To tell you the truth Nicholas I agree with Simon here is why...
I know your trying to be funny but you look more scary then funny. Your clearly going for children's shows and my wife saw this pic and said "Creepy!" and I asked her why and she said, " All I see is his eyes and they look Creepy" FYI she doesn't use that word to often...
I know you have a pleasant face so lets see it. Also the rabbit does nothing for me on the corner. Actually it does do something, It screams photo-shop!
I say keep the same Idea you have just show more of your face and scratch out the rabbit. Here is my logo very simple and yet very effective.
I know you worked hard on it but I would try something else... Peace Chris

Click here to view attached image.

As a professional graphic designer with 2 degrees in graphic design and in illustration, I would like to try and chime in here with some general thoughts and ideas based upon my years of experience of designing and specializing in logo and identity creation. Please keep in mine that my thoughts and comments expressed are not to be taken as mean-spirited but are stated as an opinion and as a way of offering help and advice from a person who does this for a living. I hope it may be helpful to you.

The problem with the logos that I am seeing here is that they are all a bit to cliche. This basically means that the ideas expressed in the logo has been done countless times before and are not as unique as they can be. A logo of any type must brand that person or service in the best way so that the company or service is stated clearly in the image mark that is created. It must communicate exactly what is the essence of that person's or companies service and stand out enough.

It must also have a very quick readability factor to it. A logo should be able to be used very small (on a business card) and still be able to be read clearly and easily without any problems. This is where you have to watch out with photographic style logos. When reduced to their business card size, a lot of photographic style logos just do not read as well as they should read.

Many of you use a logo and may understand the importance of it as a weapon in your marketing tool box. But you may not know that the quality of your logo can mean the difference between success and failure of your magic marketing. It really can be that simple.

Logos make up the most recognizable and international language in all the world. Like magic, a good logo can be understood by most any culture or language no matter what country you live in. A good logo will communicate exactly what that company or product is all about and it will do this in a matter of seconds. We call this brand mark recognition.

For example: If you simply see the wavy swatch of the coke logo, you will immediately know it is Coke and that is a quality drink that quenches your thirst. You will recognize it even without the word Coke or Coca-cola even being there. Another good example of this is the Nike symbol. This is a logo that is recognized the world over just by the logo mark alone. You simply see the swoosh and know immediately what it stands for and what they are all about.

Good quality logos do this easily because they can cross many barriers and provide your magical service with a means of delivering to your customers a uniform message every single time. But, your logo must be a lot more then just a pretty mark on a piece of paper. Having the logo look good is not enough if it does not help represent your services to your intended market.

Keep in mind that often times your logo is the first impression a client may get of you and the services you want to provide to them. With this in mind, your logo needs to show professionalism, quality and value. Your logo should try and meet the following criteria:

- Does your logo identify you and your services to your intended market? Does it show your market exactly what magical services you are providing and offering to them?

- Does your logo distinguish you from others with similar services within your marketplace? Does it help you stand out from the crowd and show professionalism and quality?

- Does your logo show to your customers the quality of service you provide to them?

- When people see your logo, can they tell you provide a quality product simply because your logo mark shows that same quality and thinking?

Remember that your logo is a big part of your overall image. If your logo does not do some of these things that I mentioned above, then it is only working against you and your overall marketing plan. As much as a good logo can help you, a bad logo can really hinder your progress. If your logo is a hindrance, then it is time to think about updating it and possibly seeking some professional help to do it.

Your logo design really is that important to your overall marketing. Your logo is really a part of the foundation of your marketing and acts as a way to consistently send out the same quality message to each of your customers. It tells them the quality of your services and separates you from a huge number of similar services your customer may be confronted with on a daily basis.

I hope this has been some help to you and gives you a simple look at how important your logo really is and gives you some guidelines for which to see if your own logo measures up to what it should be.

PS: I will try and take some time today to go over the logos here in this thread and see if I can give some specific pointers on what you maybe able to do to bring it up a notch if that would be helpful to anyone. It would be my pleasure to do so.

Kyle

Hi Nick
It loads fine on my machine <Mac> .
As a LOGO, it is a bit busy. As a website it looks nice and clear info wise.

I might suggest a little tighter cropping on a couple of the photos, pull in closer on your young man in the skellie suit-clear those table edges and raise the lower edge a bit- those color changes distract my eye!
I think I have to agree about that upper set of eyes. It seems to work out when you get to the lower image and see the full face. However, for the opening splash...well.
I almost expected the rabbit to move to another place and your eyes to follow, like to the brim of your hat, (?)
Kyle mentions the distinctive image, and this is so true. For those who remember the movies from the Home Alone series, the face of the child in the famous "Scream" mode <from the painting> really ties it to the product.

I realize you are playing on the use of your bunny, perhaps go over a video tape of your show and find that distinctive pose, bit etc. with the two of you and work that into a logo. OR use a close up line drawing of the rabbit in the groucho glasses?! 's different!
Best of luck to you on this!
Kay

Ya know, Nick...I like the site the way it is now. For me, it shouts "FUN!" I like the logo concept...but I can see where someone might view it as "Creepy." Maybe...if the eyes showed more "surprise" or "Aha! humor" than "suspense." But I really like the basic concept & idea...it's just FUN...and that's what your website should portray because that's who you are.

I certainly don't have Kyle's expertise or eye...and you should read his reply carefully. Great advice. But, from a layman's perspective...I like the fun aspect a lot! The site opens fast, fits my screen without scrolling.

Roger, re. your YourMagicDude.com site. You lost me as a potential shopper after the first 10 seconds of splash. I hate splash screens. H-A-T-E! When I'm surfing the web, I want answers, I want results, I want details...not fancy displays that waste my time...no offense. It's a brilliant display. It delivers a message. It's well constructed. But, by leaving me no way to SKIP the Flash opening and move on, as a shopper, I'm already on the next Google entry before your "Enter" button pops up. If you MUST splash, add that SKIP option.

Skip

Sorry to be a pains and keep repeating myself but....

How is the page width on your browsers?
Does the page fit on the screen or is it still having scroll issues?

Thanks guys for the kind words. I do appreciate them. Let me try and dive into this topic a bit more and perhaps even give some examples as well as state some of my observations on what I am seeing. I hope this is taken as a critique that may have some value and never as a personal attack on anyone.

The nature of what I do for a living sometimes freaks people out. The fact of the matter is that I meet too many folks who think that because they have a desktop program they are a graphic designers. I try and educate people as much as I can and also help give advice based upon years of experience. I hope this may be of help.

A logo really needs to be something that can be and should be used consistently. what you have on your website should also be used on your business card and on your stationary and on your promo kit. This use of a standardized and well-created logo then starts to work to help brand your name and services in the mind of the prospect. Seeing a consistent image sends also a consistent message as well. You start getting brand recognition working for you.

One problem I see too many times is that people change their logos around so much and so often that there is no consistency at all to the look and feel of their marketing materials. To a prospect this only adds to the confusion. You end up sending out different messages that makes the prospect wonder exactly what it is you are trying to say or convey.

Work on creating a professional logo or brand mark that is of top quality and that also brands you and your services in a unique way. It needs to not only be readable at a small size, but it also needs to say exactly what you do just by simply looking at it at a glance. It needs to be as unique as the services you provide. Every company and every service provider is different. That is why logo designers spend so much time learning about a person or company way before a design is ever worked up. Now here I will state one of my many educated quotes I tell people. lol

A LOGO IS NOT SOMETHING THAT IS DESIGNED ONLY TO LOOK PRETTY ON A WEBSITE OR A PIECE OF PAPER.

A logo is not about that. It is a mark that MUST communicate who you are, what you do and help your services stand out in the mind of the person seeing it. The only way to do this is to really create a mark that is unique and communicates well. This takes time to do right.

It is a process I go through with every design client I work with. They are amazed at the questions I ask and the research I do up front. Then it makes sense to them later when they see my logo designs I have done up for them. They see that I took this time to understand who they are and what their product is and what sets them apart from any other magician in their market. Their logo mark does not end up looking like anyone else's and it stands alone because the logo is communicating well.

Nick: I like your idea and I know what you are trying to do with your logo. In my assessment of you and what you do, I see a person who is funny and comical. I see a professional that loves and enjoys performing for children. I see you as a kind and family friendly entertainer who has a lot to offer. I also see you as being very animated.

With this in mind, the logo on the website has the right ideas in mind but does not work as well to bring these attributes out. Let me try to explain a bit more if I can.

The eyes looking over at the rabbit is a clever idea and a funny one. It conveys laughter and comedy and also magic as well. The problem is in some of the layout and approach of the design elements.

- I never like to use beveled test with shadow effects of the same color in logos. The reason for this is that it is hard on the eye. The viewer has to work at it a bit more. It also becomes "muddy" when reduced at smaller sizes as on a business card. If I cam going to do a nice 3-d effect with text, what I try to do is keep the text flat (not beveled or 3-d) and then use a color fill for the text. I then would copy that text block and send it to the back. I would then make the secondary or back type a color that can be black or a color that contrasts from the color on top. This creates a fun shadow effect that works, is easily readable and can be reproduced.

- The cutting off of body parts to me has always been a no-no of design. It can be done but there are certain areas where we designers know that a body can be cropped and still looks good without feeling uneasy. For example the bust post. Everyone is familiar with this as a lot of portrait work is done this way. This means that people are comfortable seeing a person cropped in this manner and it does not make then uneasy about it. There are other body crops that also work and I can share this with anyone if you would care to know. Cutting off at the exact eye area is uneasy for people.

- The expression on the face has to be conveyed in the eyes alone. I think if I saw your mouth I would totally get the expression better and understand it more. The look in the eyes now seems a bit harsh to me. It is not conveying a silly of funny type of look and it almost appears a bit scary. Not a lot, but something about it does not feel right.

- The relationship of design elements is something that is always hard for anyone to learn. It took me years of design and art school to understand proper composition and the laws of proper balance. The main thing I see in the logo is that the balance and proportion of the elements is off. Too many things are screaming for the same attention at the same time. For example I want to read the text, but the eyes and head being so large and so close to it makes my eyes battle between the two. Then the rabbit being so small almost gets lost in the overall design and composition.

One idea that comes to my mind (if I was figuring this out) would be to create fun text that has Tricky Nick (i think that is what you used). Then I really liked your caricature you showed us for your coloring page. I would use that as a basis for the imagery. I may have to simplify it for the design but what if the text was there and your cartoon image is leaning up against the text on the left hand side. Then your rabbit could be proportioned well (also in the same logo style as the figure) and perhaps sitting on the text staring at you but maybe wearing funny glasses.

This then would be designed so all elements work together and work in proper proportion to each other. They see the full figure of you which conveys a much better funny and comical impression. Seeing all of you would also really let people know more about who you are and what you do. The Rabbit wearing funny glasses is then showing the comedy element of your services and also says magic at the same time.

Keep in mind this is just an idea off the top of my head based upon seeing your website and evaluating a few things as if I were designing this for myself.

I hope this information may be helpful to you and to some of the other readers. It really is not not intention to hurt anyone's feelings or upset someone with my evaluation. I hope it is not taken that way. As a designer and a magician I really strive to try and help those who want to help themselves.

If I can be of further help to you or anyone, please just let me know. This is my 2 cents worth at any rate. =)

PS: The website looks good on my broswer and I am not having scrolling issues. However keep in mind that I am using a wide screen and large format monitor.

Kyle

Page is good on my browser

Just a proof reading error.

In your 10 questions...

How much do you charge? section....you wrote

"I like to quote you one fee for HIS services with no hidden extra fees. It keeps it simple for both of us!"

"his" should read "my"

Loads fine on my computer, I like the site.

scott

But I must say---it's not a logo- it's a header

there is a huge difference

it is but a header for the shows package not for the site

before they get to this page they have already seen your logo and other stuff.

By itself it could come across as creepy- but not to me- (but I am an Aussie- we are allot tougher than the rest of the world)

but with the rest of the site it goes well

If you want a proper job doing I would suggest http://www.monster-creations.co.uk!
Huffers

That is a very pretty site but it doesn't really do much of a job of selling.

My site is designed not to look pretty but to sell my service. (something it does very well)

I am also somewhat suspect of a site that has as it's first words "This website is quite graphic intensive and may be slow to load on dial-up connections."

Tricky Nicky your site made me sad. The emoticon I have choseen to reflect this is :-(

You have lots of content spam at the bottom. Spam was never appetising and the google bots get mad when they see it. I shall see to it that they find your site.

Where it says Nicholas j. Johnson (your name) the letters are furry. Maybe don't choose the jim henson font in the future?

The colours are bad. did you pick the colours left over from all the other sites on the internet?

You stole the artwork from google images. The g-bots were angry already but this will antagonise them further.

Your friend in magic,

Baggins

Baggins - I choose to use the following emoticon in reponse to your comments
8=;-)>)) It is a winking chef with a moustache, goatee and double chin.

Serious though - thanks for pointing out the resolution issues on the images. Good to know. Could you let me know which images are from google? If its a long list feel free to PM it.

As for colour selection...different tastes for different people I guess.

I've had my site check by google many times and had no complaints. The information is all relevant to my site and therefore does not constitute spam. In fact, "Melbourne Magician" places me at Number one on most searches.

I'm happy to take on any criticisms, insults, jokes that anyone would like to offer. The helpful ones make my site better ones and they others I don't care about because I get a lot of bookings from my site the way it is!