As if choosing from three incredible designs wasn’t enough; two of them were collaborative efforts including our very own designers, Max Shearer and Andrew Machin, and so the rest of us in the office are having a hard time deciding which one to vote for! Let’s take a look at both ideas…

Direction A:

Branded3’s Interactive Designer, Max, worked alongside a highly-talented team of industry professionals including Rick Harrison, Adam Campion, and Julian Oxley; to create an idea which epitomised Leeds.

Eventually settling for an owl motif idea, the team began adapting the owl for different aspects of the festival; so for any music-related events for example, the owl would be shown playing a guitar.

Integrating a regional symbol with digital elements, the team have created an impressive identity for the festival, with enough versatility to keep the logo fresh throughout the entire event.

Vote for Direction A here!

Direction B:

Working with some experienced and skilled specialists, our Head of Design – Andrew Machin – worked with Gaz Battersby and Hannah Backhouse to create an interactive 3D pixel approach, which aims to bring digital into the real world.

With a simple yet effective 3D logo, and the idea to fill the city with large-scale art dotted around Leeds city centre; this team’s approach seeks for public interaction and involvement; greatly extending the reach and influence of the festival’s message.

Vote for Direction B here!

Direction C:

Whilst we’re struggling between two fantastic designs, there is of course a third idea which has made the final three. Direction C revolves around a design called ‘Whizz Bang’ based on comic book values and aesthetics.

Vote for Direction C here!

Get voting!

So there you have it, three very different ideas; now all that’s left to do is make your decision and vote!

With the winners being announced early August, you’ve got just a matter of weeks to vote for which design you’d like to see celebrating Leeds Digital Festival this year. Keep checking the website to find out the results, and follow the hashtag #LDF2011 on Twitter.

As for us, we’ll be basing our decision purely on the level of design skills reflected, and the embodiment of the festival’s values (or, which one of Max or Andrew makes us the most cups of teas this week, another crucially important aspect of web design…!)

Read more about the decision to crowd-source Leeds Digital Festival this year here, and learn how Max and Andy got to the final here.

Never one to miss an opportunity; Branded3 are getting involved; sending our very own Head of Design Andrew Machin, and Interactive Designer Max Shearer along to the ‘Design Day’ event next Saturday to offer their expertise to the mix.

The city’s creative specialists and students will combine to make teams which will individually build a brand for the festival from scratch, comprising of innovative logos, fonts, and brand guidelines. The teams must also show how the new identity can then be applied across a range of platforms.

The artistic flair of the designers will be tested, as they are expected to produce 20 identity ideas, which will then be whittled down to just three by a group of industry experts, as the competition enters its final stage.

Now in its fourth year; Leeds Digital Festival is a platform for the city’s digital professionals and enthusiasts to come together and display their talent. It’s a great outlet for promoting the digital industry, and for gaining more knowledge on what’s digitally available through seminars, social gatherings and more.

The brains behind the festival have a vision to make Leeds the centre of all things digitally creative, and put the city on the map for its design and development ability.

So although crowdsourcing isn’t preferred here; we don’t mind showing off our artistic skill in the name of fun and promoting our talented city.

Tickets are still available if you think you have the talent to build a fresh and exciting brand. The Design Day is Saturday 16th April, and is of course free, book your tickets here.