Although I think your design is pleasing to the eye (my bedroom is decorated in your colors, in fact), I'm still having trouble with the bubbles with the word "under" because this implies SCUBA diving or fish or something under water, with the bubbles rising to the surface. Am I crazy or do others here react that way to this?

It seems to me that "graphic" and "design" are redundant. What about design *isn't* graphic?

Mara

Nice logo! Your thinner lines may get lost in small sizes. maybe you can try to use one stroke size for all?

The name seems awkward and wordy, especially if I say it out loud. For example, if you pretend someone asks, "Who designed your business card?" then reply with "above graphic design", I think it may cause people to be confused with the name.

Here are some similar word pairings:

Above Film Entertainment
Above Architecture
Above Electronics
Above Tires
Above Cosmetics
Above Consumer Electronics

One word is an adverb and the other is simply the name of a profession. I'm not really seeing a connection with wordplay or visuals. And seeing this name doesn't really spark my interest or make a lasting impression as, say, word fusion (ie. Logitech) or initials (ie. AGD).

Right now, your mark looks to be a combination of a mark and logotype, but if "A" is the visual mark, do you really need the "Above" part? Or what if simply removed the "A" and kept "above"? Does it say "A Above Graphic Design"? Basically I'm not sure how to read it, and then when I do, it sounds off, if that makes sense.

So I figure, why not do a quick case study. For example, looking at a company that also uses the letter "A" as a mark: Adobe. Their mark is a negative impression of a stylized "A" with their company name underneath. Neat and tidy, no other descriptive wording -- it's not Adobe Software, Adobe Graphics, or Adobe Systems; it's simply "Adobe".

Will that level of simplification work with your concept? What if your name was just "Above"? Does it make sense? Will it work if you just had the word "Above" in the typeface you have now? I think you may need a noun instead of an adverb if it's to stand alone.

Back to the case study, the word "Adobe" may not really make sense to a layman either. It doesn't generate any images of software or technology if you see the word by itself. However, the typeface alludes to something possibly technological and it's clean and bold. However, we know Adobe developed their identity paired with their software and acquired a brand following so you don't even need to tell people the company name for them to know Photoshop, CS, and Illustrator, are synonymous with Adobe.

So I think all my wordy advice comes down to:

1. Simplify. Simplify. Simplify.

2. Really think about what sets your company apart from everyone else.

3. You don't have to spell out what you do to your clients. Give them credit to figure it out. And don't take the advice of your clients when it comes to designing a mark ... unless they are designers of higher caliber or at least on a level playing field -- otherwise you are discrediting yourself and ultimately your identity / design.

4. Decide what kind of mark you want. Logotype? Lettermark? Abstract? Then go from there. Try separating the elements and figure out what the minimum info is.

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Note: I mentioned a lot of basic design techniques for this critique, so if it's redundant or seems like I'm "talking down" to you, please don't take it that way. It's just my way of talking /reading through the crit as I type so it makes sense to me as well. Hope this helps.

I agree

Mara

I really like the coloring, typography, etc. It's the color scheme of my bathroom!! ;)