The Dork and Beans Logo/Identity Development
It’s 10:48, and I am burning my eyes in front of my computer. I figure today I have clocked in over 8 hours of computer time, which I think is just above my average amount of time. Having an internet obsession plus a graphic design job tends to keep a person in front of a screen.
My goal for today was to come up with ‘good idea’ of what I would like to Dork and Beans logo to look like. I don’t want to ‘really’ start promoting this blog until after we have established at least a semi solid identity. So until I come up with a logo, I can’t do all the fun stuff…
So I plunked myself in front of my computer fired up Illustrator, Photoshop, and Fireworks (plus I had Dreamweaver going as well, I was working on my wedding website at the same time) and got to work. My original vision was to have the logo as a photograph of a can of pork and beans photoshopped to say ‘Dork and Beans,’ but this wouldn’t work out very well for future plans (like t-shirts). I now have a can of pork and beans in cupboard which I will never eat. My next vision involved creating a can styled after the yellow no named brand. This was really boring. In the end I headed to Google images and found an awesome can of Heinz Pork and Beans. I thought it was stylish plus it would be recognizable as a parody of Pork and Beans.
I feel the can is still missing something. I just can’t figure it out. I wanted to add an ‘and’ in the design somewhere so that it doesn’t just say ‘Dork Beans.’ I plan on playing around with it more tomorrow, but for now I was hoping to have everybody’s opinion on the design thus far and what kind of changes they would like to see.
Jun 12th, 2008 at 12:12 am
I dig man …. super cool. Im sure you can make the tin part of the can a little shiny with photoshop. Kinda like the shine of someones teeth from a 50s toothpaste commercial. Or maybe a .gif so when you mouse over it it goes “ding!” and shines a little. Also…. for the “and” placement. Do it small where the yellow 1869 is. At the bottom where it says 57 Varieties, try something like critical failure, or 20 sided die. Emphasis on the DIE.
Dork and Beans
In nOOb sauce
All in all, I like it.
Jun 12th, 2008 at 7:04 am
I think we should all come up with a logo and then vote on it. That way when it comes time to market the t-shirts, we’ll have several designs on the ready. And It dosn’t put all the onus on The White. Anyone up for it?
Jun 12th, 2008 at 7:19 am
@Scott: I tried a few of your D20 ideas and the can seemed cluttered. I may work in a shine at a later date.
@Darren: Woah Woah WOAH! Now let’s not get ahead of ourselves!
Do you really think that ‘the boyz’ should start to come up with design ideas? Most of YOU haven’t even written a single post yet. So let’s not get ahead of ourselves. It’s tough to ‘market the t-shirts’ on a blog that has on posts.
Let’s have everyone focus on creating some interesting posts and articles before they get involved in the design aspect. Not that I am keeping score but I have put together this entire site, designed a logo and created 6 quality posts, plus a few other misc items, and most of you were always asking, ‘Chris when are you going to have Dork and Beans up and running?
Well it’s up and running…where are the posts bitches? Yeah I am looking at you Darren, Adam, and Frew.
Darren you are not allowed to comment anymore until you write a post. If you need a topic let me know.
Jun 12th, 2008 at 4:37 pm
I like the idea, but I think the can looks a little too flat and cartoonish.
Might also look better with a different color than blue, like maybe red or reddish brown. The shield is so obviously “Heinz” but the change of color would hint to “Campbell’s Pork & Beans” or “Bush’s Baked Beans”.
Possible that it also may look better if the dice is beneath the can’s logo, like where other brands would put the image of a bowl of beans. (and remember that “dice” is plural, and you will need 2 or the grammar nazi’s will hunt you down with flaming pitchforks and kill you in your sleep)
Here are some more ideas:
Make the can’s logo a bit smaller, and put a bowl of beans beneath it, with cartoonish heads of all you guys…maybe one or 2 heads on a spoon if you can fit that.
Or a bowl of beans, with dice in it, instead of “dork heads”.
Or the bowl of beans can be next to the can and not on it, with either dork heads or dice in the bowl with the beans. If you use the dice that way, then they don’t need to be on the can at all.
And no, I don’t have an obsession with bowls and spoons in logos, it’s just that it worked perfectly for my blog, and it could work well for this one too, since both blogs have a food reference in their names.
apps last blog post..I survived the Bad Storm In Northern New Jersey
Jun 12th, 2008 at 7:21 pm
Instead of the 5 in the d20, why not put “&” in it’s place? The idea of the d20 is put forward, so having an actual number there is irrelevant.
And I love the cartoony look of the can. To me it’s reminicent of the TV show, which is where a lot of people were first exposed to the DnD world.
Jun 12th, 2008 at 9:34 pm
@app: Thanks for the suggestions. Back when we started talking about this blog (5 months ago) I had the idea of dice (many, not just one) in a bowl of beans. I just though I had seen that bowl thing done awesomely well on a blog about craniums and soup.
@Robin: I may try the & instead of a 5. If you look at the latest version (in the blog banner above) I have added the and just above the die. I think this works, but I will give your suggestion a try.
I do like the cartoony look, as it will flow with my further ideas, such as cartoon pictures of us Dorks. Plus it is much easier to screen print cartoon images, than it is to heat transfer photorealistic images.
Jun 13th, 2008 at 5:01 am
I like the shine or “ting” i idea, that needs to be in. It definatly needs more dice on it like 12 or 4 sided, not sixes though. Keep it cartoony, I also like the color as is, but maybe inquire if its legal to be that close to the heinz logo. I like the bowl of beans on the side with our heads on it so people can relate to us. What the hell is that symbol robin. NO, it should stay numbers. Because, although the idea of the d 20 is put forward changing it would lead some people to question what it is so it should be left with the numbers on.
Jun 13th, 2008 at 6:04 am
K i like the general design, but what about giving the can some thick glasses that are taped in the middle, where you could put an “&” if you so choose to do so.
Jul 5th, 2008 at 9:03 am
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