I would like to have some suggestions for a logo for CRP forum. After we have a design that we can agree on, I would like to make up some decals to give to the members.
So post some suggestions and what ever design wins I will make the decal.
D/P
I have no suggestions, but I think this is a great idea. I like to plaster my station wagon with decals that reflect my beliefs. Right now mostly conservative, redneck, rebel flag, pinup girl, and teamster stickers on her LOL. Nothing about phones.
Great idea!
I do not posses an adequate picture editor nor any talent for it but I did this one real quick ;D
This is the general idea I had, I am sure someone can refine it.
Harry....its nice, but it needs the website. Sellers would use it on their eBay auctions like the ATCA and TCI ....Doug
OK, how's this?
We would need permission from Ray to use his photo. What about an AE phone instead of a 302? After all, AE invented the rotary dial.
How about the logo at the top of the page?
------------------------------------------------------
America's
{302}
ClassicRotaryPhones.com
---------------------------------------------
Use the same typeface and photo.
Old phone works does the ATCA and TCI logo's. He sells them for $2.00 each with $1 going to the club.
If you had him make them, then it would show up on his site as a "club" decal. This would help get folks into the habit of recognizing the forum as a real "telephone collectors " group.
JMO,
Jim
on Ray's site it was tagged as a web photo, thats why I grabbed it :-\
After a design has been decided on, you could get some buttons made.
I know that Bob Alexander makes the TCI buttons.
Here is Bob's site. > http://guardfrog.smugmug.com/ <
Dougpav
We might consider changing the name of the site to,
"The Worlds Classic Rotary Phones"
We are of course now global.
D/P
Quote from: Dan/Panther on July 10, 2010, 01:44:44 PM
We might consider changing the name of the site to,
"The Worlds Classic Rotary Phones"
We are of course now global.
D/P
Or how about "Classic Phone Forum" or "Classic Telephone Forum"? Not only does the forum potentially cover more than "the America's", we cover more than "Rotary" too.
Now instead of coming up with a logo we are renaming Dennis' phone club!
Terry
He asked for it ;D
Why not use one of our own photos, like that super mushroom blue 500 set that was just found!
Plus, even thought I own one of Ray's clears 302s, it is a reproduction. Something cool that OUR members found would be best, in my opinion....Doug
I was thinking that we could come up with a cool logo by using phone parts to replace some of the letters in the name. Say, the side of an E-1 "spitcup" handset for the 'C' in 'Classic', a rotary dial fingerwheel for the 'o' in 'Rotary', an AE handset transmitter cap for the 'o' in 'Phones', etc.
As for the name of the forum itself, since the address is more-or-less set in stone, just call it "Classic Rotary Phones" (perhaps "Classic Rotary Phones 'n' More").
-Adam
and we could use whatever letters left like the S' from the western electric typeface and automatic electric. I do not think we should try anything with just western electric things like the 302 because we have AE collectos to so i like the idea adamant316 has.
Debbie....looks fantastic....very professional....Doug
Quote from: Dewdrop on July 10, 2010, 05:46:10 PM
Would this do? Didn't spend much time on it, could use a better cut of the black phone.
Debbie
Debbie:
Excellent work, you are certainly a Photoshop expert!
Very nice :D
Lets see more from other members ;D
I really like Debbi's logo, :) but seen from Norway the typical American phone is one of the payphones seen in films from the 30ies, a candlestick (Never used regularly here) or the ugly ones like this http://tinyurl.com/34bkbpz.
I go for the one designed by Debbi.
dsk
Too flashy.
Debbie;
You have some great ideas, I also love Red.
Keep them coming.
I lean towards the cartoon type rather than photo shots.
Add more detail to the phone and maybe even consider making an imaginary phone from different manufacturers parts, to cover all instead of just W.E.
D/P
QuoteI have no suggestions, but I think this is a great idea. I like to plaster my station wagon with decals that reflect my beliefs. Right now mostly conservative, redneck, rebel flag, pinup girl, and teamster stickers on her LOL. Nothing about phones.
Maybe we should print up some bumper stickers about old phones. That would confuse people! :D
Gee Debbie, you didn't spent much time on it?!?
I like the continuity of the design she came up with and the current logo. I also agree that we could just call it Classic Rotary Phones since folks are here from all over.
Debbbie's first logo is what I was thinking of (kinda spooky). A simple logo is needed for recogniction.
Debbie's logo is the natural logo from the current webpage. It works well.
I prefer the blue background, tho a pekin red 302 would be interesting.
D/P you don't really want a frakenphone logo, do you?
Another thought (for computer types).
Is that the middle is "fillable". Whoever uses the logo could upload a photo of a (rotary) phone.
I would say use the 302 as a default.
JMO,
Jim
My 2 cents PSD.
WE Hawthorne typeface at the top, blue payphone backdrop, purloined graphic of a 706 (although I'd prefer a WE 500 if anyone has similar).
Also comes in black...
Jim;
You are right, the 302 works..
D/P
To me, anyway, it should reflect what we mean by "CLASSIC". No offense intended, Dennis, but Classic is an eBay word, like "vintage" or "antique" - no real definition is implied. In the original context, choosing a name for the forum, that was fine, because the forum was created to include many phones, many eras, many nations. But now we are going to choose the one phone that will represent not only the forum, but the whole concept of classic phones. If only one phone will show, which one phone best represents the word Classic?.
So maybe this is a side discussion. What do we mean by a CLASSIC PHONE?
To me, classic means old, and I would peg that as 50 years or more. Although some 500 sets are 50 years old, most are more modern, and evoke a more modern time. So to me, a 500 set is not classic.
On the other end of the scale, a phone should not be so old as to be misleading or off-putting or restrictive. If it is too old, it suggests a purpose that we don't have. An oak wall phone from the 20s is certainly old, and many of them are beautiful, but they are not central to the purpose of the forum. And the original Alexander Graham Bell and Watson invention phones from the 1800s are clearly out of bounds, just as an 1884 LaMarquise may be the world's oldest car, and it may show up at a classic car meet - but I wouldn't use it as the best example of a classic.
A classic was made in quantities sufficient to be recognized, at least generically, by almost anyone. It was a standard product, not a special or a one-off or a show phone. Apologies to the military phone collectors. And apologies to the clear plastic phones. And - I hesitate to say it - a phone colored anything but black is not the best example of a Classic.
Finally, to me, a classic phone was made by Western Electric. My apologies to the AE and Kellogg and Northern Electric fans, as well as European collectors. The answer would probably be different in Europe or Japan.
So if I were to narrow it down, a Classic would be a Western Electric candlestick, or a 102/202 B- or D-mount, or a 302. In black.
I'm sure many other thoughts are floating around out there, so I'm donning my asbestos suit. Let's hear it.
Bill
Bill;
The 302 best fits your description, the 102/202 would not be as readily identifiable to most people outside the community.
Almost everyone will recognize the 302, and black you are again correct.
Debbie;
I added one item to your design.
D/P
I guess I will chime now on this topic.
I think it is generous of Dan to offer to make a decal representing the Forum that can be distributed to members. I learned of his idea at the same time you all did, when I saw it here. I also appreciate Dan's suggestion to talk about it with the others to come up with something everyone will like.
But the topic seems to be evolving from there to changing the name of the forum. I agree with that idea in part. Having the word "America's" is restrictive as is "rotary" when in fact we now discuss other telephones. For the sake of those that haven't been on the journey with us from the start I'll give a little background on the name that ultimately evolved into the Classic Rotary Phones Forum. I'll try and keep it brief.
I had established an e-mail relationship with the founder, Mark Stevens. Mark had contacted me via my original web site, www.VintageRotaryPhones.com. Out of the blue Mark told me that he was considering starting his own blog to write about old telephones. He was kind enough to ask me if I objected to a similar name as mine which he would call Classic Rotary Phones. I told him, this is America, you can call it whatever you'd like (as long as the domain name were available) and that I would be happy to support his new blog and we could work together with our blogs. After all it is a hobby---it should be a lot fun. So that was done.
It was some time later that he came up with the idea to start a Forum as an off-shoot of his blog at Classic Rotary Phones. His banner on the site was called "Mark Stevens' Classic Rotary Phones". When, some months later he decided he no longer wanted to be active in the Forum--because of too many irons in the fire he asked if I would take over the operation of the Forum and do whatever I wanted with it and the blog. In essence it would be my site. The domain name was transferred to me and after the fees were due again I assumed payment and now I own two blog/web sites.
During the transition we discussed removing his name from the banner. He asked me what I'd like put there (since he had done the web design at his end---using source coding). I believe one suggestion was to change it to Dennis Markham's Classic Rotary Phones. I didn't want the spot light. Especially when I considered myself a new-comer to phone collecting. I did not and do not want to consider myself an expert on the topic, only someone that enjoys talking about old phones. I didn't give it a lot of thought and just asked that he put the word "America's" where his name had been displayed. Thus the current name.
Because of the activity of the Forum side of the web name and the inactivity of the blog side it is my intention to change those. In fact I thought of pulling the plug on the blog and just running the Forum. So when one logs on to www.ClassicRotaryPhones.com they will get the Forum. This change will be made. However, I have had to delay in doing that because of an obligation I have to a business that has an embedded link in one of the postings on the blog side. I have an agreement with them to leave their link in place for one year. That year will expire in August (next month). Then I can move or remove the blog side with no issues. I've just been waiting for that time. I planned to eliminate the word "America's" at that time.
Despite the fact that as members we talk about touch-tone phones, non-dial phones, European phones or even cell phones, I want the name Classic Rotary Phones to remain.
What image best represents Classic Rotary Phones? That seems to be the latest part of this discussion. Dan (the other Dan) I agree with much of what you've written about the term classic. I disagree (my personal opinion) that Classic and Vintage are eBay words. They are used often on eBay as we all know but I don't associate those words with eBay. When I see a sign in my area for a Classic Car Show I think of automobiles that are representative of Americana. But I think that that can only be defined in each individual's mind. To me when I think of a classic car I think of a 1955 Ford Thunderbird, or a '57 Chevy. A car that was the work-horse of America---that anyone could own and one that many people did own but they just faded from the American landscape. They're a classic example of our automotive culture. What someone else considers classic may be entirely different. But certainly something not modern.
The same can be said with anything, including phones. Mark Stevens chose the Model 302 as an example of a "classic" phone. To me it is a classic representation of a commonly used telephone that is recognized everywhere, representing a time period. It's a middle of the road model bridging the genre of early wooden phones, desk stands and the like with more modern model 500 and phones of today. There are a multitude of images that could be used to represent that 302. Maybe it's best to keep it simple. The image currently used is a simple "cartoon like" (I think someone used that description)...maybe a caricature. The more I look at Debbie's first work, with the blue background the more I like that plain image. The black 302 was the backbone of the American telephone for years just as the Chevy was the backbone of the American automobile.
It's impossible to try and be "politically correct" and satisfy each person's likes and dislikes. We don't want to omit those in the U.K. or anywhere, we don't want to slight those that like Kelloggs, or Stromberg Carlsons, or Automatic Electrics, or whatever. For that reason I think the 302 represents all telephones from a time period that we seem to discuss the most. It represents the Model 500 or the Model 102 simply by being an identifiable as a classic phone from the past.
I lied. I said I'd keep it brief.
Those are just my opinions. A friend of mine used to say, Opinions are like noses, everyone has one. I'm not opposed to a different idea for the web site banner but I'm one of those people that find it difficult to change things...that's why I use a 55 year old telephone at my desk.
As far as what design to use for Dan's decal, that is up to Dan. My vote, which is only one vote (if we're taking a vote) is the round image that Debbie made (blue background) as it is recognizable with the web site just as the TCI and ATCA logos are with their groups.
Nice job by the way Debbie. Both of those look very nice.
Please feel free to discuss my comments. Thanks for taking the time to read them.
~Dennis
I prefer Debbies design with the picture from the forum. I would also use the blue back ground color from the forum because it relates to the forum and I think it looks better.
A picture of a black 302 is recognized as a phone and a classic by most people. There is a European phone that looks a lot like the 302.
Debbie;
Could you post the second option with blue background ?
I like the detail of the 302 photo.
Dennis;
I hope you didn't think we were trying to change your heading, I just thought that For a membership decal, the "American" kind of eliminated some participation, having not been aware of your August changes coming, I think now we are mostly all on the same page. This again is a preliminary suggestion, and anything final would have to meet your approval.
Another suggestion is to offer decals all of the same design, but the recipient could choose color.
D/P
Debbie, on this last one you did, the blue background looks to be a different color blue....almost gray. I think the darker blue of your first images really make the image jump out at the viewer. Can you make it with that color blue? I like the round ones a little better than the oval shaped logo, but both are great.
Quote from: Dewdrop on July 11, 2010, 07:43:22 PM
here you go
What size do you need the image? I can email you a pdf of the logo.
Debbie
I vote for this one, oval shape with the blue-gray background.
Debbie;
Could you post an oval with the detailed photo, in blue, together with he Round.
I would suggest the design be of the finger wheel size 3". Could you email one each ?
D/P
Debbie, are you tired of making logos yet? Another suggestion...
On the web address, if you could capitalize the first letter of each word...like ClassicRotaryPhones.com it is easier for people to see the words. The web address is not case sensitive so it will work if people type it in that way.
Thank you.
Dennis
I guess I'm just a status-quo guy. What's wrong with our current logo?
Very Nice Debbie :D
I prefer the blue oval one myself ;D
As I stated I do not have a good photo editing program or any skills to use one, I just posted a logo to get things going! I am disappointed we only got one other design :(
Tom;
The intention is to make decals.
D/P
Harry;
Your design got things going, and frankly I think it would be hard to top Debbie's drawing.
I think that is why no other suggestions.
D/P
Yeah, I agree Debbie has a winner but it would be nice to see some other ideas :)
Yes, Debbie's is nice, more clear typefaces with shadowing, my version of Photoshop don't do ovals or circular text sorry!
I'd go with it apart from the suggestion of the background colour, the black phone is gonna be indistinguishable from the blue or blue/grey background even from a short distance, it really needs to stand out as a "phone-shaped" instantly recognisable object, step 10 feet back and all I see is a black mass encircled in dark blue with the text standing out.
Red works, but then again some folks read too much into colours eh, its not like its a cold war communist reference or anything, I know how some people (maybe me here!) could read too much into it, but red's part of the stars and stripes isn't it?
Dan, GPO makes a good point. For decal purposes maybe Red would be better with the black phone.
I preferred the Red all along. It's up to what everyone like, I personally vote RED.
D/P
Yes, I agree ;D
I was thinking the blue because it matches the forum colors but the red would definetly be more visible and easily reconizable :D
I like the blue decal better than the red one. Why don't we just have two decals, and you can select which one you like? Plus this forum has a lot of blue in its design.
Maybe the 302 could have a dial card in it that says something like 555-2368? A dial card would make it look more complete.
I also thought about a dial card. One that would be time period correct, like an exchange card. The black ones with the white center.
Like one of these from The Telephone Archive:
http://tinyurl.com/2bomqfu
i like the 302 photo...caps in the web address. personal preference is for the blue, but agree the red stands out more. great idea, d/p. fabulous work, debbie!
I disagree about the level of detail, who's gonna notice the correct dial card or even fingerwheel on a decal, maybe on a car bumper in the slow lane at 30mph?
But - if its a T-shirt at talkiing distance, then yes, go for it.
Badges/buttons - smaller it gets less detail needed - just a generic 302 graphic that stands out from the background colour.
Now that's an idea!
I would buy a t-shirt if they were offered.
Small logo on the front pocket area, larger one on the back.
Heck, a polo/golf shirt would be better.
Nice way to cover web page costs......
Quality product fetches the higher prices.
Russ.....
or 555-1234
for Klondike 5-1234
Quote from: Russkirk on July 12, 2010, 07:48:00 PM
Now that's an idea!
I would buy a t-shirt if they were offered.
Small logo on the front pocket area, larger one on the back.
Heck, a polo/golf shirt would be better.
Nice way to cover web page costs......
Quality product fetches the higher prices.
Russ.....
Polo/golf shirt. Just one logo over the left or right upper chest.
i'm not polo shirt kinda gal...maybe a t-shirt. i don't really wear clothes with logos/slogans, etc. how about tote bags. ??? the type one would take to carry groceries home. go green & all. ;D
That last tote picture was going to be my color scheme suggestion. Red lettering, white (ivory) background, and a blue 302. Collectors know a blue 302 is a holy grail, while the uninformed think it is the red, white and blue logo. I like the oval shape better than the round too.
I like t eh blue like the forum, with the oval and capitalized title. Regardless of what happens, this decal's gonna look nice in the window of my station wagon :)
that settles it....decals & iron ons. :) i really like the way the white tote back looks!
lets not forget bumper stickers
Billboards! Semi Trucks! Airplanes! Sports Stadiums! Telephone Dial Centers!
Oops, sorry, I got carried away ;D
blimps,milk cartons,cereal boxes, and on coke cans. th list keeps on going.
I think we should use a MedBlue 302 instead of the plain black model. It is as classic as the current model being used.
yes, med blue...red/white/blue!
How can you tell that I am going through lots of OLD threads on the CRPF!
Here's an idea that appears to have crashed and Burned. Might be worth kicking it around some more?
Terry
Terry, your sugggestion did not seemn to get much steam. How about it guys? We started off on fire but now it seems to have died. Anyone??
How about a silhouette of a finger wheel with the Classic Rotary Phones letters embossed across it? Simple, yet effective....
Going through the entire thread, it appears that Debbie (Dewdrop) did some designs but her designs along with her posts are all gone now for some reason. The only example remaining is where Dan/Panther took one and added to it and then reposted it at reply #27 on the second page of posts. I have attached a copy of that design here.
Meanwhile I note that the Forum no longer is "America's" Classic Rotary Phone Forum. I do recall Dennis making the change that deleted the word "America's". Other discussion is around the words "Classic" and "Rotary" as it can be argued that only "Rotary" is much less than what we discuss and the word "Classic" was associated with ebaY hype etc. I would say that neither of those words matter, we are the "Classic Rotary Phone Forum" and one only needs to show up to quickly learn that yes we do talk about all types of phones .... and more!
Terry
Terry,
I was going to mention that but thought it was just me not seeing Deb's work anywhere in the thread, and I went through it 3 times.
I like the red logo, blue would work too. Sharp and simple always looks good.
And I agree with what you just said which was the Cliff Note's version of what Dennis said earlier. CRPF covers everything with the generic 302 being a very recognizeable midpoint, IMHO, of course.
OK, I like that one! Anybody else?
Quote from: AE_Collector on December 29, 2012, 12:34:18 AM
we are the "Classic Rotary Phone Forum"
Terry
Classic means "something of lasting worth or with a timeless quality", sounds like the CRPF to me :-)
Quote from: HarrySmith on December 29, 2012, 06:59:14 AM
OK, I like that one! Anybody else?
I would like to see the word Forum included in Debbie's (or someone else's) work.
You are right! I missed that.
Classic Rotary Phones Forum, just like at the top of this page.
Here's my humble idea for a dial card... perhaps something similar might make a good logo.
Quote from: MDK on December 29, 2012, 08:45:16 AM
Here's my humble idea for a dial card... perhaps something similar might make a good logo.
I would prefer a logo with a 'classic' phone on it that will also be recognized by the general public.
Quote from: AE_Collector on December 29, 2012, 12:34:18 AM...one only needs to show up to quickly learn that yes we do talk about all types of phones .... and more!
I've only been here a short while, and probably shouldn't presume, but I wonder if it wouldn't be a good idea to have both a 302 and a 500 in the logo, so that prospective contributors know you cover the whole range without having to browse to learn that this is the case.
Or maybe a 202 and a 500, something like that.
Red is not the best colour for focus.
The light maize that you use for the forums here is a good idea, because it gives you some eye relief while still concentrating on the WORDS, which is the whole point.
Red takes focus away from the words.
With that in mind, from a marketing standpoint, I'd like to suggest that the background colour of the logo be a basic white so that it stands out agains the maize background of the forums and without taking away from the words you eventually decide to include in the logo.
Quote from: MDK on December 29, 2012, 08:45:16 AM
Here's my humble idea for a dial card... perhaps something similar might make a good logo.
These are great colours to use. It's not fantastic or ADD, and it causes the viewer to read the words.
These colours and this basic idea that Dan uses are also good, from a serious standpoint, and it does not clash with your eye-relieving, serious, text-biased maize and white schemes.
It would not take much modifying to change this into your header and logo.
I have to do print and media marketing for my medium sized company with about 420 employees, and we are in a regional DMA with about 2500 employees.
That is why I sound like a presumptuous know it all. I have to deal with this stuff all the time.
I'm just throwing ideas around. I do like to use the forum colors.
And another...
That's what we needed George, someone who knows what he is doing. You're in!
Since we haven't really talked about what we want the logo for or how it will be available maybe we need to work that into the discussion. I don't know that anyone really wants to have T Shirts made up to then try to get enough sales to recover costs.
More likely that several variations would be available to us on-line that we can use as dial tags, posters and presumably places that make T-Shirts up will do so with customer provided graphics if anyone wants a T Shirt.
Therefore, a sheet of dial cards and other round or oval logo's sounds good to me. How does everyone else see these being used?
What file type do T Shirt shops need to work with?
The above Logo looks good to me except should the blue background be a little lighter still for more contrast between the background and the black 302? We should have a larger (non dial tag type) version that includes the web address as well.
Terry
There was talk about making tee shirts, decals and stuff but I agree with Terry. Let's try to get some different things together. Dial cards, business cards, bumper stickers, tee shirts. Different designs that can be downloaded and people can make thier own stuff.
My local favorite t-shirt shop likes the PNG format. I try to design for at least 200dpi for t-shirts and 300dpi for paper printing.
I use CafePress.com a lot for t-shirts too.
To be honest, I have thought for quite a while that the entire name of the forum should be changed to "Classic Telephones Forum". Yes, rotary phones are a major subject of our interest. But, as the discussions on the forum clearly demonstrate, our world is substantially larger and more varied. So, first change the name, then talk about an appropriate logo!
DF
That ought to get Dennis out of the woodwork! That could be a big discussion and I think that Dennis gets to call it what he wants to call it. Probably a lot of work to make that change?
Terry
Quote from: AE_Collector on December 29, 2012, 01:49:36 PMYou're in!
Well, that only makes me a
little nervous.
The last time somebody told me I was "in," I got a huge bill from the Guards Club.
The joke was on me.
MDK's roundel looks pretty good. You might want to lighten the blue a touch, but it gives a good, instantly recognizable idea of what you're about, and the blue and maize gives the reader a sort of old timey feel about what's going to be gong on.
One of the psychological realities of life is that when you are dealing with a mostly male population, adding a little blue doesn't hurt.
Although the forum has been completely decimated by a commercial purchase and too much advertising and editorial abuse, now, (so abused that I hesitate to mention the name of it), back in 1999 we created an automotive oriented forum that went on to become hugely popular. There were times it hit the list of top 20 most popular Web sites on the planet, and there was a year it was in the top dozen sites where people could actively post.
Although the editorial policy and a close alliance with a major manufacturer were a part of its success, it was also a part of the site's success that the theme was very, very simple. The fields where you entered text were such a light yellow that it was almost white, and the pages of the forum itself were white, light maize, and a combination of light to medium blues which conspired to keep the reader's and writer's attentions for very long periods of time.
The site metrics revealed that when someone visited the site, he tended to stay there for very long periods of time.
Here's oval and round logos. If you want a different background color (lighter or darker) leave a comment.
Debbie
I had a boss that once said ". . . the second strongest drive is for one to want to change what someone else has done . . ." because some one always wanted to make changes to things his R&D department would come up with. ;)
That said, I like the oval 653 as is best, in my most humble opinion. That logo is about what I think I've always thought it could be.
Thanks everyone for your input. I will take time to digest all of this and consider changes....once the dust settles from the holiday. I kind of like the 653 oval myself. I'll look into it deeper in the time ahead.
I'm not beyond stealing someone else's idea, although I chose to stick with the existing forum color scheme...