Presbymergent Logo
So clearly this community of friends is starting to gather more inertia. One thing I’ve been wondering for some time is whether we needed to design a logo for presbymergent. Now that we’re planning on having a booth at General Assembly in June, and our name has started to show up on a few posters for events as a co-sponsoring group, I think it might be helpful for us to get a logo designed for presbymergent.
I made the graphic on the right one night just to have something. However, it’s not really a presbymergent logo - just a few little “badges” put together.
So I’d like to suggest we collaborate on getting a logo design put together. Obviously, we don’t have any funds, unless we wanted to raise some money to hire a professional to design the logo. Otherwise, we can seek out people who may be willing to donate their services, or there may be some of you out there who want to take a stab at designing a logo.
I’m also wondering how people would like to go about the process. Should we find one person to work on the logo? Should we have a variety of people design a logo and then we’ll all vote? I’m open to any ideas. I have a few ideas of people we can seek out, some of which may be willing to do it for free. And I am also willing to work on some ideas.
What does everyone think?
Comment by Shawn Coons on 20 January 2008:
Maybe some discussion about what we want the logo to communicate/incorporate?
Comment by Adam Copeland on 20 January 2008:
I think the logo should be catchy, clean, attractive, young-person friendly but not old-person alienating, sexy, and neat. Other than that, I have no thoughts.
Comment by deeperinmethani on 20 January 2008:
a logo is always nice… but its not necessary I don’t think. Personally I like simplicity.
Comment by Neal Locke on 21 January 2008:
I always wondered what it would look like if you took the PCUSA logo and replaced the two little red flames at the bottom with two little green “emergent” leaves. They’re about the same shape.
But no matter what logo we come up with, it will never be as cool as submergent’s logo…
Comment by Jan Edmiston on 22 January 2008:
Yes to logo.
I don’t have other fabulous ideas except that I like the green leaves.
Comment by Rodger Sellers on 22 January 2008:
I have to ask: Why do we want or need a Presbymergent Logo?
Comment by ryan pappan on 25 January 2008:
What about opening the top of the PCUSA logo…like opening a box?
Comment by Adam Copeland on 25 January 2008:
Hate to be that guy, but don’t we need permission to use the PC(USA) seal? Or do we already have it? I doubt they would approve altering it.
From http://www.pcusa.org/oga/seal.htm:
“The seal of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is a registered trademark. The seal is comprised of the symbol, the basic components of which are cross, scripture, a descending dove at the upper part of the cross, and flames on either side of the lower part of the cross, and the name of the denomination, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), encircles the symbol. It was designed by Malcolm Grear and Associates.
Each congregation and governing body may use the seal without receiving prior permission. Any other use requires prior approval by the Office of the General Assembly. Contact Bobbie Montgomery for more information.”
Comment by Neal Locke on 25 January 2008:
@Adam: Under the Fair Use clause of US Trademark law, we’d be ok with any of the variations described here, because they modify significantly what the PCUSA itself calls “basic components.”
In practice, the litmus test used by the courts is “the likelihood of confusion” between the two trademarks. As long as ours is “recognizeably” different than the original, it can still be based on the original.
Comment by Adam Copeland on 25 January 2008:
Wow, thanks Neal. Never knew that. So, guess we’re back to not knowing, but at least it’s legal.
Comment by ryan pappan on 26 January 2008:
I made a quick logo here…
http://ryanpappan.blogspot.com/2008/01/in-response-to-need-for-presbymergent.html
Comment by Adam Walker Cleaveland on 26 January 2008:
@Rodger - thanks for joining in the conversation Rodger. I think I know what you mean, and I don’t want to necessarily contribute to the “branding” of presbymergent…
…but still, I think it’s important for us to have some type of way so that people can “recognize” us, I guess. Now that we have this website, a podcast, and will be making some brochures, possibly a banner for GA, I think it’d be nice to have some type of consistency to our ‘look.’ Does that make sense?
And besides, everyone knows you’re not legit until you have a logo.
Comment by ryan pappan on 26 January 2008:
Then we got to work on action figures and maybe a t-shirt. After he logo comes merch!
Comment by Karen Sloan on 26 January 2008:
ooo — a clerk of session with a Book of Order/PDA accessory for supporting an emerging Presbyterian community in it’s ‘decently and in order’ efforts — I want one of those….. maybe for GA handouts/booth stuff we should dream more creatively than a banner of words & a tri-fold brochure — anyone interested in putting together some artwork?
Comment by ryan pappan on 26 January 2008:
I have a bit of time. What do we have in mind?
What about beer cozies, spyglasses, temporary tattoos (or real ones), or Presbymergent brand lattes.
On the action figure front, if we have cos, then we need mod, delegates, and the sign up ladies.
When Bruce is elected to be the mod a figure with mac laptop and beret can be made. Then have hip delegates and some polity wonks watching GA via streaming video. We could have play sets and perhaps a Prius play set can also be included.
Comment by Carol Howard Merritt on 27 January 2008:
I always like designing/collaborating on stuff. I helped design our church’s podcast logo. What if we don’t think of it as a label, but rather as an artistic expression of who we are? Would that make people feel better?
We can’t do it by gathering together, I assume.
We’ve got Ryan’s design (beautiful, I might add), perhaps we can put a couple of others into the mix. I’ll try to think of something….
Adam, is the blog the best forum for this?
We like leaves… are there any other images that come to mind?
Comment by ryan pappan on 27 January 2008:
Carol will you been in Austin next week as well?
What do we want to proclaim with the logo? The leaf is cool. What from our history signifies the transition we are engaged in? I feel it must reflect our reformed heritage. What about some kind of blossoming flower?
Comment by Adam Copeland on 27 January 2008:
Calvin’s seal was a bleeding heart enclosed in a hand (http://drbrooker.net/?cat=15) Using a heart isn’t exactly creative, but it might be a place to start.
Sorry, though, I’ve got no skills in these areas.
@Ryan, it seems something of what we want to proclaim is a knowledge of our heritage with a strong view towards the Spirit moving in new ways now. As emergent takes pages to even explain on paper, it’s no wonder it’ll take a bit of work to do so visually.
Comment by ryan pappan on 27 January 2008:
I made a few more logos that I put up on my site (http://ryanpappan.blogspot.com). Let me know if any of them are going in any direction. I am going to get out the old pencils and have at it today.
Adam I agree on the connection with our past with an eye to the future…maybe an eye of some sort? I worked with some heart designs and did not like them. I will see what I can come up with.
Regardless of the logo, I saw we need the action figures and t-shirts in a bad way. The figures must have kung fu grip and a battle feature that varies on the context each figure is facing.
Comment by Carol Howard Merritt on 27 January 2008:
Ryan,
No. I won’t be in Austin. Sadly. My daughter’s got school, and I’ve got an Ash Wednesday service.
Comment by ryan pappan on 28 January 2008:
I am sorry to hear that Carol. I hope to hang out with Brian.
To all, I put up to more. The top one I like a lot.
Comment by Carol Howard Merritt on 29 January 2008:
Here’s my stab at it or a variation
I wanted to get across the image of the new life emerging from the forest ground.
Comment by Carol Howard Merritt on 29 January 2008:
Oops! The links didn’t work. Here’s one with us submerged http://tribalchurch.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/01/presbymergent-2.jpeg. And here’s the other with us growing up: http://tribalchurch.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/01/presbymergent.jpeg.
Comment by Carol Howard Merritt on 29 January 2008:
And…the links still don’t work. Durn it. I’ll post them on my site and get back to you with ANOTHER link.
Pingback by TribalChurch.org on 29 January 2008:
[...] by tribal church on 29 Jan 2008 at 10:22 am | Tagged as: church The good folk at the Presbymergent site are looking for a logo. Or, for those who don’t like any hint of branding or labels, [...]
Comment by Adam Copeland on 29 January 2008:
How about this: http://www.chrisharrison.net/projects/bibleviz/index.html
We’d have to get permission, but it’s an awesome image. We could put a black and white PC(USA) symbol in the middle of it, sort of blurry. It’s biblical, it’s connectional, it’s relational, it looks good.
Comment by ryan pappan on 29 January 2008:
Adam, what image are you suggesting, the arches of color?
Comment by Adam Copeland on 30 January 2008:
Yes, Ryan, the arches representing the connections between the books of the Bible.
Comment by Karen Sloan on 1 February 2008:
I’m a fan of an image with a connectional/network/God vibe.
Pingback by Announcing the Official presbymergent Logo Contest : presbymergent on 2 April 2008:
[...] PostJanuary 19, 2008 — Presbymergent Logo (29)March 5, 2008 — The Spiritual Book Club (2)February 25, 2008 — Episode 02: Vera White, Pittsburgh [...]
Comment by Zachary Wilson on 2 April 2008:
Not that I have any right to say anything, having never before contributed, but what about just turning the PC(USA) Logo upside down. It could be tarted up using a kenotic theme, something being poured or dumped out of the logo–the message being instead of trying to survive the church is called lose its life in order to save it. Perhaps something could grow from what is poured out. I’m no great artist, but, hey, it’s a thought.
Comment by Drew Ludwig on 2 April 2008:
I like that idea.
Pingback by First Two presbymergent Logos : presbymergent on 10 April 2008:
[...] PostApril 2, 2008 — Announcing the Official presbymergent Logo Contest (2)January 19, 2008 — Presbymergent Logo (32)March 5, 2008 — The Spiritual Book Club (2)February 25, 2008 — Episode 02: Vera White, Pittsburgh [...]
Comment by Scott Kinder-Pyle on 22 April 2008:
I just submitted a logo which depicts the denominational framework being sucked into a green vortex of vast cultural change. Either that, or it is emerging on the other side of a verdant wormhole. The PC (USA) logo has been turned at an angle, so that the dove appears to be flying up from the ground. Hope that’s legal and within the blurry parameters of the Book of Order.