I'll try a couple of names out tomorrow

http://www.radiotimes.com/content/fe.../mainImage.jpg

Hi guys - thanks for checking in! Sorry for the PMs but we need everyone's input - and I also didn't want anyone to get fired just because they didn't realise we had started!

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Hutch, let's agree on a name first, and then you can create a couple of drafts of logos based on that.

We have to come up with a backstory for the name too, so the whole thing has to hang together.

As I see it we have two things to consider:
1) Which names have good reasons for them / back story to them
2) Which names are easy for Hutch to create a good logo.

I like Impact too and I was going to say let's go with that, but it was the name of one of the teams in the first series and I don't think we should do something that's been done before, I can hear Lord Milk now "That was a lazy choice" "Why didn't you come up with something original?"....

I'm aware we do need to make a quick decision and press on, so in my next post I'll summarise the names suggested so far, let's just take a quick vote and each give your two favourites (in order).

Then once we have a name to use, we can move on - Hutch can get his logo done (Jo, are you happy to work with him on it since you seem to have clear ideas on the colour scheme?) and I'll work on writing up the backstory (Matty, can you help me with that?)

Summary of names coming up in a mo...!

Ok team, here are the names which we each suggested. Please give me your top TWO choices (in order).

* The V team
Reason: V for virtual (online only)

* e2010
Reason: Because we are online / virtual, and in 2010...

* Present
Reason: We are current; because we can present to people; and because with 8 people playing if we lose one a week, whoever is left standing at the end will effectively get an early Xmas present!

* Trend
Reason: We are current / trendy (other than that none yet but could come up with one, about how trends improve... or something!)

* ... or what about Present Trend? Reason: see above for both present and trend)

* Excelsior

* Infinity

* Enterprise.
Reason: It was the name for a number of US navy and Royal Navy ships.

Another suggestion was Impact but this has already been used on the TV programme so I would prefer to veto it and go with something original.

Bear in mind we need to pick a name which either already has a good reason / backstory, or we need to be able to come up with one!

So when you vote please give the reason / story behind the two names you have chosen so we can see how to work with it.

Thanks!

My first vote is for:

Present Trend - because we are current, we will present people with the latest trends (in terms of design and products etc) and we want to influence market trends (in terms of making money!)

My backup vote is for:

Enterprise (although it does remind me of Star Trek. And the Young Enterprise scheme I did at school where 6th formers run a business. But after all what is a business but some kind of enterprise?)

Look forward to hearing your votes and settling on a name so we can get stuck in to the rest of the challenge

Cheers, team!

I personally like Present Trend the most, it's original & catchy

I like Present Trend as well. It sounds good!

I know we've still to agree the name etc., but this is a Very rough draft


Views?

I'm resigning.

What?! Why??

Not happy with the task and as I'm not enjoying it I am not contributing enough.

That's no reason to quit man, get involved then

I don't think it's a great task, but we have to work with it...

Since you commented on the colours I asked if you could work with Hutch on the logo - maybe bounce ideas around between you til you have a great logo. He's brought the logo to the team but you're welcome to go and work with him (instead of all of us commenting) if that's something you are interested in. Or if there's some other way you would prefer to contribute, please speak up and let us know your skills and what you can work on - it makes sense to work to everyone's talents!

Also, I included your team name suggestion in the poll, which I did with everyone else's too. I've tried to make sure everyone is included, but obviously nobody can be forced to take part!

What I would suggest is if you're still not happy at the end of the task you could stand down then, but do give it a go until Thursday. We need everyone's input and it's valuable. I'd love to learn more about you and what you would like to do in the task.

Maybe next time you could volunteer for PM, that way you can get more involved? I'd be happy to work for you next week if you prefer.

Three votes for Present Trend so I guess that's our name.

Congrats, team!

I like the concept - it reminds me of a rubber stamp, stamping our presence on things? - but I find it very hard to read the text. Perhaps add outlines to the words?

Also I would personally favour adding something which indicates a rising trend in the background, one of those lines like this kinda thing: http://www.kaushik.net/avinash/wp-co...mparison-1.png - could you maybe play with spiky (but improving) graph lines in the background? Still abstract and background, but present in some way?

But that's just my view. What do the rest of you think, do you like it, how would you tweak it?

Jo, you've got the red white and blue colours you asked for, how do you think they work?

John, what do you reckon to the logo?

Hutch, when we've got some more views, could you maybe incorporate them into two differing drafts, so we have something to choose between? But - good work, thanks!

I will go away and write a "backstory" to the name (& logo, which is why I think maybe some graph lines would help explain it? but maybe others disagree?) and then I'll pop some text up later for you all to tweak and adjust

Great stuff, I think we are on track! Cheers team, keep it coming!

Thanks for everyone's positive messages.

The challenge of the logo is that is where possible it would represent or say something about the image of a company / organisation. We do not have the luxury of being in one niche sector so I guess the fits all boxes category is the best to go with.

In marketing terms the colours of the flag are considered "safe" colours and can embody a nations pride etc.

Our logo to me represents moderm and fresh. I was thinking how the logo would look on headed paper, on shelfed products, international markets and whether it would stand out. So I propose that the team name staands out more also perhaps stronger blue - although admit it might not look as good but would stand out maybe?

Hutch - what do you think?

Second draft

Jo- I tried the blue but it didn't really look that good, thanks for the suggestion though

Hutchy - am liking the this. I can see how the logo can be adapted depending on where we are advertising. I think the name still needs to stand out more perhaps stronger black? Great work.

Jo - great to have you back on board and thanks for sticking with it.

Glad to see you and Hutch working on the logo - I'll leave it to you both to work out, because it sounds like you know your stuff about marketing (I hadn't even thought of how it would look on packaging, headed paper etc.) and Hutch obviously knows how to use photoshop. Looking forward to seeing the end result!

Just to say, sorry I haven't posted any "backstory" wording yet.

Here are the bullets of what I think we should incorporate. I'd love to hear your views before I turn it into prose. I am away tomorrow afternoon / early evening, believe it or not I'm at a reception with the Mayor of London! but will be back online tomorrow night so we can tidy up loose ends before judgement on Thursday (when I will be online all day, I hope).

Jo and Hutch, you're doing great stuff, please keep going.

John, would you like to work with me on the text? Feel free to convert these bullets into prose or to otherwise just comment on them? I do want to include everyone on the task.

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"Present trend"

* We are current, we are trendy, we are here and now

* We will present the latest trends - in design, marketing and innovation

* Trends either tend to drop off sharply, or improve over time. We are here to show we aren't just a flash in the pan, we will improve over time and offer consistency with a modern edge.

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What do you guys think of those concepts as a starting point for the reasoning behind our name? With a suitable logo I think it will all come together quite well. Present Trend for the win!

I like the middle one best, it's catchy & memorable

I agree.

Er, I was going to include them all! But as you've spoken, that's what I'll go with.

Anyone know what happened to John?

Team, we've reached our deadline! I apologise for not checking in yesterday, in fact I did look in but was out last night at a reception.

So...

Here's our name: Present Trend

Reason: We will present the latest trends - in design, marketing and innovation

Logo: http://yfrog.com/2sptdraft2j seems to be the latest draft, although Hutch do let us know if there's a later version.

I think we've done a good job with the task. Thanks, team!

Time for some of this: http://blog.wineenthusiast.com/wp-co...agne_toast.jpg

(I don't think we deserve to lose anyone on our team since we have actually completed the task... )

Don't know what time the boardroom is but I have a meeting this evening and won't be online.

Thanks for letting us know. I think I'll be out too, although Lord Milk did say it would run until everyone has had their say.

I think we've done a good job as a team, although if there's a new iteration of the logo with stronger text like you asked for, we should submit that instead if we can.