Need some design help? Let me do your wordmark!

[Foah]

The proposal

DISLAIMER: I want the thread to primarily be a resource of inspiration, insight and learning about design- and revision processes, rather than come off as a true service thread. Hence why it's posted here rather than in the services sub forum.

I'm preparing to add an additional chapter to my own design business, which will be wordmarks/logotypes, which is me branching out from purely architectural projects. It's also a great exercise for me to brush up on different software suites for future projects of mine.

Whereas my ideal clientele are small/medium businesses, brick&mortar and/or online, I need to build my own brand by preparing a portfolio of fairly recent projects. Which is where my claimed win-win comes in.

Do YOU have a wordmark/logo/branding matter that you haven't dealt with yet, or postponed "until my book is closer to being published"? A wordmark, which is what I'll refer my service to from now on in the thread, is simply anything text-related in your cover/web/digital/print design. I'd love to have a stab at it without demanding payments at all (As a student/start-up I can't deny minor donations if you're satisfied though).

Neither of us have anything to lose, and we'll hopefully be helping each other out in our own endeavours. I'll keep my active projects from here capped at 2 at a time, and will take them on in order of submittance. Let's say 3 revisions guaranteed to avoid having 1 project slot occupied for far too long.

Since this is a fantasy focused forum, I'll put a short dislaimer here and say that I very much do prefer elegant, legible, mildly ornamented design, over lavishly intricate hard-to-read-pretty-to-look-at design. Even the greatest of authors' books use simple serif type for wordmarks for a reason.


How to submit?

I'll need the following (submitted below as a response in the thread) to get started with your wordmark:​

• The word/name
• Its proper designation (Is it your author name, your book's name, your series' name, your vlog channel's name?)
• Desired influences (References to other media with clear intent of what aspects you appreciate and want incorporated in your own wordmark if possible)
• Its intended habitat (If your wordmark is a book title--what type of artwork will you want this wordmark to cooperate well with? Dark, earthy, abstract tones? Constrasted photographs?)

I'll update this list if I feel something major's missing. Since we're talking free design, and I know that there are alot of people on this forum who want to save a buck by doing parts of their own design by themselves, I require that the process mostly takes place within this thread for others to follow. If there are some details in your submissions that you'd rather keep in a client-to-company realm you can do that too of course. Try to help with keeping all progress transparent and accessible to hopefully help others who just stop by the thread.

 

[Devor]

I've got one for you, but it's going to be a while before I'll end up needing it, so there's no rush on my end.

I recently learned that one of the fantasy magazines I was thinking about submitting short stories to also publishes a simple game in every issue. For whatever reason inventing games has been a thing stuck in my head forever, and I've actively worked randomly on projects just because they hit my brain, even though I don't always have anything to do with them. So I'd really love to submit something.

But I'm not ready. All of the games in my head are a bigger scope than what they're looking for. I'm in the process of brainstorming mechanics that are right for them.

That said, I do have a name and a theme, which is enough for wordart.

Helltower. A wizard has accidentally opened portals inside his tower to a demon realm, and players have to barricade themselves from demonic intrusion and dispel the portals before it's too late.

You can look over at Ares Magazine to see the kind of things they go far.

 

[Foah]

Hey Devor!

I checked them out and feel like I want and can help you with the wordmark for a future submission.

The wordmark/branding should always represent the product, and since the product is still in its early stages, there's no need for detailed limits on a wordmark at this point. Therefore, I assume you're giving me very free hands on the first rough draft phase, with your theme still as the centerpiece for what's to be expressed.

My usual process would be 2-6 "clean line" suggestions as a first draft based on a customer's submission. In your case, where the submission is more open, I can see myself presenting you with some 6-12 suggestions instead. With fewer initial demands and detailed desires, the results will be more exploratory and diverse, where not all suggestions will be winners. The goal for me will be to make you feel that you get 2 or 3 solid foundations from where we can decide what works and what doesn't, and scribble down some notes on what needs changing for a second draft.


I will take this on as my first project, and I'm confident I'll get you good results in the end. The danger of designing for a product that isn't nearer completion is that we may have trouble feeling that connection between wordmark/brand and product. I'm sure we'll work that out, and get a feel for how far we can take the wordmark at this time.

My first draft can be expected within a work week, since you're in no rush, so by the end of May. If there are more thoughts/ideas that come to you, don't hesitate to make additions to your submission.

 

[Devor]

That's awesome, Foah!

I'm happy to work with whatever process you're comfortable with, and I can work other elements of the project around the final result here. I'm sure you'll do an awesome job!