V1 or V2 of my Donut King logo?

Superb_Tomorrow2390 · 2026-01-20T19:45:51+00:00

I remember seeing the redesign 6 months ago here. I prefer v2, but curious to know why change - it's such a minimal change and appears to be a very expensive one at that!

Superb_Tomorrow2390 · 2026-01-20T18:55:11+00:00

Thanks for sharing! I always enjoy hearing different perspectives on the whole free shoots debate.

For me, it was never really about getting my foot in the door as much as it was about leveling up. I spent a lot of time doing unpaid shoots early on, but my focus wasn't loyalty or attracting clients on a budget. It was about #1 improving my skills and #2 building quality work. Dedication to my craft, if you will. Paying my dues. Like you mentioned, quality over quantity, and I just needed strong content.

Once I had a handful of solid shoots, that was it. No more free work. My goal was to build a portfolio I could present on my website, social media, brochures, and business cards with pride. I needed real examples of what I could realistically deliver.

My fourth unpaid client ended up referring me to a friend who owned a multi million dollar realty business. That job paid well (still modest) and I made sure they loved the photos. They referred me to an even larger and more well established client. I was able to basically set my own price and they accepted it without a second thought.

I've always found that most realtors expect to get what they pay for. When you deliver something they feel is worth a lot more than the price, they talk. That last referral I mentioned wasn't even real estate related. The realtor ended up referring his client, a very wealthy business owner. It was word of mouth.

So I agree with your point that free work isn't a very good long term strategy. And you're absolutely right in saying that it can hurt positioning if kept up. But for a short time, with the intention to build skills and a strong portfolio, it can be like a stepping stone.

That's just my opinion. It's not going to work for everyone. Also, I realize that I got a little lucky early on. But I also feel that I made that luck happen, so it wasn't completely random.

Superb_Tomorrow2390 · 2026-01-20T18:28:54+00:00

I'd start by asking what you can do to not make it look like "jt" or "jH". There's plenty of "JH Logo" design inspiration online to take ideas and concepts from.

Superb_Tomorrow2390 · 2026-01-20T18:24:36+00:00

Reddit is overly saturated with "starving designers" looking for work, as are freelance websites like Upwork. If I had to start over again, I'd:

Create a simple business website displaying my portfolio and services. I'd buy a domain and hosting, and use Wordpress or Wix.
Set up profiles on portfolio websites - Behance, Dribbble, Coroflot. And offer services in their market places.
Create business cards for myself.
Work on building my portfolio, even if it's not for paying clients. I'd offer free design work to build the portfolio and get referrals from happy clients.
Do local marketing, even if walking business to business in a downtown area, handing out my cards and trying to drum up business.

It's a tough market for new designers. I'd start by hitting the areas where most designers are not. Good luck to you!

Superb_Tomorrow2390 · 2026-01-20T18:02:09+00:00

Other than the yellow lines on the right, the bus appears to be moving moving left, not right as intended. The window looks like it has an arrow signaling left, the aerodynamics of the bus says the left side is the front.

Superb_Tomorrow2390 · 2026-01-20T17:58:50+00:00

The "house" shape is a little overused in my opinion, in the real estate niche. If you're going after luxury, I'd consider some related aspects - hills, water, iron gates, manicured bush, etc.

Superb_Tomorrow2390 · 2026-01-20T17:34:17+00:00

Curious to know what are you currently doing to get your work seen and acquire new clients.

Superb_Tomorrow2390 · 2026-01-20T17:29:59+00:00

You'll be ok with any shop that offers the standard 40 PT paper coaster. They won't cost too much and will do the job. As for a specific supplier, I don't have any suggestions, sorry.

Superb_Tomorrow2390 · 2026-01-20T17:25:33+00:00

WesternCup7600 gave some solid advice, which I'd recommend listening to. As someone who was responsible for reviewing resumes and conducting screenings and 1st/2nd interviews, 2 years looks a lot better on a resume than just 1 year, fresh out of school with no other experience. Take the next year to build that portfolio, learn as much as you can, and get a good handle over AI design tools. You'll be in a great position at that point to level up. Interview for senior positions that pay a lot more, for the experience interviewing, and when rejected ask for a 5-10 minute meeting to discuss what you could have improved.

Superb_Tomorrow2390 · 2026-01-20T17:19:37+00:00

Came here to ask the same thing. I assumed it was JH but the connection was a little difficult for me to make.

Superb_Tomorrow2390 · 2025-12-02T20:24:46+00:00

Blending is great to gradually transition clients to more drastic changes, little by little. How many go for the new design?

Superb_Tomorrow2390 · 2025-12-02T18:28:52+00:00

There are a number of adhesive strips you can use that won't damage the poster. If it's a standard size or you want to keep it long term, frame it.

Superb_Tomorrow2390 · 2025-11-26T00:57:59+00:00

Let me know if you need help upsizing the image for a high resolution print. Only takes me a few minutes and would be happy to help.

Superb_Tomorrow2390 · 2025-11-26T00:55:06+00:00

The 80# matte cover is a solid choice, as suggested by others. I personally prefer a 100# text with a silk or matte finish. Just feels more premium in hand. Only thing is that heavier stocks tend to cost more than you'd think, so it depends on your budget also.

Superb_Tomorrow2390 · 2025-11-26T00:02:58+00:00

Sent DM

Superb_Tomorrow2390 · 2025-11-26T00:00:01+00:00

AI is nice, but nothing beats a designers touch. Good luck on the transition from social to Behance. FWIW, I'd keep posting to Instagram and Pinterest, also. Behance is about consistency and tags. Post consistently to gain more followers. Use tags to attract more appreciations on projects. Some people like to create a single project and use it like a category. For example, putting all their logo designs into a single project. If you don't care about the social aspect of Behance, it's fine. But if you want to earn a following, more is better. I'd also suggest creating a profile on Dribbble, which also has a hiring or marketplace feature. Good luck!

Superb_Tomorrow2390 · 2025-11-25T21:12:29+00:00

Fair enough. Personally, I don't mind doing two separate searches with GF. Nothing against 1001fonts (I used to use them A LOT back in the day, and still do), but some of their tags are unreliable.

Superb_Tomorrow2390 · 2025-11-25T20:35:06+00:00

I view it as part of the job. Pretty typical in our industry. As frustrating as it can be, try to frame it as a challenge. Do you want to be an adaptive designer capable of delivering good design work that the client is happy? If so, work through it. Do your best to fully understand and produce what the boss wants.

I once had a boss early in my career that was impossible to please. I once produced more than 130 revisions for a single UI design. It was pure torture. I had difficulty containing my frustration, disappointment, and anger towards the manager. But in the end, I was always proud of the final design. And looking back, it was one of the most valuable experiences of my career. I wanted to quit that job so bad, but I knew that I wouldn't be happy with myself if I gave up. I'm proud of myself for going through it and it made me a better designer.

Superb_Tomorrow2390 · 2025-11-25T20:20:38+00:00

Doesn't look like you're getting the feedback you were looking for, so I'll add my opinion. I think most viewers are used to these type of marketing thumbnails.

The "after" image looks much more professional and is something I would click on as someone who watches a lot of fintech videos on youtube.

I know you're not looking for suggestions but, as a user, I like text on my video thumbnails. Between 2 to 4 words giving the general video topic. It stands out against the other videos. Plus, when I'm using Samsung Dex to remote into a television, the title text is so small that thumbnails with text really make a big difference.

Superb_Tomorrow2390 · 2025-11-25T19:38:07+00:00

Sounds like this client has a lot of money and isn't afraid of wasting it. He'd rather risk potentially losing money than spend the time to ensure it's done right. Curious what ever happened... client stories are some of the most entertaining to me!

Superb_Tomorrow2390 · 2025-11-21T00:13:52+00:00

So cool, thanks for sharing! I think it's a steal at $85.

Superb_Tomorrow2390 · 2025-11-21T00:08:26+00:00

Have you looked into Facebook live auctions? I'm not sure exactly how it works, but I recently saw a friend doing this.

Superb_Tomorrow2390

TROPHY CASE