[Sidepot]

This first post represents the "original submission" only, and enables the initiation of the discussion thread on this chip submission. This thread now belongs to Rowlin, and he may use his first post within this tread to post updates/changes to his submission, which will ultimately be the design of his that gets submitted into the voting rounds on July 17th.

Feedback, comments, & constructive criticism encouraged!

[STANK1000]

i can't tell if there's a faint design behind the "p" or not. yes, no?

[rowlin]

I'm just going through the other submissions and am really impressed. This entry pales in comparison to the rest, but I like the idea of doing something simple. Right now, the first thing I would fix are the denominations. I really like the way they are presented on the few entries I have seen so far.

The faint design that you are seeing in the background is the cutout of the piece of paper I used to glue the "P" onto the printout of mockups. I am not at all artistic, or handy with any kind of design software, but will somehow make these things look at least presentable with the chip forge by the final submission deadline. From what I have seen so far though, I won't have to worry about being in contention or anything.

Thanks for checking out my entry and for your comments.

[Magus 23]

Simplicity is one of the keys to elegance. One of the biggest design flaws I see when people are trying to make something look elegant is that they try to do too much and end up with something tacky rather than graceful.

Nice work -- I particularly like the asymmetrical placement of the denominations. Off-center (when done deliberately) is always a great touch!

[Sidepot]

Rowlin - My understanding is you, along with one other submission, are targeting the very edge of the minimalist approach. With the chip line as ornate as it is already (edge spot progression + shaped inlays), I think a good deal of promise lies with a very simple inlay design on this chip line. That being said, IMHO the "P" (I assume for Protege) will not be received well by our customer base, that is unless their last name starts with a "P". There is too much history of customizing chips with your initial for this to work, I think. The Bellagio knock-off is a little different story, because they're borrowing the well established brand equity of the Bellagio name.

Nobody knows "Protege" from "Peterson"

[rowlin]

Originally Posted by Sidepot

There is too much history of customizing chips with your initial for this to work, I think.

Thanks for your candid feedback.

As the design's premise is the issue here, I am not sure how to proceed - other than withdrawing the entry and/or changing it entirely.

Any thoughts?

[Magus 23]

Originally Posted by rowlin

As the design's premise is the issue here, I am not sure how to proceed - other than withdrawing the entry and/or changing it entirely.

First of all, don't withdraw. We're still in the discussion/feedback phase, and it's premature to start thinking of pulling out. Practically speaking, the field really is wide open at this stage, if only because there's plenty of time for things to change.

As for specific suggestions, I would consider replacing the "P" with a stylized ornament. There's no reason it has to be a letter at all. Take the calligraphic treatment of the script (maybe usiing a calligraphic brush in either Illustrator or Photoshop -- or a good old-fashioned pen and paper) and see what you can come up with that's more generic. You can still have suggestions of the letter in there, but make it a semi-ornate abstract design.

Your chip layout is nice, and I really do think you can go somewhere with it. It does mean more work, but as I said -- we've got the time.

[Poboy]

Yeah, don't withdraw. How 'bout something like a statue, or the Mona Lisa, something like that?

[rowlin]

Originally Posted by Poboy

Yeah, don't withdraw. How 'bout something like a statue, or the Mona Lisa, something like that?

Thanks for the kind word. It would take my painting the Mona Lisa on these, or better, to make me vote for them over a few of the entries I have seen so far.

[Magus 23]

Are you working in Illustrator or Photoshop? If you want to adjust the "P" into a more stylized ornament (just my suggestion, of course), it's probably easier to do this in some kind of line art editing program where you can outline the script font. Then that might give you a starting point to work with.

Maybe try working on lines and then applying various calligraphic brushes to it to see how they look. Or even just working by hand, just start drawing some curves squiggles to see what you like. You can always bring them into the digital world once you've narrowed your options down.