LOGO DESIGN CONTEST – GELATO&FRIENDS
IMPORTANT – PLEASE READ BEFORE SUBMITTING
We are looking for thoughtful, original and professionally designed logo concepts. Quality matters far more than quantity. This contest will be actively moderated, and submissions that clearly ignore the brief may be rejected immediately without feedback.
ABOUT THE PROJECT
We are developing a new international premium food brand called GELATO&FRIENDS.
Gelato&Friends is the planned evolution of our existing concept and brand, Good Food. The existing Good Food logo is attached as an important reference.
We are not looking for a simple replacement of the words “Good Food” with “Gelato&Friends”. We are looking for a thoughtful visual evolution.
The ideal reaction should be:
“This is clearly a new brand, but I can see where it came from.”
THE BRAND
GELATO
Premium artisan gelato is our hero product and the heart of the concept.
SIGNATURE CONES
We offer distinctive proprietary serving formats. One of the most important is the Chimney Cone – a freshly baked chimney-shaped product used as an unusual and memorable cone for gelato. Additional proprietary cone concepts may follow.
FRIENDS
“Friends” represents a wider universe of complementary products and future innovation, including signature desserts, savoury chimney products, seasonal products and new proprietary concepts.
The brand must therefore be flexible enough to grow beyond one specific product.
WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR
The Gelato&Friends logo should feel:
• Modern
• Minimalist
• Premium
• Distinctive
• Confident
• International
• Timeless
• Warm and approachable
We want a contemporary premium food and lifestyle brand with an artisan dimension.
Premium, but not cold.
Modern, but not trend-driven.
Friendly, but not childish.
Minimal, but not generic.
Distinctive, but not complicated.
The logo should not look like a traditional gelateria or an ordinary ice cream shop.
CONNECTION TO GOOD FOOD
Continuity is important. Ideally, Gelato&Friends should retain some recognisable connection to the visual DNA of the existing Good Food identity.
What we appreciate about Good Food:
• Minimalist approach
• Distinctive typographic character
• Clean composition
• Strong monochrome foundation
• Contemporary, slightly editorial feel
However, the new logo should NOT be a copy. We are looking for evolution, not repetition.
DESIGN DIRECTION
We are particularly interested in a strong typographic logo / wordmark.
The logo may be:
A) A strong typographic wordmark, or
B) A wordmark combined with a simple, original and distinctive symbol.
If a symbol is proposed, it should be simple, memorable, scalable and capable of working independently from the wordmark.
The “&” symbol may potentially become an important signature element of the identity. Designers are welcome to explore this, but it should feel sophisticated and natural, not gimmicky.
WHAT WE DO NOT WANT
Please do NOT submit:
• Cartoon characters or childish illustrations
• Smiling ice cream cones
• Generic gelato or ice cream icons
• Clipart, stock elements or recycled logos
• Generic template designs
• Obvious AI-generated concepts or random AI variations
• Vintage ice cream parlour aesthetics
• Stereotypical Italian clichés
• Excessive colours or rainbow-style identities
• Overly decorative or complicated illustrations
• Literal product drawings unless exceptionally well justified
We specifically want to avoid the typical “fun, colourful ice cream shop” look.
The brand may be warm and approachable, but it must never feel childish, cheap or cartoonish.
SUBMISSION RULES – IMPORTANT
MAXIMUM: 3 INITIAL CONCEPTS PER DESIGNER
Each designer may submit a maximum of 3 genuinely different concepts.
We strongly prefer 1–3 carefully considered ideas rather than a large number of speculative variations.
Please do not submit dozens of concepts, minor font or colour changes, slightly modified versions of the same idea, random experiments or mass-generated designs.
Colour changes, font swaps or minor layout adjustments do not count as genuinely different concepts.
Submissions beyond the limit may be rejected without review.
NO MOCKUPS – LOGO ONLY
Please submit ONLY the logo.
We do NOT want cup, packaging, signage, T-shirt, wall, business card or social media mockups, 3D presentations or AI-generated lifestyle scenes.
Present the logo clearly on a simple, clean background.
We want to evaluate:
• Typography
• Originality
• Proportions and balance
• Distinctiveness
• Relevance to the brief
• Scalability
• Overall brand potential
A strong logo should stand on its own without an impressive mockup.
AI AND LOW-EFFORT SUBMISSIONS
We are looking for original work created through genuine design thinking.
Please do not use AI to generate dozens or hundreds of random concepts and submit them hoping that one might match the brief.
Do not submit copied, recycled, stock, template-based, repetitive or mass-generated designs.
The purpose of this contest is to identify design quality and creative thinking, not the highest volume of submissions.
Repeated submission of irrelevant or clearly mass-generated concepts may result in all submissions from that designer being rejected.
PLEASE EXPLAIN YOUR CONCEPT
Each concept should include a short explanation of approximately 2–5 sentences covering:
• The idea behind the logo
• The typographic approach
• Any connection to the Good Food visual DNA
• Why the concept fits Gelato&Friends
This does not need to be a long presentation. We simply want to see deliberate creative thinking and an understanding of the brief.
SELECTION PROCESS
STAGE 1 – INITIAL CONCEPTS
Maximum 3 concepts per designer. We will review submissions regularly and identify the strongest concepts and designers.
STAGE 2 – REFINEMENT
A small number of selected finalists may be invited to refine their preferred concept based on specific feedback. This may include typography, proportions, details or carefully considered alternatives.
NON-COMPLIANT SUBMISSIONS
This contest will be actively moderated.
Submissions that clearly ignore the brief may be rejected or deleted immediately without feedback.
This includes, but is not limited to:
• Cartoon-style designs
• Generic ice cream logos
• Inappropriate use of colour
• Irrelevant concepts
• Copied or template-based work
• Mass-generated AI concepts
• More than 3 initial concepts
• Mockups instead of clear logo designs
WHAT WILL IMPRESS US
We are looking for a logo capable of becoming an international premium food and lifestyle brand.
The logo does not need to explain the entire product offering visually. We do not believe that a premium gelato brand necessarily needs an ice cream cone, scoop or gelato illustration in its logo.
A strong and distinctive typographic solution is absolutely welcome.
TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS FOR THE WINNING DESIGNER
The winning designer must provide:
Editable vector files:
• AI
• EPS
• SVG
• PDF
Image files:
• High-resolution PNG
• JPG
Required versions:
• Primary logo
• Black version
• White / reversed version
• Alternative layout where appropriate
• Standalone symbol or icon, if applicable
The logo must be fully scalable and suitable for signage, packaging, gelato cups, napkins, uniforms, menus, digital applications, social media and future international franchise locations.
ORIGINALITY & INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
All submissions must be original.
The winning designer must confirm that the final design does not infringe third-party intellectual property rights, does not use stock logo elements or clipart, does not replicate an existing trademark, and can be transferred with full commercial usage rights.
All editable source files must be provided upon completion.
FUTURE OPPORTUNITY
The winning designer may also be considered for a separate paid project involving the wider Gelato&Friends visual identity, potentially including typography, colour palette, packaging, cups, menus, signage and brand guidelines.
FINAL NOTE
We are investing in a serious international brand.
Please do not try to win by submitting the largest number of designs.
We are looking for:
Original thinking.
Strong typography.
Attention to detail.
A clear understanding of the brief.
One exceptional, thoughtful concept will be viewed much more favourably than three random variations.
We look forward to seeing carefully considered ideas for the future of GELATO&FRIENDS.
