Creative advice from the most creative people I know

Atlas Knife Company

Atlas Knife Company

Joined
Feb 16, 2010
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This is the design I'm working on for my work shirts. I took an early version of this t-shirt to the ICCE show and people were asking where to buy one. I still wasn't happy with it, and am still not happy with it. Not sure what it needs, but I'm hoping you fine, creative folks can help.

Any creative suggestions are helpful, and if you don't get rainbow/cat shirts, that's fine, my wife doesn't either.
 

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More unicorns…… much more unicorns. Really embrace your inner unicorn.

Or possibly a different design of a unicorn forging a knife… then quenching it in a 4:1 ratio of unicorn blood and unicorn tears. And in the background there's a cat wearing a speedo and the earths exploding and there's probably some alien spacecraft somewhere in there.

I feel so weird posting this. :D:D:D

Seriously though you guys have to try quenching in unicorn blood. It's even better then parks 50 if you can believe that.;)
 
Matte logo with remaining graphics 3D. Probably would look better if all were matte or 3D.

Also, the directions of the light sources for all of the elements do not match, e.g. cat and anvil front lit, hammer and unicorn top lit, Earth left side lit.
 
Maybe something more like this.

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/90635011226367057/

-replace the stopwatch with an Atlas like your name.
-replace the hotrod with knife or anvil
-there are lots of vintage fonts that could work with your brand.

A vintage industrial theme would be both trendy (as in contemporary) and timeless.

other inspirations:
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/470415123553617972/
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/528821181228298947/

Just a thought. I'm not a professional graphic designer, but I am actually a professional fashion photographer and have been involved with brand development for several companies.
 
Honestly, while I think it's a humorous and fun picture, if you're goal is to sell shirts and get a business advertised, omit everything but the logo, centered on the chest of a solid color shirt. Put a website address and/or contact info on the back, or replace the "Since 2010" with your website "AtlasKnife.com"

The only thing I'd remember after seeing somebody wearing that shirt as pictured was "some dude had a shirt with a cat, trying to forge a unicorn, in outerspace, but I can't remember the name of the company, other than maybe the logo was yellow..."

Simple is best.
 
cat needs a mustache, meteor needs more of a tail blow up the unicorn to same size as cat and make them friends hammering the anvil. your welcome, lol looks like you already got some great feedback
 
All depends on what you're wanting the shirt for - you mention "work shirt", is that just a shirt for you to wear while working? OR - do you wish to develop a market for the shirt? OR - do you wish it to be the best advertising for your company possible? Or, perhaps most likely a combination of all 3? Each of the 3 types above could require different designs to be most effective.

#1. Work shirt to wear while working and out 'n about? Then make it as wild as your imagination. What you've got looks pretty darn good, but maybe the cat a bit smaller and unicorn a bit larger? For sure more of a tail on the comet or meteorite (depending on which it is)

#2. A shirt to market - lose the cat. While some folks would LOVE the cat, others (like myself) just are not cat people.

#3. Shirt to market your company. Still loose the cat unless there is something about the cat that pertains to your company. For sure have a website URL listed, and perhaps a phone number, but for sure website. What is the main focus of your company - the forge market or your knives? Focus more on your main product, but have both products shown. Perhaps work the Unicorn into the design - everybody loves unicorns ;)

Ken H>
 
timos- said:
cat needs a mustache, meteor needs more of a tail blow up the unicorn to same size as cat and make them friends hammering the anvil. your welcome, lol looks like you already got some great feedback
Click to expand...
Yes, but keep all 3 ninjas! They are perfect!
 
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Simplify, simplify, simplify!

I would keep the ATLAS logo, the anvil and hammer, and the starry background ( sans planet) .... and get rid of the rest (cat, unicorn, comet crashing into earth).

You could change the hammer to a finished knife (drop point hunter) if you want people to know you make forged knives. If you do that, angle the knife downward opposite the current direction of the hammer. I don't think a hammer and knife crossing each other is needed or would look good.
 
I say a black shirt and clean bold yellow logo like you have right in the center chest. Clean and simple. Then something on the back. Something catchy like "If your addicted, we got your next fix"
 
danhowl said:
Maybe something more like this.

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/90635011226367057/

-replace the stopwatch with an Atlas like your name.
-replace the hotrod with knife or anvil
-there are lots of vintage fonts that could work with your brand.

A vintage industrial theme would be both trendy (as in contemporary) and timeless.

other inspirations:
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/470415123553617972/
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/528821181228298947/

I like these ideas.
However, if you're looking to make a few work shirts for your personal use, put whatever is meaningful to you on it.
If you're looking to promote your business to a wide audience I would look into the ideas presented by Dan in his post. Just my 2 cents.
Click to expand...
 
Black shirt, yellow logo on back of shirt and have at least up to size triple X if not bigger. Personally I won't buy a shirt with the logo on the chest I may be in the minority around here on that. If you have to do a piece on the front make it small where a pocket would go.
 
Have the God Atlas holding your forge (burning) on one shoulder and a burner (also burning) in the other hand. Logo with dotcom underneath.
 
I first thought Charles was yanking our chain .... but who knows. Unicorns and kittens???? If you ever saw his boy, you would know that was not likely.
 
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