From Scratch Bakery Logo Critique 6

Jul 22, 2009 / Erik Peterson

From Scratch Bakery Logo Critique

Kelly, submitted this logo for the From Scratch Bakery. She left the following comment about the logo.

“This logo is for a new bakery in a downtown, upscale neighborhood. I am still working on the colors, but I wanted a simple, clean look. I selected the cupcake because it seems more subtle and I like the way it's on an angle. The bakery is a full service bakery but specializes in cakes and cupcakes.”

The following critique is based on one designer’s opinion and experience. I always appreciate the readers thoughts as well. So, I’ll ask a question of two in the critique, please share your perspective in the comments at the end of this logo design critique.

Design Principals

Upon a quick glance Kelly’s logo does a good job at communicating “bakery” to the viewer. The colors are inviting, modern and cheery. I wouldn’t mind seeing the pink toned down to a light pink, similar to frosting. The cupcake icon concerns me slightly because it looks as though it could be clip art. I don’t know if Kelly drew the cupcake icon or if she picked it from a stock library somewhere. I just want to warn, that if it is stock, please check the license for that piece artwork as many are not allowed for use in logos. Kelly, maybe you could let us know where the cupcake icon came from in the comments section. There’s a post over at Webdesigner Depot that touches on the subject of stock imagery. Please check it out if you haven’t read it already.

Question for the readers

please respond in the comments below

First impressions? Is the mark working for you? Does it meet the criteria spelled out in Kelly’s comment?

Functionality / Versatility

The logo is wide, maybe too wide for some applications. Kelly, have you considered a narrower version of the logo? I’m concerned that the width will limit the size you can use the logo in certain applications. Aside from the width, the logo should reproduce well. It is two color and uses some screens all of which should work fine in most applications.

Question for the readers

please respond in the comments below

What do you think about the width of the mark? Can you foresee some problematic applications?

Does the Logo Work for the Audience?

I think the mark is pretty straight forward and legible. It’s directly obvious that the company at hand works with cakes or baked goods of some sort. The color choice conveys that this bakery may be more modern or trendy than the typical bakery.

Typography

The devil is in the details right? Unfortunately, the type suffers from poor kerning. Take a look at all the space surrounding the ‘o’ in ‘from’ or the ‘S’ in ‘Scratch’. There are actually several areas throughout the type that would benefit from some kerning. This issue seems to come rather often in the logos I critique. It seems many designers are getting so caught up in their concepts that they are forgetting to look at the small details too.

Possible Improvements

Designing a logo for yourself or own business is one of the hardest logo designs you’ll ever work on. So what is the best way to improve the logo? Well I think have made some comments above that can certainly offer some direction. Here’s a list of actionable items.

Consider trying a lighter pink that might feel more like frosting.
If the icon is stock/royalty free please double check the license to be sure your use in a logo is permissible.
Adjust the kerning in the type. There are many gaps that need attention.

Overall, I think you have a good start on the logo design. And with some refinement you can definitely improve it. Please know that my intention in critiquing your work is not to hurt feelings, but to offer constructive feedback. I hope it was helpful. Best of luck, to you!

I appreciate and welcome your comments, and look forward to hearing from you soon. I purposely don’t cover every possible improvement that can be made to this logo, so go for it if you think I missed anything. All I ask is that you keep your comments clean and appropriate.

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6 Comments so far. Keep 'em Coming.

By Fbanczak

07.22.2009 at 02:53 PM

My first impression is very positive. I really like this logo and the color palette but I agree with Eric that stock photos and vectors are not to be taken lightly plus it’s best to avoid them altogether since I doubt many clients would be happy to see their icon as part of another company’s logo which is a potential scenario with stocks/clip art. Otherwise here are some ways I think you could tighten up your design:
1) Make visual improvements to the word “from.” It appears to be dancing and perhaps because the R and O are not level with the top and bottom of the F and M. The character weight also looks weird when it’s shrunk to that size. You could adjust the thickness of the characters to appear more consistent. Is it the same color as “Scratch”? It seems slightly lighter to me but it should really be the same color so that you only have 2 colors in the logo
2)The S in “Scratch” and B in “Bakery” should be level with the rest of the word. It bothers my eye that the B descends below the line upon which the rest of the word sits.
3)Play around more with the alignment of “From.” Part of the reason it seems to be floating is because it has no strong alignment to anything else in the logo.
4)On the alignment note, the cupcake should really align to something, whether the bottom of it aligns to the bottom of the S or the bottom of the Y.
I hope that helps you. I think it’s a great logo already but it could use some minor adjustments.

By Erik Peterson

07.23.2009 at 11:55 AM

@Fbanczak I appreciate your thoughts on the logo. All very well thought out. Thanks for offering another perspective for Kelly.

By Derek Li

07.27.2009 at 02:36 PM

I too get a good feeling from the logo at first glance. I like the choice of typeface; it says fun and classy. It’s a playful serif. What I’m concerned with is the size and placement of “from”. The mark reads more like “Scratch Bakery” than “From Scratch Bakery”. The “from” is hierarchically more like “The Scratch Bakery”.

Also, Erik, I believe it should be “Design Principles”, rather than “Principals.”

By Catherine

09.21.2009 at 10:47 PM

I think the cupcake is nicely rendered. As for the type, I agree with the comments regarding its kerning.

When I read the logo, however, I put more focus on “Scratch Bakery” than “From Scratch”, which I believe is the most important part of the title, as “Bakery” just describes the line of business. If she put “From” on the same line as “Scratch”, and then moved “Bakery” lower, I think it would make more sense.

Otherwise, I like the colors and how the “S” & “B” are slightly larer!

By Jason

09.26.2009 at 11:15 AM

I agree with Catherine. The name of the company is “From Scratch” and that should be the primary focus. I would even consider leaving off Bakery. You accomplish that meaning with the icon and the name itself.

By me me

05.10.2010 at 01:12 PM