An open letter from the members of Vancouver’s design and digital community is questioning the city’s decision to adopt a new logo, the merits of which have been hotly debated this week.
The existing logo was redesigned at a cost of $8,000 to give the city a “new visual identity” that’s in line with the times.
The city says the simplified wordmark presents an “updated image of Vancouver as a modern, innovative and highly desirable place to live and work.”
City Council approved the new logo on Wednesday, with only two council members, George Affleck and Melissa DeGenova, opposing the new design.
But in a letter titled, “City of Vancouver, can we talk about this logo?”, members of the city’s design and creative sector say they are deeply disappointed in the approval of the rollout of the new city wordmark, calling the process “misguided.”
“A city’s identity is sacrosanct. It is our mark in the world,” the letter said. “Civic identity is what unites us as a city and distinguishes us from the world.”
The letter then goes on to mention civic identities of cities like Melbourne, Paris, Montreal and even Surrey, B.C. as great examples of city identities that tell distinctive stories of who their citizens are and want to be.
“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,” the letter said. “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.”
Another concern raised in the letter has to do with the city’s decision to select the lowest bidder for the logo redesign, as well as what the community calls a “severe lack of budget or comprehensive plan for the rollout of this initiative.”
“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,” the letter said. “On the other hand, when it comes to redeveloping the identity for a city of our size, the city chooses to severely under-invest resources and time….If the city is not ready to invest in a cohesive new identity with resources and time to do it right, it is better to not redesign at all than to do it half heartedly.”
WATCH: NPA Councillor George Affleck talks about the new $8,000 City of Vancouver logo, and what other costs could be associated with it. Global News also talks to Vancouverites for their opinion on the new design.
The signees also say they are confused about the justification for the redesign.
The city claims the redesign will make it easier to recognize and understand by those for whom English is not a first language and can be more easily adapted for social media channels.
“Unfortunately, the selected design does not meet either criteria,” the letter said. “It is an English-only logo that will mean even less to citizens who are non-native English speakers.”
It also says the new logo is not optimized for digital use.
“Justification for a design is one of the most important parts of the design process itself, and even more important when you are trying to rally a whole city behind a new identity.”
The signees are urging the City of Vancouver to reject the new wordmark.
“It is an insult to the design and creative sector. It is an insult to Vancouverites and all who love our city,” the letter concludes.
The letter, which is addressed to Mayor Gregor Robertson and City Council, has already been signed by nearly 80 designers and digital professionals.
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