Posted by on Apr 11, 2010 in Branding | 19 comments

About a week ago I asked for help. We were working on a name for a Carpenter, and I asked for input. We had some great suggestions ranging from TIMber Works and Miter Design, to Level Best and Homeworks.   Each suggestion from a reader led to a stream of other ideas.  I really believe using the collective intelligence of my internet community led to a great final solution!

The client Chose: THE CARPENTER’S RULE .  It is descriptive, and distinctive and he is very excited.  So now we are on to the second phase, creating a logo.  We need a design which will look good on every thing from a business card and web site, to a truck and a t-shirt.

These are the designs Taylor has come up with.  I love so many of them, I am having a hard time deciding, and so is the client.  What do you think?  Which  do you like best, and why? 

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  • http://www.slaughterdevelopment.com/ Robby Slaughter

    #1 and #6 are right out, because they use fonts that are painfully familiar (Impact and Copperplate Gothic respectively.)

    #2 and #4 contain symbols or shapes that are not recognizable.

    Part of the text on #3 is much too small.

    Therefore, I choose #5.

  • http://www.roundpeg.biz Lorraine Ball

    Thanks for the feedback. We chose a few more traditional fonts, because of the client’s style and taste, but #5 is definitely one of my favorites.

  • http://michaelfruchter.com Mike Fruchter

    My vote is on #3. The visuals all work, but the hammer is more universal and symbolic when one thinks of Carpenters. Great work on the concepts.

  • http://www.mywriterguy.com Phoenix Cavalier

    Hello! Great idea to get a fresh perspective from others – here’s my two-cents.

    #3: The hammer ‘drives the message home’ – like a ten-penny nail.
    While I like this one, it may prove a little too safe, and easily echoed by other brands.
    (Here’s a link to various carpentry visuals: http://ow.ly/1xd1s)

    #5: Avoids any cliche associations while using a decisive font.
    The open frame seems like it’s being ‘built’ or ‘in-progress’ which I like.
    I also like the two fonts – they play well together and offer a valuable contrast.
    I can see this on a truck or shirt and from a distance I see ‘CARPENTER’ right away.
    I can even see this working well as the opening of an ‘at-home’ help video, it’s just clean and simple.

  • Megan Giannini

    #3 I love it but, I worry it’s too clique and the font isn’t very readable.

    #5 Is simple enough to understand and uses a unique enough font to stand out.

    My vote: #5.

    Good work.

  • Erica DiFilippantonio

    #3 and #4. You can tell what they’re product is just by looking at 3, and 4 is unique.

  • Kim McDonald

    1 and 6 are my fav, depending on the level you want to present, 1 looks hard working, down and dirty carpentry, 6 looks looks more like a finisher, more detail work carpenter. Both look transferable truck to bus cards, etc. Let me know which one wins.

  • Leah Shaffer

    I like number 5 the best because it’s simple yet grabs your attention. I think it looks the most professional while still catering to the need of the design. Good work!

  • lynzie

    I like number #2 but I am with Kim- 1 and 6 look good. 1 being my favorite.

  • Shauna

    I like #2, Taylor!!! Clean and simple, but I can totally tell it is supposed to be kind of “ruler-y”. Nice job!

  • http://dittoepr.com ashley eggert

    I like the hammer one. It is a unique idea and fitting to the client.

  • Tina Rhodes

    #3 because one knows exactally what they are getting with this logo. It is clear what type of business they are. Plain and simple.

  • Aliboo

    I like number 5. The font looks clean and nice. My second favorite is number 2.

  • Alison Moore

    I like #2 the best :) It’s clean, easy to read and will still be easy to read if the size ever has to be reduced (which is my biggest pet-peeve when working with logos!). Great job Taylor!

  • Neil C

    #1 and #6 are hard to read b/c the writing gets lost in the design.

    I like #2 but maybe “RULE” would look better right side up… and that gray line under “Carpenter” try making that a Level that Carpenters use.

    #3 is the best one though RULE at the end is very small.

    #5 People might not recognize what the product or service is.

    #2 and # 3 will look good on anything.

  • Jenna Giles

    Nice work, Tay:)

    #1 & #5 are my favorite. Both really clean and legible, with strong emphasis on the word CARPENTER. One minor thing I would change on 5 would be moving THE up slightly so it appears to be the same distance from CARPENTER’S as RULE. Also I’d center the square around CARPENTER’S so it’s even on all sides.

    #3 might be my favorite if RULE was somehow larger and possibly in a different location.

    #2 & #4 don’t have as nice of path for your eyes to follow as the others.

    #6 uses a really traditional font compared to the others, and is also sort of hard to read.

  • Pam Hager

    #1 and #4 emphasize the importance of correct measuring. A good carpenter’s rule is: “measure twice – cut once.” So the measuring tools used for bidding a project are the key to the project’s success.

    Keep up the good work!

  • Allison

    can he just choose all of them – - juuust kidding

    i like number 3, it makes the most sense to me visually, it would be nice to see “rule” a bit larger. not sure if scaled down to business card size if it would be readable. the font you chose looks very “draft” like, and fits really well with the intended meaning.

    i do like number 1 as well though, the whole measuring thing is what carpentry is all about it. like someone mentioned – measure twice, cut once. number 5 is clean and simple, but for some reason makes me think of a television show logo (don’t ask why, it just does)

    you did a great job tay, i always enjoy checking out your work.

  • ryan

    #6 – you want a carpenter to be clean, precise, organized, efficient with both his time and his material and still have a fine eye for the details.