[OverOxers]

So the SO and I are looking at buying our very own farm. Since I was a little girl I've dreamed of my own farm. I've been leasing a farm for years and haven't bothered with a logo or farm signs as my only boarders are a few retirees. That being said, for my very first farm I of course want a logo.

My farm colors are black, red and gold with gold being an accent color. Here's where I'm having a hard time, my farm name. Blind Lion Farm. I have a cat with no eyes, anyway he's amazing, and I joked one day about putting up lion statues and carving the eyes out of one, and naming it Blind Lion Farm. Well the Blind Lion part stuck. I do the hunters, although have been out of the show ring for years and looking forward to getting back into it.

I know many of you out there are creative types, so I need some ideas! Please help the design challenged.

[HealingHeart]

Just wondering, how does blind lion have to do with equine or better yet, lion.... Is there something from the roman days that you can draw on I.e., horse body, lion head or the meaning of lion. Initials behaps, BLF. Or B F L. Farm in center....

I like your colors, I am thinking royal crest type

[showhorsegallery]

It's your farm and you are obviously free to do what you want but I would advise against using Blind Lion Farm. It says nothing about your farm and it comes off as a little negative. I think you're making life harder with a name like that.

Do you have any other ideas? What type of clientele are you going after? What services will your farm offer?

For whatever it is worth, I work in an Advertising Agency and I'm specifically in the interactive department. A name like Blind Lion Farm will do nothing for your search engine optimization.

[GoForAGallop]

For whatever it is worth, I work in an Advertising Agency and I'm specifically in the interactive department. A name like Blind Lion Farm will do nothing for your search engine optimization.

I specialize in SEO tactics and there is so much beyond the name it's not even worth getting into on here.

OP, I like the name. It's better than yet another "Local Landmark Farm" or "Street Name Farm" or whatever. Plus, it's YOUR DARN FARM, you pay for it, you can name it whatever the heck you want. If it's just a few retirees, do you even have a website to care about SEO-ing? Unlikely.

As for the logo...find a way to keep it simple. A pawprint will most likely just look like it's a cat print, but it's a possibility. Try to find some sort of stylized lion that you could incorporate, not just a random clip art one. Or as I think someone else mentioned, the "crest" rearing lions are classy. Keep in mind that using black will limit what you can print the logo on, as far as colored t-shirts and sign backgrounds and what not. Logo design is tricky and truly for the artistic types...however, I know we have a few of those here on COTH so maybe someone will help you out!

[clanter]

look at some of the coat of arms loins

https://www.google.com/search?q=coat...w=1024&bih=726

[showhorsegallery]

I specialize in SEO tactics and there is so much beyond the name it's not even worth getting into on here.

OP, I like the name. It's better than yet another "Local Landmark Farm" or "Street Name Farm" or whatever. Plus, it's YOUR DARN FARM, you pay for it, you can name it whatever the heck you want. If it's just a few retirees, do you even have a website to care about SEO-ing? Unlikely.

As for the logo...find a way to keep it simple. A pawprint will most likely just look like it's a cat print, but it's a possibility. Try to find some sort of stylized lion that you could incorporate, not just a random clip art one. Or as I think someone else mentioned, the "crest" rearing lions are classy. Keep in mind that using black will limit what you can print the logo on, as far as colored t-shirts and sign backgrounds and what not. Logo design is tricky and truly for the artistic types...however, I know we have a few of those here on COTH so maybe someone will help you out!

Of course there is more to SEO than just a name, but a small farm is likely to not going to spend much time or energy on SEO. Having the domain name www.mycityname-horseboarding.com is going to be more beneficial than www.randomname.com.

Just because she's doing retirees now doesn't mean that is what she's going to be doing when she gets her farm. Which is why I asked what type of services she plans on offering and what clientelle she's going after.

I agree, it's her farm and she should ultimately name it what she wants. But when you're in a service industry you need to consider what potential clients want as you are serving them, not yourself. How they will find you and how they will perceive you is important.

Personally my first reaction to the name was negative. It's worth pointing that out. If I thought, I'm sure there are other people could have the same reaction. There are going to many opinions but there's nothing wrong with considering multiple points of view.

[hunterrider23]

look at some of the coat of arms loins

Yes, by all means, look at lots of loins.

[Bluesy]

Yes, by all means, look at lots of loins.

Beat me to it!


Just want to say to the OP - as a GD'er - I really like the name of your farm! Very different and cool

Also want to say - I'm sure you have lots of pictures of your beloved kitty - you might be able to incorporate line art of him (or a part of him) into the logo. A thought anyway.

[M.K.Smith]

I'll preface this by saying... I know nothing about logos.

As somebody who has a farm named Leaky Creek, I like the originality and the story behind your farms name. And I happen to have a sweet spot for a certain very loveable one eyed kitty at Delaware SPCA where I volunteer.

This caught my eye- http://www.google.com/imgres?hl=en&s...,r:4,s:0,i:149 along with your idea for carving out the eyes on one of them. In the center you could have the name of your farm... and maybe some sort of hunter jumping.

Best of luck in your endeavors!

[rabicon]

IMO name it what you like. Logo wise I'd maybe do a lion paw print with a horse jumping over it in hunter form. Red background with black paw print and a gold horse. Or red back ground with gold trim and black paw print and horse

[bits619]

I picture a coat of arms lion with a scarf/bandana covering the eyes. Or a lion head in red with the eyes in gold.

[horsegal301]

As a graphic/web designer myself, I love the name especially because it's different and its really based off of something unique to you and your farm... instead of random things about the farm that are actually extremely generic.. ie: "long lake farm, etc". I also think it's great because lions are portrayed as strong and full of wisdom, and royalty, among a few other meanings...

I really like it when people keep logos simple and iconic. Unfortunately, whenever I design a logo for someone, they list nike and apple as a logo that they like. Although they're great and simple, usually people try to design direct it themselves instead of letting us go with the idea... and then it ends up being way too ornate to be a proper logo. I think you could easily play with the idea of negative space to portray no eyes or just being blind without having to add in something obvious.

I'd play with the idea of a lion, but keep in mind that a crest is EXTREMELY intricate unless you can simplify it. You must realize that it needs to work everywhere you plan to apply it - small in a header of a website, small on a business card, embroidered on a fly bonnet, sheet, or used on a farm sign, etc.

Simple is best - I think something like this (minus the extra blood drop) would be something that is simple but effective. With some great typography displaying the name, I think it would be great! http://dribbble.s3.amazonaws.com/use...lion_blood.png


Also keep in mind, the closer to one or two colors it is, the easier it will be to print in any way... and cheaper. More colors always = more money.

Some other ideas:
http://dribbble.s3.amazonaws.com/use.../lion-rock.png
http://dribbble.s3.amazonaws.com/use...106/lion-2.jpg
http://dribbble.s3.amazonaws.com/use...ion-rock-1.png
http://dribbble.s3.amazonaws.com/use...81909/lion.jpg
http://dribbble.s3.amazonaws.com/use...on_pencils.jpg
http://dribbble.s3.amazonaws.com/use...1276224924.png
http://dribbble.s3.amazonaws.com/use...untitled-1.jpg

Simplified version of a lion from a crest:
http://dribbble.s3.amazonaws.com/use...29747/drib.jpg


I'll plug myself in here - if you want some logo design, I'd be happy to come up with something for you.. but I don't work for free since that's how I make a living! :P

[Tehzebra]

I like the name, personally! A few ideas that came to my mind were...

a horse standing with a cat with a lion cut chillin on his rump... Silhouette on red oval, gold trim border.

second was of claw tears with a horse jumping through one

Third was of a Large horseshoe with a lion portrait inside it.

[Bluesy]

As a graphic/web designer myself, I love the name especially because it's different and its really based off of something unique to you and your farm... instead of random things about the farm that are actually extremely generic.. ie: "long lake farm, etc". I also think it's great because lions are portrayed as strong and full of wisdom, and royalty, among a few other meanings...

I really like it when people keep logos simple and iconic. Unfortunately, whenever I design a logo for someone, they list nike and apple as a logo that they like. Although they're great and simple, usually people try to design direct it themselves instead of letting us go with the idea... and then it ends up being way too ornate to be a proper logo. I think you could easily play with the idea of negative space to portray no eyes or just being blind without having to add in something obvious.

I'd play with the idea of a lion, but keep in mind that a crest is EXTREMELY intricate unless you can simplify it. You must realize that it needs to work everywhere you plan to apply it - small in a header of a website, small on a business card, embroidered on a fly bonnet, sheet, or used on a farm sign, etc.

Simple is best - I think something like this (minus the extra blood drop) would be something that is simple but effective. With some great typography displaying the name, I think it would be great! http://dribbble.s3.amazonaws.com/use...lion_blood.png


Also keep in mind, the closer to one or two colors it is, the easier it will be to print in any way... and cheaper. More colors always = more money.

Some other ideas:
http://dribbble.s3.amazonaws.com/use.../lion-rock.png
http://dribbble.s3.amazonaws.com/use...106/lion-2.jpg
http://dribbble.s3.amazonaws.com/use...ion-rock-1.png
http://dribbble.s3.amazonaws.com/use...81909/lion.jpg
http://dribbble.s3.amazonaws.com/use...on_pencils.jpg
http://dribbble.s3.amazonaws.com/use...1276224924.png
http://dribbble.s3.amazonaws.com/use...untitled-1.jpg

Simplified version of a lion from a crest:
http://dribbble.s3.amazonaws.com/use...29747/drib.jpg


I'll plug myself in here - if you want some logo design, I'd be happy to come up with something for you.. but I don't work for free since that's how I make a living! :P

Nice designs!

I got my degree in graphic design a couple years ago and have just started out freelancing - luckily I have a couple of other jobs to pay for my horse and other unimportant expenses like mortgage etc ...

I pm'd the op (before you posted), but I'm more than pretty sure you're waay more qualified than I am!

~k