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Logo design alternative

Update #20 · Jun 1, 2012 · 20 comments

Since we're getting close to the end, I thought I'd post a few updates addressing design ideas that have been raised during the Kickstarter campaign.

Name/Logo

A few people have raised issues with the name and logo. I really don't think there is any legitimate trademark issue with this design. It's basically just the name and a "swoosh".

Swooshes are in a lot of logos, and this is not the particular Blu-Ray swoosh.

As for the name, apart from the obvious pun on "libre", the word "ray" has been used for other products in the video arena, such as "Red-Ray".

However, it is true that the swoosh conveys the idea of a round disk (because indeed, that's what I was planning when I designed it), and now that Lib-Ray releases are going to be memory cards, it might be better to have a squarish logo.

In fact, earlier on, I had considered calling this variant of Lib-Ray "Lib-Ray Flash". This seemed a little silly if there wasn't going to be a disk version, but I could go back to this name.

Here's a possible logo design based on that (I only spent a few minutes drawing this, so it shouldn't be considered final).

What do you think?

  • Image-121961-full

Comments

    1. Fbprofilepic.small

      Creator Brian J Densmore on June 12, 2012

      I kind of like Kameron's logo better, Perhaps if you added a little rectangularish swoosh along the left side and bottom of that, and keep it all one color (one color is cheaper to print) you'd have a winner. Your new logo makes me think of Flash Gordon and the 70's or 80's. Something just "old" about it. Maybe it's that font. I think the "flash" adds nothing useful and detracts from the simplicity of the "Lib-Ray".

    2. Maraq.small

      Creator kamereon on June 5, 2012

      I just had to submit my on proposal :-)
      a 16:9 screen displaying an infinity symbol to represent limitless freedom

      http://dl.dropbox.com/u/174884/libray1.svg
      http://dl.dropbox.com/u/174884/libray2.svg

    3. Maraq.small

      Creator kamereon on June 3, 2012

      I think a logo should be single colour / no gradients so it can be printed using the most basic printing processes. Also, it should be of low complexity, so it looks good even when printed really small.

    4. Missing_small

      Creator Ivan Miškovic on June 3, 2012

      Hmm, these logos look way too groovy for an official standard. Just for fun, I quickly whipped up something a bit more modern, based on the connectors of an SD card: www.patentpending.co.nz/images/libray.png

    5. Fb_profile_picture.small

      Creator Carlos Solis on June 2, 2012

      Here is my very preliminary version: http://ompldr.org/vZTJmMw/libraypreliminar.svg

    6. Missing_small

      Creator Davis Schmieden on June 2, 2012

      No need to display a rectangular shape to represent flash storage. Storage containers will change shape frequently, and no need to lock yourself into the "flash" name, which will soon disappear along with the word "CD".

      I assume that the contents of the flash device would easily dwell on a hard drive or the cloud, anyway, no? So, no affirmation of shape. But how about a negative?

      Show a disc symbol, but *broken*. As in not-a-disc, or free-from-a-disc.

      PS: thanks for not-naming it something like "GIMP".

    7. Missing_small

      Creator Lachlan on June 2, 2012

      I don't mind the idea of a "non-disk" logo shape, but I think that the name "Lib-Ray Flash" is too cumbersome. Stick with "Lib-Ray" or "LibRay" and it will be easier to talk about (and we hope lots of people start talking about it).

    8. Missing_small

      Creator Tegra on June 1, 2012

      Just Lib-Ray is pretty nice. It should be simple, adding "flash" at the end seems simple in the mind but brands do that all the time. It becomes tedious, and I would like to think that Lib-Ray on flash should be the starting point; in the future it could be Lib-Ray Optic(s/al) or variant, if ever there is something else. Lib-Ray Drives: SSD with your entire library pre-loaded! Ha

    9. Fb_profile_picture.small

      Creator Carlos Solis on June 1, 2012

      I'll try to make an alternate logo later in my home. My idea is this: The Lib-Ray text in blue; behind the upper-right corner of the text I'll place a square rotated 45 degrees (representing the card) with a circle within it (representing the disks it aims to replace), in a clearer blue.

    10. Missing_small

      Creator hook on June 1, 2012

      To be completely honest, while I get it that "ray" in Lib-Ray adds to the pun, I don't think it works very much. Blue-Ray e.g. has the name since the laser ray is blue (as oposed to the red one on CD's, if memory serves me right).

      But I understand that a complete rebranding could be quite some work, and I don't have any better suggestion right now.

      I don't see a problem with the "swoosh".

    11. Missing_small

      Creator John C on June 1, 2012

      Of course, you could compromise with a square-ish swoosh. A curved L-shape, for example.

    12. Fb_profile_picture.small

      Creator stuart ward on June 1, 2012

      If it isn't going to look round etc then perhaps use the blue colour, or perhaps a blue-green variety

    13. Missing_small

      Creator greymont on June 1, 2012

      I also think the original is just fine. Like others have said, just make sure it works in monochrome and pick a color that does not resemble obvious other use.

      Also, pick a name that does not connote a specific medium or form. I like just plain Lib-Ray the best. Leaves you open for more possibilities.

      I also don't like the idea of "running scared" of possible legal issues. If you start down that road you may never return.

    14. Avatar.small

      Creator Brion Swanson on June 1, 2012

      I agree with both Andreas and Hugo - should work in monochrome and "Lib-Ray Media" or just "Lib-Ray" would be best. Flash (for better or worse) implies Adobe and would be a bunch of headache for you and the project.

      I also liked the "open" design better than this "closed" one with a nearly complete boundary line. If a swoosh is out of the question, then something more squarish but still open would be preferable.

    15. Nudie.small

      Creator bnewbold on June 1, 2012

      Maybe get rid of the dash (LibRay), as this could make software packaging and reference easier down the line?

      I wouldn't put too much effort into a logo or "branding" until more of the reference software is mature and you are sure what the ultimate scope of project is (eg, might generalize and end up supporting disk formats, might not?).

    16. Fb_profile_picture.small

      Creator Martin Ansdell-Smith on June 1, 2012

      AFAIK 'Flash' is a trademark of Adobe and relates to video so avoiding that would be good.

    17. Missing_small

      Creator Hugo Simões on June 1, 2012

      I think "Lib-Ray Media" is a better alternative to "Lib-Ray Flash".

    18. Fb_profile_picture.small

      Creator Andreas Kotes on June 1, 2012

      Keep the swoosh, make sure it also works in plain monochrome; and please make sure and filesystem/on-disk format also works in a container format or on a disk (i.e. on an UDF or ISO9660 or even FAT32/exFAT filesystem) as well as native on a flash or as a CD-ROM data track.

    19. Missing_small

      Creator Ted McCabe on June 1, 2012

      It's hard for me to comment on the shape because I find this color scheme to be quite putrid.

    20. Stunning_white_maine_coon.small

      Creator Natanael_L on June 1, 2012

      Oh the horror

      My opinion is that you should keep the current logo, just not use blue color (orange? I like that), and maybe rotate the swoosh.

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