playing with icons

I'm not really sold on any of these but it was fun to play around with them.



I like how the letters and the flourishes are wrapping around each other here.

a quick logo and possible color schemes

Just so you can see the 'g' as it would sit with the rest of the words. This entire text formatting is still very much under construction, and the line is placed, if for no other reason, than for a sense of balance.


and color schemes that will show up differently on your computer:

I chose these colors because they are comfortable and relaxing, but still retain a sense of classy, boutique-like style that the urban cottage could fit nicely into.

while perusing a fabric store, I found a couple of beautiful fabrics and textures that I think I can work with when the time comes for stationery, ads, and specialty items. Here are a couple preliminary scans of them:

geeee

After deciding that I wanted to open up the lowercase 'g' in the word 'cottage,' it was just a matter of drawing enough of them to find a composition within it that felt balanced and aesthetically successful to the eye. though there are plenty in the sketches above that don't meet those qualifications and are actually quite horrifying, there were a few that had potential. As I was drawing them, they began to not look like g's at all, and sort of became little abstract peacocks which was kind of distracting to my eye, but i'll keep it in mind regardless. Of all of them, I felt like the g furthest to the bottom of the page had the most balance and thus became the 'g' i ended up working with. After thickening parts of it and doing a quick (and i mean quick) vector rendering, this is what I came up with:

The lower tail and other random places could probably still use a little bit of refining, but you get the idea. thoughts?

sketchy

a study of the lowercase g

this is beautiful.
i am thinking of recreating the letter g for my logo in the word "cottage" to give the type treatment a little extra flair.

scans to come.

urban cottage

A conglomeration of research after exploring Urban Cottage today.

BUZZWORDS
peaceful
handcrafted
comfortable
artistic
delicate

After visiting the store today, I did notice a logo design that they do carry throughout the store's interior. However, I don't think it fits them very well. Something about it feels too harsh. I think it's the pointy typeface they use. I will upload pictures and scan in a business card as soon as I get a chance.
I am also confused because the Urban Cottage website looks nothing like the store's logo or theme they seem to have going on in person. The look of everything in the store is black and white, yet the website seems to have a lot of delicate patterns and colors that seem to fit them better. I think I can successfully create a logo that balances the two out nicely.

Potential competition:
I see anthropologie in the same market as urban cottage simply because of the homey-ness and serene atmosphere that both of these stores hold. There is something extra about their home furnishings that feels artistic and delicate that something like Bed Bath and Beyond wouldn't have.



So This doesn't seem too bad at first glance. The typeface used in this identity is nice and refined. It seems to have a delicate and feminine feel about it. But the more that I look at it, the more I find squares. Black and white squares just layered on top of each other with no real flow or focus. It kind of drives me insane. And this needs to change.

wired and fired

Here's a conglomeration of research after my day of exploring Wired and Fired's pottery studio.

BUZZWORDS
creative
playful
inspiring
relaxed
colorful

Possible competition, exploring pottery painting market on the web:








In short, the competition isn't really looking too fierce. None of the logos above really stand out to me as being something exceptional, which is helpful, because it allows me to break new ground with Wired and Fired's logo design.

ew.

i take it back. Helmet's branding isn't all that bad compared to this.

rebranding ideas

Though located in different places around atlanta, both Wired & Fired and All Fired Up are pottery painting shops where a customer buys an unglazed pottery piece and paints it to their liking. Though it is a popular place to bring children to have parties and make memories with kids, it is also a fun creative outlet for the artistic types. All Fired Up seems to need the most work, simply because it is using Comic Sans as its typeface...but I don't feel like Wired & Fired is all that great either.

This is a very cute little shop in the Virginia Highlands area that has an amazing atmosphere when you walk in. I feel like the logo and overall branding could be more unified, however, and possibly given a more delicate and boutique-like feel without losing its structure.


Rumi's Kitchen is a Persian restaurant in the Sandy Springs area. Not sure what is going on with these colors but it's really quite hideous. I don't need to say much more.

Lastly, Helmet hair salon in midtown's logo is just kind of...there. I feel like this all-type treatment works okay on their website, but i have a hard time picturing it on a business card or something similar. I feel like more could be done to it, especially considering this is an upscale and trendy hair salon located in one of the most artistic places in atlanta.