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Okay, I don't usually say much, but I'll chime in here:
If you read about the 4-H, Scouting, or corporate logos, you'll find
that every element of a logo usually has a specific meaning that
contributes to the meaning of the whole.
If the NFHR must have a new logo, it seems to me that its logo should
also follow that principle of meaningfulness. Every element should say
something about the Fjord Horse, its temperament and appearance, its
contemporary uses, and its history.
The proposed logo is certainly cleaner looking, but I can see more
implied or obvious meaning in each element of the old logo than I can in
the elements of proposed logo.
The horses:
Our Fjords are "...strongly built, hardy, well proportioned and
athletic, a horse with great presence and charm..." (Source:
http://www.fjordhorseint.no/side.asp?ID=4)
The biggest thing I like about the horses in the old logo is their
alert, lively look. They are Going Somewhere willingly and with
purpose. This look is enhanced by the artistic eye of the artist who
sketched the horses.
The horses in the proposed logo certainly look good natured and kind,
but they do not show the sense of strength, energy, and vitality that we
prize in our Fjords. The horses in the proposed logo are also too much
alike, as if one horse was created by computer-cloning the other and
making a few changes to the mane and such.
Going from an oval to rectangular format:
The left hand side of the proposed logo has a heavy vertical bar to
"close off" the horse's side -- and thus it also closes off that side of
the logo. Coupled with the heavy horizontal bars above and below the
name, this linear geometry encloses the logo in a rectangular format
that is almost as restrictive as the oval in the old logo.
A rectangle also does not offer the sense of motion that an oval or
circle does. Our Fjords are supposed to be lively and inquisitive -- the
overall shape of the logo should hint at those qualities.
I have long thought the oval around the horses in the old logo could
easily be eliminated. I've always felt sorry for the left-hand horse,
whose nose is forever bumping into that boundary! The rounded necks and
manes of the horses and the draped curve of the banner in the old logo
give enough sense of enclosure without the oval.
The reins/lines:
The single rein per horse in the old logo works okay, because in this
design, the rein on each horse is a small part of the design. On the
other hand, the single rein on each horse in the proposed logo is a
bold, dominant element, whether by intent or by accident.
I would lighten up this detail in the proposed logo to make it less
visually important AND make two reins for each horse -- or I would
eliminate the reins entirely.
I also question the looseness of the rein for both horses. Horses in
harness or in English tack should typically be ridden/driven on contact
as shown in the old logo, not on a loose rein. If a loose rein must be
shown, then make the bridle of the riding horse more obviously western
by removing the cavesson.
The banner vs. the "swirly pattern":
The folded and draped banner on the old logo continues the rounded theme
created by the horses' rounded manes (and that too-tight oval). As Lisa
pointed out, the banner also has an old-fashioned flavor that hints at
the idea of Fjords being an ancient breed.
If the banner in the old logo must be eliminated in favor of something
like the swirly pattern at the bottom of the proposed logo, the pattern
should have some meaningful relationship to the Fjord horse -- perhaps
adapted from traditional Norwegian carving or rosemaling designs.
DeeAnna
Postville, Iowa
Lisa wrote these good comments:
...the old logo ... is timeless in its style ... it doesn't look like
it was designed in say, 1970 or 1980. It is using graphic elements
that have been used since the 1700s ... the horses are rendered, in
the old logo, in a very bold and dramatic way... It could maybe stand
to use some cleaning up -- however I like that it looks
hand-drawn...
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