Blackfoot Inn

The Blackfoot Inn Logo - See Design Below
http://www.blackfootinn.com

Pros:
1. The logo flows well, and has a good color palette.
2. It is well balanced and has a modern and elegant feel just as the owners had intended (this is made clear by the way they have styled their website).

Cons:
1. The logo’s main pitfall is the concept itself. When you look at this logo, there is not a lot you can derive from the image other than by looking at the word ‘inn’. This is a flaw that is very common in the world of identity design.
2. The word ‘inn’ has clearly been stretched width-wise. Many designers don’t realize that this is usually akin to defacing the font, and thereby the logo.
3. The lines that outline the word ‘inn’ are that of a different style from the rest of the logo, and therefore break the logo into two distinct sections.

Suggestions:
If indeed this logo was meant to represent the building itself, I think that a more life-like representation would have been helpful in capturing that company’s service. The squares that are there now are quite generic and only vaguely suggest the shape of a structure (and other than that, don’t add any emotion to the piece). Companies have different values, and it’s not very clear, with a very straight forward graphic such as this, as to what those values are.

The stretching of fonts should rarely be implemented in any logo design, it is practically taboo in the design world, and only those who have a reason for doing this (and know what they are doing) should attempt this. The main reason for this is that most fonts are created by designers, and are therefore designs themselves. You wouldn’t stretch a famous painting (unless it was a necessary design decision), for example, so treat fonts the same way.

The upper portion of the logo has a very contemporary, artistic, feel to it, but the bottom is very traditional. This creates a rift that makes the bottom portion look out of place. A design should stick to either one style or a combination of two or more styles throughout, and should not be broken up in the above fashion. This fragmented look also takes away from the emotion put out by a piece via a loss of consistency, which truly is “the key”.

Personally, I find that this is quite a nice looking design. The few things that it lacks, however, will make it seem “off” to any keen eye. With these above suggestions in-mind, however, this design could be much stronger.

I don't find anything particularly wrong with it besides the points you mentioned, but just out of curiosity, have you been inside it lately?

Last time I was in there (2-3 years ago) the entire building/interior of it was very outdated. If this is still the case, then I don't think the rebranding really works, because the website/logo both portray an elegant feeling - and as far as I can remember the Blackfoot Inn isn't that elegant.

hmmm... It does'nt really say inn or Elegance to me..... I think something should be done with those fonts as you said _Redrum ....

There are too many fonts going on here. The italic with the script is very distracting. I agree with _Redrum about stretching the fonts. It is not elegant at all. I think the logo may be better with the blocks removed, simple text with the lines.

I don't find anything particularly wrong with it besides the points you mentioned, but just out of curiosity, have you been inside it lately?

No, haven't been there in a while now, but, indeed, it would be pretty inappropriate if they didn't tune-up the place.

is it just me or is the 'blackfoot' word a different colour to the 'INN' and the 'the'. does anyone else find this really distracting? or can it actually work but just not in this case? if you have an example i would luv to know.

There is just way 2 much going on in this logo. I agree with you malibu, the 'the' is out of place. I am not liking the fonts either.. just because something is written in script doesn't mean that it is elegant. The actual logo itself aside from the type could be decent if the number of boxes were cut down to around 6. The type and its placement however should be reconsidered.

I actually like the font for "Blackfoot", but the rest of it should be changed.

Am I the only one who laughed when I saw "Blackfoot" and "reservations" on the same page?

http://www.native-la...g/blackfoot.htm

For the most part I like this logo. I like the font used for Blackfoot, and in my opinion as far as "stretching" the font, I think that if it makes sence, if it looks good, if it helps in the design with balance and what not, go ahead and stretch that font. I find the colors enjoyable. I have never been to the Blackfoot Inn so it is hard for me to relate the design to the actual "place". I do find it a bit clustered as far as the wording goes. I think something better could have been done as far as that... maybe just by making the font the same for "the" and "inn" would have cleaned it up a bit.

What I feel is that you have a good contrast going on between the script typeface and the squares...i just feel that the text content is clashing against each other, especially the "the" . I fell you should try to simplify the logo a bit and try not to make it so busy.

i think what you have going on overall is a good start. the problem is, just as everyone else stated, the text. "the" and "inn" should be the same or related better. also, the biggest issue i see with them is that they are crammed into the word blackfoot. this goes for the yellow lines also. biggest fix to the logo would be giving it some breathing room. other than that, very good.

Actually this isn't my logo. I am presenting the critique, but thank you for the reply anyways, it's valid nonetheless

sorry about that. i thought you were presenting a logo you did for a critique.

try spacing everything out?

As far as stretching fonts go I think if it looks good go for it, but that is not the case here. The font looks over stretched which gives the design a stretchy feel. Though the feel of the whole logo is very hotel or inn, I think it could be tweaked in a lot of areas and still make it. Font changes, a taller image size for a more elegant feel, maybe even a different color palete, something more fresh would make it more alive. It's very dry or sleepy. Overall I would give it a seven.

i don't get the dot-pattern above the type.. i think it would be better without it

as far as the type goes: too many fonts indeed

i like the Blackfoot font though!

I liked the blackfoot font like many people. But not liked "INN" font. just not going with the rest of the art work.

I'd prefer less fonts in this logo as well as a more pleasing color scheme for print as well as web. The logo is almost screaming with all of the squares and lines. Sometimes less is more.

First of all, I think the critique is exelant, and you have a very good example. I strongly agree with everything you wrote about defacing fonts, it is disrispectfull atleast. I had wery tensed discutions on this manner here in Belgrade.

I dont thik I should discus this logo at all, I find it very "pale". I think that is the right word, it don`t distract any attention to me, i didn`t even bother to visit their website. There are to many typefaces on a small amount of space in a bottom part of the logo and everithing is poorely positioned, like designer tryed to say that the place is crowded. But if it is true what Neupix wrote about interior, then this logo absolutely fits.