As someone with years of marketing experience working for the biggest ad agency in the world, I would suggest staying away from symbolism like a dharma wheel.
A white elephant outline is neutral, and would work much better (as a brand) than something that means different things to different people (and would cause many others to become indifferent to Karmacoin).
i.e., come up with something new. The elephant is good. Just make it outstanding and emotionally appealing.
The simpler the logo the better. If I was to design it, I would do something completely different. A blue and red logo like the old Pepsi logo but leaning towards a horizontal yin-yang and getting rid of the dots. Also, there's no need to put "Karmacoin" on the logo. (Such is the sign of an amateur.) The text can go next to it, on the right side.
This makes for a familiar symbol but still something new. Thing big picture and long term. As in, what symbol would make a 9 year-old in the Kenyan highlands smile when they see it just as well as an adult in Shoreditch?
Nevermind what you like. The question is, what would most of your potential users like?
A good logo could mean the difference between success and failure of a company (or coin). (But again, it's not what you think is good...)
its funny how you say that karmacoin should stay away from symbolism and then point to the pepsi logo (which is nothing more than a cheap knockoff of yinyang with the colors changed) as a good example.. lol
yinyang is a religious symbol used in both Daoism and Confucianism.. it also represents a balance of forces (light, dark, good, evil, man, woman etc) which is at odds with the Karma coin motto of "doing good is good" lol
please do not mix Karma with Dao they are completely different ideas and messagesit would be like calling your Coin the RepublicCoin and then using a Crown as your logo or having Easter coin with a picture of a Dog on it.
I agree simplicity is good and I agree that the elephant should stay.. having a mascot will help the cause.. so we should keep the message simple and NOT try to confuse people by mixing symbolism and ideologies.
Well aware. I used to teach Tao te Ching in China (where I live now).
I was suggesting coming up with a new symbol that seems familiar rather than "symbolism like a dharma wheel". No need to be technical about the origins of the Pepsi logo or doing something similar. we're going for emotional appeal, not relating the logo to history. I always go what has worked in some way for others. (Only the world's first logo was an original)
How about a black/white elephant? (An elephant head with the left side black and right side white, for example?)
I respectfully disagree. I majored in Marketing as part of my Commerce degree. I simply don't understand how an elephant, yet alone the Ying and Yang symbol (not even remotely connected with Karma guys) is a better option than a Dharma Wheel. If anyone has done Religious Studies at University or perhaps even studdied Buddhism or Hinduism you will know about Dharma and Karma - it makes perfect sense to have the dharma wheel on the logo for a coin called KARMA, it makes no sense to have a monochrome elephant or something equally unrelated and bland.
We are showing ourselves to be massively ignorant by putting Yin Yang on the KARMA coin and a cute looking elephant simply means nothing to anyone. Remember folks, 25% of the worlds population is either Hindu or Buddhist - the Dharma wheel means something to these people and they will appreciate a coin that uses the name KARMA being informed enough to include the dharma wheel on its logo. It means nothing to the rest of us and that's fine, but there is absolutely no downside to being intelligent and using a symbol that is relevant and makes perfect sense.
Those who don't know the in's and out's of Karma and Dharma only need to like the look of the logo, it is far more pleasing to look at than a black and white elephant or a squiggle jotted down that may or may not look like an elephant - that once again has nothing to do with Karma in the slightest.
Anyone who doesn't 'approve' of said religious connotations will stop at the name KARMA coin - they won't give a shit about the logo, their mind will be made up already. These people are few and far between and we need not pay them any mind.
Let's see what everyone else thinks however, this is a decision that needs to be made by the community - if it does come down to a vote however it needs to be done whereby you get 1 initial vote and then an extra vote for every 1 million coins you hold - as verified by a screenshot included in the post. This is a business decision and those with huge stocks of KARMA must have a proportionately larger say than those with nothing or next to nothing as it is their money that is on the line.
