I run a computer service business on the side and discovered Inkscape while trying to come up with a logo. I've always feared the creative side of things - UI, layout, typography etc. I'm more at home in code. To change that I've been playing with Inkscape doing some tutorials on shadow and shine/gloss, trying to learn how to use the different tools and achieve certain effects. I also checked out a bunch of books from the library on design and typography to try to understand presentation better.

Anyone have a favorite online resource to help teach attractive designs and layouts, or what makes certain design elements "pop"? Attached is my first logo. I originally made it in Gimp but discovered Inkscape and rebuilt it as a vector graphic. I found the monitor online as a freebie so all I really did was tweak the background of the monitor (originally black) and add/style the text which is admittedly pretty simple. What do you think? If you think it sucks, what do you think would make it better? Any input would be awesome and much appreciated

Welcome to InskcapeForum!

I like your choice of font. Somehow it gives a sort of handyman/toolbox guy effect, at least it seems so to me. So when you say it's a "computer service business", if that means fixing hardware, or mostly hardware, it works very well for me. But you also mentioned coding, whick more implies software to me. So if you do as much work with software as with hardware, I'm wondering if having the words "Tech Services" in a different font, maybe like a script type of font, might imply a certain elegance, which more fits with my concept of software and code.

That said though, I think most of our users who know a lot about designing logos, would tell you to use only one font. Maybe some of them will give you some feedback. My comments would be more like as a potential client of yours, than as a design expert.

Logo looks nice, I like the idea but perhaps you could try another version where alignment would be based on less "guides", so to say. I`ve counted 8 horizontal "guides", starting with the upper border of monitor and ending with the base of the monitor. It`s not just about their number but their spacing is not quite... unified / logical / proportional?

Viewers eye is (almost always) more pleased with less "guides" instead of running around and perceiving all of them separately. All you need to do is to point it in the desired direction and relaxed viewers eye should lead to more customers ,))

I'm not sure what Maestral means by 'guides', but I'd love to hear a fuller explanation.
I make logos and clipart (to sell), but much of my training is in method style painting, so I don't know all the technical terms, I just go by the feeling it gets.
anyway, I do like your logo, though I have one thing for you to try. How would it look it you make the monitor a bit bigger/wider, and placing both words - Fix It, inside it, then under the monitor put the tech services words, either fully below the monitor or one word on each side. That would be a start, then I'd play with the gradient, but it depends where you are using this? on a website, business cards, or letterhead, because you usually do want a good black and white version for use on the receipts and invoices.
good luck, you're doing really well!
dee

I`ll try with pictures this time




^ these are not mine designs, just randomly collected results of the web image search for this post.

I think by "guides" Maestral just means.....horizontal influence. I was a little confused at first, because I was thinking Inkscape Guides, but there was no SVG file provided.

I would like to see the logo in the middle of a larger space. I think the attachment space holder and its border, and the file info text beneath, all sort of contribute to this, and perhaps cause it to seem exaggerated. That said though, the underline of the word "Fix" could probably be omitted.