Logo design for web 2.0 spread-betting service

eSpreadBet.com

eSpreadBet.com is a spread-betting information and news website, covering both the financial markets and sporting events. We are also a business partner to companies such as:

– http://www.igindex.co.uk/
– http://www.capitalspreads.com
– http://www.cityindex.co.uk/
– http://www.cmcmarkets.co.uk/
– http://www.etxcapital.co.uk/
– http://www.finspreads.com/
– http://www.sportingindex.com/
– http://www.spreadex.com/

We require a logo for our brand identity.

Here are some logos from 99Designs that we like!

– http://99designs.com/logo-design/co…entries/90
– http://99designs.com/logo-design/co…entries/31
– http://99designs.com/logo-design/co…entries/61
– http://99designs.com/logo-design/co…entries/98
– http://99designs.com/logo-design/co…entries/94
– http://99designs.com/logo-design/co…/entries/6
– http://99designs.com/logo-design/co…entries/28

Non-professional financial speculators, 18+ with a male skew.

See examples of spread-betting interfaces below. These are the types of tools that our audience uses:

1. CMC Markets: http://www.cmcmarkets.co.uk/spread-…b-platform
2. IG Index: http://www.igindex.co.uk/spread-bet…-tour.html

This should give you an idea of the tone of the spread-betting market, and some basic motifs that signify buying and selling, plus charting tools such as candlestick and line graphs. It could be that these are incorporated into the final logo design, but it is not a requirement.

There are four requirements:

1. Strong visual metaphor / motif that can be used in isolation from the term ‘eSpreadBet.com’
– We need a versatile logo that incorporates an element that could be used in locations that require dramatic scaling down in size, such as favicons and iPhone app icons
– No currency signs; the brand needs to be neutral of any currencies or countries

2. Striking colour scheme
– We favour strong colourways that immediately bestow a visual identity on the brand. The winning logo will likely inform the colour scheme of other marketing materials
– No greens or warm blues, they seem to be everywhere!
– Think vibrant, bold, strong colour(s) that can be ‘owned’ by eSpreadBet.com

3. Modern typeface
– We have no preference over serif and sans serif fonts, but require a typeface that is up to date and modern
– It should also be striking and clean; no elaborate or calligraphic styles that will be hard to read at small sizes

4. Capitalization
– The logo should be written in the same way as we write it in plain text, i.e. with a capital ‘S’ and capital ‘B’

Checklist:
 Does the logo include a device or motif?
 Have you used a strong, ownable colour?
 Have you avoided using currency symbols?
 Is the typeface clean and simple?
 Have you used a capital ‘S’ and ‘B’ as in ‘eSpreadBet.com’?
 Does the logo include the ‘.com’ part of the eSpreadBet.com brand name?