and #4. I find the second and third too busy.
I wasn’t involved in earlier discussions, so have no history with this decision, but #1 is far and away the best, in my opinion. I really don’t get the other ones, at all.
# 1. Clean, clear, vibrant, uplifting? I like way they incorporated a unique design of the question mark. Yup. Love it.
#4 – love it.
I like the openness and energy of the hands in Logo 1 – thats what pushes it ahead of the rest for me.
Yep, for me #1. Something inside jumped a little when I saw it. (A good jump!)
#1. So clean, clear, strong and reaching/aiming for what is possible. I can change the world with my own two hands.
#1 was my gut favorite. It’s simplest. Also aspirational. Would work in black and white if necessary. Could be read different ways – sun, lightbulb, ball – great!
#1 is my pick. Made me smile instantly. Love it.
#2 is too busy, #3 seems combative. #4 would be my distant second choice.
#1 is definitely my favorite. Clean, uplifting and inspiring. I liked the idea of #2 previously but it is too busy and won’t reproduce well for some uses. Don’t care for #3 and #4.
I love #2 – the energy of it, the reflection of the round tables of people, the perspective that seems to say “all ideas, great and small.” Definitely my favorite.
I didn’t connect with any of the four. I REALLY like the words, and think they are much more powerful than the graphics. I wonder if you would consider simply using
Creating the Future
Change the Questions. Change the World.
as your logo……
I like no 1. Clean, simple, will reproduce well and the question mark is highlighted so nicely.
I love #1 — I think it’s the strongest graphical embodiment of CTF!
#1 first choice; # 4 as my second;
For me, the words Creating the Future Change the Questions, Change the World!embody the power of the organization and the mindset. I like #1’s graphic the best as an illustration of the words. I would like it even better if the graphic were smaller and positioned so that it competed less with the words for my attention.
Of these four, I like #1 best. It is clean and straightforward, very like the spirit of the organization and after awhile, the image could stand by itself and say Creating the Future. But I find it interesting that all of the images presented draw the eye away from the words. Can words be a logo?
Count me in as another vote for #1. The circle spoke to me as the world. I liked how clean it was. And the question mark with the lines often associated with lightbulbs going off in one’s head resonated with the purpose.
I liked #2 because it was different from so many other logos one sees, but I didn’t feel it was as clear a statement of what Creating the Future is all about.
Absolutely #1. If changing the questions is what it’s all about, this is the one. Love it.
#1. I like the lines and it doesn’t look like a lot of other logos.
My ranking would be: #2, 1, 4, 3.
#2 feels collaborative and dynamic. It’s a bit busy, but not too bad.
#1 is a bit clearer and simpler, but doesn’t say as much to me.
#3 is muddled and too busy. It wouldn’t reproduce well in a smaller size.
#4 is clear, but feels a bit generic and the question mark is easily lost
Logo 1 and 2 stand out for me. Although 2 seems busy for me there is a notion of the starfish that comes to mind.
#1 definitely the strongest from my eye. #3 my runner-up! So fun 🙂
#1, #4, #3, #2–in that order. I really like the shape and user-friendliness of #1. It beautifully captures the values we espouse.
#4, #2, #1. In that order. Great designs!
My suggestion is, if you haven’t already, play with the logos on all types of places and spaces. While #4 isn’t popular, to me graphically it feels the most versatile, though I agree the image doesn’t communicate a lot. But that nice rectangle will likely work really well in a way that the image over the lettering is unlikely to do.
#1 feels old fashioned to me, #2 way to busy and likely the image will be lost at small size.not rocking #3.
#2 seems to reflect my sense of Creating the Future best, it gives a feeling of connectedness and these days I think the Network feel of it is really helpful.
I get where folks are coming from on #1, but for me it feels dated, maybe I saw too many raised and clasped hands in 80’s feminism.
Good luck!
Susan
I like #1.
Adore #1. Very strong; hits all the key concepts.
Find #2 WAY too busy.
I connected with number 1
Like many others, I had an instant, positive reaction to #1. I think it is versatile in that if you need a more horizontal image on any piece of material, the logo could appear to the left of the wordmark rather than above it. As your visual “brand” becomes more established, each element (logo and wordmark) could also stand alone.
Number 1 is my first response choice. Number 4 my second.
Love all that Creating the Future is doing!!
#4 first, #1 second. I like the suggestion of an artist’s palette (created by economically combining the human form, the question mark, and an energetic swoosh) as a tie-in to the strongly-featured words “CREATING…” It’s as simple graphically as #1, but not as static, embodiying the concept of change. #s 2 & 3 both have merit, but 2 is too busy, and 3 is too spread-out.
I am drawn to #1 for the same reasons everyone else has listed. But, I also really like #3. The main reason is that is has two people in it, rather than just the hands of one person. I also think it has motion and action and celebration. But, I can tell I am alone on #3, so I think #1 is a good choice.
Good luck, selecting.
I like #1 best, but I wish I liked it more. 4 isn’t loading properly so hard to judge that, but 3 feels really clip arty/nonprofit/amateur to me. 1 and 2 are both better. I think the designers have worked too hard to include the question marks though. It feels forced and unnecessary to me, a bit too obvious a representation of your motto.
I would love to see 2 without the question marks. They ruin the shape which is quite interesting and dynamic and, I think, symbolic.
If you do go with 1 I agree the “logo” should be smaller and more effort should be put into the words. I think you could do much better with the font and treatment.
Logos are really hard.
Good luck!
A few thoughts that are arising as you all are discussing this (the first being how grateful I am for the conversation!)
I appreciate what everyone is saying about a logo working in all sorts of different settings. What arises for me is the need for a logo that can work as a recognizable avatar in social media – a more and more common usage that isn’t really talked about a lot. Which means that simple and clean and recognizable are important, as well as something that would work in a square.
I also hugely appreciate the thinking around using the words themselves vs the image. Being the writer, my heart tends to go there as well.
Except that, as an organization seeking to reach a global audience, if we rely on just text, we are telling everyone in the non-English-speaking world that our work doesn’t include them.
I’m not sure how one addresses that, and it wasn’t in my mind when we first embarked on this quest, but comments that have focused on the text have brought up that issue for me, and so I’m grateful that you guys have added one more big question for us to consider: How does our messaging translate in the non-English-speaking world?
Deeply grateful for all this input. I love how much I constantly learn from deep engagement on what might seem to be simple questions.
I also wanted to comment on my favorite now that we’ve selected a logo design. It is logo #1. It’s a design that came in after the last round of voting. What I like best about it is that the “ANSWERS” – the metaphorical light bulb, are the “QUESTIONS”. I think it’s very meta, very simple and very right on. Also, the hands releasing the questions imply a sense of aspiration and possibility and finally, the blue circle encompassing it all is the world.