New Logo: at it again (please vote!)

Hi All,

Well I'm still trying to get the right logo. You know the drill. Which do you prefer?

The poll is open for a month but I'm hoping to make the decision by the end of the week so please vote now!

Which logo do you prefer?

POLL: more input on my logo please!

Hi folks,

I'm not super happy with my current logo so I've been playing some more. I figure my brand identity is pretty flexible at this point so I thought I'd make another attempt. So, without further ado, what's your opinion? I have added a brief description of each, below the poll, but it's probably more scientific to vote on your first impression :) Thanks in advance and I'd love some comments as well!

Which logo do you like better?

#1 - My first attempt. I use circles in most of my designs...kind of my trademark. It also reflects the shape of the light. This is actually based on a font with two lettter "P" placed back to back. My brother mentioned it looked  a bit like a torch (what the rest of the world calls flashlights) so I added the little hotrod flame. I like it, but it looses resolution really fast when it's small.

#2 - Still working with the circle but trying to simplify things and get a little more "iconic." This is based on the Japanese "mon" or family crest. They are always inside circles and contain some sort of graphic element. I started with a hexagonal shape in the center, which is the shape of the LED boards. I added the white triangle (upwards facing) over that because it's the alchemical symbol for "fire." That was cool but it looked a little too much like a recycling symbol so I added the next round layer that actually reflects the shape of the LED dome. So...it's basically a graphic of an LED board with the triangle added.

In general: overall I'd like to get the logo to a place where I can also hand-stamp the shape, and the #2 version is much more conducive to this than #1. I can also have this shape extruded and do an "inlay" on the side of the light (instead of a stamp) which would be pretty awesome. Anyway, let me know what you think.

Best credit card for small business?

Hi everyone,

So now that this is an official company, I'm looking to get a business card. This opens up a world dizzying possibilities. Any recommendations based on your experience? I think at this stage the bar for my actual "needs" is set pretty low. I don't have employees with cards, I don't travel a lot for work, and I don't have a fleet of vehicles that need gas. Mostly I need a credit card to put on file with my various suppliers. Thoughts?

New Name/Logo: I Need Your Vote! (only six days to vote)

Okay folks, this little project is in a time of transition. As you know, I just did a big overhaul on the website. You might not know that I'm on the edge of a big "all or nothing" marketing push. I'm going to be sending lights out to some big national magazines and top tier blogs. It's pretty hard to do that since I'm going to be flushing a bunch of lights down the toilet, but hopefully one or two will generate some badly needed big press. Yes, it's psychologically difficult to send out a bunch of my (very few) lights to someone who might just throw it in a drawer and never look at it again...but I know I need to suck it up and do it.

It's kind of like dating...hey, call me back...okay? 

Anyway, the last piece I need to put in place (immediately) is becoming a "real" company and incorporating a business. This also means I need a grown up name and a new logo. I was hoping to have you, dear public, pick my new name; but time is not on my side. So I bit the bullet and I'm going with "Prometheus Lights." I hope it doesn't suck...too late now anyway. In case you don't know, Prometheus is the Greek titan that stole the secret of fire from the gods and gave it to man. Of course he was severely punished for this but let's just ignore that part of the story for the moment. In Greek, the name also means "forethought" which seems appropriate in light of Wired Magazine's latest article on the future of LED lighting.

I was also hoping to have you, dear public, help me pick from a variety of logos I've been working on; but that pesky time thing is still a problem. I need to have all this sorted...say, in the next week. So, I spent a few days beating myself up about my lack of community engagement in the business design process, but here we are.

Click this image to see a full size version

What I need your help with now, is the final refinement! I've provided 4 versions for your viewing pleasure. Which one do you like the best?

Which combination of logo and text do you like the best?

Cheryl's Question: Answered!

Cheryl said...

"Do you have any plans for a smaller single cell CR123 light that would be more adaptable for EDC? The MC18-B has many things that I look for in a light - great design and beautiful looks, high quality build, premium components and American made. However, the MC18-B is just too big for my liking. 

I'm thinking there may be a large customer base for a smaller light. Just for kicks and giggles (and a little market research), maybe you could run a poll to see if there is any interest. Anyhoo, I'm so glad to see you've had quite a few sales and things appear to be moving alone nicely. I wish you continued good luck."

Hi Cheryl, first of all, thanks for staying tuned! :) Another great question...the "123 quandary" as I like to call it. I've deliberately stayed away from 123 (battery size) lights because these are quite common. Several custom builders already focus exclusively on this size EDC (Every Day Carry) type of light. Eventually I'd like to make a smaller light. Maybe 123 size or maybe AA size. So far there aren't too many customs in the AA size. Of course a small light means less output and perhaps less run time as well.

the 18650 battery (left) is twice the size of the CR123 size (right) 

However, in the interest of market research, here is a poll:

Would you be more inclined to buy the MC18-B if it was physically smaller?

This is a very specific question. The question is not, "do you like the idea of a smaller light." I want to know (specifically) if the size of the MC18-B is an obstacle to your purchasing.

Here is a scale shot from the store (just in case you haven't seen it)

POLL: Which "maker's mark" do you like best?

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UPDATE: Thanks very much to everyone who participated! I hope it was fun for all of you as well. Turns out it was pretty close between #3 and #4 so I talked with the company that is going to make my stamp. They thought #4 would have the best impression quality. They were concerned that the wider areas on the lettering (#3) would have to "move" too much material and that would excessively deform the stamped area, especially since the stamp is so tiny (only 1/8" in diameter).

Looks like I'll be going with #4 and I should have the stamp in about 7 days! Pretty cool. I'll let you know how it turns out and thanks again!

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So I've decided to have a custom "maker's mark" stamp made. I need to send it out pretty much immediately if I want to start using it on my next production run...so don't spend too much time thinking about it and vote now! :)

Something similar to this...

I came up with a few options. I'm playing with the letters "J" and "H"...which would be the letters of my name. So that's pretty much fixed. I'm not going with DS for Dark Sucks because this is a maker's mark and not a logo. Keep in mind that this stamp will be TINY. The circle will probably be about 1/8" of an inch in diameter. Maybe a tad larger.

I'm not a graphic designer so if one of my fancy friends wants to make a submission please email it to me! Basically has to be the letters "J" and "H' and inside of a circle. Without further ado, here is the poll:

Here are your choices!

Which "maker's mark" do you like best?