This post is just an addition to my post here. I have made some changes to the character spacing and size etc.

Mainly textual with small logo.

I also thought that we ought to make sure that the logo is usable on the side of the Spreadshirt business that does not usually involve the “shop partners”; e.g. “Spreadshirt Designer”. To that end I have made a few examples.

Submission layout:

Logo / text-logo with claim.
Expanded logo with claim.
Logo / text-logo.
Claim with logo.
Browser icon example.

The Pitch:

Logo/Trademark

The logo has to be able to stand completely on it’s own, should be memorable and relevant. I think basically to miss the opportunity to pin down the stylised t-shirt would be an opportunity missed. An abstract logo (like Nike’s for example) which is deeply imprinted into the public’s consciousness has attained such a position only through the colossal advertising expenditure afforded to such a large multi-national company. Your current (larger US serving) competitor, who you will have your sites upon to overtake and replace as the best known custom print apparel service, chose something else which I do not think is memorable or relevant as their logo, (you should know what). Possibly chosen because they wanted to offer a broader range of on articles to print on, (I haven’t found any figures, but I would be willing to bet that although they offer a myriad of items; that the largest by far is the “t-shirt”. You know what your figures reflect; and I would guess that although you offer “apparel”, gifts and accessories etc, that the “t-shirt” far outstrips the other items despatched. My view is that if someone, who is familiar with Spreadshirt, tells someone who isn’t, what Spreadshirt is all about: that they would say basically that Spreadshirt is a web site, thru which one can “design and buy/sell t-shirts”. Which is why I think the logo should at least be easily recognisable as a T-SHIRT.

The logo is:

Relevant
Links to your core business; represents what the product “could” be (what the customer can make it!). Is universally recognisable; useable with or without print, as a browser icon etc.

Approachable
Is “soft” and welcoming, can be reproduced in any colour.

Positive
The “already despatched” shirt cut-out is set at an angle which implies speed, dynamism, youth and freshness.

Text Logo

Much the same goes for the text logo. The name “Spreadshirt” has, (I understand from reading forums etc) been commonly misheard /understood etc. It is a compound word which contains a number of ideas. Colour is used to break up the word and allow the ideas that Spreadshirt represents to be more easily assimilated. The type itself (Myriad) is clear to read and matches the logos clarity. I explored the use of different cases and settled on just the capitalisation of the “S” which is also fractionally inclined forwards providing again the sense of dynamism which Spreadshirt represents.

The “claim”

The current claim “you think it, we print it” is I think too long, and puts Spreadshirt at a distance to it’s users. Here it is condensed to “think it print it” with colour again helping to clarify the Spreadshirt concept.

Colour

The colour choice is the weakest part of my submission. This is because I can’t shake the idea that what Spreadshirt needs in this redesign is an interface offered in a number of colour themes. Either that; or perhaps a number of colour schemes which are progressively triggered as one browses different parts of the site etc.

Further comments:

During research I found that you’re the un-named US biased competitor I mentioned is better represented in information resources like Wikipedia. I thought about writing an entry, but thought you would want to do so to make sure the information is as complete and accurate as possible.
Nice Wordpress implementation. There is a Wordpress plug-in for Spreadshirt which I would have thought would have lots of eager users if it was checked out and promoted by your good selves. I haven’t taken a look at it myself, so it may suck: but the Wordpress community would doughtless be interested in an “official” response.
I did quite a lot of research before choosing to use the Spreadshirt platform, (which I am still fine tuning the implementation of so please excuse my current reticence with no site information etc). What I found was that most users (possible shop partners) are quite intimidated by the process of customising the shops, and this undoubtedly leads to numbers of people making the wrong choice, (i.e. maybe choosing your competitor!). I am reasonably technically minded, but took some time to understand the fact that the Spreadshirt system allows me so much more control of how my shop looks etc. Lots of people do not understand really what is possible. I would have thought that an expanded help section which gives a “dummies” explanation as to how the Header and Footer section can be properly utilised, with some graphical representation, would have people really charged and wanting to take full advantage of the Spreadshirt system.

The logo as a “cut out” fits, I think, with what Spreadshirt is about: the shirt is already despatched etc… Personally I like grey very much. It’s a base on which colour can be used effectively. The old tag line is too long. The “you” and “we” are superfluous and puts Spreadshirt at a distance to the customer.

I could go on and on etc but I should keep things short I guess as revisions are always a possibility.

If the whole “logo set” is required could someone set the guidelines down with dimensions of items you anticipate using etc.