Please, shh is on the right track there. I really like his fonts. I don't like the lightbulb too, but I think that's where you should be going.

LIFE wrote:



Maybe have the long "k" have a flag at the top with a question mark on it or something...
Like the mast of a ship (lifeboat)...

Or the pirate flag!

Personally, I'd like to see a butterfly in the style of the feathers above. That'd look appealing, I think, and it would equate to both Cali and Sir Cyril Astley Clarke (thanks to Peter Harrison's blog for finding out about him). It would imply gentleness and intricacy. A rat would be more relevant, but I think a picture of a rat would look pretty tacky and make us look like a load of street bums - it would be very hard to make that look good.

And yes - keep to Shh's font, I say. It's nice a clean. Gothic fonts may look more interesting, but it will also appeal to only certain people and imply a certain image too. Shh's font (looks a bit like Century Gothic?) is nice and generic - good for a logo.

Luis Dias wrote:Please, shh is on the right track there.

Yes, discourage others to post here

Luis Dias wrote:I really like his fonts.

It's only one font

Luis Dias wrote:I don't like the lightbulb too

Who else said he wouldn't like it?

LIFE wrote:

Luis Dias wrote:Please, shh is on the right track there.

Yes, discourage others to post here

I'll discourage any efforts to turn this place into a Twilight party fest!

Luis Dias wrote:I really like his fonts.

It's only one font

Sure? You think that the question mark is the same font then? Hm. Could have a point there.

Luis Dias wrote:I don't like the lightbulb too

Who else said he wouldn't like it?

You said you didn't like it. I agree. What? Were you discouraging him to post here?

Luis Dias wrote:Please, shh is on the right track there. I really like his fonts. I don't like the lightbulb too, but I think that's where you should be going.

Hehe, it's helvetica, the ultimate in rational fonts, but you're right, the question mark and the words are different variants
I did try for the question mark doubling as a light-bulb, but it seemed a bit too busy, it didn't add, it just confused, but I'll keep at it, I like the idea, but not every good idea actually works.
Just to show what I mean about it not mattering too much about whether it's ratskep or rationalskepticism here's some variations:

I still think there should be more people throwing up some sketches here, I realise this is a competition, but the best way to get to something good is feedback.
I'd be careful with the gradients, I've used them in the past, and it's hard to get them consistent across different media, print and screen are two very different things when it comes to colour, even more so where the colour is graduated. That's not to say don't do it, just be careful. when we get something final, I'd like to see it on mugs, mousemats, etc. etc. and the simpler it is, the better they'll work.
And I'm still gonna put some rats up.

Luis Dias wrote:I'll discourage any efforts to turn this place into a Twilight party fest!

But vampires are trendy! Look: (but I confess you've got a point)

Luis Dias wrote:You said you didn't like it. I agree. What? Were you discouraging him to post here?

No I said I do like the idea That's why I was wondering about your reply

I hate gradients in fact. I like grey mixed with powerful colors, like black, white or red... like you do there. I enjoy the upper right one, except for the lightbulb. If it's going to be something of an extravagant question mark, why not making it even more ubber dubber extravagant? Flamboyant, even? As it is, it's neither meat or fish as we say here in Pt... and it only looks like bad design.

I like helvetica. Always have. Looks serious and informal at the same time. Looks like a guy well dressed and business ready, without the tie and the pinguin jacket. Looks like someone who knows to be serious and to be funny, when its time.

No helvetica please. Too dull.

Oliver wrote:Start with a brainstorm of everything you envision when you think of this web site.

Right potential symbols. Deep breath in....

....mathematical symbols, the solar system, books, a question mark, a lightbulb, the large hadron collider, chemical symbols, the atom, DNA, other microscopic structures, the multiverse, black holes, building or symbols from classical civilisation, famous scientists, Newton's apple, Darwin's finch, Lonesome George, the Earth, the microscope or telescope, magnifying glass, the RS initials, the eye, the brain, space travel, FSM, a tree......erm, that's all I can think of right now.

Luis Dias wrote:I hate gradients in fact. I like grey mixed with powerful colors, like black, white or red... like you do there. I enjoy the upper right one, except for the lightbulb. If it's going to be something of an extravagant question mark, why not making it even more ubber dubber extravagant? Flamboyant, even? As it is, it's neither meat or fish as we say here in Pt... and it only looks like bad design.

Fair enough, IO wasn't going for extravagant though, it's a standard question mark, I just used a different font to keep it in tune with the writing, as it's scaled up quite a bit. Keep the crits coming though, these are all wips, and if anyone else gets any pointers that's even better.
Do you not like the question mark because it's suggesting a lightbulb, or just not like it?

I just don't like it. Feels out of place.

I really like the question mark - the essence is question everything.

Could the question mark be morphed into a rats tail as it hides behind or in the lettering?

I prefer the question mark on the ratskep logo rather than the rationalskepticism one. I think it's a bit lost in that one, and ends up looking a bit out of place, whereas it's a more dominant feature in the shorter version, and so is more obviously the main symbol for the logo. If that makes sense.

On the second ones, I definitely prefer the ones with capitals, although it looks fine without on the shorter logo. The capital one on the black background seems less bold too, which I think it better.

And now I think of it, I think the .org bit is going to have to be a prominent bit of any logo, because people tend to default to .com .net or .their country.

The other question I'd ask everyone is should the symbol bit of the logo be something that can be used as a standalone design, or is it better to have something, like Ssh's logo, that is intrinsically tied to the text?

I think helvetica's out, but I'll bear all this in mind.

I think helvetica is perfect for that question mark/lightbulb design. Whether that's the image we want to go for is another question, but for that particular logo, I think the font choice was great.

Having said all that, I'm trying to think what sort of business it reminds me of. I'm thinking a telecommunications company, ot something like that. It's the sort of thing that would look nice on a glossy leaflet telling you about your new phone contract. I don't know how good it would look in the context of quite a busy front page or as a forum header, because it's a very clean looking logo. It's the sort of thing I'd expect to see on one of those fancy java websites, where everything you click sets of a complicated animation to actually bring you to the thing you wanted.

Ok, to try get some idea what way we want to go font wise, here's some serif fonts against some sans serifs

And some display fonts (which are tacky imo, but it might help get some direction)

steve wrote:
Could the question mark be morphed into a rats tail as it hides behind or in the lettering?

That's bascially what I'm working on, but it'll be separate from the type, to keep it legible.

I'm With Stupid wrote:
And now I think of it, I think the .org bit is going to have to be a prominent bit of any logo, because people tend to default to .com .net or .their country.

It should be prominent enough, so long as it's there, it's worth considering though, maybe the o in org should get a capital too, or even the only capital?

No horrible novelty fonts, please. I think a clear, simple, straightforward one would be the best choice for a forum about rational scepticism.

I really like the direction shh is going - maybe something could be done with the question mark and the S in ratSkep? Two mirrored question mark-like shapes in conversation?

colours aren't right here, but I don't think there's any problems with it otherwise, except LIFE doesn't want helvetica. Sorry LIFE, I fucking love helvetica.

But anyway,just to show that the font really should fit the site I'll knock a few more mock ups together, but I'm off to play the drums for a bit, someone else can put some stuff up, it's a competition after all.

I think it should be sans serif. The two words there are serious enough, and to compound such seriousnessness with the serif fonts is too much penguish-n-tie for me. We are not that formal!!

So, "serious" name, not so serious fonts, modern ones, sans serif ones.