From a press release:
The City of Peoria will hold a community forum on June 2, 2008, at 6:00 p.m., to give the community the opportunity to have input about a new logo for our City. The forum will be held at the Peoria Civic Center in Room 220.
Our objective is to develop an overall identity theme linked to the City itself, and to provide consistency and clarity in the way the City communicates with the public through its graphics, signage, advertising, and marketing. The common theme and graphic image would better define and communicate the City’s assets and benefits of its programs and services.
The Mayor and City Council Members believe that an important aspect of designing a new logo is having input from the entire community. The City wants to know what you think. We want to know what you believe are the important qualities about our City and the things we should consider when the logo is designed.
We have also designed a web survey that we encourage you to take prior to the June 2nd forum. It will only take a few minutes to complete and will provide us with important information to use in the designing of the new logo. The web link is http://logopeoria.com/.
The forum is open to the community and everyone is encouraged to attend.
The City Council approved funding for the design of a new City logo in March, 2008.
Didn’t we just spend 30K for someone to do that?
I will only charge 10 grand for my opinion.
The city hired Converse Marketing to come up with a new logo. Converse wants to get input from the residents of Peoria so they can make sure the logo will be accepted by the public. I realize that such a plan (getting public input and buy-in) is novel around here, so many of you are not used to this kind of process. 😉
I just completed the survey. Very disappointing. They don’t state why we need a new logo, they don’t ask any really specific questions (they do want to know WHO you are) but they do give you an opportunity for an open comment. I did read the release – too many meaningless words to me – almost like reading educational journals.
I would have given favorable odds that this could have been done on an area high school level with a scholarshipish contest which probably would have produced results just as good, equal or better to what ever Converse can design. But, no imagination or creative thinking within Peoria city government apparently. Another unproductive waste of city dollars.
They should have solicited public input before committing the 30k to Converse to develop what could be generated equally well by the Art department (while they exist) of any Peoria high school.
Hey, I know CPR. I own a gun and can shoot. Why not let me be a firefighter or cop? I can even volunteer. A logo is more than a piece of artwork done by a volunteer.
I’d suggest Mr. Hankey if it wasn’t already copyrighted.
I personally don’t think there’s anything wrong with the existing logo; I’m not sure why the city thinks we need a new one in the first place. But, if we’re going to design a new one, I would just as soon have professionals doing it. I understand the desire to save money, but seriously, are you saying there is no qualitative difference between the work of a high school student and a professional artist at a marketing firm? That’s kind of insulting to Converse, isn’t it? If something is worth doing, it’s worth doing well. My only question is whether it’s worth doing in the first place.
I agree with CJ that there’s nothing wrong with the current logo but if it needs to be changed, use a sillouette of Peoria’s skyline with a stylized CITY OF PEORIA underneath.
Vonster-Would that be Mr. Hankey, the Christmas poo??? LOL
I like the picture on this blog with the bridge! CJ, send them that! Perhaps people are offended by the Indian. The new logo should have something to do with the river. Change is good!
What ever the new symbol is/becomes, can we put it on a flag?
A city flag would be cool.
http://www.porthuron.org/images/Cool%20City%20Logo%201.gif
I googled “city logo” and cked out the images of other cities. I like this one with the skyline and the neighborhood theme… we could add a river and/or a bridge, maybe tamer colors… It would work on a flag 🙂
Screw Converse. $30,000? I would rather we let the high school kids give it a shot.
ImaSwede: How about adding some helping hands of the neighbors?
Karrie, are you asking me to ask my neighbors to come up with a design? I’m not quite sure what you are asking… I don’t mind spreading the word and asking people to visit the website or attend the meeting…. is that what you want? Geez… sorry, I have to have things spelled out!
I just completed the survey. They offered open comment at the end. I even had the opportunity to submit the picture url I added to this blog. It’s a logo, so why not get credit if they use your ideas? I didn’t find anything about it offensive. I like the idea that they are giving people who live and work in Peoria this opportunity.
It is time for a new logo, especially in this day and age when people are offended by stereotypes. I think anything we do to help improve our image is a good thing. ( do I sound too much like Martha Stewart?)
C’mon, it’s a logo, not the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. So yes I do believe that a competition between local schools would yield an equal or better result for free.
This is but a small-scale example of the systemic problem of too many consultants and contractors. Hopefully City Hall now has one manning every toilet paper dispenser because city officials can’t, well, you get it.
ImaSwede: Sorry for adding to the confusion — the logo you shared — I thought maybe we could add some helping hands (representing neighbors helping neighbors)… And fifteen years from now what will Peoria look like …..?
FWIW our non-profit recently worked with a Bradley commercial arts class and received about a dozen exciting and well done logos that, in my opinion, were better than many of the professional logos I’ve seen. Of course these were by young commercial artists looking to build a portfolio with their senior projects – much closer to the professional end than the High Schoolers. Of course, being a non-profit, we had to watch our costs since we only get money than people part with voluntarily – we don’t have the governments ability to take taxes by force.
I know this is changing the subject, nevertheless, I would like to see a statue or memorial to honor “Dan Fogelberg.” Would that ever be possible? He is so significant to the present history of Peoria!
I too do not see why there is a need to change the city logo other than some in city government find the Indian symbol derogatory along the lines of the NCAA/Illini affair. Was a reason ever given by the city?
As far as who does the logo, I think it a very good idea to have had area students create it. Not just high school students but include area colleges and universities as well. I’ve seen these types of things done before by students (in Cleveland and suburban Chicago) and one would have thought professionals were involved with the results. Many students are creative and artistic. To say, CJ, that quality work can be done only by experienced professionals is to insult our areas students. particularly those with interests in arts and graphic design. This would have been a great opportunity for them. The students designs could have been rejected too just like the contracted firms designs could be rejected.
So who will approve the new logo? Anyone know? Is it the council?