After sleeping on the new logo pre-proposal - visual identity. I now know what the O+M color palette used reminds me of. The colors used are very progressive aren't they in the gender identity political sense. A bit too feminine for my liking. I also echo others after looking at their polling results I think it was unfair that they used the same gradient on original logo when performing survey. Just my 2 cents. I'm currently leaning more towards keeping original current logo.
I'm also concerned from a distance O+M logo is very hard to identify. It looks like a scribble. I tested it as a favicon on web browser. It looks like a paper clip.
Also using as O+M logo as a currency symbol is causing me some concerns. The problem is the lines are too thin so blur when size is decreased. Take the Dash mobile wallet for example to showcase what I mean:
Current logo vs O+M Logo
As of right now. My preference would be too keep orignal from a practical perspective.
From a purely selfish point of view. I also find the O+M logo too restricting in my line of work. I've created well over a 1000 images with current Dash logo not including memes, gifs and t shirt designs. I feel rather limited by the double D and it's proving hard to work with already. I can use the current solo D logo easily to incorporate and manipulate in to images for news articles or even photo manipulation for jokey memes. Just looking at exisitng t shirt designs replacing with the DD logo is not pleasing to the eye.
The simplicty of current logo over O+M is important to recognize especially for languages that do not use the same alphabet. If you were living in China & did not know English. If I showed you each logo for 3 seconds and then asked you to draw it on a piece of paper. The current D only consists of 2 simple lines so easy a kid could draw it regardless of native language. The O+M paperclip is too complex to accuratley replicate, would it be recognizable when you factor in design angle etc. Don't believe me try it yourself. Also if you have kids ask them to take the 3 second logo Dash draw challenge.
Which logo is more recognizable?
Is it a diamond? is it DareDevil? is it an hourglass? or is it a paperclip?
O+M logo reminds me too much of Clippy from Windows XP 2001.
The current Dash D has more use as we've seen international communities take ownership proudly using overlays with their nation flags. You are way too limited to customize O+M logo due to thin lines.
With all that being said. I don't like the T&C logo either. It feels like it's been forced when it's not needed. It's about what is fit for purpose. I think this whole rebranding exercise has made me realize just how strong and versatile our current logo is in terms of applications and various media it is used in.
For that reason alone I see no justification for change just for the sake of changing. There was no dissatisfaction with current logo. All value is belief. It's the utility and benefits Dash provides that will carry Dash to the top not the packaging.
We're trying way too hard, trying to fix a problem that doesn't need fixing. The free market will ultimately decide via natural selction if we're truly the best solution in our field. Not based on logo but on functionality and ease of use alone. In my opinion we should be focussing our energy developing the functionality and continue to build from within. Fancy packaging only gets you so far, it's what's inside that counts that determines if people will use Dash again and again.
I'm proud when I tell people about our current Dash logo as last time round the final result was an amalgamation of multiple logo entries by community and it has stood the test of time. I'm proud of that history and I'm not convinced it needs changing.
https://www.dash.org/forum/threads/dash-logo-contest.4394/
https://www.dashfoundation.io/blog/vote-on-the-logo-is-open/
It's a large scale marketing advertising outreach strategy campaign where we need the help most not the logo.
In my opinion all this time, energy and Dash spent on this exercise is a bitter pill to swallow as we could of been advertising and doing outreach efforts for months now utilizing social media platforms what we already had in our arsenal prior to ban announcements. I feel we've missed a real opportunity here. C'est la vie, life goes on.
I'm a true blue Dash fan through and through. If you want folks to know Dash is the champion of digital cash then throw a crown on the current D logo. Get creative and get the message right, don't try and reinvent the wheel from scratch at the expense of losing our identity and history with O+M logo. It's all about the journey folks. Besides Dash is no longer 2 layer. As we learnt in recent Evolution Demo 1 video Dash will be more a blockchain cube. So O+M logo is already outdated in that context.
