As part of our goal to create a more professional appearance Health Rising has engaged a logo designer to produce a logo. Please let us know which of the following logos you think would be the best for Health Rising.
Please let us know which logo you think would be best for Health Rising.
Please feel free, as well, to provide suggestions for changes with regards to colors, fonts, words or other parts of the design.
The results will help but will not necessarily determine what the final choice is. (I reserve the option of bucking public opinion :))
Six logos are provided.
Thanks for your help!
Logo’s #1A, 1B and 1C from top to bottom
Logo’s IA, IB, IC -from top to bottom
Logo’s 2A, 2B and 2C – from top to bottom
Logo’s 2A, 2B and 2C – from top to bottom
Health Rising's New Logo
Thanks!
Words: I think it is very important to keep the second line in the logo. Also I like the change from “Looking for Answers” to “Finding Answers”!
Color: I really love the warm tones of 1A.
Font: I like all of the fonts except for the script in 2B which I find hard to read.
Graphics: The graphic in the first series reminds me of a person with outstretched arms, the sun, an opening flower – all very warm imagery. (Except for 1C which makes me think of a person swirling down a drain!) The graphic in the second series strikes me as more active, a researcher out to get answers and information. I really like both graphics.
Favorite: Probably 2A, but with the warm colors of 1A.
Thanks Karen for your insightful comments 🙂
Wow – Karen! I totally agree with everything you said, exactly! Cool. 🙂
I like the colors in 2 b. They are warm human and cold blues are used for everything medicinal. It is a cold cliche. I like that logo the best too. The typeface is also warm though not what I would choose. The large x height and open counters make it very friendly. I find the slogan text not as legible as it should be. Best not to use italicizes condensed faces with thin hairlines in that context. All three reduce legibility. I hate 1 B because the name is partially obscured. A bad business. I was once a font and logo designer in New York. Pick what you like, Cort. Design by committee rarely works.
I do want it to be warm and modern 🙂
Exactly what Karen said!! I love the warm and energy in colors of 1A but needs the 2nd line of words like 1B. The blue (I’m a fan of blue and green generally!) feels too medicinal and cold in my opinion for 1B…like for a lab. 1C looks old and outdated in font and colors to me. The logo in the 2 series reminds me of a technical colleges logo…can’t think who though. Kaplan college? I like 2A alright though. It’s clean and nice. 2C looks like the font/colors of an old motivational book or something my dad has… Green and red in general I associate w/ Christmas. Love it, but I don’t associate it w/ a health site. Hope that helps!
Cort, I pretty much felt 2a & 1b were a run away! I agree the second line is needed, and I didn’t like the colors of the others.
Thanks Greg 🙂
I completely agree with Greg. Additionally, I would add that the bluish color is actually the official color for ME/CFS, isn’t it? So I feel it is important to include it.
Got it!
I like the colors of 1A best- they make me think of heat, the sun, energy and all that. Perfect for “Health Rising.” I think they’d go better with the more active looking second logo though, and I don’t like the font on 2B. So – ditto with what Karen said. 🙂
1c looks like transformation to something whole which i like.
I think the second line is important, I also think the blue colors come across as more medical, and the 1b is more attractive because of having two shades of blue it stands out more than something with black in it. Also, the second line shouldn’t be too small so you can’t see the finding answers well enough, and that is why 1 b is so good. Great idea to have the logo!
I like the current one better than any of these. Keep it!
🙂
I thought that, too:>)
1A clearly is the strongest, imo, but would be even stronger with the tagline underneath. The colors could be changed if it’s too warm.
The letterforms in “Health” in 1A could use a little kerning, tho. 😉 The H, e, and a are too far apart; the spacing between them need to be more balanced and uniform. Other than that, it’s a nice font and a great logo. The sans serif font in 1B is too bland and generic, imho.
I agree with Jeff. It definitely needs the tagline and the small adjustments he suggested.
Here is a great article on color that I have saved and get ideas from for my work. http://coschedule.com/blog/color-psychology-marketing/?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=ContentHackers&utm_content=Color%20Psychology%20In%20Marketing:%20The%20Complete%20Guide
Thanks for all you do!
1c makes me think of someone dizzy – perhaps appropriate for ME/CFS but a negative conotation. All the pointed parts point downwards, again with negative impression on me. If the circular part had upwards pointing trianges or rays it would like more like a sun rising. So my preference is the second series, even if part of it it looks a bit like a rather impossible yoga pose. I think I’d drop the thick “leg” and have it alongside the other one as a kind of superman spring into the sky.
Blue is a healing color, red shows inflammation 🙂
1A has a calming effect. For me, it is the least chaotic, which is important to those of us with migraines and screen quivers.
Dear Cort,
For subconscious reasons, the “c” visible in the first design reminds me of other historic and national flag symbols. The second one is almost too “physically fit” logo reminiscent but preferred. Hard to please any of the people any of the time. Ha! marcie
Thanks Marcie – good point – the second is inspiring but maybe a bit too uplifting – too vigorous?
The more uplifting the better!
And, when you decide, I want a car magnet/bumper sticker for my vehicle. CDC no longer has theirs available that I had for years. Could be a slight source of HR income and good PR. MM
I really like 1A best but would add the second line to it, something like 1B but the Health Rising on one line, the second line underneath and the graphic in the middle of the first line. The graphic in the first three seems warm and welcoming and openly optimistic. The graphic in the second three seems too agressive too me. The 1C reminds me of a pizza logo, don’t know who’s or why but it does.
Thanks for asking for our input.
cyn
A pizza logo – that’s good 🙂 Thanks
I like the graphic and the colors in 1A. It fits with the name and gives an immediate positive impression. But need to add the tag line from 1B, so people instantly have a clue what Health Rising is all about. I don’t get the graphic in the second series– it’s confusing looking. And the spiral graphic in 1C makes me dizzy just looking at it!
I like the graphic of 1a, the colors of 1b and the font of 2a. If these were combined it would be perfect. Could a 3a be created? 🙂
Yes!
I would love to see the font and text of 1B in the colours of 1A!
Ditto!! One color on the flourish rather than alternating.
Love this new direction for Health Rising. A fresh start for a promising new year.
Thanks Carolynn 🙂
One’s responses are so very personal – like this condition, each of us with our unique sensitivities.
For what it’s worth, I find heat intolerable (tough as an Australian!) and hence the warm colors disturb me. I like the first logo – I see a brain firing too much, and yet the firing rays possess a beauty, and then the ear suggesting a crescent moon continues the idea of ‘gift’. The neurological dimension of this illness needs to be a focus, I feel. The wings are beautiful in the way they embrace and hold as well as lift.
So many logos go with blue, as safest, I guess – as many people are upset by red. And yes, so important to have the second line of text. So 1b would be my vote.
I like the main font in 2b, but I don’t like either logo.
I’d have a sunrise (the sun over ground below) where maybe the sun was in a heart shape. But not too obviously (fade to background color).
Have the text below but in a less “fancy” font. Legible vs “pretty” where your answer should be legible.
While blue is generally thought to make people feel your business is more professional and thereby create loyal returning customers, I’d go for warm and welcoming colors. Like you’d see in a sunrise. Orange and Yellow and perhaps sky blue for the text. 3 colors should be more than ample, even for letterhead.
Good luck!
Thanks – Lots of things to think about (that I hadn’t thought about :))
I picked 1B as my favorite because the text is easy to read and the colors stand out; I also like the canted logo.
I picked 1A as my second favorite, but it was a rather weak second choice; I chose it because I liked it best of the alternatives, but if used I think it should have the “Finding Answers….” line centered beneath it.
I detest 1C; it’s much too busy with three different fonts, and while I usually like Times New Roman I think it doesn’t lend itself to being part of a logo.
I dislike the B logo; I find it confusing.
That said, of the three B’s I think 2C would be the best, as it makes the most of the logo — but like 1A it needs the second line. I’d suggest “Finding Answers” and then a half-line offset on “for ME/CFS and FM” to balance the logo.
Next best of the B’s would be 2B, though I really don’t like the combination of red text and teal logo; it looks ghastly on my browser. Also the bow portion of the bow-and-arrow looks as though it’s squashing the rising “Health Rising” text back down.
I really don’t care for 2A; it’s very businesslike but it looks generic, and it’s harder to read than any of the other logos, perhaps because the letters are close together.
Meredith Dixon — PWC 27 yrs.
I must say I would’ve chosen 2A as my favorite but I can’t because it has the subline “Finding answers…”. I kind of understand why people would like to have it there, to explain what Health Rising is about, but the fact is that a LOGO is not meant to be explanative but instead simple and striking. Ask any marketing professional, the more text in a logo, the worse it gets. Not having the text there doesn’t prevent you from using that line in context with the logo, but it makes it possible to use the logo in a wider set of situations, e.g. in small space where the the small text would be hard to read.
What comes to the graphics, the 2nd one is very active and energetic, like someone taking off to fly – I like that. The first one instead looks like the Eye of Mordor to me. Not a very pleasant connotation.
Out of these fonts I guess I would prefer 2A but all others are ok, except for 1C, which is just terribly messy.
Mordor!
The logo producers asked me if the name or text should be included. I really had no idea so I said you decide…..and they gave options for all three.
Wrote my reply before reading the rest. Mordor? I’m still chuckling over that one. Its far too pretty for Mordor – geez! 😉 It seems to me it could be used either with or without the tagline, actually, depending on how/where you’re using it.
As a graphic designer from Scandinavia ( Denmark) 2A is absolutely favorite. Blue signals medical and illness and its the only version with a typography that is modern. The other versions are old fashioned – or too fashioned and too complicated. A logo appears in many context – therefore it should be dechiffered/read in a few second, therfore it must never be too complicated. That takes away the seriousness and medical professionalism.
So please – no other will do than 2A – It has all it takes: Simplicity, colors signalling disease and/or medical area and modern touch that points to the future where solutions will come from.
Nicely said Cathrine
Right now it’s between 1B and 2A – neither of which were my favorites.
Should the words accompany the logo?
Sorry to write so much but I don’t care for the blue designs for the fact that they DO appear so medical. The colors in 1A are so vibrant, more hopeful. I like blue. I really do, but I wouldn’t even give the blue designs a second glance. Just my opinion, of course. Look at fast food chain designs – obnoxiously colorful in many cases but they get your attention. 1A grabs your attention without being obnoxious. Can you tell I REALLY like that one, Cort?
I feel the same way Nan – I have enough medical in my life – I like the colors of nature and the sun! The blue medical is a downer to me.
I love 1A but it needs a tagline. It struck me as far more attention-grabbing than the other colors and I love the design – beautiful. Add a tagline and it would be perfect!
I am usually a cool color person. However in this case…warm tones, person reaching toward sun is most favorable! 1c appears most “medical”; but don’t like “drain” either. Colors of 2b are calming for me but small tag line is too difficult to read. Don’t like the “yoga” dude.The whole sun rising and shedding light on both conditions and persons should definitely play a role….its perfect.
Thanks Marilyn 🙂
I like the warm colors and font of 1A best but it needs the tag line. The design of 1B is good but I would prefer the font and colors or 1A.
All the graphics of the ones in 2 make me flinch. It feels like something that could impale me. Ouch!
🙂
1A with tagline. Love the warm, soothing colors.
The feel of the logos in the ‘1’ section seems appropriate, and both the blues and the oranges work well. The tagline definitely helps to clarify the mission, unless of course you don’t know what the acronyms stand for, which is probably includes everyone who doesn’t suffer from CFS/ME/FM 😉
On a purely technical level, there will be issues with the triangles when rendered in small size. The current crowd favorite (1B) has all sort of issues with space (empty space before the ‘R’ and the huge space between the tagline and ‘Rising’ due to the lowercase ‘g’. This causes all of the elements of the logo (graphic, name, tagline) to feel sort of like awkwardly placed puzzle pieces instead of a unified whole. In addition, the dark blue swoosh that divides the ‘H’ and the ‘e’ feels sort of awkward.
Overall, all of the logos feel a bit generic. The implied figure in the graphic has been used extensively and is very cliche at this point (a few examples: http://bit.ly/1BMeWCU). If you want to rise above (pun intended) the ordinary, then this sort of solution needs to either be discarded or improved greatly.
This is a good starting point, but as the logo will most likely live on the site for a very long time, it is worth taking the extra time to find a great solution as opposed to an okay solution for right now.
How about this – the layout of 1a) , the size, color scheme and tag line of 1b, and the fonts of 2a). Classy, clear, confident and compassionate.
As someone who has had CFS and FM for 16 years and is still hopeful for full restoration of my health and that of everyone else around the world who go through similar challenges, the logo of 1a, b and c is uplifting, signifies possibilities and hope . . . it reminds me of the sun that rises with new possibilities every day.
Blue is a color that is healing, relaxes the nervous system and is often used energetically as a protective color. The throat chakra (subtle energy center) is governed by blue energy – we as a group around the world need to strengthen our voice and be heard and acknowledged with appropriate research funds so we can make a real go of finding answers and solutions.
Thank you, Cort, for giving us the opportunity to share our thoughts, and for your remarkable dedication and efforts on our behalf.
Didn’t know that about blue – thanks for that. I will think about that interesting combination…
not crazy about any of them. The first 3 remind me of doing yoga on the tail of a whale. The next set provide the stage for an energetic graceful dancer. None of these speak to me about ME/CFS or Fibro, If we are upon the eve of name change/ international accepted definition is now the time to do this?
Doing yoga on the tail of a whale – that’s funny! You haven’t lost your imagination Lolly. 🙂
With everything going on with IOM and P2P who knows what name they will end up with. I’d suggest no illness names so you don’t have to change the logo later on. At a minimum, please don’t use ME/CFS.
Back again..what about a little of both, 1a & 1b? Keeping 1a as is in design, but the wording(only) would be in the colors of 1b. That way the cool blue would be there to represent the medical profession, but the warmth of the sun would be there rising from the center.
I like the idea of two colors – thanks
I like 2A best, even better without the tag line which I feel is unnecessary for this purpose. Then 1A is second for its colors, but with the font of 2A please and spacing cleaned up. The others are busy and too cluttered. You can use the tag line (which is very good!) on the top/bottom or other places of published items.
Thanks Louise…
I’m with the majority of preferring 1B. Its know from data that blue is the most favored color. At least that’s what I read somewhere on the Internet.
I see no reason to NOT use ME/CFS. In fact I would prefer ME/FM but we’ve come a long way baby by using ME/CFS at all. ME was first coined by Dr. Ramsay. His description of what I experienced in 1984 (my onset) was so accurate to what I was experiencing.
Don’t lose ME.
I haven’t read all of the comments above. Don’t have the energy.
I might as well weigh in: I like 1a best for its simplicity and a font that doesn’t shout too loud (though kerning is needed). I chose 1b as second because it has the same graphic, but I find the font too heavy, and the overall look too commercial and medical. As others have commented, 1c invokes vertigo, and 2’s graphic is too athletic/competitive.
Would choose none of the above. If I absolutely had to choose it would be 2A, though the figure is too much like an energetic olympic speed skater, whoosing (sp?) off. The triangles of 1B are too spikey, they give me a sense of pain when they point downward.
None of the fonts are appealing. I don’t get any sense of caring, welcoming, informing from the
fonts, don’t feel like I’m invited in, more like a colder design that could be local sports retail shop. Just my 2 cents.
Thanks for the input Janet…It is tricky….
I’ve changed my mind……….1A with the strap-line underneath the title, and enlarge the logo…I now need a draw tool in this box….
My instant favorite was one of the least voted for logo’s – #1C (lol) – which I no longer really like 🙂
I am a graphic designer. I create logos as part of my business. I hope my comments can be useful. Please remember that this is a critique. This is how visual artists discuss our work.
Your first logo is my favorite. It says it all. It is proportionally correct for the eye, the colors are warm and inviting, the “arms” are uplifting in a hopeful manner. I love the “rising” pun. This will allow clients to remember this logo. They will visualize the rising sun, the rising arms, and will remember “Health Rising”.
Putting words beneath depends on what you are going to use it for. If this is your all-time general logo, that will go on EVERYTHING from pens to banners, I vote no words. The reason is because time will change things and the organization may modify a bit. You can ALWAYS put words in at events, such as banners, t-shirts. The words can be changed slightly to accommodate each event.
On addition, the words add a lot of visual chaos. A logo should be crisp and Clean so that it is visible and sticks in the mind. Consider logos you already know: Nike, Flickr, ESPN, Radio Shack (@) looks like that but with an R in it.
As for the other logos here are my beefs:
The words are lovely. That may be what many people are responding to. However, the “person” is about to fall off the letters. The “Health Rising” is anxiety producing. The words are not aligned in any way that looks composed. When you look at the center of any design, it should all come together right there. In this logo, there is nothing in the center to pull it all together.
Blue is a cool color. This reminds me of stark, medical environment. Kind of like the sterile but chilly doctors’ offices, where you sit in the little examining room.
3A does not work at all. Just briefly. The complimenting colors will almost hypnotize you. Those are two colors that color blind people do not see well. The thing that has spun off on the left is no longer connected to the logo. Needs to be connected.
2A ,2B, 2C
None of these work. The sharp, pointy parts of the logo look dangerous. That is not appealing when you are going to a medical environment.
The first one could be improved by changing those sharp “arms” into something more comforting. The main words are ok but could be helped by warming them up.
The second one, again with the vibrating colors. Christmas colors make me think of Christmas. The type below it is nearly illegible. Way too small. I didn’t notice but if they are not the same font, this is a big NO. Never change the font so severely.
The third one, that samurai logo guy has taken a machete to “Health Rising” and chopped it in half. Connection, pull it together. It needs to work from all sides.
I don’t mean to sound negative. This is merely a critique. Artists do it all the time. I know whomever created these put a lot of hard work into them. However, you did ask for opinions. This is only my professional opinion. It does not mean that I judge the creator in any way.
I am guessing you may do a compromise with using #1A with #1B wording. Consider the fact that you want your logo to be as versatile as possible.
I hope this has been helpful.
Completely agree with this. Still, since people are unaware of these diseases, a tag line might serve a higher purpose than the aesthetic.
Another tag line idea is:
Bringing ME/CFS & Fibromyalia to Light
Also, that moon looks a lot like the Muslim star and crescent.
1A with the 1B “subtext”. Love the warm colors, like a sunrise, but the ME/CFS/FM-text needs to be there since Health Rising could mean so much. Well done!
Hi Cort,
I’d like to see the first one, 1A I believe, because the design is uplifting like the name Health Rising. Also, it is not too busy and I like the colors. “Finding answers…” is weak and has no punch in my opinion especially if you’re trying to raise funds or get other kinds of support. (I was a marketing communications specialist in my former life.) I think we could come up with something more powerful. Just brainstorming for a minute, I can think of “Solving the mystery of…,” Fighting for patients with…or discovering answers or fighting for research on etc. using the same construction you have. Or using phrases like breaking through etc. Perhaps we could figure out something more dramatic… Thanks, Esther
I like 1A the best (blue is so overdone on website, browsers, gui’s and I think the red/orange brings energy and movement, it looks like what I want my health to look like) but I would like to see the tagline as it is in 1B.
i really like 1a the best but it definitely needs the subtitle.
I’m a writer/editor, and I’ve worked with a lot of designers over the years. I prefer 2A because it has the cleanest and most contemporary-looking font and graphics. I think the ME/CFS ‘world’ has been dogged by a ‘too-nice’ image. We need something more modern and authoritative.
Oh, mercy, Cort! I made my choices, then I read some comments, then changed my choices, read some more comments and changed my choices again! Yes, I’m easily swayed.
I thought the blue and black seemed too business-like, but after taking a number of the comments into consideration, I agree that it’s easy to read, exudes a more assertive attitude and looks professional.
I’ll leave it at that. I’ve promised myself NOT to read any further comments!
Best of luck coming to a final decision.
I prefer the blue by far, event though blue is not one of my favorite colors. It is a medical color and it’s the color for ME/CFS (though it does sort of leave out FM, though, which has purple for its color). It’s also easy on they eyes, calming, soothing, and at the same time hopeful. It makes me think if the sky (which fits with rising) and of the ocean.
The other colors are either too warm (heat makes me and many of us feel sicker), too Christmassy (I love Christmas, but it’s note really right for the logo) too hard to distinguish for those who are color blind, and/or too jarring and anxiety provoking. Plus, red is also associated with stop signs and we have been at too much of a medical standstill for too long for me to embrace anything associated with stopping.
I like the fonts in 1A, 1B, and 2A the best, with 1A being my least favorite of those for a logo. The others are just not as pleasing or easy to read.
I also like the symbol in 1 the best. To me it looks like the sun and the moon, which I think of as all both complete and hopeful, and also fitting with rising. I really like the way it is off to the side and tilted in 1B. I don’t like it with the three swirls below it, though. It’s too busy that way.
As to the words explaining what Health Rising is about, I initially thought that they should definitely be there. However, after reading other comments, I agree that leaving them out would make it possible to use the logo on more things, but at the same time would still make it possible to add those words where they fit and can be large enough to be legible.
I just realized that what I wrote about the font might be confusing. The three I listed are my favorites, but of those three, 1A is my least favorite. (It’s not my least favorite overall, though, if that makes more sense)
1A pic with 2B coloring. To me the picture is more symbolic of a person rising above.
I have ME. I prefer the blue because blue is the support color for ME/CFS. I would have liked to have seen some purple in there too as it is the support color for Fibro. If we are looking to get these diseases better known, then we should perhaps be consistent in their popular colors of recognition. I would use the last line to do this, making most of it in black and then ME/CFS in blue and FM in purple.
Interesting idea – thanks Nina
If the goal is to create a professional look, I would go for 2 A, as it is. To me it evokes serious science without any attempt to “seduce”. The first series have more warmth and hope to it, but that itself could be a turn-off for pesky skeptical doctors who might think, after one glance at the logo, that this is a “feel good” site for patients, but not serious science, like, say, NCBI Pub Med…( which happens to be blue and black just like 2 A!…but way more boring…), – and we certainly need to draw ever more doctors to this site (patients, not a problem, I fully trust any newcomer will feel right away at home here, no matter the logo…)
I have voted for 2A and 1B but I don’t like the blue; it’s rather a cold colour. I think something warmer like red/orange would look more optimistic. It definitely needs the ‘Finding’ line to be included.
Got it – thanks Stella!
Hi Cort,
My choice is the style of 1a with the colours of 2a (as blue is a healing colour) and the finding answers etc in bold underneath or in a thicker font to make it stand out more.
Hope this helps xx
Thanks Sharon 🙂
I really like the graphic of 1A but feel it needs the “Finding Answers……” below it.
I bet if it had that, people would have picked it as a favorite. I hesitated between 1a & 1b. But I think 1A with the tag underneath it would look the best. The 1 a graphic is really great.
I would always follow the simplest design, myself.
Logos should be easily identifiable by all people, including those with limited eyesight or cognitive function.
Like a good photo, a logo should draw your eye into the frame and be immediately identifiable.
I would put the words in the Header of a Blog, not as part of a Logo.
Heavy, thick fonts ‘weigh you down’. We’re already weighed down with pain and fatigue, we don’t want to be symbolically weighed down too. 2A, 2B & 2C are too sharp and symbolically ‘painful’ to look at.
I would choose 1A for its simplicity in design, but would use the two blues, not the warm colours of orange/red (they are too pale). I also like 1A for its balance within the frame.
The symbol of a sun rising is a good one. It suggests ‘rising’ above chronic illness.
Of course, the words Health Rising could also be used is a shape or font (like Coca Cola).
Do a Google Images search on “what is a logo” and see what logos in advertising come up. I think you’ll find the simplest logos are the best.
PS Apart from Coca Cola, the Apple logo or McDonalds logo are also easily identifiable.
Vicki-
As a designer, I agree with all of your comments- including the colour choice. The blue combination is much cleaner and more straightforward. It catches one’s eye and therefore attention.
The ‘B’ design looks to me like something very appropriate for an energetic sports or fitness group, but not for a chronically inactive bunch such as we:)
Della.
I went with 2B first for layout & design & 2B second because of the colors. Also for the larger clearer font size for line 2, which is essential. So combine the two. Just FYI: I was struck by 2A first for design placement & colors, but had to go with the art in the B series for it’s more modern & therefore, more enduring look.
I am 72, so I wanted to resist, but thought B art encompassed all ages & would remain fresh longer.
Thanks Alice for your thoughtful comment 🙂
You probably don’t need more comments at this point, but here’s my two cents worth: My immediate reaction was “definitely 2A”. The logo grabbed my attention, looks professional and pleases the eye. I would, however, change the colors to the 2 blues, as black does not seem an optimistic color for the “rising” part. It would be nice if the action figure could be toned down a bit, as I don’t think any of us are going to be pole-vaulting anytime soon (which is what it reminds me of). 🙂 My instinct would be to lose the lower angel wing portion, or maybe just thin it out, leaving the uplifting arms, and shorten the long “leg” just a tad. (but what do I know?) My second choice would be 1A, but I agree with some other comments that it won’t command as much respect as something more professional-looking. Maybe changing 1A’s font to 2A’s and colors to the blue/blue would help. As it is now, it looks somewhat homespun and reminds me of a vitamin manufacturer’s logo, or worse, the red/yellow combo could connote fast food. As far as the tag line, I can see both pros and cons. This is a hard task (but kind of fun) – best of luck to you! I’m sure whatever you come up with will work fine.
Thanks Tina – really appreciate your detailed comments. I’m definitely looking at logo’s in ways I never have before 🙂
I like 1B, but without the upside down mustache…maybe make the sun part larger and rising
behind the text? The blue is soothing…
DJ Classic font?
The upside down mustache! 🙂
Thanks
red is the color of inflammation and we don’t need any more reminders of that,do we? what about green? it is a soothing and healing color.
I really like 1A because of the color and the symmetry and it’s a little more traditional without angles. The colored are soothing and the symbols seems to rise rather than jump. I also think that the second line is important. My background is in Architecture and design… Just my 2 cents. What you do is already wonderful!:)
Thanks Sarika for checking them out 🙂
The usefulness of any logo is determined by where you plan to use it. On screen is one thing. In printed publicity and of varying sizes, another. Reduce each logo down to see how much it communicates.
I’ve voted for the most legible of the choices.
I see nothing particularly wrong with your current logo, although the use of binoculars could suggest that our answers are a long way off, at least they are in sight!
Hope you get enough votes to be meaningful.
Suella
Cort
I could reiterate similar commentary and analysis already posted above…but bottom line I like 2A.. or actually 2B layout with colors of 2A and change 2B tag line font to a bolder
different clear readable font, Both choices are modern, clean, professional and mean business with important info for patients and the medical profession.
I like the “mean business with important info” – Thanks!
1B it will be 🙂
We shall see 🙂 It’s one of the top two…
Cort,
2A as is or 2B with 2A colors and tag line font bolder, larger and crisper!
Thanks Ellen 🙂
Hi Cort,
I originally voted for 1b, but the more I look at it, it looks very corporate (like a health insurance company). Not indicative of a community. I would love 2c in either a light blue/dark blue scheme or a black/blue scheme. This logo conveys the visual message of health rising, as if “Health Rising” created something great. I too, think the second line is needed. Otherwise, there’s nothing to convey yours is a CFS/ME-related site. If you’re worried about any potential name change: print limited stock of stationary and business cards. Keep all digital logo files, as well as a list of all fonts used. Also, in case you have a different designer, note the graphics program used to create the logo and the program version. Update your files as new program versions come along (save as new version). With the files and a list of fonts, a few words can be easily altered, especially since they are at the end of a line.
As for the red/green logo, it would look very murky to color-blind people. The non-serif fonts are easiest to read, even when reduced in size. To me, blue reads as healthy. Red reads (as someone said above) inflammation. But my second-favorite is red; it’s still an inviting color. Definitely no: green.
First post here. Been reading for a while. Great site.
Thanks all the good ideas – I will follow them…:)
Thanks for giving us the opportunity to vote on this!! Although I really like the other colors, I voted for 2A and 1B simply because I think they will translate better when printing on a letterhead/envelopes or printing from a b&w printer. Very nice job and looks like someone put a lot of work into all of them.
I like the clearness of the lettering in 1B and 2A. I also like the blue and black 🙂
Thanks Leila 🙂
Dear Cort,
Appreciate that we have the opportunity to make comments as well as voting!
I like the angled position of the design of 1B–
It draws the eye and signifies hope
And the tagline is essential to identify any of these–
The example in 1B is the easiest to read in my opinion
The font of the words “Health Rising” is better in 1A and should be used in 1B
The colors teal/navy blue of 1B are good–you might want to consider teal/purple
but the navy blue does give it a serious look
The colors of 1A might look good at a spa but not for this–
1C looks too complicated and old fashioned
I’m afraid that I hate 2 A, B,and C because the design reminds me of a sprinter or marathon runner and of everything else that I have been too ill to do with ME/CFS
So I am voting for 1B with modifications!
Have had this illness 40 years–
Am gratified to see this movement forward…
Susan
Thanks, Susan!
Cort, it must be very confusing for you with all these different voices! A democratic ‘vote’ etc …
The only comment I’d like to make is that the figure in the second logo is too ‘healthy’ and ‘speedy’ looking for me.
Good luck with your eventual choice.
My brain does feel full 🙂
I personally don’t like any of them. They all look like they belong on the tail section of an airplane.
Why is there need for a logo? I do hope they were donated and no money was spent on them.
The premier medical journals do not have fancy logos on them. Let’s follow suit and not look like an advertisement for something.
Actually logo’s are pretty expensive….and everyone and almost everyone seems to think they’re essential – you’ve been outvoted 🙂
Thanks for letting me know, though.
I normally love blue. Unfortunately for this, I find the blue logos 1B and 2A revolting because they remind me of BC/BS health insurance and Kaiser Permanente Health. Both these organizations do tremendous damage to people with ME/CFS and FM.
MM
I remember the Kaiser blue 🙂
Cort, you are truly generous, opening up this hard work to our community for commentary and voting.
What a group of thoughtful comments! It is inspiring to see the passion expressed here. So many good eyes, bright minds, and strong opinions; and, as well,
so many professional designers among us …
And here’s another (designer and professor of design), chiming in for 2A, with some comments ==> small changes. With a little tweaking — i.e., if the image were a little “cleaner” (perhaps made up of 3 elements instead of 4, and comprised slightly tighter integration and balance of image and font sizes) — I think that 2A could be a winner with legs: attractive, eye-catching, and getting across the message without sending unintended others. And passing the test of endurance and recognition beyond initial viewings.
Specifically addressing the above in terms of Groups 1 and 2:
1A immediately strikes me as an agricultural/grain company logo. As well, the font of 2C directly (subliminally) calls up a national (U.S.) brand bread package. For me, not such good representational associations for ME and FM patients.
To my eye, all the logo images are a little too “busy” and distracting (some more than others), and lack the immediate force of a clean image that is in harmony with accompanying text. The “1” images of sunshine and growth are easily read as either thematically agricultural or as pat and sentimental (the bright and happy new day dawns…), the latter of which, in logos, tends not to endure with repeated viewing over time. (Classic – no pun intended – enduring design example: Coca Cola’s logo: clean, simple, recognizable without calling forth any obvious associations, and enduring — changing relatively little, with only one major “rehaul” in more than a century. This is not to cheerlead for Coke or to suggest that we need a hundred years of ME/FM research – argh.)
The sans serif fonts of 1B and 2A are cleaner and therefore more appealing to the (my) eye, especially if the image of 2A were slightly less busy and a bit smaller, yet still well-integrated with the text.
I agree that the “2” images call to mind sprinting and running – anathema to our bodies, but perhaps not a bad association for research that has been long in coming!
That’s my design two cents’ worth. Beyond that, I want to express appreciation for the thought and hard work that has been put into the design, and – even more – for your generosity in asking for our many opinions. THANK YOU, CORT!
And thank you Jennifer.
It is indeed gratifying to see all all the thoughtful comments. I really appreciate everyone taking the time to check out the potential logo’s and give their thoughtful opinions..It’s really gratifying – so thanks everyone!
Brand bread package indeed 🙂
Thanks for your professional insights 🙂
2A = Best Design, but boring colors. Most promise, but needs a tweak here and there.
A brighter blue?
The second set of logos are more contemporary although I prefer the warm colours.
Thanks
This comment is from Sally Smith on Google+
I liked 1A the best as well. The warm colors as opposed to the clinical coldness of the blues (Blue Cross, Blue Shield, also bad!). Calming.
All the 2’s were far too busy and jumbled. They made my eyes hurt and seem migraine-inducing. Plus they seem to have more energy than I do, which isn’t what I want in my logo. Reminded me of a health club/gym, all that swirling and reaching and stretching and running… ugh! Loud!
Simpler is also better for printing things at different sizes. The busy ones are just going to look like scribbles at pin or bumper sticker sizes.
I like the letters and colors of 1A best but it would be good to add the by-line, “Finding answers for ME/CFS and FM” to it
Didn’t read all comments, but if 1B could use the same font and colors as 1A, that would look nice (IMHO 😉 Also, since logos are often shrunken down for a variety of purposes (like business cards), it’s good to have the second line “finding answers…” in larger type like in 1B…in a few other examples the second line would not be readable if reduced in size.
I like 1A, Although it reminds me of a folgers label. A brighter yellow and longer sun rays would set it off. The image of outstreched arm’s is nice as if someone is waking up from a goodnights rest. maybe somehow a bed headboard could be incorperated into the sun image.
The following is a link found in a recent response on the Phoenix Rising website:
http://www.meadvocacy.org/if_you_mean_m_e_just_say_m_e
Based on this very wise advice, regardless of which logo is chosen, perhaps the “/” should be changed to a comma, making the text below the logo read:
“Finding Answers for ME, CFS and FM”.
Visually, it is a subtle difference. But in meaning, it is significant — even more so, if jurisdictions increasingly acknowledge the differences between CFS and ME, and adopt “M.E.” to describe those with the most severe illness.
I find both my choices in the majority. I only wish 1A had the caption with it as that would be my fav.
I love that you thought to include our feedback Cort…….. Thank you 🙂
Also, if you did give 1A the caption, I would tilt the “wings/sunrays” as is shown in 1B. I haven’t read all of the previous comments, but I do think the drawing conveys “Soaring to greater heights” (upward wings) and “The sky’s (represented by the sunrays) the limit”.
I second your comment about the need for an effective logo.
Again, thank you for the opportunity to participate 🙂