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Tuesday, February 01, 2011

New Logo

I have been feeling super energetic and inspired lately.  I have been crafting up a storm.  I have a ton of photos ready for blog posts, and last night I took what I hope will be the next two or three Hex crochet-a-long videos.  But what I'm here to tell you about today is my new logo and mini site redesign.

I have plans for some big changes to futuregirl.com in the coming year.  I want to get things more organized, cleaner looking and freshen the place up a bit.  This is my first tiny step towards those goals.  My favorite part of this first tiny step is the logo I designed.  Oh, I love it so!

I spent a huge chunk of last weekend working on this logo.  And I would say that 90% of the time was spent perfecting the yarn ball G.  Every time I see that G, I get a little flutter in my chest because it makes me SO HAPPY.  I'm pretty amazed that I was able to pull it off.  It was shear determination on my part.

Then, the same hot second that I realized the logo was finished, I HAD to get it up on the site ASAP.  I quickly rearranged everything and cleaned up the sidebars.  Be sure to let me know if anything looks out of whack.

Oh, and while I have your attention, have you ever had trouble finding something on my site?  Do you have any suggestions or feedback about how I have the blog set up?  I recently got an email from someone that was having a hell of a time finding posts about the Starling Handbag.  That's pretty awful.

Feel free to be honest.  It's only fair, because in my spare time (you know, when I'm not crafting, blogging, working, eating, cleaning, and sleeping) I send emails to websites complaining about how their forms are hard to use, they don't know how to write instructions to save their lives, and generally demanding nothing less than excellence in web design and usability. ;)
76 Comments leave a comment


SofiAlgarvia said ...
I love changing something every-now-and-then! (I already changed husband once, you know?!)
And I really like your new logo - it's perrrfect, because we can associate the yarn ball to crochet and knit - superb!
2/1/2011 8:09 AM

futuregirl replied ...
SofiAlgarvia ... Thank you! (your husband comment made me laugh!)
2/1/2011 12:51 PM

Corvus said ...
The yarn g is awesome!
2/1/2011 9:01 AM

futuregirl replied ...
Corvus ... Thank you!
2/1/2011 12:52 PM

Kate said ...
Your new logo is super cool!
2/1/2011 9:01 AM

futuregirl replied ...
Kate ... Thank you!
2/1/2011 12:52 PM

LeeAnn said ...
Ah! It's perfect! I can't wait to see what else you are doing.
2/1/2011 9:06 AM

futuregirl replied ...
LeeAnn ... Thank you!
2/1/2011 12:52 PM

Seanna Lea said ...
Very cool. The logo is really neat and clean (which is one of my main criteria).

I did notice that in your cleanup you shortened the list of recent commenters and blogs. I really enjoyed those lists, because it gave me something else to read instead of FB games when I didn't have enough time for a row.
2/1/2011 9:08 AM

futuregirl replied ...
Seanna Lea ... Thank you! I was trying to clean up the sidebars (because I have some plans for them) so I picked 10. I want to make a page with the whole big list and then have a "view all site links" link at the bottom of it, but I didn't have a chance to do that yet. I hope no one gets upset about being taken off for the moment. It's not personal! The other problem was half the links weren't even sites anymore. Oops! :)
2/1/2011 12:55 PM

Heather said ...
Love the new logo! Great job on the "g."
2/1/2011 9:37 AM

futuregirl replied ...
Heather ... Thank you!
2/1/2011 12:55 PM

Susie said ...
LOVE! The designer in me is swooning. :)
2/1/2011 9:42 AM

futuregirl replied ...
Susie ... Aww! You are a sweetheart! Thank you!
2/1/2011 12:56 PM

Michelle said ...
I love it, Alice!
2/1/2011 9:47 AM

futuregirl replied ...
Michelle ... Thank you!
2/1/2011 12:56 PM

Vicky said ...
Oh wow, I love it! It's so simple but so effective, just how a site header should be.

Maybe your blog redesign will be enough inspiration for me to finish my website, which has been itching for a layout for, oh, a year or so.
2/1/2011 9:51 AM

futuregirl replied ...
Vicky ... Thank you! I like simple and effective logos, too. It's about time I came up with one. :) I'm sure you'll get to the layout when the time is right ... and inspiration strikes.
2/1/2011 12:57 PM

I love the look of the new logo! I can appreciate the long hours fiddling with getting the 'g' just right in Illustrator. It looks fluid and natural - perfect!

Excited to see the other changes. Will you be adding more design elements to the site (texture, pictures, background) or keeping it simple?
2/1/2011 10:12 AM

futuregirl replied ...
Jeannine | SaylorMade ... Thank you! And, it *was* hours and hours just on that yarn ball. I wish I'd kept track. I wasn't going to stop until it was perfect.

Personally, I love the layouts with all the doodads, scanned bits of paper, fabric loops, lace, and stuff ... BUT on the other hand, I want my project photos in each post to be the focus of attention, so maybe I should keep the layout simple. I do think my whole post layout is a mess right now. There is SO MUCH junk jumbled up at the bottom of each post, so I've got to do something to make it all neater.
2/1/2011 1:46 PM

anka said ...
Love your new logo!
2/1/2011 10:21 AM

futuregirl replied ...
anka ... Thank you!
2/1/2011 1:52 PM

Sam said ...
The logo looks great, and the blog looks so nice and clean and easy to read! Great job on the redesign!

I spend HOURS picking just the right font for my kids' birthday invitations, so I completely understand how important getting that "g" right was for you. :)
2/1/2011 10:51 AM

futuregirl replied ...
Sam ... Thanks! It's good to know I'm not the only stickler out there. :)
2/1/2011 1:53 PM

Libby said ...
I've never had a problem navigating your site, it's great and I love the new logo. Waiting with baited breathe for the rest of the big changes!!! x
2/1/2011 11:03 AM

futuregirl replied ...
Libby ... Thank you so much! :)
2/1/2011 1:54 PM

emilywools said ...
ahh i saw your new favicon on my google reader and clicked through to see the newness! love it! so springy!
2/1/2011 11:06 AM

futuregirl replied ...
emilywools ... That favicon took me about 30 minutes, and it's only 16x16 pixels. Those things are so hard to get looking right. :) Thanks for the sweet comment!
2/1/2011 1:56 PM

Em said ...
The site looks really nice, and the logo is great! The only thing that seems odd to me is that the page is wider than my screen, and scrolling on a touchpad sometimes I start moving sideways. :P But I don't need to scroll sideways to see anything on the screen, the extra part on the right is just empty space. (I use Safari on a Macbook if that makes a difference.) Overall I like the look though, very clean, and I like that all the links are easy to see and in the top area of the screen.
2/1/2011 11:11 AM

futuregirl replied ...
Em ... Thanks for letting me know. I must have some invisible leftover div hanging out on the right. I'll fix that tonight.
2/1/2011 1:59 PM

futuregirl replied ...
Em ... Em ... The culprit was a footer div with a typo width making it 200px bigger than it should have been. I've confirmed that it's not there for us ancient Window's machine users. Could you take another look and make sure it's A-OK for you, too?
2/1/2011 11:11 PM

Tammy said ...
Everything looks fantastic and your new logo is adorable!
2/1/2011 11:20 AM

futuregirl replied ...
Tammy ... Thank you!
2/1/2011 2:00 PM

Maitreya said ...
Cute!
2/1/2011 11:38 AM

futuregirl replied ...
Maitreya ... Thanks!
2/1/2011 2:00 PM

Rikke said ...
The new logo is simply perfect!
2/1/2011 1:48 PM

futuregirl replied ...
Rikke ... You're so sweet! Thank you!
2/1/2011 2:01 PM

Sam said ...
i'm definitely a fan of the yarn g. it's awesome. :)
2/1/2011 3:28 PM

futuregirl replied ...
Sam ... Yay! Thanks! :)
2/3/2011 12:39 AM

Amber said ...
I just found your site and love it. I have just taken up crocheting (dabbled a lot, but never finished a project yet). I would love to see one thing - when you post a project, is there any way you could put things in like what it looks like in the process? I am working on the Starling tote bag, and it would be helpful if I could see what the bottom looks like, like in between rows and when the bottom is finished. Of course, it's very possible I missed it somewhere, so if it's on here somewhere, please point me in the right direction! Thank you so much for your site because I have already learned a lot from it!
2/1/2011 3:43 PM

futuregirl replied ...
Amber ... I'm sorry I've made the Starling info a little hard to find for the moment. Here is a link to all Starling Handbag related posts http://www.futuregirl.com/craft_blog/labels/starling%20handbag.aspx The video crochet-a-long might be your best bet for a bottom of the bag shot. Also, the "sew a lining" tutorial has a picture of a flattened Starling handbag in step 1 http://www.futuregirl.com/craft_blog/2008/1/tutorial-sew-lining-for-crocheted-bag.aspx Oh! And the best one of all, rainbow bottom http://www.futuregirl.com/craft_blog/2010/8/peepshow_19.aspx Let me know if you have more questions.
2/3/2011 12:43 AM

Martha Winger said ...
You new logo is perfect. It incorporates your craft without being too cute! The sticklers ROCK! Can't wait to see the progression of your blog design.
2/1/2011 6:15 PM

futuregirl replied ...
Martha Winger ... Thank you! I love your enthusiasm. :)
2/3/2011 12:44 AM

julia said ...
I've been following your tweets so I've been super excited to see what you've been up to. Everything looks great - especially the yarn ball; it was definitely worth the effort.
2/1/2011 6:54 PM

futuregirl replied ...
julia ... Tweeting has been a crutch lately, I think. I share things on there and then I let it slide for the blog. Such a bad habit! But it so fun to be able to tweet things quickly. Maybe I need to think about shorter, quicker posts? Maybe twitter has taught me a lesson. ;)
2/3/2011 12:45 AM

knitoneone said ...
Well since I never saw the first logo I can't compare! But....I do love the yarn ball.
2/1/2011 8:30 PM

futuregirl replied ...
knitoneone ... The previous was just "futuregirl.com" in a sort of goofy-cute font. Not a logo at all. Now I have an all-grown-up logo for my fancy blog. :) Thanks for stopping by!
2/3/2011 12:46 AM

Gwen said ...
OK. Now I feel like such a lug. I noticed the new logo on my bookmark tab a coupla days ago (cause you're up on my toolbar you know), and I said zip,zilch, nada. But I did notice. Immediately.

I'm looking forward to the hex project details. I just finished making a lap blankie for father-in-law which was teal hexs in bamboo, alpaca and wool blends. (Debbie Stoller's newish yarn). Took a year, but I'm satisfied. It's posted to my Flickr account under crochet.

And no, the site is not hard to use. The instructions are great. No worries there. The only WRONG here is there is no picture of You! Fix that, will ya?
2/1/2011 9:17 PM

futuregirl replied ...
Gwen ... First: I'm on your tool bar?! That's awesome. Second: I love that blanket! Third: Serious question: what do you like about having my face in the sidebar? I was on the fence, so I'd love to hear what you have to say. :)
2/3/2011 12:48 AM

Laura said ...
Alice, you did an awesome job with the logo. I am totally blown away by it!

Great work!
2/1/2011 11:37 PM

futuregirl replied ...
Laura ... Thank you! :)
2/3/2011 12:49 AM

lovestitch said ...
Hello Alice!
Congrats on your new logo, it looks really cute!!! I love the simple but great idea in it!
Have a nice day! :)
LS,x
2/2/2011 2:41 AM

futuregirl replied ...
lovestitch ... Thank you!
2/3/2011 12:50 AM

J Munro said ...
I think it's a good idea to revamp things now and then. The website blacksburgbelle is very good at advising on how your blog should look. Clean and fresh is best in my opinion but it's great to have something that is 'you'. I'm still in the process of designing mine as well!
2/2/2011 7:20 AM

futuregirl replied ...
J Munro ... It's so hard, isn't it? So many decisions to make. Sometimes I just want to put it all off until I know I have everything perfect ... because I know that'll never happen and I won't have to do anything. HA!
2/4/2011 4:41 PM

Jessie said ...
I love the new logo! The way the yarn curls for the tail of the g is just perfect. I'm looking forward to seeing the new site design.
2/2/2011 8:20 AM

futuregirl replied ...
Jessie ... Thank you! I love that little curl with my whole-whole heart.
2/3/2011 12:54 AM

Olubunmi said ...
I do like the logo! It is very nice. I also like the way that it tells about you, and it gives your message loud and clear.
2/2/2011 9:10 AM

futuregirl replied ...
Olubunmi ... Thank you!
2/3/2011 12:54 AM

shumaila said ...
Great job Alice! I LOVE the "yarn ball g" so much.
You always come up with something different & unique.
2/2/2011 1:03 PM

futuregirl replied ...
shumaila ... Thank you!
2/3/2011 12:54 AM

sabina said ...
I love your simplicity, it's the mirror of your spirit.
The logo is outright and clean. Brava!!
2/2/2011 4:24 PM

futuregirl replied ...
sabina ... That's a wonderful way of putting it! Thank you!
2/3/2011 12:55 AM

Em said ...
Looks good to me now! The extra space is gone. :)
2/2/2011 5:06 PM

futuregirl replied ...
Em ... Thanks for checking again. :)
2/2/2011 5:22 PM

Kavitha said ...
Alice, it is very exciting to see the changes. Love the 'g' :-)
2/2/2011 9:02 PM

futuregirl replied ...
Kavitha ... Thank you!
2/3/2011 12:55 AM

pam said ...
Great job with the logo design. Tough thing to do - design a really great logo. YOU did it!

As always, everything is easy to find. But since you asked for honesty - I might suggest a little darker green. My eyes want a little more contrast.

Looking forward to what else you have up your sleeve!
2/2/2011 11:28 PM

futuregirl replied ...
pam ... Thank you for the logo-love! Are you talking about the green I use for the links? I have a feeling my monitor at home (which is getting close to 7 years old) is a little dark.
2/3/2011 1:06 AM

Gwen said ...
Hi Alice,
Having your face on/in the sidebar gives the site that touch of home and gives it your personality. It's nice to SEE who's talking to you. Of course your personality comes through very clearly in your writing, but there is something very comforting about seeing who you are interacting with as you read or post comments. Your picture always made me feel very welcome.
Additionally, crisp and clean is good; spartan is not. Without the picture it feels a little too clean; like a house without books or plants.
I disagree (with Pam) about the tone/intensity of the green. It looks like the 'foliage' that is supporting the lavender 'blooms' on the page. Very complimentary.
Good luck on the quest!!!
2/3/2011 1:11 AM

futuregirl replied ...
Gwen ... Thank you for the specific feedback. I took the photo off because I hated the text next to it. I'll rethink the whole thing and get one back up there. I like it when there are photos on blogs, too. I have a hell of a time remembering who someone is without a face to put with it. I will be putting image badges in the sidebar for projects like the Starling and Hex ... I just don't have them yet. It won't be spartan around here forever. :)
2/4/2011 4:43 PM

Charlotte said ...
LOVE the logo. Very fitting and fantastically executed.

Quite a coincidence, but I just designed a logo for my own blogname as well :D. Unfortunately, having a wordpress blog, I'm not allowed to mess with the codes, so I can't create a design around the logo. All I could do was brag about it in a blog post. In future, though, I hope to move the blog to a subdomain of my domain. In a future where a day probably counts 48 hours instead of a measly 24... ;)
2/5/2011 9:24 AM

futuregirl replied ...
Charlotte ... Thank you! Yeah. What's up with these dumb restrictions on the hours in a day? ;)
2/5/2011 10:41 PM

cara said ...
Prompted by reading your recent posts on your relation to comments/etc, I decided to go backwards to this post to share more logo love. I'd like to think I can appreciate the many hours of tweaking something like that can take. :) The more I thought about it though, the more I was curious-- did you use a font for the lettering, or draw it out? Just got me wondering. Love the g, and I think your open love for it makes me like it even more. I think I should try to remember that it's okay to openly love your own things that you invest so much in.

Although I'm not sure I've ever looked for something in particular, I don't think I've ever had a hard time navigating your blog.

And some random extra info: I recently got some custom rubber stamps made (I used rubberstamps.net, but there's all sorts of companies out there) and they are superfun, in case you have any use for custom rubber stamps (like with your new logo... which can then be stamped on anything... anywhere... world denomination surely follows ;). I'm probably just saying this because I got a stamp made from a logo I drew and it's so much fun.

This entirely too long comment is why I shy away from commenting. :)
2/6/2011 9:38 AM

futuregirl replied ...
cara ... Well, I, for one, don't mind long comments. Especially when they are awesome, like yours. :)

I think enthusiasm is infectious. When I talk about the things I really love on my blog, whether I made them or not, people really respond to that. So I don't try to be coy, even when I love something I made. :) I'm also honest when I make something I think is awful, so it all balances out and I don't think I come off as a megalomaniac. (fingers crossed)

I used the font Giddy Up as a starting point. The Adobe End User License Agreement allows the use of a font in a logo. http://forums.adobe.com/message/2374678

I drastically changed the F to look like how I write Fs, I changed the kerning and the width of most of the letters. I changed the dot for the i. I changed the stroke of the r. I added the tail curl to the L to match the F. And, of course, I created that g from scratch.

I wish I'd kept track of the hours I spent on the logo, but my guess is the weekend I was working on this I easily spent 10 hours just on getting that G right. Probably more, though.
2/6/2011 12:37 PM
 
Swapna said ...
Hello.. found your blog a week back and i have been going through it... I absolutely love it and the tutorials you have are really helpful. I dabble in a lot of crafts too, and am into making bead as well as wire jewelry right now.

Will definitely be checking out your blog more often.
1/11/2012 12:54 AM

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