Broken Glass Studios logo concept (rough mockup)

[Petike the Taffer]

The TDM community and dev team are, of course, not an official developer. The "Broken Glass Studios" moniker used to date is an obvious nod to LGS, and is something of an in-joke, though we've used it fairly consistently over the years.

However, the fact that we're a hobbyist dev team doesn't mean we can't have an unofficial logo. Though it's rare for a mod team to have one, I've noticed over the years that some teams occassionally adopted a logo, usually with a simple design.

So, here's my very, very rough proposal for one, put together in about a quarter hour yesterday (with some minor tweaks this evening).

 

Shards of glass, from a broken arched window, flying at high speed towards the viewer. A stylised eye peering through the stone window frame, towards the viewer.

Why I chose the imagery I did...

When Looking Glass Studios had their logo designed in the mid 90s, they wanted it to reflect their name. Famously, the designer mixed up the terms, thinking they meant a spyglass, rather than a looking glass (i.e. mirror). They still liked the provided logo very much, and it simply stuck (and is, to this day, probably the most famous iteration of all their past logos).

I originally toyed with the idea of the central object being a stylised looking glass, instead of a window, in a nod to that little design miscommunication of old. I quickly realised it wouldn't look as interesting if part of a logo that's meant to look simple. So I chose the arched window, partly to evoke the sort of historically analogous fantasy world TDM is set in, and partly to evoke a burglary theme. The glass shards are self-explanatory.

One visual element I did want to keep as a nod to LGS was the stylised eye. I've used one that is highly similar in shape to the eye from the LGS logo, seen at the end of the spyglass lens.

 

Obviously, this is all just a very rough draft for a logo idea. If you think there might be something to it, but you'd improve it in this or that way, I'm all ears ! Feel free to provide feedback.

Edited October 19, 2019 by Petike the Taffer
typo

[stumpy]

it was supposed to be a broken spyglass.

 

although i always thought that the clock face and the text at the top of the forum was the logo, its the thing that's recognized by everyone, used in magazine reviews, be strange to change it now.

Edited October 18, 2018 by stumpy

[Springheel]

it was supposed to be a broken spyglass.

 

When was that established?

[freyk]

To me, this new logo is a very nice logo for the Community.

And keep the old watch and title, the logo for the game.

Edited October 18, 2018 by freyk

[New Horizon]

 

although i always thought that the clock face and the text at the top of the forum was the logo, its the thing that's recognized by everyone, used in magazine reviews, be strange to change it now.

 

The Clock Face and text is the logo for The Dark Mod, this is for Broken Glass Studios the name we use for the Modding team. Two separate things. Nothing would be changed.

[demagogue]

I like the concept. The shards might better fit the shape of the window, and if there were a way to make it look a bit more like a burglar breaking and entering that would play up that part.

 

This isn't an icon really for branding or official use though. It should be iconified, put in a more compact package and possibly simplified elements. We're not this official, but the idea is it'd be the kind of image you'd put in the center or corner of a letterhead, which isn't what you can do with this. So keep that in mind.

 

This is for fun right now, so good to manage expectations what can become of this, since there are a lot of opinions and factors. But as a fan project for fun it's nice to play around for now IMO.

[Skaruts]

Maybe you already thought of this, but just in case, it might be worth arranging and slanting the shards (in a 3D kind of way) to give the impression of movement. As demagogue said, they could also fit the shape of the window in some recognizable way. Unless they're made smaller.

 

Just some other ideas that came to mind: the shards don't have to not overlap the window, and maybe a shard or two could even remain in the window.

 

Might be worth making a rough simulation in 3D and use it as reference, if you can.

 

 

 

 

 

[Petike the Taffer]

 

although i always thought that the clock face and the text at the top of the forum was the logo, its the thing that's recognized by everyone, used in magazine reviews, be strange to change it now.

Well, I wasn't ever sure whether it's just The Dark Mod logo (as that's what the title says) or also the BGS logo.

 

The Clock Face and text is the logo for The Dark Mod, this is for Broken Glass Studios the name we use for the Modding team. Two separate things. Nothing would be changed.

Exactly.

 

Concerning the TDM logo, if I didn't like it, I would have talked about it ages ago. But I like it very much, and IMHO, it's only improved since the early days. (I saw some of the early mockups in an old concept art thread, and though the future appearance is certainly there, the current version is a lot more polished.)

Edited October 19, 2018 by Petike the Taffer

[Amadeus]

I kind of love the idea of a (Builder) hammer breaking through a glass pane, although the initial mockup from Petike is also really good

[Petike the Taffer]

On 10/19/2018 at 6:35 AM, Amadeus said:

I kind of love the idea of a (Builder) hammer breaking through a glass pane, although the initial mockup from Petike is also really good

I had the idea of including a gear symbol in a little rosetta straight under the arch, but decided against it, as it looked too busy.

I think even the current concept is a bit too busy. Though I like the flying shards idea, the original idea was simply to have an irregular outline of remaining glass panes around the inner side of the window frame, while a few glass shards would be lying under the window. Less dynamic-looking, but possibly better as a 2D logo.

 

On 10/19/2018 at 5:56 AM, Skaruts said:

Maybe you already thought of this, but just in case, it might be worth arranging and slanting the shards (in a 3D kind of way) to give the impression of movement. As demagogue said, they could also fit the shape of the window in some recognizable way. Unless they're made smaller.

 

Just some other ideas that came to mind: the shards don't have to not overlap the window, and maybe a shard or two could even remain in the window.

 

Might be worth making a rough simulation in 3D and use it as reference, if you can.

One other possibility, certainly.

Though presuming you'd keep the window, it would have to be reorientated to a from-the-profile position, and I'm not sure whether that would look better.

As others have and will no doubt remark, making a convincing 3D logo, one that's simple and not too busy in content, is tough. Logos should be simple. I think even my current 2D concept is a little too busy. The size and position of the shards could be completely different, as it tries to invoke some 3D sense of movement, but IMHO, isn't all that convincing. Though your idea is cool, I'm worrying about the opposite thing - about the shards starting to look too complex, and again a little too busy for what's meant to be just a logo.

Of course, concerning the logo contents, pretty much everything could change. About the only thing I'd probably preserve is some (visible or hidden) eye motif and something that points to glass-related stuff.

 

On 10/18/2018 at 10:03 PM, stumpy said:

it was supposed to be a broken spyglass.

It was ?

 

On 10/18/2018 at 10:08 PM, Springheel said:

When was that established?

I think one of the GAMBIT podcast episodes mentions it (the fact that it was meant to be a looking glass of some sort, but was mistaken for a spyglass). Sadly, I forget which exact episode namedropped that little curio.

 

On 10/19/2018 at 5:04 AM, demagogue said:

This isn't an icon really for branding or official use though. It should be iconified, put in a more compact package and possibly simplified elements. We're not this official, but the idea is it'd be the kind of image you'd put in the center or corner of a letterhead, which isn't what you can do with this. So keep that in mind.

Pretty much what I meant by the need for feedback. This is the rough initial idea and I welcome anyone to chip it back until we get something very simple, but (relatively) clear in meaning.

 

On 10/19/2018 at 5:04 AM, demagogue said:

This is for fun right now, so good to manage expectations what can become of this, since there are a lot of opinions and factors. But as a fan project for fun it's nice to play around for now IMO.

My expectations are complete zero. I just made the whole thing for fun, as a thought experiment.

Edited October 19, 2019 by Petike the Taffer
typo

[esme]

I like the concept. The shards might better fit the shape of the window, and if there were a way to make it look a bit more like a burglar breaking and entering that would play up that part.

 

I quite like that idea, might get a bit 'busy' though, maybe leave most of the glass in the frame, have fewer shards & a hand reaching through the break for the handle to open the window something like that ?

[Destined]

Or a blackjack hitting the window (sticking through it a bit) with only a couple of shards flying off. Although I like the homage with the eye, which is pretty hard to implement in this idea...

[wesp5]

Or a blackjack hitting the window (sticking through it a bit) with only a couple of shards flying off. Although I like the homage with the eye, which is pretty hard to implement in this idea...

Hm, can windows be broken with the blackjack in TDM and wouldn't this be conflicting to the usual silent approach ?

[HMart]

Hello Petike the Taffer, your logo is very nice but I studied graphic design (not that i'm claiming to be a master), so sorry if i'm going to critique your work a little. Ok the logo is fine but imo is too illustrative, with to much unnecessary information, simplicity is the key, for example there's to much shards, the detail in the eye will be totally lost if you shrink the logo, making it only good for certain sizes,etc.

 

Btw this is why, flat design, is so prevalent now imo to much so, but liking flat design or not, one of the new "rules" is that a logo must be simple enough and and at the same time transmite the desired idea.

 

 

 

I made two (fast) simplified examples of your design but they are just pointers not trying to say this is what TDM should use.

 

In this one the eye could be simplified even more to its essential features

 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/10KH-QhE6gegmkK7FSnYRgNlPG0Yp734d/view?usp=sharing

 

 

Or a even simple one

 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/12jS0BhE2m7RWbjAM-H51TMmqCWg4zlua/view?usp=sharing

[Springheel]

I think one of the GAMBIT podcast episodes mentions it (the fact that it was meant to be a looking glass of some sort, but was mistaken for a spyglass). Sadly, I forget which exact episode namedropped that little curio.

 

 

I thought the "broken spyglass" reference was to our logo, not the LGS one. I'm the one that came up with the name, and I don't remember it ever being established that the broken glass referred to a broken spyglass.

 

My memory is pretty foggy, but the only discussion I can recall about potential visuals was a stained glass window.

[demagogue]

The spyglass is just a direct reference to the LGS "looking glass", which in their logo is a spyglass.

Our "broken glass" obviously refers to the LGS "looking glass", so that's the logic of a broken spyglass (whether or not anyone actually thought it out like that before).

Also it's a standard tool in our inventory.

I'm fine with it being a window being broken though.

 

I feel like there are multiple ideas that could work in theory, but we'll know the right one when we see it.

[Petike the Taffer]

I feel like there are multiple ideas that could work in theory, but we'll know the right one when we see it.

Exactly. I quite like HMart's suggestion of including a single stylised shard. As simplistic as that is, it would be a nice bit of minimalism.

 

I thought the "broken spyglass" reference was to our logo, not the LGS one. I'm the one that came up with the name, and I don't remember it ever being established that the broken glass referred to a broken spyglass. My memory is pretty foggy, but the only discussion I can recall about potential visuals was a stained glass window.

 

Not to our logo, no. I'm not saying you named it after a spyglass or mirror or anything.

 

I always considered the BGS name an ironic nod to LGS. They're gone as a developer, the TDM team has sort of taken up the mantle, in a hobbyist way, so the team is the titular "broken glass" that remains after the "looking glass" (mirror) has been shattered. That's at least how I always understood the moniker of the TDM team.

 

I made two (fast) simplified examples of your design but they are just pointers not trying to say this is what TDM should use.

 

In this one the eye could be simplified even more to its essential features

https://drive.google.com/file/d/10KH-QhE6gegmkK7FSnYRgNlPG0Yp734d/view?usp=sharing

 

Or a even simple one

https://drive.google.com/file/d/12jS0BhE2m7RWbjAM-H51TMmqCWg4zlua/view?usp=sharing

Both are interesting, but if we're going to simplify it, I'd prefer going all-out simplistic and trying something in the vein of the second one. Just a single shard of glass. Even if the LGS nod is lost, it doesn't matter, so long as its an accurate "speaking logo".

Edited October 19, 2018 by Petike the Taffer

[Skaruts]

Though presuming you'd keep the window, it would have to be reorientated to a from-the-profile position, and I'm not sure whether that would look better.

To be clear, the image I showed wasn't supposed to represent my vision or anything. I just couldn't find anything better from the same perspective as your original concept. Was mostly just to illustrate the movement thing.

[Springheel]

I think more needs to be done with the typography. These are a couple quick mock-ups of the kind of thing I was thinking of.

[Skaruts]

I find the black one really appealing.

[New Horizon]

Yeah, the black on white is very clean and easy to read. I like it.

[Petike the Taffer]

I think more needs to be done with the typography. These are a couple quick mock-ups of the kind of thing I was thinking of.

 

This is actually pretty brilliant !

 

You're right they might need some minor tweaking, but I'm really loving these. They look excellent.

 

Personally, I like both of your designs, but I can understand the others that the black and white version provides a bit more contrast.

[wesp5]

I agree, the black one looks great!

[chakkman]

I actually prefer the white/blue one, because there's a bit of texture to see on the glass.

[wesp5]

I actually prefer the white/blue one, because there's a bit of texture to see on the glass.

Yeah, it's also more similar from the color to the original one, so both should be fine.