apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Come on. Joe's design is the superior product.

Clearly, this vote is an intelligence test of the "apartment therapy" community. If some other logo wins, I'll not be surprised if this website sinks like a boat with a massive, gaping hull in its shell... deep into darkness of an unforgiving ocean. Don't F this up.

Get a grip. Joe's is clever and well executed, but it looks like a snowman, and the typography has nothing to do with the already established graphic identity of the blog. There's plenty of room for opinion and preference here.

I agree with Joan A.

I really like Joe's but I think it would work better as a logo for a how to cook blog/column.

I think AT Kitchen is about how best to use the food preparation and consumption space in an apartment, and that Jessica's entry is still the one that best illustrates that idea within the established visual identity.

Also, all the entries lose something being pictured so close to each other. Jessica's has a great negative space thing happening that just doesn't come across here. If you look at the original entry post (pt. 3) it is shown on an actual bag, and it looks great.

marc, Can you list any reasons for your claim about Joe's design? To me, it's too jumbled (and what are those round things on the gloves). At a distance, it looks like a dismayed snowman yelling out, with a megaphone. And those forks are at the wrong angle. AND it's much too focused on kitchen prep and cleanup. I prefer the simplicity and evocativeness of Jessica's design.

Seriously, does anyone else other than Joan A. see the snowman calling out?

Yep. Joe's is tacky. If it wins, I'm not buying it.

I like Jessica's, too, but it has to do only with eating, not with cooking. It meets the simplicity test and the typography test, but doesn't quite make it otherwise, as far as I'm concerned.

Not to harp on it, but I'd like to reiterate that Beverly's entry bears an uncanny resemblance to the logo for Applewood's new kitchenware store in Park Slope. I really don't think it was done intentionally, or that it's a copyright/intellectual property issue, but shouldn't AT Kitchen have a totally unique identity?

And if Jessica's needs a food prep slant, why not substitute a whisk or spatula for one of the utensils? AT has already said that they may request type or color changes...why not a spoon replacement?

Finally, I'd like to suggest that part of the reason Joe's may seem more attractive is the high contrast of the dark green with white, and the quality of the image. Many of the others have jpeg artifacts that make them look fuzzier than they would if they were printed nicely on a bag.

Ah, yes, Joan A. - and that's why Suri's design was the best of all....

It took me a while, but you mean Sari's? That was also a nice one.

This is a difficult choice, balancing what the design means, on the one hand, with what you like to look at, on the other.

I voted for Beverly's, which I still like, but I do keep being drawn back to Elizabeth's, which is compelling in spite of its prescriptiveness.

Meh, I won't buy Joe's if it wins, I don't need a snowman bag, thanks. I agree that the entries would benefit from being shown farther apart, these are so jumbled together that I can't make an informed choice.

AT,

Thanks for rerunning the contest. It was the right thing to do and I'm sure many of the members beside myself appreciate it.

I think Joe's is cute, but Jessica's more reflects the look and feel of the site, which is a little subdued and minimal. I mean, what's all the yelling about in Joe's? I don't think it reflects the voice of The Kitchen. --I'm not sure how I got so vested in this contest. I mean, I continue to use plastic bags because that's how I throw out the cat litter.

Joan A., Yes! I meant Sari's, from part 4.
Sorry, Sari.

If you saw people on the street carrying bags with these designs, which one would make you take a second look and wonder what AT:The Kitchen is all about? All of the designs have their merits, but what I like about Joe's is that it suggests something cool and fun is going on at AT:K. To me, the other entries are just attractive pictures. I do agree that the AT typography and palette need to be incorporated into Joe's design, but I believe Sara Kate said in an earlier posting that the winner might be asked to do just that.

I think Joe's is the only one with a sense of humor and whimsy (I HATE the word whimsy but couldn't think of anything better).

Jessica's is cool too, but not as cool as Joe's.

Raedia's is EXCELLENT but horrible in black. If that was in a different color it would be so much better.

I hate Mimi's - SO "Pottery Barn." It looks like the cover of a contemporary bargain-bin chick-lit book.

Beverley and Lisa's: well executed but forgettable.

Elizabeth's is just too phallic and commanding. Guh.

"Many of the others have jpeg artifacts that make them look fuzzier than they would if they were printed nicely on a bag."

Right. People should realize that the quality of the image montage above is not the same as the quality of the submitted images, which were much more hi-rez.

Keep in mind, too, that none of these designs will be against pure white. The bag shown in the original call for designs was muslin.

Hmm. Julie's is the first argument that may convince me to change my mind....

Go JOE!!!

well, i'd really like a bag with beverly's design on it, and i don't care much for the rest of them (unfortunately, seeing what i *could* have had makes me picky about what i end up getting). it doesn't look like she's going to win, though. so i hope the authors of the designs will put them up on cafe press or some other site where we can get a bag anyway, even though it didn't win. or would that be an inappropriate/unsanctioned use of apartment therapy's name?

wow. Phalic. I would not have gotten that out of a carrot. I think Elizabeth's is the best use of type, color and space. Plus if someone were walking out of the grocery store with it, I think it would actually make me want to check out what it was about. I wouldn't say commanding, I would say daring or bold. Just my opinion.

Joe's design made me giggle. It would be fun to have a laugh every time I pick up my grocery bag and head to the farmers market. Being in the kitchen is usually a fun and relaxing experience for me so maybe the bag should reflect that. He's design is really clever but I wish luck to everyone!

Hi everybody....its Joe. Since this is supposed to be an active community...i felt a need to respond. I was gonna wait until this thing was over...but I guess i can't keep my mouth shut. To the other designers....this is not an attempt to win more votes. I apologize if it seems that way. (mimi- i voted for yours the first time around when i didn't see my own entry appear anywhere) To the people who have supported my design...a big thank you.

First...it gives me great pleaure to have sparked such a heated debate. I don't ever seem to recall something like this in any of the AT sites' posts. This will definitley go down in AT history...and i'm sure the AT:K staff is muttering a collective "what were we thinking".

Second, (if i may speak for all the designers)- we all spent some time to create something to share with everybody. We knew not everybody was going to like it...but we did it anyways. Obviously- the designs all show a range of ability. However, some of the comments on anybody's choice of elements are uncalled for. You don't like it...its simply not for you...period. No need to wage your campaign against any of the designs, no declarations of "I don't need no...". Of course you don't need a bad you don't like. Then don't buy it. Go buy your bag elsewhere....they are widely available in almost every store. Better yet....design your own and get it printed at cafepress.com as somebody already mentioned. Some of you apparently never heard of the saying "if you have nothing nice to say...don't say it at all". The right thing to do would have been to vote, perhaps make a comment about why you liked a particular design, and leave it at that.

As far as my design elements...some of you see a snowman. Some people only see a scattered group of kitchen utensils. Good for you who see a snowman...and count yourselves lucky that you have the ability to make that connection. The figure in my design "yells" to communicate with others all that AT:Kitchen offers...great resouces/tips/etc. My tiny apartment kitchen is not orderly or serene. I have enough counter space to fit a cutting board and little else. My graphic attemtps to depict activity in a restricted space. I wanted to produce a bold logo that would stop people in their tracks and allow them to feel an immediate connection to something much larger in an otherwise disconnected world. How neat would it be to run into a fellow AT:K reader at Trader Joe's carrying the same bag? (whatever the design!).

To all the other designers....you all did a great job. I will be happy with whichever design ends up being printed. (and yes....i already have bags of all shapes and sizes....if you are counting on this AT:K bag being your primary/first sack...you are way late on the bandwagon)

I just wanted to say that this whole conversation has been very helpful to me, and now I'm growing to like the guy calling out on Joe's design. It's the most active, and attention-getting, design. At first, that was what I didn't like about it. But it's neat how visual relationships with design can change over time. Thanks, guys!

Good for you, Joe. I do like your design (and have, right along); up above, I was just reacting to Marc's insistence that this was an intelligence test and that there was only one obvious winner.

Good on ya AT - you'll get a "real" winner this way.......

you know, not to be a crank, but i'm not sure why comments are enabled on this post. i mean, i would think a vote would be enough...we really don't need campaigners, too, do we?

i can take (and sometimes even enjoy) this kind of snarky critiquing on the other AT sites, because they're more design-oriented, but here it just seems a little student-council-election-ish. i seriously doubt anything that anyone says here is going to change the outcome of the vote at this point.

While I could do without the outright criticisms, I actually found the other discussions - about typography, style, theme, etc. - helpful. I thought all of the designs were thoughtful and well-executed, so in the end it did come down to such subtleties when I was making my choice.

Elizabeth's seems to have the most to do with the site, in terms of mission and graphic identity. I also like Jessica's, which nicely tips its hat to the apartment part of Apartment Therapy; I saw cooking as well as eating in hers, for what it's worth.

The snowman is good for a laugh, but it got old for me right away . . . and I don't think it has a thing to do with this site. It would not make me seek the place out. Sorry Joe - and if you think this is some history-making debate you haven't been with us very long.

I have to say, I liked some that didn't make it to the finals, esp that cute pink circle that was missing the "close quote."

I like Beverly's too, but thought it too plain -- but thx for the heads up about Applewood having a kitchen store . . .

Carrots seem to be in vogue this season. The solitary carrot motive gracing Elizabeth's deign also graces the cover of a new economics book by Tyler Cowan: Discover Your Inner Economist: Use Incentives to Fall in Love, Survive Your Next Meeting, and Motivate Your Dentist http://www.amazon.com/Discover-Your-Inner-Economist-Incentives/dp/0525950257/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/104-8627443-6851111?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1181828826&sr=1-1

There seems to be alot of talk here about some of the entries, but few on the leading entry right now, which is Mimi. Personally, it's not my taste, so I'm curious as to why it has so many votes....

I'm curious about that as well Rog. I voted for Joe's, simply because I felt it was the most creative and imaginative. However, I really like the simplicity of Elizabeth's too. I think Lisa's design is great, but it didn't exactly translate to the computer screen very well. I suspect that in person and on a bag, it would look fab.

Thanks, st@cy. Nice to hear.

There's a better quality image here

The more friends you have that are willing to sign up and vote, the more votes you'll get. Simple.

I vote for Joe because he has the best color design, but really I don't think I would buy any of them if they were on a bag. Have you ever seen those makup bags that have an x-ray of all the make-up inside of it printed on the front....It would be cool to have an x-ray print of all the grocerys inside the bag so that it kinda simulated a plastic bag.

But again, Joe is the winner in this competition!

I think Beverly and Elizabeth's designs are the only ones consistent with the style of Apartment Therapy over all - they make the most sense in keeping with the imaging of the brand.

Well, as long as any comments are enabled on this post, I don't see any reason they must be limited to praise (excluding, of course, gross/obscene comments). Nothing wrong with civil disagreement.

I voted for Mimi's design. But the more I thought about it (which I wouldn't have, if not for the abundance of comments here), the more I doubted it as the best choice. My first doubt was that it's a bit "feminine," and might not appeal as much to those who, for any reason, would prefer a less feminine bag to carry. But I liked the image because it made me think of a garden as well, which I thought was a nice touch for a grocery bag.

If I had a new vote today, I'd probably go with Lisa's, now that it's been pointed out how much better it woud look on an actual bag; I agree.

As for Joe's, I won't say anything about my personal thoughts on it per se, but I don't think it has anything to do with this site. It's busy, and cluttered, and a little aggressive, which I think is the opposite of the idea here (not that there's anything wrong with it, but I'm pretty sure knowing the client is important in design, right?). If there were no contest, and AT:TK simply introduced this bag for sale, I'd be surprised and puzzled.

I'm glad you rerun the voting as I've been away all month! :D

Anyways, i think they're all nice and clever, still I like Mimi's one the most.

Feeling like I should speak up for Mimi...

I've never met Mimi, but I voted for her design. I didn't really think about why, I just liked it best. Whether or not you can explain it, isn't that what art/graphic design is ultimatly about? It just hits you right or else it doesn't. It hit me right, kind of reminded me of hanging out with friends at home, you know, you've had a delicious leisurely dinner and now you're washing dishes together as you sip a glass of wine (or, in my case, absolutely anything else, since I'm allergic to wine, but Mimi didn't know that). I just liked the juxtaposition of the faucet and the glasses. And it's cute and stands out.

Maybe Mimi's fans tend to be less analytical, like me. Or maybe she has lots of friends. Or both.

Jessica's would be my 2nd choice.

can i vote for none? how about reopening this contest back up again? all of these are kind of cheesy for apartment therapy.

Thanks mjoe for pointing out that Mimi's design depicts a faucet and glasses. I couldn't quite make them out (I thought that they were some sort of organic growth in a garden). Seems as though I may need to get a new pair of eyeglasses ;-)

Joe got my vote, with Lisa a runner up if consistency with the current AP:TK look is important... which I don't necessarily agree with, as it is a derivative design in the first place and AP:TK has quite a different and unique 'vibe' from the other AP sites, and IMHO should have it's own distinct and unigue design.

I like Joe's brilliant use of the kitchen theme to make a face, and it can be reworked to not look so "snowman"-like.
I dig the sentiment of Elizabeth's design offering because I think it could give other shoppers some "food for thought" (and it could be a conversation starter).
;)

Think about it...you're going to be carrying this thing around as you carry your groceries to your car or haunt the farmers market. The only one that doesn't feel like an advertisement for something is Lisa's.

All of the designs are attractive and each has something to recommend.

I voted for Mimi, but I have to say that if branding type and color will be requirements for the final design, it seems a little weird that we're voting on designs that in some cases don't use either (sorry if this has been covered; I'm a little late to this party). I'm pretty sure that Mimi's wouldn't get my vote if it had the AT ID font incorporated—one of the things I love about her design is the way the type works so well with the illustration.

L

i voted for mimi's bc it was the simplest. period.

i voted for mimi's based completely on the font she chose.

I originally voted for Mimi's design because, *ahem*, the faucets reminded me of little upside down chicken feet. Strange, but true.
I think Joe's is probably the most creative, but not necessarily my personal style.

I like Joe's the best and Raedia's second best. These two show the best graphics and are also the most gender-neutral. I just can't see a guy carrying around a bag with Mimi's design.

I voted for Mimi's because I liked the simplicity and humour of it, and because it looked like a bag I'd like to carry.

All of the "yellow" designs are too bright for my taste, but whether they were or not, I don't think all of that yellow would look good nor would it show up well on muslin bags.

Although I like Joe's "snowman" it's entirely too busy (again, for my aesthetic). Though once it resovles itself into something I can parse out, I think it clever, but seeing it go by on the street I'd think "What's that snowman yelling about?" and not parse it as *anything" to do with Apartment Therapy.

The other two, unfortunately, don't "say" anything to me.

Kudos to Joe though, for his statements here. They're much appreciated.

I particularly like the "apartment" reference in Jessica's design -- it is the only one that is specifically city-focused. That, and the simplicity of the design, are what speaks to me most.

Ok, I can't hold it in....I really dislike Mimi's design. The image, the font, everything. Sorry. There's still a few days or so, but I'm kinda sad that it looks like this will be the winning design, as I'll probably not purchase it. But hey, plenty of you will, I guess.

Y'all might want to run the numbers on whether you'd get a worthwhile trickle of income from putting several runners-up on Cafe Press for people to buy as wanted, or whether sales of a pre-printed bag could support doing two designs.

If either of these plans is viable, you also get a test of whether winner or one of the runners-up has more staying power for your brand identity. Mimi's design clearly excites a lot of enthusiasm right now (good for current sales!) -- but will the distinctive typography "date" faster than something like Jessica's design?

Why are Joe and Jessica's designs overlapping? It's too late now, but I think it's better to space out the graphics. Maybe next time there can be a downloadable image of a bag (an outline of a bag would do) for contestants to put their designs on. That would force a more consistent resolution and provide a way to display the designs with enough spacing. And voters will get to see what the design would look like on a real bag.

If anyone has ever seen Mimi's collage work, you'll realize that her design--I am pretty sure--comes from her very own brand of paper cutting, and is probably one of her original collages. I voted for it because of that hand-made, funky quality that it embodies, and, as another post commented, it is simple.

They are all beautiful designs but,

Elizabeth's seems to blend seamlessly with the design of your site.

It is also the only with a message which blends seamlessly with your credo.

It's a one two punch for me.

I agree Art. I would feel the most comfortable carrying Elizabeth's into a grocery store or to a farmer's market. The others are a bit too advertisement-like (however, I still champion Joe's creativity). Rog, I hear you big time. Sorry everyone, I just don't get the appeal with Mimi's design. And until Yuzu pointed it out, I completely missed that Jessica's and Joe's are overlapping! I love Jessica's now that I finally noticed the ground/banner. Oh well, that's my bad I guess.

I give everyone kudos. I voted for Joe because I enjoy the masculine lines of his design - I like the structure and old school block printing style it has to it.

I suppose being a guy affects the way you look at design elements, especially when it involves something you have to carry?

It's a little late in the game, but I'd like to echo Lynn's comment about Mimi's entry:

"I have to say that if branding type and color will be requirements for the final design, it seems a little weird that we're voting on designs that in some cases don't use either... I'm pretty sure that Mimi's wouldn't get my vote if it had the AT ID font incorporated—one of the things I love about her design is the way the type works so well with the illustration."

In a previous post AT said they would be working with the winner to bring the design closer to the existing visual identity by adjusting colors and type. If Mimi's (or Joe's) lost their distinctive lettering, would they still work? Would they still be as popular? Personally, I would have to see the result before I could make that judgment.

To my eyes, Jessica's entry is still the most accomplished. Her well-executed concept cleverly evokes the kitchen's integral place in the home--AND it already works within the existing brand identity.

As I and others have noted, crowding the entries together seriously effects how Jessica's is perceived. I'm sure many readers, like st@cy "completely missed that Jessica's and Joe's are overlapping."

I think there was something wonderful about all the entries, but I'm really sad that it looks like I won't be seeing Jessica's carried around town.

I feel exactly the same - I WON"T BE SEEN with Mimi's - it's too TACKY - meow

There was one by Lucky? that never made it to the finals. I thought it was brilliant too. It had the little AT blob symbol with a yellow center so it made it look like an egg. It was a minimalist masterpiece!

Mimi's? Really? Boo.

I didn't vote for Mimi's, but I like it. I think I probably would have carried any of these designs. It'll be interesting to see what conversations start when you carry this around.

Mimi's? Really? AWESOMES!!!!!!!!!