Competitions

Masters Gentry Architects (MGA)

Profile: Kevin Gentry
Company: Masters Gentry Architects

Opens: 22 August 2008
Closes: 20 September 2008
Prize value: US$500.00

Details:

This is a competition to design a new logo for Masters Gentry Architects, P.A. which is small architecture firm located in Asheville, NC. We are now in our tenth year of business and it is time to refresh the brand name. Currently you can see our logo at www.mastersgentry.com. However, be aware that the website is a temporary website (place holder) for an award winning website that existed for almost 8 years. We will launch a new website, business cards, stationary and marketing materials as soon as this competition has concluded. The logo you see is NOT the actual color of our logo, but was a slight attempt to refresh the logo with a splash of color.

Here is some direction to consider for your design:

1. I often do graphic design as a hobby. I am proficient in many photo editing and graphics software platforms. This helps me understand how your logo is put together. It also allows me the ability to know good design from mediocre/novice attempts.

2. The business has two principal partners: Mark A. Masters, AIA NCARB and Kevin M. Gentry, AIA NCARB

3. Feel free to design in any color or combination of colors. However, we will not ultimately choose a design that is full color (one that REQUIRES four to six color separations to print). Sure you can use four colors or more, but MAKE SURE your design can be boiled down to no more than 2 colors, preferably with a design that can be printed in 1-bit (line art)/ one color scenarios.

4. We do not prefer “3-D” logos or logos that have an extruded look.

5. Our current logo, as you can see, is very rigid. We feel it is limiting both from its rigidity but also its symmetry. That having been said, we are not opposed to symmetry or rigidity. We just feel the current logo has too much of each. Make sense?

6. We would like something very creative and frankly with the few above exceptions we are open to ANYTHING. In fact, the wider the range of possibilities the better. Modern, traditional…you name it.

7. The letters MGA do not necessarily have to appear in the logo. We are in the process of transitioning our name to MGA over the legal version of “Masters Gentry Architects”. Personally, I think I am ready to see a logo with an icon incorporated into it where the text MGA is not the main focus. Sure “MGA” may appear somewhere in the overall composition but it does not have to be icon itself.

8. The words “Masters Gentry Architects, P.A.” must appear somewhere on our business cars and stationary for legal reasons, but we prefer they be “fine print” or non-glaring when the piece is seen at a glance. We realize you are not designing stationary or business cards here.

9. One more thing on colors. Our former logo was a metallic copper color with the words “Masters Gentry Architects, P.A.” underneath in navy blue (sorry cannot remember the Pantone color). Copper metallic ink is cool, but is limited to coated paper. So on our basic stationary, it feels like mustard yellow. Ugh! So when considering colors, we are tired of blues and make sure you consider how your inks will print on many materials. Right off…….we like reds. But the sky is the limit if you can pull it off and sell it to us!

10. Inspirational words…..consider any one of these or all or any combination: We like hand sketching look. We like softness (colors not necessarily precise or between the lines). I like logos that you have to look at for more than one second to figure them out, BUT almost anyone can figure them out…..in other words do not design something that the average person has no idea what they are looking at….something that looks like a bloob on the paper. Make the logo look like it is well thought out. We like some level of detail, but not over complicated. Certain types of geometry are no stronger than others, so no clues there. I may write more here later.

11. More about the people behind the logo…. We are a very young firm. Our oldest member is barely over 40. We are full of energy. We are casual and laid back. We are not a sweat shop and in fact we NEVER work over time. We love traveling, especially in Italy. We have staff from all over the US and international as well. We do not design residential structures. Almost all of our work is commercial. We are known for our use and knowledge of high technology, but are skilled artists as well (away from the computer).

There may not be enough actual direct insight given here, so best of luck. We are just that wide open to a new look.

146 Logos submitted

Winner chosen

SKETCH

By: Shorty

(how to submitTo submit a logo for the competition, log in and upload your logo design, when uploading select the type as competition and select form the drop down box. Your logo will then appear as an entry under the competition, as well as appear in your profile and elsewhere in the site.)

Score:18

Comments:0