You would have to have lived under a very big rock for many a year not to get what the first 3 in the thread represent.
Haha. I live under a rock? Good one. Ok, I'll get to that later.
Let me show you my point here. Below are a bunch of logos from a 2 minute Google search of both PS4 AND Xbox forums/sites out there, just to show I'm not biased and certain design elements are used (and actually, I think one of the Xbox forums is our sister site).
You see what they all have in common? They all have something to do with the gaming platform THEY represent. Push Square is a PS news site but they also have an active forum. But you see the connection there? The square? Designed right into their name and logo, fashioned like the square button. PlayStation Trophies. Admittedly this is my least favorite, however, it's also using the blue and white that is commonly associated with PS4's official site and marketing. PS Life, their logo has the square, X, triangle and O in the background of their text. And the text is simple and clean. Xboxone, uses the greens and font of the Xbox. Same with Xboxforum.pl with the Xbox controller. XBF, their own logo design with the Xbox font below in grey. So again, they all have the design cues of the consoles they represent and a visitor to those sites will make that instant association.
Yours doesn't even give the site any credit.
How does mine NOT give the site any credit? You failed to elaborate on this one and had no substance on that claim. Based on the other logos out there, my design is more in line with what other sites are doing. It also gives that instant association as a PS4 site by using PS design elements (font, logo). It gives credit to both the PlayStation AND the site as a PlayStation fan forum. It's that simple association in the readers mind, which is why a lot of fan sites use elements from the brand they are making the pages about. Lets say for example, you make a forum that is about parenting. You don't make your banner/logo with a saw blade and Metallica font, like you wouldn't make an Xbox forum in PlayStation font. You choose design elements that cater to your target audience. So, seeing as this is a PlayStation forum, and the target audience is PlayStation gamers, you would use PlayStation elements in your design. And like I said when I posted my version, I did it quickly as an example and spent maybe 45 minutes on it, probably less actually. Obviously, if I was serious about it I would have spent much more time on it. The banner on my site took me hours upon hours to do and get perfect.
Listen, I'm not knocking Alex's designs, but being experienced in this, I put my two cents in. If this was a general gaming forum, they would probably work fine (honestly, the third one would work best for a general gaming forum). Contrary to what you think (because I apparently live under a big rock), I did get what he was going for (elements of community, the target on the third one, game controller, etc). But I don't feel they represent what the forum is about and a visitor will not make that instant association of this being a PlayStation forum with a logo like that. There are no PS design cues and I don't feel they don't make sense for a PlayStation fan forum, hence why I said they are confusing. It's confusing because it is claiming to be a site about PS4 but doesn't represent PlayStation gaming in any way. A logo is the first thing people see, and the first impression visitors have to your site and it should represent the subject of the site.
Now, on a personal note, it's not like I don't have experience with this. As an owner myself, I have done countless hours of research on sites and internet forums (talking with forum owners about forum layouts, graphic designs, marketing, etc), and studying numerous gaming websites picking up on their design cues. And I also used to work with graphics for a living. So no, I do not live under a rock
). As you see, it's simple and represents what the forum is about; it's a PlayStation logo stylized in the more current generation blue styling and PS4 font.
