Comments on: 2010-03-02 | Mountain Child

By: tcanny

tcanny — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 17:02:41 +0000

Yes swink…the blade thing..really! The point people are making about the mountain is that at initial glance it doesn’t communicate a mountain because the first thing they see is what looks like a bayonet rather than a highlight on a mountain. And with logos, first impressions count. Sure, we as designers will look at it longer and try to figure it out, but the average audience member will just think, hmm, that’s weird and move on. And then the whole point of brand awareness – communicating the idea behind the product/service – is subverted. And maybe if logo design wasn’t this persons strength then maybe she should have taken that as a clue to not attempt it or at least to get input on the design before submitting it to the client. You said it yourself, logo design is much harder than it looks. I think this logo proves your point.

And finally, my major pet peeve with the comments here are those that seem to be more concerned with pumping up the designer’s self-esteem than with helping the designer become a better designer, which in the end will really give them something to be proud about. Designers can always get better and no one ever got better being told that their work was perfect. Please, if you like something about a logo, tell us why, and if there is something you don’t like, tell us why, too.

By: swinkzdesign

swinkzdesign — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 16:36:57 +0000

Come on people….the blade thing..really? When you look at the logo you know it’s a mountain and you know that it’s snow not a knife, I think the designer did a great job…logo design is much harder then it looks, and for someone who says this isn’t there strong suite then koodos to you I think you have a good one here. It goes really well with the website.

By: Rita Frizzell

Rita Frizzell — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 16:14:27 +0000

The logo can be seen by going to MountainChild.org.

Amy, as someone who has close ties to Tibetans and Nepalese, thank you for helping this organization. Love the font you chose to go with the icon, which isn’t that controversial to me.

By: Dominic Rödel

Dominic Rödel — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 11:26:07 +0000

Thats so Danone

By: Jim

Jim — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 09:19:19 +0000

By us at least…

By: Jim

Jim — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 09:18:53 +0000

Darn, I wish I could have seen the logo. If nothing else, it’s been controversial and therefore will be remembered!

By: Anything Graphic

Anything Graphic — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 03:17:48 +0000

This is the most heated discussion I’ve seen on LOTD… ! Poor guy…

By: Smithy

Smithy — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 03:06:23 +0000

Amy, I liked your reply. Don’t worry, you’re not the only person to design something simular to another design. I liked the website and it’s for a great cause.

Good Luck!

By: Adamo

Adamo — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 02:03:02 +0000

OMG, you’re all ridiculous. Complete overreaction with the Danone Logo. You really think they were the first to come up with the silhouetted face in a circle? LOL, obviously everyone is more happy to sling sh*t and accuse people of forgery than give out constructive criticism.

The new Danone logo was release in 1994. There are copious amounts of logos with heads looking up in the air designed WAY before that. Lol, heck, I have change in my pocket older than that! – All looking mighty similar. Maybe you should go judge them to while your at it.

All this logo suggests is that its a little cliche. I DO agree about the graphic element above the childs head, does somewhat portray a blade – not a brilliant look. Besides that the design aesthetics are very good.

By: Amy Stoddard

Amy Stoddard — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 21:45:33 +0000

Hi guys. I am the designer of that logo and I honestly never gave that Danone logo a thought. I’d seen the Danone logo years ago, but I’ve been living in South Korea for almost two years. There aren’t any Dannon products here. I feel terrible that it’s being accused of such a blatant rip off. I can agree with the arguments re. The knife point. My expertise isn’t really in logo design. I guess I have slot to learn. But I’m glad I got the chance to submit this…even if I have to endure the rotten tomatoes. Regardless, it’s helping hundreds of kids who might not otherwise have a chance to be teenagers.

By: Smithy

Smithy — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 20:54:21 +0000

I think it’s brilliant. I’d hope I would have knife if I was in Himalaya Mountains.
The designer is a genius.

By: Jacob Cass

Jacob Cass — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 19:58:46 +0000

Deano,
Believe me, there would be hundreds on that site, and even more on the ‘definitely not’ on LOTD. As mean as that sounds, it’s the reality.

By: Deano

Deano — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 19:29:40 +0000

Today’s comments are more entertaining than only giving praise to great logos. This is good stuff. It’s good for designers to get a sobering honest review. Perhaps Jacob could start a site called Almost-LOTD:-)LOL

By: tcanny

tcanny — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 19:19:13 +0000

Maybe the organization is funded by Danone. They seem to do some socially conscious / philanthropic work. If that is the case (which I don’t know either way) it would make sense if the logos were similar.

And yeah, it looks like a bayonet is being held over the child’s head.

And, not for nothing, but isn’t the Star of David a six-pointed star?

By: cRenaDesign

cRenaDesign — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 19:11:24 +0000

For me, the kids look too similar. The hair, the eye, the angle of the head. Stars are common, placement is the problem there. I see the knife now, but I also saw the boy looking out of a telescope eye piece thing.

By: Jacob Cass

Jacob Cass — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 19:10:12 +0000

Oscar,
That is a good point, maybe I can void the image on the front page / this page and link to the old logo within the post. I’ll wait to hear from the designer on the matter.

By: Shane Hudson

Shane Hudson — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 19:03:23 +0000

Hmm VERY similar to the other logo mentioned, and I did not realise what I was seeing as a knife was actually the snow upon the mountain top until I read it.

By: David

David — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 18:59:01 +0000

I don’t think it’s a ripoff although I do see a grim reaper with a knife, about to kill that little boy there…

By: Oscar

Oscar — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 18:58:41 +0000

Sure Jacob, you should leave it as a discussion point but it would be pretty unfair with other well designed non rip-off logos that do deserve the award.

By: Jacob Cass

Jacob Cass — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 18:56:24 +0000

Neztra,
I do try my best to make the right choices for LOTD, however sometimes, in cases such as this, other users point out things I was not aware of / overlooked (such as the Danone logo or hidden knife). Rather than censor / deleting the image, I think by leaving it, it serves as a good discussion point. We all make mistakes.

By: Leighton Hubbell

Leighton Hubbell — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 18:46:37 +0000

I would be very surprised if the Danone logo didn’t at the very least influence this logo during the design phase. Client request? The child and star elements located within the circle are almost exactly in the same place. I don’t know if it’s a rip, but there wasn’t much effort put into making the two logos different, as these are very key design elements.

My feeling is, if the client made these design requests and there is a very close resemblance to the Danone logo, then I wouldn’t have posted this design for review.

By: Carlos Yabar

Carlos Yabar — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 18:45:58 +0000

Wow, honestly I can see a bayonet clearly and think it’s a bit creepy. On the other hand it’s very, very similar to the Danone logo, the only difference is the mountain-bayonet.

By: Neztra

Neztra — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 18:44:45 +0000

Usually, I think the choices for Logo of the Day are pretty spot on, but I have to agree with others who have commented on the plagiarism of the Danone logo. If it was just a similarity of style, that would be one thing, but the child’s face and star placement within the circle are virtually copy/pasted from the Danone logo.

I think we need a different logo of the day.

By: David Schoenecker

David Schoenecker — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 18:43:31 +0000

Initial glance and it has a nice feel to it. After seeing the Danone logo it is simply too similar to not be noticed. The knife part really should be removed or relocated.

By: Lasha Krikheli

Lasha Krikheli — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 18:41:50 +0000

It REALLY does look like the Danone logo, and if it’s just a matter of coincidence, I would fix this looking like The Scream is attacking the poor kid with his arm extended.

By: Christina

Christina — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 18:39:00 +0000

I don’t know about the rip-off part, but I definitely see the knife and think it’s creepy…

By: Jason Gross

Jason Gross — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 18:38:34 +0000

haha, I didn’t see the knife until mentioned. However, once seen it can not be unseen

By: Robert Bruce Thompson

Robert Bruce Thompson — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 18:37:51 +0000

Oh that is blatant, or just a case of nothing new under the sun. My money is on rip-off.

By: Rochelle Dancel

Rochelle Dancel — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 18:37:49 +0000

That knife coming down on the kid is sick – sooooo wrong!! If that’s a genuine mistake, they must’ve been blind when they signed that off.

By: Tommy

Tommy — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 18:22:26 +0000

Here’s a link to the logo that is being ripped off. http://www.seeklogo.com/images/D/Danone-logo-885A925007-seeklogo.com.gif

It IS pretty blatant.