PELUP-PELUP-PELUP-PELUP

Howdee blogees - I need a bit of feedback for some new designs and I thought where better to go than my trusty friends and fellow blogaholics.

Here's the thing. We are currently having the Capernwray website updated by an outside company (much to the dismay of the I.T. dept, cos we could have done it ourselves) and this other company has decided that we need to be re-branded and given a corporate identity (they're into marketing and all that). So, first they decided that we should get rid of the word Hall from our name, and just be called 'Capernwray' - which is fair enough, I spose, although could be a bit ambiguous and cause problems when there are other centres round the world known as capernwray. Anyway. They came up with a few logos, the main idea being to use the letter 'Y' as a torch and do away with the old one (hooorarrh). However, most of their designs were a bit pants, in my humble opinion. One thing that everyone did seem to like (in the meeting we had) was the font. Below is the best of a bad bunch...

It looks like a wave/squished dove/flame type thing and I only know that cos i'm supposed to know what it is! So I decided to do my own version...
Its still not too obvious that it's supposed to be a torch, but I think it has nice movement and is a bit more sophisticated than theirs. The problem however with my flame was that we were concerned that when it was reduced it might look like a ball of string. Below is the first sample web page with my logo used for the different depts. (holidays, sport+leisure, bible school and on-line store will all have a related logo to the main capernwray hall one)...


Try not to be too dismayed at the 'bruce almighty' type heading, I'm determined to put a stop to any clouds or holy glow!! As you can see, or maybe can't, the flame does get a bit messed up when smaller. The company decided to try some other designs, but after a few months came back to us with the NEW concept of 'Capernwray Hall' - minus any logo, just the font. I couldn't believe it, and think its a total cop-out. I don't think their 'design team' are up to much in the first place, and now think they just can't come up with any better ideas, so are trying to sell us the idea of using the name (including hall) as a way of not having any graphic item. I said I would try again.

Having spent so long previously trying to make a new torch, I decided that maybe I could use the Hall element....with a different spinny thing for each dept.

(couldn't come up with a bible school one!) The idea being that the graphic might be enough on its own to be used smaller, looking related enough to make the connection with the main Capernwray one.
Although I haven't presented these formally to the powers that be, some people have said that they would prefer a tower that looked more like ours and that they aren't so keen on some of the spinny things. These same people are very keen to keep some kind of torch graphic.

So, now I'm back to torches etc. and struggling to find a logo I like. It now looks like we won't need to use them as small on the site though, as the different depts will appear as menus across the top (just in type) so it has been suggested that I go back to my old flame (hahar).

I also tried the tower and flame and spinny thing...

Not sure if this looks like the tower is smoking though!

I guess the problem (apart from my lack of inspiration) is that the same design will be used as the main image to represent Capernwray Hall whilst representing each dept within that and being transferable to any medium where the logos are used. ie. website, headed paper, signs around the property (yes the old brown sign at the entrance will be going) to advertising. I think I need something as versitile as possible while always being recognisable as Capernwray Hall.

At first I really liked the idea of using a slightly abstract image ie. just the flame but then after working on torches etc. I think I got a bit scared that people might not know what it was, and that made me think we needed something a bit more literal. Now, I've decided that I was just being a coward and that the flames alone are ok, maybe even a little more intelligent (if you know what I mean, instead of spoon-feeding everyone). Now I'm working on big flames as a kind of background, with smaller flames if need, colour coded for each dept....

Then I thought that each dept could have its own separate flame and colour, and all together would make the whole logo...

My concern right now is about the legibility when all the colours are shown full strength

For some reason it actually looks better here than when printed. I have thought about fading the colours a little more or adding some text effect, to emboss it, not sure if that's getting too fussy though. Of course any colour combos are possible...

D'yer think this is a bit too olympics??

Anyway, the whole purpose of me telling you all this is for you to let me know what you think. Not just if you like it or don't, but also if it conveys the right message or if you have any ideas about what else I could try. This website has been in the process of being built for ages and now I feel like everyone's expecting me to come up with something straight away. I don't just want to rush it though, cos am conscious that its a big thing and will be used all over the place. So, am looking forward to finding out what you all think. Tar very much.