Continued great work by everyone. We are entering out last day and I appreciate everyone's efforts, hard work, creative thinking and willingness to share your talent. Thanks, Martin

Great work again by all.

Everyone's feedback and designs are refining my marketing and branding thinking and strategy so great value for money (THANKS). Strong portfolios in several of the watchers are helping too (thanks for watching). If I had to write the Cancer Samurai design brief today I would emphasize the quiet strength I've seen so many times instead of the fighting spirit that is there in all cancer patients but not the main thing. The danger of creating a business around something I'm in the middle of is it is hard to separate personal feelings from marketing training. My marketing training says quiet and simple beats loud and complex. Think of the great brands you love such as Nike, Coke, Apple, BMW, Specialized and Sony. Simple, strong, quiet, engaging, seductive, smart, bold, creative and unmistakable are just a few adjectives.

Your hard work has helped me see how important it is for Cancer Samurai to speak softly as it must speak to cancer's challenging now AND to its hopeful future. Penn State created a virus that kills breast cancer in the lab yesterday. A few weeks ago UPenn cured the Leukemia that challenges me (CLL) in 3 out of 4 patients. As a marketer I've learned to feel a tipping point. My internal radar is screaming that we are about to cure cancer.

There may be a greater need for Cancer Samurai now more than ever. Riding a bicycle across America last summer I learned the last mile before a 10,000 foot mountain summit is always the hardest. I had to have my mind straight to have a remote chance of getting to the top. The last mile is 99.99% mental. Having cancer is like that last mile. Your mental strength is tested, tested and tested again. The only day in the sixty days of Martin's (bicycle) Ride across America last summer I quit was when I didn't believe I could go on. It was my first day in Colorado. I couldn't breath. We were above 9,000 feet. Even with my talented triathlete sister along the minute I thought I couldn't continue it was over.

There is great work here, but we aren't there yet. I'm the reason we aren't there. My design brief wasn't my best. Please forgive me and see what you can do with what you've helped me learn. Thanks to everyone for helping me see the difference between a brand we create together to serve a larger aspirational purpose and personal challenges. Cancer doesn't kill hopes and dreams it makes them more important, but it can cloud vision to matter how much training :).

Thanks, Martin

I took two steps today based on the strength of your excellent work (so far):
1. I guaranteed the result not because I see a sure winner but because my brand's vision is being enhanced and that deserves compensation and
2. I increased the prize money to show my appreciation in a more tangible way :).

Thanks to everyone for your hard work. You are Cancer Samurai.
Martin

Continued great work by everyone!

Design #7 is helping me see our logo design journey differently. As a cancer survivor I can feel oppressed by life's happenstance, life's randomness. Feeling bullied I adopt a fighting stance. Sometimes, and this has been an incredibly hard lesson, the best way to fight is acceptance. Design #7 brings the idea of fighting without fighting, the letting go of the need to win forward. Its power comes from simplicity and language. Strength radiates instead of being declared.

This new kind of fighting, fighting without fighting, appeals to me as the creator of this brand because it broadens the appeal. Design #7 can be an effective trust mark as well as a branded product. This duality is a VERY HARD graphic design assignment. When I worked at P&G or M&M/Mars we would have teams creating 2 logos. We would never ask the same graphic to do double duty. I ask your work to do double duty because, as a startup, we don't know Cancer Samurai's future (trust mark, branded products or some other currently unknown). I've been an Internet marketer for more than ten years. One important lesson is always hedge, so asking the talented designers reading this post to create one logo capable of getting traction in multiple ways is like putting money down on as many numbers as we can afford as the wheel turns and we wait to see where the ball drops.

I'm going to guarantee the prize today NOT because I see the winner already (I don't), but because I see the way and that deserves compensation and thanks. Every design and designer has contributed to where we are now. THANKS.

Another hard won lesson as a Director of Ecommerce is process is the first product, so it is great to see such talent, clear thinking and helpful interpretation. Thanks for sharing your talent and passion so freely and well.

Great Job Everyone!!! I will only be sharing general feedback like this here going forward. Direct design feedback will be provided individually. Apologize for any offense and lesson learned.

Martin