Critique Request: CAD drafting contractor logo

I think I have convinced a client to allow me to redesign this logo as part of redesigning his website:

A few pertinent pieces of input from my client:

• He really likes the grid layout in the background.


• He wants the "CAD" part of the name to stand out.


• UPDATE: I should also note that while my client does do some teaching, the primary service he offers is CAD Drafting as a consultant for engineers, architects, and manufacturers (basically anyone that requires a professional CAD drawing.)

So here's what I've come up with:

I wanted to get some professional review before sending it off to my client. My main questions are:

1. Is the right face confusing? I was trying to communicate the idea of designing the cube in CAD (and add a grid in a way that didn't hurt my eyes.)


2. Does the font (Poiret One) match the style of the rest of the logo?

Thanks!

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UPDATE: Thanks to everyone for all the excellent suggestions; please don't hesitate to keep them coming if you have something else to add. I think the next step for me is to look at how to reduce the complexity (this probably means removing the client's beloved grid) and making sure the design scales properly. I'll update when I have a new version (or post a new question, if the next iteration is completely different).

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UPDATE 2: I've implemented some changes and posted the new version here. I would appreciate your feedback on the new versions if you have the time: Is this logo redesign a step in the right direction or is it better to stick with the original?

Answer

I like the logo. A couple of comments though:

I don't mind the type, the first half seems a little too round, but the CAD reminds me of the annotations on blueprints, which is (I think) a nice association. Perhaps you could investigate what other blueprint fonts there are out there that give the same feeling for the lowercase part as well.

What I would definitely look into is the complexity of the logo. How attached is your client to the grid? I think your axis element is much stronger than the grid, and it plays a similar role. A grid could be drawing paper, or a canvas, but the axis are definitely 3D, and anyone familiar with this sort of software will recognize this. I would try removing the grid from the cube, and reducing the cube's size. Less is more.