Free Crazy Logo Designs
So you’ve started a small business. Yay! Now that you’re in the (shh!) secret club, these things will soon arrive at your doorstep:
- A stack of books by Seth Godin
- A special pass allowing you free business-class upgrades on every airline
- A sackful of money to develop a brand that will put your business on a level with Apple.
If you’re like me, you spent the sackful of money on Apple products. So it’s back to square one on that pesky branding thing.
When the sackful of money doesn’t arrive right away
If you’re like most new business owners (or, ahem… me), you do the fun stuff first and save the tax stuff for later. So, the fun stuff: a web site, twitter account, facebook fan page, logo, business cards, and custom pens to give away. Right. As long as we’re not pretending otherwise here.
Since you don’t have a sackful of money on day one, creating your brand or even getting a logo designed can be daunting. It’s a big expense. Working with a professional designer or branding pro is well worth the investment and if you can swing it, that’s the route you should go.
But let’s pretend that me saying that’s what you should do doesn’t mean you can suddenly afford it. There’s still that missing sack.
I’m going to tell you about something that seems counter to everything I’ve ever said on this blog about getting cheap design. It’s called 99 Designs.
99 Designs is a web site where you can pick out an image from a vast catalog and get a logo created, lickety-split, for the obvious price of $99. It’s almost painless and certainly fast. It’s at least a tenth of the price of working with a designer.
In the past I’ve warned people (in strongly-worded rants) to stay far away from these kinds of services. So why have I changed my stance? Simple, really.
I started to think about this logo design process from the perspective of a shiny new (micro) business owner. Wow, imagine that.
From what I see, it’s incredibly tough. Aside from those free Seth Godin books at your door, there’s no information that just comes to you about how to do all this stuff. So if you can’t afford a designer, the only choice seems to be to do nothing (or incur the wrath of elitist designers like me).
Okay, so there’s not doing nothing. There’s doing it yourself. I’ve recommended in the past (and I still think this is a good idea) that if you can’t afford a logo, just type your business name in a common, legible font and sit tight until you build some capital.
But $99.00 to get something decent that will make your business cards look a step above something you created with your printer’s design software? Man, that’s tempting. And could be a really great deal for you.
So get a $99 logo but consider this first
Here’s the thing about these off-the-rack logos. They’re not tailored for you and the people you serve. You’re not creating a brand. You’re decorating. Is that okay with you? Maybe you don’t need to think Branding with your tiny felt monster biz on etsy. It’s way more important to just get moving and create your cool felt dudes than get mired in branding strategies.
Listen, if you have a landscaping business you can go pick out a tree image and let the $99 Designs people pair it with a nice font and lay it out. Boom, landscaping logo. You’re not going to do any harm. You are not evil. You’re smart. You would be stupid not to take advantage of this deal in your early days.
However, when you need to get across who you are to your right people instead of just any ol’ shmoe looking for the cheapest landscaper, you’ll need to work with a human being one-on-one. That needs to be crafted. It shouldn’t be a cookie-cutter process because hopefully you’re not creating a cookie-cutter business.
For every cheap logo you buy, somewhere a designer falls down dead
Something designers need to understand is that no matter how we rage against the machine of monolithic stock image houses and online logo services, they’re not going to turn tail and run. It seems there’s a need. Hmmm. Need.
This means that designers have to become good at more than just production work. You can’t build a design business around cranking out $99 logos. You’re never going to compete on cheap production and why would you want to?
Stop fretting about The Man and get smart. If you want to be thought of as something more than a production monkey, you can. Create something beautiful and new and unique and crazy and helpful. Make art, not widgets.
I repeat to small biz people: you are not evil.
The final word on this
I actually have no final words on this. I imagine I’ll be changing and adapting the way I look at these kinds of things forever. As a designer I can take a strong stance against working on spec, charging per project instead of hourly, and this discount logo issue. When I believe in something I stand by it. But closing my mind to new perspectives and clients’ changing needs only feeds my ego, not the people who need my special kind of help and guidance.
I welcome any discussion, from designers and small biz owners who have dealt with these issues.
Bobby’s comment is:
Sinister? No. Terrible, terrible design? Yup.
On Feb.25.2010 at 09:33 AM
BJMRamage’s comment is:
Swooooooosh!
not crazy about it. sure looks newer. the old basically looked like a merit badge converted to a logo. Not too keen on the upper and lowercase Trajan. and the website version looks HORRIBLE!
oh well.
On Feb.25.2010 at 09:35 AM
buruno’s comment is:
I must confess I actually liked the old logo, in sort of a geek-ish way. The similarities Armin pointed out are very worrying indeed.
Speaking of curling, I'm sorry but I have to post this (with all due respect to the female readers): http://i.imgur.com/agJ9g.jpg
On Feb.25.2010 at 09:35 AM
Alvin Martinez’s comment is:
Exactly. Forget about all the conspiracy nonsense. It's a shitty design. Period. The logo takes 'bad' to a whole new level.
On Feb.25.2010 at 09:40 AM
sam’s comment is:
i wouldn't mind them sweeping my ice! (not sure what that means). Terrible logo, but what else do we expect from government defense initiatives!?
On Feb.25.2010 at 09:46 AM
felix sockwell’s comment is:
hilarious.
frank gaffney is indeed the biggest partisan douchebag in politics. and a Cheney wanna-be:
Matthews: "You guys sold the war as a nuclear threat to the United States. You sold every trick you could to get us into this war. And now you're backpedaling. And I do find it astounding....four thousand people are dead because of the way you feel and, Frank Gaffney, you're wrong about this."
Gaffney: "It is regrettable that they had to die, but I believe they did have to die. The danger was inaction could have resulted in the death of a great many more Americans than 4,000. And that's the reason I'm still delighted that we did what we did."
It astounds me that people like Gaffney can continue to cling to the idea that Saddam really did pose an imminent threat/that he really had WMD/that the intelligence wasn't cooked etc. and still be regarded as some sort of foreign policy expert who should be taken seriously.
On Feb.25.2010 at 09:46 AM
Arno’s comment is:
does anyone else think this looks like the star trek vulcan logo?
http://www.kaboodle.com/hi/img/c/0/0/19/a/AAAADL8Qs74AAAAAABmiOg.jpg
On Feb.25.2010 at 09:46 AM
Tom’s comment is:
I don't give a crap about the rubbish conspiracy theories, all I want are some trading cards.
All in all, very odd.
On Feb.25.2010 at 09:48 AM
Larry W’s comment is:
So far, either 6 people are complete idiots or are trying to be ironic.
This is a great logo, though! I LOVE it! Its cool, interesting, relevant, and just plain awesome. I wished there were more logos like this, to be honest.
BEST LOGO OF 2010! SO FAR!
On Feb.25.2010 at 09:49 AM
jonathan’s comment is:
You've got to be kidding Larry. This logo is terrible on multiple levels - the type, the gradients, the shapes, and to top it all off, A STARBURST! First design was bad, but this is just simply a polished turd.
And -1 for everyone at TMP not noticing this looks the Obama logo. You could have saved us from all this nonsense!
On Feb.25.2010 at 10:09 AM
Catherine Winters’s comment is:
The thing I always enjoy about these conspiracy theories is the idea that thousands of people could be involved in a malicious secret society, doing everything from controlling the banking industry to planting a sleeper agent as president of the United States...and that they would be compelled to reveal their secret by riddling their logos/emblem/currency with symbols that only someone SMART ENOUGH could see. It must be the one thing that keeps them from putting their plans into full effect.
"Curses!" the Head Vampire will exclaim, as Good Citizens everywhere are alerted to his cabal's secret plans. "I knew we shouldn't have made a map to our lair on the back of the Canadian $2 bill!"
Seriously, it's like something out of the 'Things I will not do as an Evil Overlord' list.
On Feb.25.2010 at 10:21 AM
Larry W’s comment is:
jonathan:
Your right. How DARE they try be creative! Those Bastards!
I mean, its not like the "lens flare" is actually useful or adds anything to it, like a missile being blown to bits. Or those gradients! OOH! I mean, how can they be re-produced in B&W? Its not like they could be taken out without ruining the logo!
Come on. It works on all the levels needed, and it actually stays away from being boring, cliched, and done to death.
On Feb.25.2010 at 10:35 AM
Joe Lamour’s comment is:
The colic-y baby poo color on the engineer trading cards makes me want to scream.
On Feb.25.2010 at 10:41 AM
Nate Bear’s comment is:
Perhaps, just perhaps, there is just a trend towards circular logos in general since the apparent success of the Obama logo, and the MDA, like Obama's campaign, has something to gain by incorporating the US flag into the logo. And just maybe round logos look better when they are broken into irregular thirds by sweeping curves.
On Feb.25.2010 at 10:45 AM
Christopher’s comment is:
Boeing has had their circular logo for a LONG time.
But yeah, this is the government marketplace in a nutshell: horrible design, bad copy, stock art, and all done to stroke the egos of C-level military and government brass.
It's so unbelievably cynical, but there's a mountain of money to be made doing this crap.
On a related note: so glad to have left DC.
On Feb.25.2010 at 10:53 AM
Brian Son’s comment is:
Talk about reading into something too much -- the logo is a nice update.
EVERYTHING always ends up looking like something else that has already been designed, if you stare at it long enough. A circle? A star? Really?
On Feb.25.2010 at 10:55 AM
Impossibly Stupid’s comment is:
I've of the opinion that not everything needs branding. Government agencies generally fall in that category, especially if they're not primarily interacting with the public. Sure, they might need an identity for official business, but the idea of selling "the brand" of a military agency is scary-dumb.
I would also prefer not having to fund a military program that doesn't address actual threats. There have never been any losses from preventable ballistic missile attacks in the US, and there likely never will be. No amount of rebranding is going to make this pig pretty.
On Feb.25.2010 at 11:12 AM
ES’s comment is:
rubbish yeah
On Feb.25.2010 at 11:31 AM
Cory ’s comment is:
Hahaha, can the morons who voted that the stink surrounding this isn't bullshit please come forward so we (or at least I) can mock you?
On Feb.25.2010 at 11:43 AM
David H’s comment is:
I like the idea new logo. The eclipsed Earth with the missile either aimed at the sun or reflecting its rays is a nice idea. The logo isn't great, but I like the 80s quality to it.
On Feb.25.2010 at 11:54 AM
Darrel’s comment is:
I'm appalled that you had to disgrace the fine sport of Curling by mentioning it in this article.
On Feb.25.2010 at 11:55 AM
BJN’s comment is:
DOPES
I CAN BELIEVE IN
Loves me some "star wars" engineer trading cards. Keeping the military industrial complex awash with cash since 1983!
On Feb.25.2010 at 11:58 AM
Vic’s comment is:
Also saw another really weird logo outside the White House... 5that had me really going paranoid. It had some white stars on a field of blue, set atop an undulating band of red and white stripes. Oh sorry, that was the American flag. I guess Betsy Ross must've been a Pepsi drinking, Obama supporting, Islamist Communist too.
On Feb.25.2010 at 12:04 PM
Mongoose’s comment is:
The red-stripe swoosh is utterly appalling, even if it didn't echo highly off of the Obama logo. What I see is a Bandana wrapped over a face like a bandit's mask.
The old logo was stodgy, but it has a definitive old-school Military-Space look to it; echoing the design of old patches, seals, and roundels, similar to the NASA logo: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NASA_logo . This new one is rather a mistake, down indeed to the Trajan. In fact, the Trajan sums it up well: this looks like an ersatz bad NASA logo from a movie like _Armageddon_.
There's no conspiracy here. You don't need conspiracies to explain bad logo choices. Brand New proves that every day. :)
--Mongoose
On Feb.25.2010 at 12:25 PM
***Dave’s comment is:
I confess I really don't mind the logo that much. Yes, it incorporates all of the design bits that people love to hate (swoosh! circle! starburst! gradients!), but does so in a relatively pleasing fashion. Not the greatest thing in the world by any means, but hardly the horror being snarked at.
What I don't get is, to riff off Catherine's comment, why, if the Evil Obama Administration was going to impose a new Islamo-Fascist identity on the US and the government, would it start with the MDA's logo?
What I'm actually waiting for is someone to criticize it, not for incorporating an Islamic moon-and-star (which it doesn't) as some sort of paean to Allah, but for incorporating it as a sign of our aggression *against* Islam (see! we're shooting missiles at the religion!). Which would just go to show that people will interpret things as they will.
On Feb.25.2010 at 12:49 PM
Christian’s comment is:
Jonathan said: "[...] and to top it all off, A STARBURST!"
It seems to me that if any organization should be allowed a starburst in their logo (why is that bad per se, btw?), this is it ...
Isn't it?
On Feb.25.2010 at 12:53 PM
Rico’s comment is:
Too bad they couldn't work in a Freemasonry reference or two as well. Then the "Coast-to-coast AM" crowd's heads would explode.
Sadly, we've become a nation of armchair conspiracy theorists. I blame Oliver Stone.
On Feb.25.2010 at 12:54 PM
gdewar’s comment is:
Is it a dopey looking logo? Duh. Yes.
Is it some crypto-Islamic-Obamaist-WTF plot? Um, no.
If this means that from now on any use of the red white and blue ,or any circular design means OMFG ITS TEH OBAMA, well we're in trouble.
Literalism taken to an extreme is as nuts as any ideology. Time to take off the tinfoil hats and breathe.
Oh, and once again - it's a dumbass logo!
On Feb.25.2010 at 01:03 PM
JC’s comment is:
The earth is a circle.
Ballistic missile arcs are swoosh shaped.
Explosions burst.
This poor designer was set up. I blame the brief.
On Feb.25.2010 at 01:04 PM
Rob Marquardt’s comment is:
Arno, yes that's the first thing I thought of too (and still do, over the other "similarities" : )
On Feb.25.2010 at 01:26 PM
grubedoo’s comment is:
"It's not a new logo. Well, it is, but only for the website and for those snazzy trading cards ... so we can recruit the best of the best talent."
"How much did it cost? Hell if I know. What I do know is that it took 400 revisions and two and a half years to get it this far. We figure to have the Pantone colors nailed down by 2015 provided we get back that 1.2 billion in government funding. Gotta keep this country safe from terrorists and commies."
On Feb.25.2010 at 01:38 PM
Shlok’s comment is:
There are a couple military patches that are just hilarious for this kind of hysteria - http://bit.ly/cwsF1h
On Feb.25.2010 at 02:51 PM
jonathan’s comment is:
@ Larry: Larry, as a designer, I'd hope you know there's more to being "creative" than throwing shapes and gradients together and calling it a logo. What does this logo say about Missle Defense? About absolutely nothing. There's a big opportunity here that IMO was missed.
@Christian: Why are starbursts bad? Lets see... because about 99% of them ruin any ounce of good design, fortunately there was no good design here to ruin ;) This is National symbol that represents our country and its terrible. How as a designer, does that not upset you?
On Feb.25.2010 at 03:06 PM
derrick’s comment is:
I don't see a similarity to any Islamic symbols there, but it is undeniable that the logo is way to similar to the Obama campaign logo. I mean, come on - blue containing circle, red swooshes. How could they overlook this in the design process?
On Feb.25.2010 at 03:27 PM
Joseph Maguire’s comment is:
This whole thing is full of nuttiness. The logos are different end of story.
On Feb.25.2010 at 03:44 PM
Dallas Criminal lawyer’s comment is:
Like the new logo but not entirely sure why they went in that direction.
On Feb.25.2010 at 03:55 PM
Jesse’s comment is:
Actually, the other logo's mentioned, don't really have as much resemblance to the the design as this logo, made for the russian space program 'Interkosmos' http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/d/d4/Interkosmos.svg/120px-Interkosmos.svg.png
Look at that, it's round, there's a star with a swoosh coming from below the logo, similar to the mda logo.
I think the Interkosmos logo is actually a brilliant logo for the time.
On Feb.25.2010 at 04:14 PM
John Lascurettes’s comment is:
There's only so many ways American bunting (red & white stripes and blue & white stars) can be reused. And the form of the logo is perfectly logical for what it represents. To connect these as a hybrid of the Obama campaign logo and the symbol of Islam is purely circumstantial and absurd to take beyond that level.
Also, as pointed out, the logo was in use before Obama's tenure in the White House.
Now about that Trajan …
On Feb.25.2010 at 04:28 PM
richard Hollant’s comment is:
Question for Dallas Criminal Lawyer:
I'm curious how you could like the logo if the choice of direction isn't clear to you...
If it had a mushroom cloud on it and a happy family looking on with binoculars, it would be impossible to cut the MDA's budget. And then I would understand.
On Feb.25.2010 at 05:40 PM
toriokyo’s comment is:
It's so easy be an armchair quarterback on any creative decisions in hindsight. This logo is fine for the government's purpose. It incorporates the standard patriotic red white and blue, it not only mimics the swoosh of a missile, but the stripes on the flag, it implies a blue shield with a planet shape in silhouette, and the flare echoes back to the old logo creating a kind of continuity. Cut the designer a break. This is much ado about nothing.
On Feb.25.2010 at 07:21 PM
Tez’s comment is:
Frankly the only company that really has any business toying round with swishes is Nike! Everyone else leave it alone you look like a strap-on!
On Feb.25.2010 at 08:48 PM
Leighton Hubbell’s comment is:
It is utterly ridiculous.
Our nation's has a rather flippant attitude and apathy towards anything commercial these days. Unless it's anything that's even remotely similar to Obama's campaign. It seems like any logo with red, blue and a circle in the design, screams mimicry and conspiracy theories.
Sadly, government-related design has been so bad for so long that anything halfway well designed is scrutinized and instantly related to the Obama administration – good or bad.
Have we forgotten that just about half of all military-related logos from missile programs to infantry units are designed in a circle? The logo is in a general sense, OK. For a military logo, it's quite an improvement.
Please people, give it a rest. Circles will be used long after Obama has left office.
On Feb.25.2010 at 09:09 PM
MJ’s comment is:
I kind of like the old badge. Reminds me of the Apollo patches that you would see at NASA. Of course, that's probably why the patch looked as such since NASA's real mission from the 50s to the 80s was to develop rockets that could launch warheads AND space exploration.
On Feb.25.2010 at 09:53 PM
Haro’s comment is:
I know close to nothing about design but I kind of like the new one. Not sure if I like it better than the one it is replacing, but I like it. The fact that it makes the wing-nuts crazy is a plus.
On Feb.25.2010 at 11:31 PM
Robin’s comment is:
The old logo looks like NASA mission patch. That is more fitting for the MDA. The new logo looks like something you throw in the "10 to chose from" pile and hope they don't see it.
On Feb.26.2010 at 12:29 AM
sukisouk’s comment is:
Obviously, America plans to attack the heart of the islamic culture O.O Bombs on Mecca?
Yes, I voted for „this whole thing is ridiculous“ ^^
On Feb.26.2010 at 06:48 AM
K’s comment is:
This post makes no sense.
On Feb.26.2010 at 08:18 AM
Keith’s comment is:
Frankly, while the logo and ensuing hubbub from the lunatic fringe are both comical, it's not so funny to me that this country (USA) seems to be devolving into some kind of hysteria reminiscent of the McCarthy era in its urge to tar people based on nothing more than fantasies, spooks, and shadows.
On Feb.26.2010 at 08:20 AM
RB’s comment is:
What ever happened to the good ole American Flag as our symbol? For the record, the Democrats are trying to make this a socialists country and if you are unable to see that you are part of the problem as well.
On Feb.26.2010 at 08:29 AM
John’s comment is:
Thank you, Mr. Sockwell, for providing a left-wing conspiracy theory as a compare-and-contrast to the right-wing conspiracy theory articulated above. That's very fair and balanced of you.
On Feb.26.2010 at 08:32 AM
Derek’s comment is:
I don't mind the typography. I definitely prefer the Before version. Reminds me of the logos on all my old space Legos.
On Feb.26.2010 at 08:47 AM
Aaron A.’s comment is:
The logo would be fine if it were within the context of a streamlined, clean website. As it stands, the site design looks like something out of the early 00's and the logo ends up looking, for lack of a better term, puffy.
On Feb.26.2010 at 08:52 AM
bill’s comment is:
looks to me like it's representing america as superman, flying around the moon to blow up missles from north korea or russia
sure does remind me of the obama logo... but as far as the conspiracy theory goes, c'mon, i think people are reading into this kinda shit way too much...
think briefing wise... "we want this to look as much like the islamic symbol as possible... "
a bit unrealistic! wouldn't the designer be like, what the fuck... tell someone, who would tell someone,,, and bam... before the logo is even designed, we'd here about some fucked up intentions.
get real. it's just a shitty logo!
On Feb.26.2010 at 09:17 AM
Katie’s comment is:
74 people voted no? Are they high?
On Feb.26.2010 at 09:45 AM
Henry ’s comment is:
listen to conspiracy radio with Paul A. Drockton M.A.!
On Feb.26.2010 at 10:25 AM
Ebbe’s comment is:
When I first saw the comparison this theory is based on I thought the new logo was supposed to be a declaration of intention to strike at the very heart of Muslim nations! While equally silly, it would at least be in line with current American foreign policy. How wrong I was...
Stupid theory, bad logo.
On Feb.26.2010 at 11:01 AM
jen’s comment is:
Not a conspiracy, just a complete and utter failure by a design team to consider context. The logo by itself with no references to Obama's logo, etc., is okay, not great. Once you consider the Obama logo, it simply becomes ridiculous.
On Feb.26.2010 at 01:52 PM
jen’s comment is:
On second thought, for some reason this logo also connotes Marvin the Martian for me. I don't know why...helmet? I'm **positive** that's what the designers intended...
http://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en-us&q=marvin+the+martian&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8
On Feb.26.2010 at 02:00 PM
evan’s comment is:
the old logo definitely looks similar to a NASA mission badge.
http://www.infognito.net/images/apollo-14-insignia1.JPG
I have always associated NASA with science so i guess this new logo suggests that missile defense is a part of different institution.
when i first looked at the new logo, i was reminded of the typeface and spacing used in "I Am Legend"
http://www.impawards.com/2007/posters/i_am_legend_ver4.jpg
I also think the new logo would be much more effective without the red and white striped ribbon. It seems to contradict the other curves in the icon and fails to give the impression of a missile.
ps. missile defense is retarded and unneccessary.
On Feb.26.2010 at 03:14 PM
Andrew Keir’s comment is:
" This is hitleresque… "
lol. Yeah, the moment I saw the logo I instantly new Obama was secretly out to rid the world of jews...
On Feb.26.2010 at 03:36 PM
qwertyale’s comment is:
really so close iranian logo
On Feb.26.2010 at 03:38 PM
David Sanchez’s comment is:
Like anything with militia symbolism, rather than take this brand effort with remarks is twisted and taken to far fetch narrow minded levels. God bless constructive criticism and above all subjectivity.
As a Washingtonian, and used to nonsense rant.
The logo is evokes slight essence of the US Air force brand identity (Which I love), besides that Red and blue are somewhat obvious patriotic colors literally owned on the US. Similarities with the Obama identity are somewhat indistinguishable in terms of colors and some basic metaphoric details but not exclusive.
Overall, a classy, beautiful and well executed brand by TMP a former Monster Worldwide company.
On Feb.26.2010 at 04:00 PM
Alex P.’s comment is:
I've also heard that on the other side of the logo is a swastika.
On Feb.26.2010 at 05:16 PM
mmykl’s comment is:
To loganswarning and good old reliable frank gaffney-you should have taken nancy reagan's advice and just said no to all those hallucinagens when you were younger. The flash backs can be hell. Hold on a minute while I adjust my tin foil hat, thanks, I know it bothers you, especially you frank that a democrat is president but the fact he's black must really blow your aryan mind (at least what's left of it ). I have seen you on c-span several times and each time i check to make sure i hadn't hit cartoon network by mistake. Keep up the good work, I can sleep more peacefully knowing the two of you are looking out for us.
