9.
City Council Work Session
- Meeting Date:
- 03/25/2025
- From:
- Chris Rhode, Special Programs Manager
- Department:
- Communication and Civic Engagement
Co-Submitter:
TITLE:
Discussion on Project to Redesign City Logo and City Seal
DESIRED OUTCOME:
Discussion on process, final designs, and direction from Council on which designs to move forward with.
Executive Summary:
In the Spring of 2024, City Council was presented with several options for how to proceed with redesigning the City's logo. Council gave staff direction to partner with the NAU VisualDESIGNLab (VDL) and to form a Working Group comprised of City Commissioners to help direct and oversee the effort. At that time, City Staff also recommended that this project include repurposing and preserving the existing City logo as its new City seal. In the time since then, a working group has been established and has met monthly to discuss and make recommendations on the project. This has included two different solicitations of public comments on the project, one before substantial work began on the design and one after three design concepts had been developed.
The VDL worked continuously through the duration of the project to incorporate the feedback from both the working group and the public into professional designs. They brought forth over 100 distinct sketches and ideas and then revised and refined them through many different iterations before arriving at the two final versions that will be presented to Council with this agenda item. They simultaneously worked to create a refresh of our current City Logo that preserves its historic and cherished elements in such a way that it can continue to function as the City's Official City Seal, a role for which it is better suited.
On February 21, 2025, the Working Group finalized its recommendation that City Council adopt Design #1 as its new City Logo and that City Council adopt a refined version of our existing City Logo as its City Seal.
The VDL worked continuously through the duration of the project to incorporate the feedback from both the working group and the public into professional designs. They brought forth over 100 distinct sketches and ideas and then revised and refined them through many different iterations before arriving at the two final versions that will be presented to Council with this agenda item. They simultaneously worked to create a refresh of our current City Logo that preserves its historic and cherished elements in such a way that it can continue to function as the City's Official City Seal, a role for which it is better suited.
On February 21, 2025, the Working Group finalized its recommendation that City Council adopt Design #1 as its new City Logo and that City Council adopt a refined version of our existing City Logo as its City Seal.
Information:
The existing City Logo, while not described in City Code, has been in use in some form since at least the 1960s and is well recognized in our community. It generally consists of an elk standing in the middle of a field with the south face of the San Francisco Peaks behind it. The logo has a winding fence on its left-hand side and a flagpole flying the flag of the United States of America on the right-hand side extending out of the logo's border. The logo is surrounded by text that reads "CITY OF FLAGSTAFF," "ARIZONA," and "ESTABLISHED 1882." Some versions have a creek in the foreground. Different versions of this logo in use contain different colors and levels of detail.
The existing City seal is described in City Code, but is seldom recognized. It contains the word "SEAL" in large font in the middle of a circular inner-boarder. Above and below it and following the contour of the inner-boarder are the words "INCORPORATED" and "MAY 26, 1894." Between the inner-boarder and another outer border is the text "CITY OF FLAGSTAFF" at the top and "ARIZONA" at the bottom.
While redesigning City logos and other Civic Symbols are common throughout Arizona and the rest of the country, the process City Staff has talked over the last year is rather unique. While other municipalities have simply hired a design firm to complete their redesigns - often at an expense of tens of thousands of dollars - City staff opted to engage a community partner in NAU to collaborate on the project. The City's partnership on this effort has been highly beneficial to both parties. NAU and its student designers have received valuable real-world experience working on a complex design project and the visibility that comes from it. The City of Flagstaff has received professional-level designs at no cost.
Additionally, the City established a Working Group comprised of diverse and qualified community members to oversee and direct the project. This Working Group met regularly to provide direction to the design team and to organize opportunities to receive valuable input from the public at large. This helped to ensure that the project was guided by a unified body that was informed by the values, culture, and perspectives of our community while also reducing the burden on City Staff.
The existing City seal is described in City Code, but is seldom recognized. It contains the word "SEAL" in large font in the middle of a circular inner-boarder. Above and below it and following the contour of the inner-boarder are the words "INCORPORATED" and "MAY 26, 1894." Between the inner-boarder and another outer border is the text "CITY OF FLAGSTAFF" at the top and "ARIZONA" at the bottom.
While redesigning City logos and other Civic Symbols are common throughout Arizona and the rest of the country, the process City Staff has talked over the last year is rather unique. While other municipalities have simply hired a design firm to complete their redesigns - often at an expense of tens of thousands of dollars - City staff opted to engage a community partner in NAU to collaborate on the project. The City's partnership on this effort has been highly beneficial to both parties. NAU and its student designers have received valuable real-world experience working on a complex design project and the visibility that comes from it. The City of Flagstaff has received professional-level designs at no cost.
Additionally, the City established a Working Group comprised of diverse and qualified community members to oversee and direct the project. This Working Group met regularly to provide direction to the design team and to organize opportunities to receive valuable input from the public at large. This helped to ensure that the project was guided by a unified body that was informed by the values, culture, and perspectives of our community while also reducing the burden on City Staff.