Audax UK logo competition

[DanialW]

The Audax UK committee has given me permission to see if we can come up with a new Audax UK logo.

The current logo has served us well, but now that we have a nice new website, perhaps it's time to give it a nice new logo. Rather than spend $$$, we thought we'd give you the opportunity to have a go at designing one, as we know that more than a few of you are rather talented at graphic design.

So, we're going to have a competition to find a new Audax UK logo. There is no prize, I'm afraid, other than the kudos and the satisfaction of a job well done.

Judging will be by the Audax UK committee at its June meeting, who will look to pick a winner from all submissions. However the committee reserve the right to pick no winner, if they decide that there is no worthy successor to the current logo.

To help you make a start, here are a few guidelines:

- The committee prefer evolution to revolution.
- A logo that emphasises Audax UK's Britishness is likely to win favour.
- Your entry doesn't have to explicity feature a cyclist or cycling, but if you can incorporate such a feature in a clever way, you're likely to score bonus points.
- A new logo should be able to be used on the Audax UK website, on brevet cards, as letterhead and as an internet forum avatar, as well as on medals, badges or other pieces of merchandise.
- Speaking personally now, I'm impressed at how some brands are able to emphasise their heritage whilst being resolutely modern. A logo that manages that would get my vote.
- It should work well in both colour and monochrome.
- The logo should feature the words"AUDAX UK", and might work both on its own and with the strapline "THE LONG DISTANCE CYCLING ASSOCIATION."

Deadline for submissions is June 2. If you've got an entry, then drop me a line on here for my email address, or email me direct if you already know it. Happy to offer guidance and feedback on any submissions.

Good luck!

[YahudaMoon]

The current logo is fine in my opinion. Its the calender brevet cards that need working on as there dated.

I never understood why we had peoples mug shots on the brevet cards in the first place

[Tewdric]

There is no prize, I'm afraid, other than the kudos and the satisfaction of a job well done.

Not even free entry to Hummer's Gnarly Gnadger Grimpeur?

[vorsprung]

The current logo is fine in my opinion. Its the calender brevet cards that need working on as there dated.

If we are talking about this logo


It looks 80s.  It is very dated

[Alouicious]

The current logo is fine in my opinion. Its the calender brevet cards that need working on as there dated.

If we are talking about this logo


It looks 80s.  It is very dated

If that is the logo to be changed, presumably there will be newly designed embroidery on an 'all new' series of cloth patches?? ££££s

The other logo ( the Great Auk one ) is on the Brevet and Randonneur Series patches. More ££££s

Should I hang fire on claiming patches for 2010-2011 series awards?

Will I be riding 50, 100, 150, 200 300 and 400 randos to start a new collection of the newly designed patches?
Will I need to repeat Randonneur 500, 1000 and 2000 to get the newly designed Series patches.


"Ah," says the committee, "Lets change our corporate image and all those fools out there will start a new collection of patches",,, "Same as with the 'year dated' medals"

Ka-ching.

[MattH]

It is not only dated but also very complicated. Something simpler would be nice, where you don't have to stare at it to figure out what's going on. These two US logos are similar to each other (and a little aged too), but you look at them and immediately know that they are about US based or long distance cycling.


Having said that, a dated logo fits perfectly with the Audax image (and I like it).
There is also the AUK bird logo, which is great but doesn't suggest cycling. I wouldn't want to lose that though.

Will I be riding 50, 100, 150, 200 300 and 400 randos to start a new collection of the newly designed patches?
Will I need to repeat Randonneur 500, 1000 and 2000 to get the newly designed Series patches.


"Ah," says the committee, "Lets change our corporate image and all those fools out there will start a new collection of patches",,, "Same as with the 'year dated' medals"

Ka-ching.

I really don't see the problem. If you are a patch/medal collector, then this gives you additional sets to collect. If you aren't, then the set you have reflect the design at the time you did the rides.

[Redlight]

I don't think you could ever accuse the AUK committee of being financially motivated. I'm always amazed at how low they manage to keep the cost of every aspect of Audaxing.

[Charlotte]

...and anyway; everyone knows that talented Graphic Designers just love working for nothing 

[Alouicious]

I look up from my computer table to see several picture frames and display frames.

One has a collection of medals in two of the pre-2000 designs.
Another has the same set in the 2000 design ( black and white chain which was a GREAT design ).
Another with the latest design NON year dated.
Another with a partial set of Year Dated medals. partial because the 2008 200km medal got sold out.
A frame with cloth patches 50 to 300 km individuals; B2000, R500 and R1000 series.

What I don't want is a different design mix in one frame.

To achieve B500, B1000, B2000, B3000 and B4000 patches takes YEARS.

Consistancy is the key. Change the patch design half way through and the collection looks like someone 'messed up', namely the AUK committee.

I've been riding Audax for eighteen years and have seen the medals design change several times and then get 'year dated'. If 'year dating' the medals was not a money spinning venture, I don't know what is?

[Euan Uzami]

just use the auk bird one more prevalently and maybe update it to use a few more colours than red white and blue, instead of the diagram of a cyclist with his front beam shining sitting above lettering.

Can't find a picture of it now but i've seen it on the back of jerseys i'm sure.

[border-rider]

just use the auk bird one more prevalently

+1

It's a very distinct logo, and a powerful one.  I know it's meant to be an eagle, but we all know & love it as an Auk and we should embrace that.

[frankly frankie]

If 'year dating' the medals was not a money spinning venture, I don't know what is?

It was just a silly idea not thought through - nothing more sinister than that.
I think medals have changed every 4 years as a service to medal-collecters, not for money-making purposes.  Historically, every change costs money - AUK have often landed themselves with large quantities of 'old' medal stock, with £100s being written off at a time.  More recently, medal production is possible in much smaller batches than of old, and this problem has largely gone away.
A new set is due next year - it would be nice if some element of a new logo would be scaleable to use in a new medal.  Because AFAIK there are no other ideas.   Or is that asking too much.

[TOBY]

...and anyway; everyone knows that talented Graphic Designers just love working for nothing 

I think they'll probably love it as much as any other member that gives their time for free to the club, I don't see what being a Graphic Designer has to do with it.

Could we not just license "Annie and the AUK" for use?

[Alouicious]

This design medal, which are my personal favourites, would be splendid in the respective colours of the Brevets and Randos.




As for a new logo.

A bicycle chain link plate with AUK on it would suffice. Timeless.

[Jaded]

Surely the winning designer could at least get a 5 year membership?

Designing a logo isn't just about some graphic shapes. There's a lot more to it than that. In a previous life I've paid £25,000 for a logo and brand manual.

[Martin]

Surely the winning designer could at least get a 5 year membership?

Designing a logo isn't just about some graphic shapes. There's a lot more to it than that. In a previous life I've paid £25,000 for a logo and brand manual.

+1 to that; the National Blood Service paid £30k to replace this (the only one I could find; it's a medal for n donations but it's similar)



with this; as it thought the old one was too WW2 tea and biscuits Women's Instituty; as you say it's not just a picture it needs to convey an image, in this case a person behind the pint of blood



this rather good logo for English Welsh and Scottish Railway was designed for free (or almost free) in a train enthusiast mag competion; it just happens that the winner was a graphic designer. The dragon originally had a tongue but they removed it; in the commercial world how many £1k would that small change have cost?

[frankly frankie]

Yes, spending big money for a logo is nothing to be proud of.

The BBC famously spent megabucks to move from BBC to BBC and then, only a handful of years later when the implications of digital became apparent, the same again with knobs on to move back to BBC 

[Jaded]

Yes, spending big money for a logo is nothing to be proud of.

Of course paying nothing always brings the risk of getting a pretty grim logo.

How much did AUK pay for the current one?

[Panoramix]

I know of a keen graphic designer in this household who will have a go at it!

[Martin]

The current logo is fine in my opinion. Its the calender brevet cards that need working on as there dated.

they only came out a couple of years ago. The clothing and equipment in the photos is probably all from 1974 anyway. I can't even remember what the old brevets look like as I've   thrown all mine away

I can't find the medals and badges on the new website either 

[DanialW]

I wouldn't have pushed for this competition, if I wasn't confident of some entries that were up to scratch.

I've every confidence MrsPanoramix will come up with a strong entry, and that she'll also be up against some stiff competition.

[Hot Flatus]

and that she'll also be up against some stiff competition.

Yes, doubtless we can expect a covert CDC secreted in the design

[Hot Flatus]

...and anyway; everyone knows that talented Graphic Designers just love working for nothing  

Come come, Charlotte. If members of AUK committee are happy for us to use this forum to scrutinise their decisions on our behalf, then we mustn't be churlish when in return they ask us for help. 

[Greenbank]

and that she'll also be up against some stiff competition.

Yes, doubtless we can expect a covert CDC secreted in the design

Or a Goatse inspired design (such as the YACF logo).

Audax UK: "Embrace your inner tramp"

[Billy Weir]

I used to wonder if the logo incorporate a road stretching off to the horizon in place of the letter A.  This kind of image, suitably tweaked by someone with more savvy than me.

[img height=100 width=150]http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/services/finance/aboutthefo/directions/road.gif[/img]