Looking for a critique

I designed this logo for a web site called "Know the Spot.com" it is a site with maps to help you get places.

I was just wondering what you guys thought of it, see if it is worth anything.

to view click here.

Thanks for taking the time to look at it.

Eventough everything has a bit of tutorial feeling to it, I like the planet and the spot text.
The know the .com I don't like at all...
It has that cool metallic look eventho it's not that cool :P
And it doesn't look as metal.
The round thing around the planet is a bit dull too...
I think the thing that is most with it is the shadows on it...
It doesn't get any darker at the back of the planet as it should.
oh and one more thing...
What's the purple color "line" that goes around the planet?
It doesn't have the earth texture on it...?

3jorn has some good points, but I'll tell you my main issue with it; that area that the word "SPOT" is in is just too cluttered and busy. When I initially looked at the image the word "SPOT" didn't jump out at me like you'd probably want it to. I just saw a cluttered jumble of white and light blue. If you're going to keep that arcing electricity look in there then maybe consider changing the color of the word "SPOT" to a deep violet (or anything that is not so similar to the blueish-white of the electricity).

Also, the words "Know the" and ".com" just seem to be kinda hanging out there. IOW they don't feel like they are incorporated into the logo. I'd try to figure out some way to better tie them in so the whole logo ends up looking like a unit and not like some text floating around an image. Know what I'm saying?

But other than that I like it. :D

I actually like the color of the electricity coming off the word Spot. I don’t think it makes sense to have it another color. If I try and picture your logo small however, the way you have it going around the S and T kind of hides it. My eye kind of has to pull the word out of the electricity. Do you have control of where the electricity wraps?


The only thing that bothers me about the logo is that the type around the word Spot is inset into the page which doesn’t make a lot of sense to me. I don’t think it looks good pressed into the planet especially. I’m not really digging the metal texture on the type either. I don’t think you’ll see it when the logos shrunk to fit the persons needs.

The flaws are mentioned, so i dont need to emphasize them... but perhaps the word spot should be put inside the ring, or at least stick the other text with "spot" and make them remotely match the image...


Endat

I notice a little bit of excess cloud filter around the word spot. I see some around the S and T. I agree with what OutPatient said about the 'Know the' and the '.com' sticking out of the image.

Nice lightning effect, it goes well with the image.

that is a whambam of a logo. It's very blatant, and I think may be too distracting for a mapquest-like site. The kind of logo you're going for is one that is reserved, that won't attract too much attention. People are going to the site for information only, which is why this logo won't work.

Nice try though. It's a nice graphic as is - cluttered, as said, though - just not suitable for the kind of work you want to put it to.

Thanks for the feedback guys (and ladies possibly?)

The words "Know" and ".com" were added as a bit of an afterthought. I didn't want them there to begin with. They were designed to look raised an not inset, but where they flow into the planet, they do cut into it, instead of hover over it.

The edge where the planet is not extended to the edge of the "spot" was an oversight, I sorry.

I do have control of where the lightning wraps, and I didn't even consider what would happen then the graphic was sized down, that is a very good point and I appreciate it.

3jorn, you're of course right about the lack of shadow to create depth of field, again an oversight.

This was an attempt to jazz up a logo for the site, I appreciate everyones' critique, and I will try to remedy these problems in some of my newer projects.

Thanks.