After days of consideration, eight made it to final round. Below are links to their works. Each design includes a description which was an important factor in this contest. Feel free to submit comments as to which would be your favorite, and why. As for a winner, will announce in 2-3 days.
Cheers
Sahar
MissLee
Description Snippet:
It was bound to happen. Reading the blog, taking in the general vibe, the ideas, the perspective…at some point you arrive at a turn of a phrase or an image and it strikes a chord; everything falls into place and your springboard is there and your kinetic energy levels go into high gear. Such was the case with Lala. Sure, I’m a ‘dog person’ so I’m automatically drawn but this was the photo that did it for me,,,,,
My thoughts: MissLee integrated a great picture of Lala in the logo. The description provided was well written where I agreed with many of her points.
LeahZero’s: “universality”
Description Snippet:
So, as I designed this concept, I had my father in mind. How could I express this huge, complex notion to him in a clear and simple way–and a way that didn’t rely too heavily upon the inherent meanings and connotations of language?
I haven’t shown this to him yet, but I think he’ll grasp it fairly quickly. After all, he’s a conceptualist himself, too.
So, this one is for my dad as much as anything. Thanks, Baba.
My thoughts: During the contest I asked participants to get in touch with their own artistic selves. If they can do that, if they can think of themselves rather then me, it would show in their works. Leah has done this many times over, hence so many of her works are in final consideration.
Symbolic: “Human/Earth/Sky/Voice”
Description Snippet:
My goal for this thematic challenge has always been to present as openly as possible what I believe is the essence of conceptual thought, and I think that’s why many of my designs include a human face. It’s the most appropriate context because it’s a context we all share, and as such it places a firm limitation on the contextual parameters, and in so doing makes the design more accessible. It leaves the design as open for understanding/interpretation as possible so that in addition to existing as a symbol for the conceptualist nature, it also reinforces the essence of conceptual thought.
My thoughts: I looked at this one for hours, it “talks”.
LeahZero: “the thinker”
Description Snippet:
The first time I visited the Conceptualist.com blog, this was the image that came to mind: the famous statue of The Thinker by the sculptor Auguste Rodin. I’m coming back to it now because, though I dismissed it earlier for being too simple and obvious, I think with the insights I’ve gained, I can see how it works.
Here I’ve sketched a featureless human figure with minimal definition in The Thinker’s famous pose, with one key change: his left hand is outstretched, as if holding something. In each man’s hand sits a copy of himself, marching forever larger and smaller. Stripes shoot out from the smallest figure to indicate motion backwards and forwards in time and space.
My thoughts: Leah has touched here on “self-examination” which is an important aspect of the conceptualist. Well executed.
LeahZero: “Conceptualist?”
Description Snippet:
Conceptualism creates a sort of paradox when it establishes that “universals exist only in the mind.” If this is so, how can a conceptualist BE a conceptualist? If he endorses conceptualism, then he is only a conceptualist in his own mind. And, conceptualism creates a need for an argument against itself! I find this interesting, as it implies a sort of recursive questioning of oneself, one’s philosophy, etc. I’ve tried to convey this idea of recursion in the design here.
My thoughts: Many thought since I love questioning that any work with a question mark would be my favorite. Leah ion the other hand went deep into herself to understand how questioning relates to conceptualism and came up with this amazing work of art. Again, well executed.
RetreMetro/Steve
Description Snippet:
Design in general stands as something of a metaphor for all of the above in that each viewer will surely bring something of themselves to the experience of a given design. The ontological status of objectivity-in-concepts notwithstanding, the present design has something objective about it: what seems to be enigmatic about it (the puzzle) can be solved. In that respect, it satisfies my belief, at least, that there are certain things that are knowable. And if that is true, there is a place for the conceptualist, both in the world at large and in the design world in particular.
My thoughts: By far one of the smartest individuals I had the pleasure meeting. I love his original idea of integrating a riddle in the logo. I have not seen anything close to it so far.
EvilPonger “The Conceptualist v.2.1”
Description Snippet:
Something simple, that came in a flash.
In a room full of people the conceptualist is the one looking at where no one would have thought to look before.
My thoughts: This one is the exception. It lacks good description but talks louder then words.
Symbolic “Instinctual Determination/Knowledge Accumulation/Active Participation”
Description Snippet:
My stylistic goal was to give the face a serene, yet determined look - as though he is concentrating, conceptualizing, and considering as he looks towards the future and gathers information (and all the while droplets of knowledge and seeds from his efforts spring forth and become real for others as well…)
But again - I wanted this logo to appeal to all of us on the same level, so I simplified the features as much as possible. That way the logo isn’t coming across as decidedly male or female which could sway perception depeding on who views it. Instead I strove for the look of a dedicated and aware human thinker/seeker.
My thoughts: This one captures the essence of conceptualism from the perspective of intense thinking. An amazing work of art.
Just looking the logo designs, this is my prefered one:
http://contests.sitepoint.com/contests/4207/entries/263329
Look likes it’s not part of your final selection.
Wow these are some ugly logos.
After reviewing them I think only the Thinker is the one that is of high quality.
I wouldn’t spend $100 on the rest.
I love how one can look at each design and see not just a logo, but something previously undiscovered within oneself. They take us a step (or three) beyond the usual goal with design which is wonderful to see, and so rewarding to be a part of.
Thank you again for inviting us along Sahar, and thanks also to my fellow designers for walking the path with me.
If I were you Sahar I would pick the thinker as the logo, many of the other logos are fantastic visually but the thinker embodies, from what i understand, your view of the world and domaining in general. That is just my impression of you from what i have read on your blog. Alternatively you could also your the thinker for assista.
Cheers
@John Wik - now there’s someone who was paying attention…
The first one. It captures two things I see in your blog everyday.
1) Vision
2) Infrastructure (in this case internet infrastructure)
“The thinker” is the best logo without a doubt. Although some of the others were decent, half of these I would never consider using professionally.
Thank you for considering me as a finalist! I think there are some great choices here, and as I mentioned to him earlier, I’m very partial to Symbolic’s “spiky headed guy.”
He captured a simple, iconic elegance with this logo.
Nice work all around, folks. Best of luck to all.
@ Robert Q., it looks to me like Sahar already tried pumping the Web 2.0-obsessed “pro” logo crowd for a design, and didn’t get what he was searching for. I thought that was why he upped the stakes and ran a new contest–to find a brand image with depth, meaning, individuality. Eye candy isn’t everything.
“The Thinker” is by far the best one of the bunch
I am not really impressed by any of the logos. When I think of what conceptualist.com offers I just don’t see a match with any of the final selections. If I try to define a conceptualist, I come up with someone who is more than just a thinker - anyone can think. IMO, a conceptualist is someone who is able to discriminate wildly divergent concepts into a working model than can be acted upon. Events, words, technologies… these all form together to create a foundation where the conceptualist stands, and pulls together valuable data that is then converted into something that everyone can act upon.
Again, it’s just my opinion, but none of the logos fit my personal definition of a conceptualist.
Thank you for shortlisting my entry (and for reinforcing my belief in the communicative and emotional power of an image)
@joe Yes, part of a conceptualist’s essence is the ability to build on previous knowledge. He spends time contemplating an idea, which is then realized in one swift, virtuoso movement. I think that more than one logo touches on this subject.
Congratulations to all finalists,
Wiktor.
all ugly logos…. only one worth winning is the first finalist you posted.
What is constructive about referring to any of the logos as “ugly”? What value does that have to the person making the comment, to the logo creators, to Sal, or to the readers of this site?
Anyway, my personal favorite is the first — its a great logo and it immortalizes something personal to you. I’d remove the side decoration on the circle though - the part with the “bubbles” in it, that makes the logo look like the front of a 2000AD/Judge Dredd cartoon. But it’s all subjective and that’s just my personal taste.
The Conceptualist v.2.1 by evilponger — by a long mile. You just have to love that mixture of philosophy, obviousness and irony that this logo represents. Not to mention that it just sorta blends in with the site. Well done to the other authors as well, but with all due respect, I find their artworks a bit too abstract / incompatible. Then again, that might just be me misinterpreting the whole concept of a conceptualist, and quite easily also the one thing that you’re actually after - at the end of the day, it’s your call. In any case, those are some great artworks and marvellous logos.
While there are many examples of well executed graphic illustrations, I find myself examining the concepts behind the visual images in addition to the descriptions by each artist. In my opinion, while the thinker is certainly a widely recognized figure, I wonder if perhaps it may be too much so. My mind turns to many occasions when the mere mention of architecture triggers an almost Pavlovian response of the “I like Frank Lloyd Wright” cliche. Now there are certainly people out there who appreciate Mr. Wright’s work but I imagine that 90% of responders would be hard pressed to name another architect besides Mike Brady.
I too have to admit that I am fond of MissLee’s entry. I like the art meets architecture portrayal and find that it has merit beyond the truly charming use of the dog, I can see it as a portal allowing us to see a moment in time or a view from another perspective. I envision the smaller orbs as traveling on a conveyor belt of new portals each a vignette awaiting our consideration and interpretation.
Here is my winner and the reasons why I picked that (in the end). >>> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPFXvhQL6BI
Thank you.