Mike Rohde from MakaluMedia is the designer of ProBlogger’s newly designed logo and today has posted about the process that he went through in coming up with it – from initial sketches to final design (and everything in between).
Between Mike’s write up of the process and Ben’s on the design of ProBlogger you should get a pretty decent insight into the process that we went through.
I’d be interested to hear any more feedback on the logo (and the design) now that you’ve had a couple of weeks to sit with it.
We still have a few more tweaks to go with the design – but phase 1 is pretty much in place (we’re going to move the job board to the new design this week hopefully and will be adding a print version also). So if you have any more constructive feedback please feel free to give it in comments below.
Some people suggested that the logo was out dated already but I’m not so sure. The circles make me think of community and connecting which is very much a blogging forte.
I think it is brandable, like the last one, and will quickly become known and associated with Darren Rowse. That’s the most important thing.
Congrats to both Mike and Ben. The design is inspiring. I want a whole redesign of my blog. :)
I really love the new design. It’s very easy to navigate and it’s very clean looking. The logo is cool. I hope one day that I can come up with something as sweet as this…
I’d like to see what you’re doing with the old one, too, though….ya know what they say, one man’s trash is someone else’s treasure :D
i like the new design as well as the new layout, yes i miss the old yellow color scheme but this one just has a better overall feel to it
Just out of interest darren (don’t worry, I don’t expect you to answer this), did you pay for the redesign or did b5?
I like your current design and layout right now because it’s clean and easy to navigate, but I am not sure about your logo.
It doesn’t look too unique if you ask me…
I like the new logo. It’s simple, elegant and direct. The three colors and simple font make it easy to reproduce in any media which is always a plus. A well deserved handshake to all those involved with it.
Very nice!!!
Thanks for the pointer – I am really trying to improve my image/logo design and that really helped!
Roberta – the old design was pretty trashed and I suspect not a lot of use to anyone without some serious reworking.
Glen – the actual redesign was paid for by b5 (although I guess that means partly by me as an owner of b5) and the logo was paid for by me. I paid for the job board redesign/re architecture.
thanks everyone for the feedback – keep it coming.
I think it looks great! I like it because it’s simple. As the internet gets more and more cluttered, it’s always refreshing to see a website that’s well layed out, easy to navigate, with a simple but catchy logo! Your blog fits the bill quite nicely!
I love the new Problogger design. It looks much more proffessional.
At first I didn’t like too much the redesign as it seemed to have a look “farther away from the rest of us mortals”, the old design seemed to me as if it made you closer to us, a more personal (and yet pro) design. Now after some weeks, I just love it and changed my mind on it. :-)
The one thing I just cant get off of my mind, as I did comment when you first displayed it, is the fact that you decided to remove the slogan “Helping bloggers earn money”. I thought it was a great idea to have a short descriptive slogan next to the logo, clearly visible as soon as you enter the site. It helps new visitors see what your site is about with only 4 words.
The logo is quietly becoming a favorite of mine, as I really like the circular design and the well pronounced P.
The design took some getting used to, but I now like it as well. It’s much cleaner and less cluttered than the old one.
On the downside, it’s not as bright as the old one. I like bright orange colors. I also don’t like not having your picture on the single post pages until you get all the way to the bottom, as I rarely get all the way to the bottom.
All in all, logo gets an A, re-design a B+. Way to partner with great designers Darren!
The new logo and design are very nice. The logo is very clean, crisp, and professional. Everything about the new design is excellent. I didn’t like the old design and I can’t even remember what the old logo looked like. The whole makeover is definitely a job well done.
This logo is perfect. When I first looked at it, the first thought that flashed in my mind was ‘community’ which absolutely suits your blog. And coming to the old design and logo – they are pathetic. This logo is quite professional and it’ll make a long lasting impression.
Hi, Darren!
I think that your redesign was a good thing for you site. It looks different, it looks fresh. I find myself coming to the site more instead of just reading it in RSS. And your stats show that I’m not the only one.
Having said that, I find that your logo has a problem.
I won’t accuse the designer of plagiarism, but when I first saw it, I immediately recognized the old DAZ3d logo. The colors are the same, the font is the same, even the circle thing is the same.
Well… not quite. It’s all not exactly the same, but the similarity was enough to confuse the brands.
Today in my RSS reader I’ve seen the Ubuntu logo. Again, the same idea of circle with atoms. And again, I’ve connected it with ProBlogger in my mind.
Now, with the logo design process is explained, I think I know what the problem is. You, together with the designer have followed the usual chain of associations for the site like yours. The community, the circle, the “atoms”. It’s been done before and I’m sure it’s been done a lot.
It’s unlikely that you will get into any plagiarism problems, but it sure doesn’t help your branding. Your logo is plain ordinary.
I hope you wouldn’t get offended for this comment. I’ve really liked the unique look of the previous ProBlogger design. I’m a little bit sad it becomes less unique. It is actually my very first comment in any blog. I guess I have strong feelings for the new design. Which is also good, isn’t it? :)
On a side note: it would be interesting to see, if your and John Chow’s redesigns will start a chain of “redesign wars”.
Many new bloggers are going to think that they must follow suite. They will start changing designs instead of developing their blogs with content and networking. Soon we might have a blogosphere full of ProBlogger design rip offs.
You may want to write a post on when and how often a blogger should redesign. And that redesigns are not for everyone.
Anyways, thanks for the great site, congratulations on your redesign and good luck to you, Darren.
Ilya Stremovsky.
A couple of weeks later and I still like the design. I always liked Rachel’s design too, but it was time for a change.
Mike’s logo is great and I notice it every time I visit. I know I’m supposed to develop a sort of blindness too it, but it hasn’t happened yet. I find myself looking at the logo a lot and trying to understand what it is that draws me to it. I think it’s the simplicity.
I also like the contrast between the fonts for Pro and Blogger as well the color. The thin/thick contrast works well for me. And the P atom out front gives it an extra emphasis.
Mike’s post is a good one as was Ben’s. Anyone with an interest in design should read both to get a better understanding of the thought process that goes into any design work.
http://www.rohdesign.com/weblog/img/photos/problogger-mini-v1.jpg
Now THAT is a sweet font in my opinion! Not sure it would work with your website though, but nevertheless. The logo came out really nice in my opinion, as did the design.
As I already comment on MakaluMedia (the comment is awaiting moderation), the softest way to express my vision about your logo, Darren, is: poor idea implemented in acceptable way.
I’m sorry to say it, but the logo is “accepted in acceptable way” only because it is Darren’s logo.
I agree with Ilya. This new logo and look is not “Darren Rowse” in my opinion. Especially the colors.
I like the new design. I took me a week to get used to, but I like it. It’s clean. It loads. It’s readable It’s easy to navigate.
If others say the logo is unoriginal, well, maybe they know. But honestly, it looks original enough to me.
I like this logo very much. You did a great job! I check websites on logo’s very much so I do know what can be made…This http://forum-hattrick.com/jasz/ is my favorite. But the web has a lot more great designers.
Ronald B, he moved the site to a dedicated server. =)
Now is http://www.jaszdesigns.net
Btw, this logo rocks! Thumbs up for that =)