[Now Funded] Help build a better Bitcoin logo!

[theymos]

The logo is pretty good and professional-looking, though I prefer Satoshi's logo (seen in the forum's favicon) when you just want a single coin and no text.

There's probably room for improvement, but I think the current logos are more than good enough.

[kuverty]

I think it's best to have these logos currently in use as they're fairly standard, as not to confuse anybody. I think they look good enough, I mean I don't think the € sign is a masterpiece but that doesn't take away my confidence in it (which I don't have too much, but for other reasons). We're not selling fashionable accessories to graphic designers or something like that, and the common BTC user should not have a problem with these graphics we already have. They're at least as good as PayPal's or VISA's.

[etotheipi]

I agree the current logo is good.  I don't think it needs change, but I wouldn't be opposed to alternatives if it didn't stray far enough to be a complete rebranding.  I think trying to rebrand Bitcoin might not go over well, but it is possible for users&merchants to slowly transition from one logo to a similar-looking logo.

I highly recommend 99designs.com as well.  I got my Armory logo done there (see my avatar icon, without the e^ipi), and I thought $300 was completely reasonable for the massive selection and amount of refinement I got.  You will have to have someone highly respected and trusted to manage the process (I'm looking at Erik), because it is a process:  designers will contribute tons of great ideas, and you need to constantly dig through them and rate and comment on those designs, so that designers can come up with further ideas, or refine existing ideas to the tune of what is desired. 

I think even if you don't end up with a design that you like, you will get tons of ideas, and $300 is nothing for such a high-value project.  I'll donate 5 BTC for it. 

A couple things to pay attention to, that I didn't think about before I got my logo done:

• (1) It should be simple -- just because it looks cool doesn't mean it's memorable and distinct.  Consider google logo (just a 'g'), nike logo (checkmark), facebook, etc.   Very simple and effective.  No 3D skills are required. 
• (2) One of my primary criteria for my Armory logo was that I didn't want it to be round, because if you look at your taskbar right now, you'll see that most of your existing applications use round logos/icons, and it to be distinct.  In the world of Bitcoin, that might be too much to ask for, because it will probably have a coin theme... but just a perspective to consider...
• (3) My logo requires gradients to render the 3D properly, and that turned out to be a total PITA when it came to getting shirts printed.   I had to pay for full-color printing, even though it's only a couple base colors and I was only getting a tiny print on the left breast, and that increased the cost almost 50%.   This isn't relevant for just shirts, there's a lots of applications where full-color is inconvenient (getting stationary created, making signs, etc).
• (3a) Extra credit:  the logo should also have the same essence when converted to binary-black-white (no greys), and still be identifiable when black-white is inverted.  This further expands where it can exist, and makes it even cheaper to include on Tshirts, signs, etc.  It doesn't mean that the base, hi-res design shouldn't have colors/gradients to it, only that it should still be identifiable and look good when converted to black-white.

The current logo succeeds quite well at all those criteria, but as someone who has spent a lot of time in Thailand, I do disagree with its resemblance to the baht symbol (Thai money). 

Just thought I'd pass along my own experience with this, since I had to go through the branding process 6 months ago, and have some experience now trying to promote my brand with a full-color 3D logo.

[/list]

[Boussac]

I highly recommend 99designs.com as well.

99designs makes sense only if we could pay in bitcoin..

I agree it's a good way to get attention from a large community of artists. It does require a bit of project management (we would need a poll to chose from a short list of designs): we used them to produce our paytunia logo to our satisfaction.

[Coinabul]

I agree the current logo is good.  I don't think it needs change, but I wouldn't be opposed to alternatives if it didn't stray far enough to be a complete rebranding.  I think trying to rebrand Bitcoin might not go over well, but it is possible for users&merchants to slowly transition from one logo to a similar-looking logo.

I highly recommend 99designs.com as well.  I got my Armory logo done there (see my avatar icon, without the e^ipi), and I thought $300 was completely reasonable for the massive selection and amount of refinement I got.  You will have to have someone highly respected and trusted to manage the process (I'm looking at Erik), because it is a process:  designers will contribute tons of great ideas, and you need to constantly dig through them and rate and comment on those designs, so that designers can come up with further ideas, or refine existing ideas to the tune of what is desired. 

I think even if you don't end up with a design that you like, you will get tons of ideas, and $300 is nothing for such a high-value project.  I'll donate 5 BTC for it. 

A couple things to pay attention to, that I didn't think about before I got my logo done:

• (1) It should be simple -- just because it looks cool doesn't mean it's memorable and distinct.  Consider google logo (just a 'g'), nike logo (checkmark), facebook, etc.   Very simple and effective.  No 3D skills are required. 
• (2) One of my primary criteria for my Armory logo was that I didn't want it to be round, because if you look at your taskbar right now, you'll see that most of your existing applications use round logos/icons, and it to be distinct.  In the world of Bitcoin, that might be too much to ask for, because it will probably have a coin theme... but just a perspective to consider...
• (3) My logo requires gradients to render the 3D properly, and that turned out to be a total PITA when it came to getting shirts printed.   I had to pay for full-color printing, even though it's only a couple base colors and I was only getting a tiny print on the left breast, and that increased the cost almost 50%.   This isn't relevant for just shirts, there's a lots of applications where full-color is inconvenient (getting stationary created, making signs, etc).
• (3a) Extra credit:  the logo should also have the same essence when converted to binary-black-white (no greys), and still be identifiable when black-white is inverted.  This further expands where it can exist, and makes it even cheaper to include on Tshirts, signs, etc.  It doesn't mean that the base, hi-res design shouldn't have colors/gradients to it, only that it should still be identifiable and look good when converted to black-white.

The current logo succeeds quite well at all those criteria, but as someone who has spent a lot of time in Thailand, I do disagree with its resemblance to the baht symbol (Thai money). 

Just thought I'd pass along my own experience with this, since I had to go through the branding process 6 months ago, and have some experience now trying to promote my brand with a full-color 3D logo.

[/list]

Thank you for your giant list of pointers!

I've gone through the design process multiple times with different projects and different designers. I'll do due diligence, don't worry!

Thank you for your pledge.

[artisbigshirts]

Here are some prototypes for an alt logo,

[bitcats]

Here are some prototypes for an alt logo,

Looks like an imprisoned pacman 

[Coinabul]

For those who do not think that the Bitcoin logo needs to be replaced. Rest assured I will be basing the new logo on the "pancake" logo.

I agree as well that Bitcoin already has been thoroughly branded with that logo, but that being said, whatever renditions my designer comes up with, at the end of the day, the marketing material will provide more than enough value.

I've decided to also release the marketing material with the old logo, as well as the new logo. Perhaps all the old logo needs is a font change?

Lastly, we are at the tipping point imo; enough ears have heard of Bitcoin. We're approaching the last chance to fully change the appearance of Bitcoin, and I for one think a more professional branding will do good things for Bitcoin.

Thank you to the posters above for the prototypes! Keep up the brainstorming, but please try and keep the pancake logo as the main inspiration!

[bitcats]

Perhaps all the old logo needs is a font change?

I personally like the font

[Kupsi]

I think the "pancake logo" is looking much better here:



http://www.bitcoin.se/2012/04/16/408/

[herzmeister]

Why a new logo? Is it because it has to look more "simple" and "modern", like this?

[bitcats]

http://i46.tinypic.com/2w3vmg5.jpg (NSFW)

No pancakes

[paraipan]

http://i46.tinypic.com/2w3vmg5.jpg (NSFW)

No pancakes

wow nicee 

[acoindr]

I agree the current logo is good.  I don't think it needs change, but I wouldn't be opposed to alternatives if it didn't stray far enough to be a complete rebranding.  I think trying to rebrand Bitcoin might not go over well, but it is possible for users&merchants to slowly transition from one logo to a similar-looking logo.

I highly recommend 99designs.com as well.  I got my Armory logo done there (see my avatar icon, without the e^ipi), and I thought $300 was completely reasonable for the massive selection and amount of refinement I got.  You will have to have someone highly respected and trusted to manage the process (I'm looking at Erik), because it is a process:  designers will contribute tons of great ideas, and you need to constantly dig through them and rate and comment on those designs, so that designers can come up with further ideas, or refine existing ideas to the tune of what is desired.  

I think even if you don't end up with a design that you like, you will get tons of ideas, and $300 is nothing for such a high-value project.  I'll donate 5 BTC for it.  

A couple things to pay attention to, that I didn't think about before I got my logo done:

• (1) It should be simple -- just because it looks cool doesn't mean it's memorable and distinct.  Consider google logo (just a 'g'), nike logo (checkmark), facebook, etc.   Very simple and effective.  No 3D skills are required.  
• (2) One of my primary criteria for my Armory logo was that I didn't want it to be round, because if you look at your taskbar right now, you'll see that most of your existing applications use round logos/icons, and it to be distinct.  In the world of Bitcoin, that might be too much to ask for, because it will probably have a coin theme... but just a perspective to consider...
• (3) My logo requires gradients to render the 3D properly, and that turned out to be a total PITA when it came to getting shirts printed.   I had to pay for full-color printing, even though it's only a couple base colors and I was only getting a tiny print on the left breast, and that increased the cost almost 50%.   This isn't relevant for just shirts, there's a lots of applications where full-color is inconvenient (getting stationary created, making signs, etc).
• (3a) Extra credit:  the logo should also have the same essence when converted to binary-black-white (no greys), and still be identifiable when black-white is inverted.  This further expands where it can exist, and makes it even cheaper to include on Tshirts, signs, etc.  It doesn't mean that the base, hi-res design shouldn't have colors/gradients to it, only that it should still be identifiable and look good when converted to black-white.

The current logo succeeds quite well at all those criteria, but as someone who has spent a lot of time in Thailand, I do disagree with its resemblance to the baht symbol (Thai money).  

Just thought I'd pass along my own experience with this, since I had to go through the branding process 6 months ago, and have some experience now trying to promote my brand with a full-color 3D logo.

[/list]

Thank you for your giant list of pointers!

I've gone through the design process multiple times with different projects and different designers. I'll do due diligence, don't worry!

Thank you for your pledge.

I'll also recommend 99designs.com. I've been through the design process multiple times with different projects and various (talented) designers as well, finally arriving at 99designs.com. It's no comparison.

One designer may be talented, but just not have the best style for a particular project. With 99designs if you set a good award you'll receive designs from numerous talented designers. As you leave comments about designs you like all the other designers see it and start tailoring their work to that, not outright copying but putting their own ideas out.

If you have a favorite/preferred designer you can also invite them to participate in the contest. The difference between design work and programming is you can get quality production (and changes) super fast. As long as you have a good award price top designers will not mind going for it.

[MoreCowbell]

I've been impressed with the orange logo as a sort of spontaneous-order success.  It is attractive and simple with only two colors and yet still very unique.  It is easy to print on stickers and shirts.  You can recognize it at great distance on a sign and also as a small icon on a computer or smartphone.  I can't think of any other common logos that it can be confused with.  The ubuntu font used for "bitcoin" in the long form meshes nicely with the unpretentious style of the orange logo and bitcoin as a whole.

I think the satoshi design is nice as well, but I see it as more of a dress-up, formal logo since it is more complicated and not as recognizable at a distance.  It is riding on the coattails of gold coinage, whereas the orange logo is its own person.

I think a complete redesign would be a bad idea at this point.  I'm also not sure any slight modification of the orange logo would be worth the investment, but hey, it's a free currency, so do what you want!

[bitcats]

http://i46.tinypic.com/2w3vmg5.jpg (NSFW)

Yes, but VSFL  

[acoindr]

I've been impressed with the orange logo as a sort of spontaneous-order success.  It is attractive and simple with only two colors and yet still very unique.  It is easy to print on stickers and shirts.  You can recognize it at great distance on a sign and also as a small icon on a computer or smartphone.  I can't think of any other common logos that it can be confused with.  The ubuntu font used for "bitcoin" in the long form meshes nicely with the unpretentious style of the orange logo and bitcoin as a whole.

I think the satoshi design is nice as well, but I see it as more of a dress-up, formal logo since it is more complicated and not as recognizable at a distance.  It is riding on the coattails of gold coinage, whereas the orange logo is its own person.

I think a complete redesign would be a bad idea at this point.  I'm also not sure any slight modification of the orange logo would be worth the investment, but hey, it's a free currency, so do what you want!

I agree with most everything said here, particularly the strong points of the current logo:

* attractive, simple, unique, and only two colors makes it easily adapted to other things (black and white, t-shirts, cheaper printing, etc.)
* easy to recognize at a distance
* has its own personality not easily confused with anything else

I think it will be hard to get a new and better logo which retains all that, but I do think improvement may be possible.

Edit: I just noticed the username of who I quoted. LMAO

[goodlord666]

Reading this post reminded me that I had supplemented the original (?, or at least most commonly used) logo a while ago for personal use but never posted it anywhere.

Unfortunately, skull88 never sent me the source file as promised so I could only edit the bitmap. I still like this one best for its shiny goldish look and feel. And I felt the stars and Latin phrases had to go for something more fitting. Font used: Legion.



1.0 BTC to whoever's first to guess what the binary represents.
See here: https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=92954.0

[etotheipi]

Reading this post reminded me that I had supplemented the original (?, or at least most commonly used) logo a while ago for personal use but never posted it anywhere.

Unfortunately, skull88 never sent me the source file as promised so I could only edit the bitmap. I still like this one best for its shiny goldish look and feel. And I felt the stars and Latin phrases had to go for something more fitting. Font used: Legion.

1.0 BTC to whoever's first to guess what the binary represents.

It's the magic bytes for the main network isn't it?  "f9beb4d9"

EDIT:  nm, I was rushing to get the right answer and thought I saw pieces of the magic number.  But now that I actually see all possible rotations of the string, I'm not seeing the magic number...

But that wouldn't be a bad 4 bytes to use...

[bitcats]

Looks nice but very "greek"