MCAL Email Response for UCity Branding and Logo as of 8714

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7.30.14 Hello, All: Following are my comments about the proposed new logo: 1) The lion brand appears to have been quite successful in establishing a visual cue that is, within the St. Louis area, immediately associated with University City. Given that success, it would seem reasonable to incorporate the lion image into a new design. 2) I appreciate the effort expended in arriving at a new brand identity, i.e., focus groups and surveys. The proposed logo possesses symmetry; its typeface is easily read. However, the original design possessed those elements. The new design, in my opinion, lacks originality, a new perspective, or evidence of creative energy. The design seems to have been hurriedly executednew text, new colorsand results in little more than tinkering around the edge of the original design. Did the design firm not put forward a variety of possibilities from which selection of the best logo could be made? 3) The use of three colors for the new logo makes it more expensive and less versatile in its various applications, e.g., street signage, identification of city-owned vehicles, city letterhead. Are there suggestions for a two-color image or for reversing the type so that the logo suits each of the anticipated uses? 4) The filled-in color at the base of the new design obscures the angled beam (representing the spotlight atop City Hall), which formed part of the original design. 5) The new text "Neighborhood to the World" does not convey a clear message. If we're wanting to say that University City is an eclectic, progressive, and welcoming community, I suggest that we work a bit longer on hammering out the text that does a better job of capturing those ideas. 6) Finally, I do share a concern about appropriating the work of the original artist by pulling his creative work into the "new" design. At our last Arts & Letters Commission meeting we were told that the original designer, Robert Smith, has some ideas about how his design could be updated, and he is willing to present those to us. I think it would be a good idea for us to hear from him. Winnie Sullivan 7.31.14 Although I would also like to see a fresh take on the U City logo, I don't feel the "Neighborhood to the World" proposal should be the one to use. The Graphics Standards Manual for the present logo shows us how a new brand could be created and defined, the criteria by which any new logo should be judged. "Neighborhood to the World" intrigues me, and it does tie in with the impressive amount of data gathered by Avant, but it seems too fuzzy and imprecise a message, especially when removed from the picture part of the logo. If any new logo gets approved I think it might be best to keep any slogans out of the picture entirely, so to speak. Coming up with a new city slogan might make a good separate "new identity" project and whatever got chosen for the slogan could be used with whatever new logo comes along. But they would always be -separate- pieces of an identity that could be used just as well apart as together. As a member of the Arts & Letters commission I was also concerned when I found out that the original designer was not consulted about utilizing his graphics for the new brand. My recommendation would be to try again. Perhaps publish Avant's data out on a public place and put out a call to designers for new logo proposals based on that data. Then get an expert team of local artists and designers (like the original designer) and PR folk to judge the proposals and narrow them down to a set of three or four. Those final three or four could then be passed to Arts & Letters for approval, then on to City Council. --Garrie (Garrie Burr)