affinity designer Train logo design

[Metin Seven]

2D train logo concept for a client, created using Affinity Designer (love it).

 

Hope you like it.

 

[MikeW]

I do like it.

 

I would suggest to kern between the m/e combination and between the r/a combination so these appear equal to the spacing of the others.

[Alfred]

Clever concept, nicely executed.

 

[Metin Seven]

Thanks guys, appreciated!

 

The client wants some changes, so I'm going back to the drawing board.  

[Ros]

Clever, indeed. Also, clean and nice.

 

 

[Metin Seven]

Thanks!

[Wosven]

It's a really nice design !

 

If you permit an advice, like @MikeW ,  about kerniing but I would only put less space between "r" and "a", and put a little more between "a", "i" and "n".

[Metin Seven]

Thanks for the compliments and feedback. I'll revise the typography.

[Metin Seven]

New variations. 

[MikeW]

I think a single smiling face is enough. I would likely choose a single one on the engine. 

 

I also like the train version with the far window being visible...understanding that the near window needs removed for the smiling face.

 

Which then may make the case for a single smile on the plate cover so both train windows could remain. 

[Metin Seven]

Thanks for thinking along, @MikeW, appreciated.

 

The two smiling faces emphasize the social element of the initiative.

[Ros]

On the one hand, I think cute smiley faces improve  * e v e r y t h i n g *

On the other, I think the original is already cute and nice enough, so maybe it loses a bit of subtleness. 

[Bigmanfrank]

i think the smiley faces ruin the logo. Better to have a engineer poping out of the window, smiling and waving....

[Wosven]

I like better with the windows too, and I don't know if without them, it looks like one because I saw the first logo or not…

[MikeW]

I also like the logo without the smiles...

 

But if the client really wants them I would say that just the smile on the cab works ok. But it is singular. 

 

If the social aspect even needs emphasizing in the client’s mind, I would suggest that it is implied in the fact it's a place to have meals. Which ranges from the solitary to the community meal.

[Alfred]

44 minutes ago, MikeW said:

If the social aspect even needs emphasizing in the client’s mind, I would suggest that it is implied in the fact it's a place to have meals. Which ranges from the solitary to the community meal.

 

Agreed. If I were the client I would go for

1 hour ago, MikeW said:

a single smile on the plate cover so both train windows could remain

but maybe the actual client in this case particularly wanted to get rid of those windows for some reason.

[MikeW]

5 minutes ago, αℓƒяє∂ said:

...

but maybe the actual client in this case particularly wanted to get rid of those windows for some reason.

 

Maybe the moon, eh, forget it...

 

Yep, we have no idea what the client wants. There is a time one can only make suggestions and arguments for a particular look and then step back and let them make a final decision. I've walked away from jobs that went a direction I couldn't endorse. A smile on the loco and/or the plate cover wouldn't be one of those.

 

I've made some gawd awful looking things (mostly poor color choices and/or too fine of elements to reproduce well at small sizes). I would urge the client in this case to lose the smiles, but in the end I would take the money if this is the only real hangup.

[Wosven]

It is usually said not to put your "worst" design with the good ones to make them stand out in front of the client, since he usually selects it

And about bad choices… our new logo, selected/voted by our hierarchy, achieve unanimity for us — nobody asked for our opinions, even if it's our daily job — , it's the worst choice (shapes and colors)  they could made and we hate it !

 

I'd rather have one with funny smiley like this one.

 

[peter]

If you lay a plate down on a table and then laid out a knife and fork in a half past four position, then you would have a smoke box door and clamp that would look more foodie: this would marry up the carriage/platter dome and steam/vapour/chef's hat just nicely.

 

Reading from left to right, your food is prepared: from the kitchen: by our chefs: without delay: to your plate!

 

super's ready.pdf

[gdenby]

I really like the original, so concise. Adding the dot/circle between the engine and the covered plate car works. Personally, don't appreciate the smiley face. But if the client wants it, maybe put it in the trains nose shadow. Using Thomas the Train smiley face front end as a precedent, but not a copy.

[Metin Seven]

Hi everyone,

 

Many thanks for thinking along, much appreciated. I'm sincerely flattered that my logo design gets so much attention.

 

I also like the first design without the smiling faces more. But you know what they say: the client is always right. 

 

@gdenby, I've considered putting the smiling face at the front side of the train, but I'm afraid it would become too childish.

 

Kind regards from the Netherlands,

 

Metin

[GarryP]

As others have said above, I think the smiley faces make the design look too "child-oriented" (whatever I mean by that), and they look like they've been added as an afterthought rather than being integral to the design.

I also think that including the "linkage circle" - as in the bottom two logos on the last shared image - looks better than having no "linkage". Otherwise the train and the carriage look like separate items.

I don't think you need to add any extra food-based references to the logo. The chef's hat and domed platter are enough to get the idea across.

One extra thing I would say is that the right-hand side of the carriage and the right-hand side of the train front and driver's cab don't look consistent. The shadow/light on the carriage doesn't reach the edge of the carriage while it does on the train front and cab. Maybe this doesn't matter but it doesn't look right to me.

Having said all that, it's a really nice cute logo.

[Metin Seven]

Thanks for your feedback, @GarryP, appreciated.

 

There's a rim of light at the right side of the carriage shadow to stylise a reflective, rounded metal surface.

[GarryP]

You're welcome.

I got the idea that it was a dome, I just didn't know if the train had similar roundedness to it or not.

If the black is shadow - with the light source on the left - then shouldn't the shadow extend to the right edge of the dome? Otherwise it suggests that there is another light source to the right and/or behind the train which doesn't also show on the engine.

I realise it's a stylistic depiction - and a very nice one - but there's something that doesn't quite sit right with me for some reason that I can't explain properly.
I couldn't find an image of a metal dome lit only from one side so I don't have any evidence to give any credence to my thoughts.

I'm probably making a mountain out of a mole hill so there's probably no reason to think about it too much. It's just something that popped into my head that I can't now "un-see".

[Metin Seven]

Hi @GarryP,

 

Haha, I don't mind your detailed thought process, I'm just like you. 

 

I did not formulate it correctly, I should have written "rim reflection" in stead of "rim light". Bright reflections can be present on metal without the need for a light source from that direction.

 

Regards,

 

Metin