Save The Dolphins logo

After watching the movie The Cove, I was inspired to help stop dolphin killings in Taiji. I decided to create a program informing people about the gruesome killings in Japan and how they can help stop it. This is a logo I created for the program. I will contact other charitable organizations to set up donations. Other promotional material will follow the logo. Please voice any opinions/advice you may have.
N.T. Designs
Nicolas Tobin | Online Portfolio

to me, the logo looks really good. Although the phrase "Save the Dolphins" is a bit tilted to the right?
Not sure if it's intended or not, but i would make it a bit more balance. Again, it's just me =), everything else looks nice though

I like a lot the concept, with the sun at the sunset/sunrise and the dolphin jumping from the water. The logo it's very expresive but some harmony is missing. some working on the shape of the dolphin, and some working on the text is needed

iam agree with smyth.
you have cool concept, but i think didnt find a harmony in your design. Maybe at the bottom are too empty.
but overall is great..

to me, the logo looks really good. Although the phrase "Save the Dolphins" is a bit tilted to the right?
Not sure if it's intended or not, but i would make it a bit more balance. Again, it's just me =), everything else looks nice though

Thank you for the critique. And yes, the text was intentionally tilted to the right. I didn't want it there, but where the dorsal fin is positioned, I cannot move it to the left. I tried making the circle bigger, but then there is lots of open space around the waves and it looked very disproportionate. I am going to try and work on the text a bit, I'll try a different font and see if it helps. I also tried making the fin smaller, and it makes the dolphin disproportionate as well.

I like a lot the concept, with the sun at the sunset/sunrise and the dolphin jumping from the water. The logo it's very expresive but some harmony is missing. some working on the shape of the dolphin, and some working on the text is needed

Thank you. I'm glad you picked up on the color scheme. It is supposed to be a sunrise. I do agree that there is harmony missing. I'm going to try and fatten up the lines of the dolphin to match the thickness of the wave lines. I'm also going to try a different font as well.

The basic idea is great, but I agree it needs some work. I've also seen the movie and I really appreciate your immediate actions here!

There's especially work on the typo needed: the letters and the stand look unbalanced. I'd also use another font where the differences between the stroke-widhts are not too strong and that has softer edges, to match with the style of the dolphin illustration. Maybe better use a sans-serif. As for the position-problem, why not try to interrupt the line of the fin? Or you could use a more condensed font maybe.

In black and white I bet this looks a bit plain with that font. Also the circle might not work for this design.

~Corey

I dont like it. Its not a strong mark and the colors clash

I think your logo looks good, something I would consider is changing the font that you used. A new font might make it look like more of a statement.

The dolphin lines are really smooth, good reflections, but the font doesn't quite match in my mind. Nevertheless, great work!

Thank you for all the replies. I've been so busy lately. I actually just got back from vacation in Florida. My girlfriend and I swam with the dolphins and after that experience, it really inspired me to rethink the whole design. I am in the process of redesigning the logo using the same concept. But I took all the critiques you guys made and tried to make the logo better. Please watch the new TV show on Animal Planet called Blood Dolphins on Fridays at 10 PM. It is made by the people who made the movie The Cove. I should have the finished logo up soon. And I plan to move forward and contact charitable organizations so I can get people to donate. With this program, I want to inform people what they do to dolphins in Japan so we can help stop it. Thanks alot.
-Nicolas
N.T. Designs
Nicolas Tobin | Online Portfolio

I like the logo but that's because I'm a fan of the Miami Dolphins football team and this logo uses similar colors to their logo and the dolphin is facing the same direction as the team logo.

When I see something like this with a dolphin in it, I always think of the Miami Dolphins first. I can't help it, I got football on my brain!

I like the logo but that's because I'm a fan of the Miami Dolphins football team and this logo uses similar colors to their logo and the dolphin is facing the same direction as the team logo.

When I see something like this with a dolphin in it, I always think of the Miami Dolphins first. I can't help it, I got football on my brain!

haha I didn't even realize that. I love football myself.
Here is the new and improved design. I feel alot better about this one. I need some help though. I've narrowed it down to two fonts and can't decide which one to use. Here is the same design with different fonts. Please let me know what you think about the design and which font works best. Thank you.
Design 1:
Design 2:

Design 1 I think is the best. This is a much better design then the very first you one you posted. The text placed with the dolphins was too distracting and really took away from this nice design. This new version has a better balance and the design isn't competing with the text (font)

i wonder what a little space would look like between the dolphin and the circle trim. Being close to the edge kinda gives a feeling of crowded..maybe just my eye.

Any way this is way better

Design 1 I think is the best. This is a much better design then the very first you one you posted. The text placed with the dolphins was too distracting and really took away from this nice design. This new version has a better balance and the design isn't competing with the text (font)

i wonder what a little space would look like between the dolphin and the circle trim. Being close to the edge kinda gives a feeling of crowded..maybe just my eye.

Any way this is way better

I really appreciate your critique.

I wanted to point out a few things about the new design. I purposely overlapped the dorsal fin and the tip of the nose on the circle to represent how the dolphins are captured and put into aquariums, kept in captivity, and secluded from their families. The crowded tense feeling the viewer feels from the overlapping is the same feelings the dolphins feel (crowed and lots of stress). It also shows how they are no longer free animals. The orange gradient background represents a sunset which symbolizes the free lives they lived before being slaughtered or captured. The design is supposed be deceiving. Most people see the beautiful sunset background with a beautiful dolphin jumping over waves. Really, they are trapped inside glass tanks and brutally abused by trainers, or slaughtered for no reason.

Edited by N.T.Designs, 03 September 2010 - 07:37 PM.

you might want to show a BW version,it will help you find parts of the logo wich are to be improved,it does not help you get better if I just tell you what and where to change...
and still- the symbol is too oversized and I would drop the grey outline of the font because it makes it look blurred instead of clean...
hope thats helpful..
and I almost forgot - practice,practice and more practice
is the key

i like the abstract dolphine.
very good

I retouched the new design. I smoothed out some of the lines, I made the font bigger and included the black and white version. All in all, I am pretty satisfied with the results.

i think the final logo is really good.. but i think you need make a bit better the grey one..