I need help for a really good private website logo...!

Hello there, Please bear with me as I have never done anything like this before; I found this site after an extensive search through the 'net and really like what I have seen so far.

My own personal website is located at www(dot)seawings(dot)co(dot)uk and is nearly 10 years old now. In that time it has grown to become the largest website in the world for its subject - flying boats. Take a quick look at it and you will soon see the size of it; at the last count over 86,000 files long and growing all the time! So much for it being a 'hobby' site......!

It has been, and continues to be built using Frontpage2000, which I find ok for my needs, if a bit old and limiting.

But, there is one thing missing; a decent, credible logo. The one that is there now is the umpteenth incarnation and one that is boring and dull. Frankly, I have just not got the skills to produce one, and that includes the design 'knowledge'.

However, I know what I want and am able to show examples of work that I do like. Also, I will know straightaway 'the one' when I see it. So, please d'ont worry that I will be constantly seeking a re-draw or another style. I will know it when I see it.

As for budget, well I am able to pay for it but I do not know, have no-idea, what it would cost me. I would appreciate some help on that one.

If anyone is interested, please let me know.

Many thanks,

Best Regards,

SEAWINGS

Hi Chris,

Yes, obvious when you think about it!

One of the ones I do like is at www(dot)pdst(dot)co(dot)uk

Btw: How do I put an image in here?

Cheers,

Seawings

spelling

Here it is:

I have shown the whole banner but all I'm interested in is the logo. For me, it's the SORT of thing I'm lookinng for - I once thought that I wished it had been mine! but, I think I can do better!

Ok Guys, I wrote the above whilst at work. Here are some more details for you:

1) Flying Boats (PBY's in the States, Marc) have been used throughout the whole era of flight, and are in use today. (I do not personally differenciate between a 'flying boat' which is designed to land on water ONLY ie: it has no undercarriage or an 'Amphibian' which can do both, land on water OR land on a runway as it has wheels, on SEAWINGS) so, the logo needs to reflect thoise era's eg: WWI, WWII, and the present day.

2) I have attached here some images that I personally like. I'm thinking that the logo could carry one each of a significant type that served in these era's, and for WWI it would be the Felixstowe F.2A (itself a derivative of an American flying boat), for WWII the Short Sunderland and for later, more modern types, say the CL-414 Firebomber.

3) I like detail; the image in my previous post is ok but I think the flying boat, which is a head-on image of the Sunderland is too 'cartoony'.

4) I have thousands and thousands of images available!

5) The SEAWINGS site has a colour scheme which consists of a gray, a golden yellow, white and black. I just made it like this to be easy on the eye. The logo could pick up some of these colours to 'blend in' - or not, I really d'ont mind.

6) Flying Boats can be recognisable by others just by their respective 'noses' - the front end. They are so unique that 'nose' images would be enough to suggest content of the site.

7) The site caters for historic images, contemporary images, plans, models, manuals etc etc so it would be nice maybe to have a plan as the background upon which all of this is overlaid......?

Well, there are a few thoughts.

I hope that is of use to anyone,

Cheers for now,

SEAWINGS

Here are some more images that I like:

Hi, me again...........

A few final thoughts for now:

1) I don't want a 'modern' logo - one that contains a few 'wifts' of colour and 'sqiggly' lines that is meant to represent something or other.

2) By the same token, I don't want traditional either - nothing that looks like a coat of arms etc BUT I could be persauded by something that looks like an RAF Squadron Badge.

3) The SEAWINGS site receives and displays flying boat information from all over the world - I could change the title name to SEAWINGS International to reflect that (now there's a thought!!) BUT, it is based in Great Britain - England - and essentially I like and prefer the British flying boats, hence the images I have chosen. (The Sunderland is my favourite) Any way that I could incorporate the above Sunderland in the finished image would score BIG TIME!!

4) Size - if you have a look at the website there is plenty of room for a decent sized logo - it does not need to be that small.

Ok, that's it for now.

Any takers?

Cheers,

SEAWINGS

Well, that was quick!! Thanks for the effort.

Round or circular, that's ok - indeed I think I would prefer that, maybe.

As for the Union Jack, well, the site is certainly British but here maybe a touch too British.....! The flying boat is a cartoon-like CL-415 and overall it's nice but not (as yet) what I'm looking for..........

Thanks so much for the time and trouble - far faster to this stage than I would ever be.

I wonder what it would look like with the Sunderland image that I up-loaded earlier....?

Still, it's a ton better than anything I've yet come up with in 9 years!!!

Thanks,

Cheers,

SEAWINGS

I will give er a swing.
Please see my sig for my site address. There you can find my pricing and if it sounds ok for you let me know and I will be happy to come up with a few designs.

Cheers


proto

Hi All,

Many thanks for your interest, so far.

To answer the queries above:

1) The logo is to replace the (rubbish) one on the website.

2) It will also be used for a business card (should I ever need one) or at least a banner advert on other related websites. I don't even have one of those, yet.

3) It could definately be used on a T-Shirt/Mug etc that I could sell in my Fying Boat Shop to raise funds for operating the site (nice idea that - I also operate the worlds only Flying Boat Forum off of the site and the members may well wish to purchase one.)

4) It needs to look 'corporate' or at least 'semi-serious' to have 'gravitas' that would come with being the worlds largest reference website for it's subject (if that makes sense!)

5) It does not want to be 'abstract', 'cartoonish'.

6) Finally, it needs to have recognised elements of flying boats in the logo

Other than that, I would like it to be colourful and it dosn't need to relate to black & white (least I don't think it does)

Cheers,

Bryan

Hi KD, if you look on my website I have loads of images of the Spruce goose, if that helps.

In any case ALL the images I have on the website are ok for use by me in whatever form I wish AND I also have the largest private image archive in the UK (I am told) from which to choose images, again if that helps........

However, remember that there are loads of iconic flying baots over the years, The Catalina, the Boeing B-314 Clipper, the Sikorsky range, the Mariner, Marlin.....I could go on and on and that's just the USA!!

That's why I want to stick to one, two or maybe three (or p[arts thereof) in the logo to give it that 'worldy' feel............

Cheers,

SEAWINGS