I've had clients stuck on an idea too. Give him what he wants to see and then do what you think would work. ie. a plane taking a nose dive into an ocean beside a beautifully rendered yacht (joking--but you see the gist)

But if he/she is really stuck on the plane idea don't rock the boat! Maybe try a more surreal image of a plane rather than a realistic illustration, something along the lines of Austrian Airlines (www.austrian.com)--have the plane symbol flying away, casting the shadow of a yacht below it and run "Miss My Flight" alongside the graphics.

ttfn!
3dogmama

I really don't like the concept (not your fault, I understand). I'd do my best to find something super cool to win him over with. This isn't it.

it can be frustrating when a client is stuck on an idea that goes against your design principles. But these could certainly be better. Since the company name is so gimmicky, try a more playful font with a more abstract plane image. Also, you might want to try and focus on a certain feature of the plane...like the jet engine or the tiny window portals...things that might subtly remind people of the inconvenience of planes. Sometimes i do a word association list to get me outta creativity cramps like these...

I'm sorry, but this is going to be a rather short critique, and may sound harsh - nothing against you personally, I promise.

This concept is horrible. The whole idea is to want people to ride a yacht. I do not get "yacht" feeling, image, or even idea from this. This actually makes me want to ride a plane more. I'm not saying you need to illustrate a yacht - but I don't think an airplane illustration is necessary. Try getting away from the plane, since you want your drive the potential customers away from flying too. This one might work best with just text or a simple abstract shape as suggested earlier. If you can't tell, I think it's a horrible name, but I know you have no control over that.

About the client wanting something specific: You're the professional. Let me put it this way - you've designed "his idea" already. Archive that for a moment, and come up with your own ideas and play around with your own creativity - don't forget you're the designer. Show them these first. Then, the most important part: tell him why you designed them the way you did. I can't stress how important this is. You'd be surprised how flexible clients suddenly become when you tell them why and why not certain things in design work. If he's absolutely stubborn "heels in the ground" after this and wants his own design, then show him the "his concept" designs. If a client is that stubborn and set on an idea, it won't matter how long you spend on these concepts, anyway.

That was longer than expected. I developed this method through trial and error in a web design company and it worked extremely well - clients were constantly saying things like "I never thought of that before, but I absolutely love it!" Often times clients don't realize that they're a bit stuck in a box. I'm not saying it works in every situation, but definitely in some. Hope it helps.

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Perfectly Lost Designs

Thanks a lot for all of your comments. Thanks for been honest. I definatelly want to try something else but with that name of the company I'm kind of stuck. I guess I'm gonna spend a couple more hours in logopond. I will keep you uptadated. Thanks, any other critiques will be appreciated.

Your client's concept is a failure. Good luck.

Fresh Portfolio ---> http://www.davidpcrawford.com

Logo isn't that great, but Missed my Flight, or I Missed My Flight, would be a much better company name if it has to be used at all. The company name needs to be reworked, as does the logo.

Missed my Flight is too final, negative and non descript. Three bad features in a brand name. Kind of like saying Coke should have been named, "Not My Pepsi".

Start in black and white. No grays. Helps you define your shapes. Keep the icon/logo and the logotype separate. They need to be autonomous shapes, used sometimes together, other times not.

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Powerpoint is not a design application
My latest web design work

This company has another thing coming. When I want to get somewhere fast... I take a plane. When I want to chill out... I charter a yacht. (Not that I go around chartering yachts all the time, but you get the idea.) These two modes of transport are so far apart as to not be related at all. If I "Miss My Flight" I'll be in the airport lounge waiting for the next available flight, and I'll be on it when it leaves. There's always Hertz. I'll reach my destination before the yacht's even left the harbour.

Or maybe I'd be sitting in the yacht's lounge, checking my watch and going; "I really Miss My Flight... I would've been there by now."