Local design community pens open letter to city council following approval of new logo: "This is not our Vancouver"

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      On Wednesday (February 22), Vancouver city council approved a new civic logo. The wordmark, which cost $8,000 to produce, forgoes the floral emblem featured in the current design and instead consists of the words “City of Vancouver” in plain Gotham font.

      The reveal and subsequent news of the logo’s green-lighting has not gone over well with Vancouverites, with many taking to social media to criticize the blandness of and lack of creativity behind the design.

      Now, Vancouver’s design community has penned an open letter to mayor Gregor Robertson and city council members asking for them to “spare us of the new logo”.

      A colloborative effort between members of Vancouver's creative industries, the letter has been co-signed by over 100 graphic designers, art directors, and other individuals working in local design and digital spheres since being published this morning (February 24).

      In it, they express their disappointment with the wordmark’s approval and the “misguided process” that led to this result.

      “Redesigning a city’s logo should not be reduced to an administrative communications exercise as it has been for the approval of this new wordmark,” they wrote. “There is so much more that could have been done, yet the City has severely failed to produce an inspirational mark that authentically represents and makes us proud of who we are and can be.”

      They also voice concern over the City’s decision to offer the “lowest bidder” the task of refreshing the logo.

      “On one hand, the City publicly touts the importance of creative and innovation economies in Vancouver, and justifies the development of these sectors as a primary motivation for this exercise,” they said. “On the other hand, when it comes to redeveloping the identity for a city of our size, the City chooses to severely underinvest resources and time. To us, this signals that the City actually undervalues design and the creative and innovation sectors thereby setting an undesirable precedent for the future.”

      The group questions the City’s claim that this “simpler visual identity” will be “more easily recognized and understood” by those for whom English is not a first language and that it will prove more adaptable for use on social media.

      “Unfortunately, the selected design does not meet either criteria,” they stated. “It is an English-only logo that will mean even less to citizens who are non-native English speakers.”

      The community also points out that, despite publicized recommendations that the new wordmark should be rolled out over a period of time, the City has already begun distributing print materials branded with the new logo. This, they assert, compromises civic democracy.

      “This isn’t about whether a municipal logo redesign should be approved by City Council or not,” they said. “This is about the integrity of our civic democracy. You have undermined democracy — a core Canadian value.”

      “We collectively urge City Council and the City of Vancouver to reject the new City of Vancouver wordmark,” they continued. “It is an insult to the design and creative sector. It is an insult to Vancouverites and all who love our city. This is not a debate about whether the Optima or Gotham typeface is better or whether a logo is a wordmark or a rebrand.

      “This is a debate about valuing our civic identity and the City’s value of our creative and innovation sectors. You have severely missed the mark with this wordmark, City of Vancouver and Council. Please, spare us from this new logo. This is not my Vancouver. This is not our Vancouver.”

      According to a civic report, the City of Vancouver’s logo has not been overhauled in over 10 years. The City describes the new design as a “simplified wordmark” that “presents an updated image of the City of Vancouver as a modern, innovative and highly desirable place to live and work”.

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