LET ME TELL YOU ABOUT US:

HorseHead is a web notification service that delivers messages to users in the form that is the most convenient to them. It connects sources of data, such as blogs, Facebook, Amazon and Twitter with destinations such as a PC, an iPhone, or an email address. A user could for example route Twitter updates to their iPhone, or UPS parcel tracking notifications to their Blackberry.

The name HorseHead is derived from the scene in The Godfather. The service's tagline is "Send A Message".

HERE IS WHAT WE NEED:

A strong logo-mark with prominent use of the word "HorseHead" (one word, either capitalised HH or all smallcaps). It should have a recognisable motif that can be used on its own as a web favicon. It should include the tagline "Send A Message" in the same font, but smaller and with less emphasis. It should be possible to display the logomark and HorseHead word without the tagline where necessary.

Although the head of a horse reference is obvious, we'd prefer more abstract representations than realistic. Shadowed outlines perhaps, or negative space work.

Understated colours. Perhaps grays, steel blues, with a turquoise highlight.

It must work well on dark and light backgrounds, so it shouldn't have a background colour of its own (transparent background). The logo at http://www.blackhorse.co.uk/ is not appropriate, for example (although the variable weighted font is quite nice).

With all that said, you guys and gals are the creative ones, so feel free to deviate where you think appropriate!

OUR TARGET AUDIENCE IS:

Tech-savvy users, probably in the 18-35 age bracket, gender neutral. People who like gadgets. People who are on the go and like to be in control of their communications.

WE LIKE THESE DESIGNS:

Sans Serif Fonts are preferred, though if you can make Serif work, go ahead!

The variation in font weights at http://www.strikeiron.com/

The subtle arrow pointing from A -> Z in the Amazon logo implying they sell everything is very clever. Likewise the arrow in the FedEx logo is a brilliant touch. As HorseHead will be concerned with delivering (abstract) things from one place to another, a subtle device indicating movement might be appropriate. This could be as simple as an underline that either gets heavier from left to right, or has some kind of specular highlight on the right hand side.

WE ABSOLUTELY MUST HAVE THIS IN OUR DESIGN:

* "HorseHead" either in that exact capitalisation, or in smallcaps, and all one word. The tagline "Send A Message", though less obvious.

* Some abstract representation of a horse's head. We tend to prefer the horse's head facing left, to be placed on the left hand side of the service name.

WE DON'T WANT THIS:

* We'd like to avoid chess piece references, as being too obvious.

* Although the name and tagline is derived from The Godfather, we're not too interested in the Mafia connection.