This is what $8000.00 get you (for a logo design)

[roopi]

http://bc.ctvnews.ca/my-8-year-old-could-do-that-vancouver-to-vote-on-8k-city-logo-1.3295579

https://shawglobalnews.files.wordpress.com/2017/02/logos.png

Left image old, right image new design ($8k)

I'm in the wrong business.



City signs may get a makeover if Vancouver councillors vote in favour of adopting a new logo at a meeting Wednesday.

The logo was revealed in a city staff report written last week, and is a simplified version of the current logo but uses slightly different shades of green and blue. The font is bolder in the new design, and the floral element in the top left of the old logo is gone.

"With all due respect to the designer, it appears that they went, found a font and typed it out, and put some colour to it, and we have a new logo for $8,000," Coun. George Affleck said.

The selection is very similar to the logo used by the City of Chilliwack, which follows the same text alignment but also includes an illustration of mountains on the left. Chilliwack's logo was designed following the creation of a task force in 2010 by a local firm called "Basecamp Creative."

The City of Vancouver has had the same logo for more than 10 years, and part of the idea behind the project was to create a new brand that is easily recognizable.

City staff asked the creative agency that offered the lowest bid on the contract to design something that would be clearly legible on municipal signage, social media accounts, websites and other places.
They also asked that the design be simplified so it is recognizable and understandable to those in the city for whom English is not a first language. More than half of Vancouver's population has a first language other than English, according to the 2016 "Quality of Living Index."

The total costs came in under $8,000, the report says, but the exact amount has not been made public. If approved, it will be phased in gradually over the next year, starting with new materials then updating older signage and other materials as they are replaced "to minimize costs."

Affleck said the price is a "pretty good deal, I suppose," but that he's concerned about the cost associated with replacing the current logo, and whether it was necessary in the first place.

Regardless of whether the change was necessary, the project's initial price tag is much lower than a temporary rebrand the city paid for in 2009, meant to be used as its logo during the Olympics.

A city logo touting Vancouver as the "green capital" left the city with a bill of $239,000 before tax, according to documents obtained by 24 Hours Vancouver under the Freedom of Information Act.

And Vancouver isn't the first city to make headlines over logos. The same year Vancouver revealed its costly "green capital" branding, the City of Kelowna faced copyright issues over its new logo.

That city spent more than $35,000 on public consultations before selecting a logo meant to mimic the natural beauty of the Okanagan, but the selection was very similar to that of an American real estate company. Ultimately, the logo was permitted and is still in use by the municipal government.

In Vancouver, staff said the wordmark up for voting on Wednesday has already been registered with the registrar of trade marks as an official mark in Canada.

Several designs were considered for Vancouver's rebrand, but the final design was in the city's official font – Gotham – and uses Pantone 363 for the green "City of" text, and Pantone 2945 for the blue "Vancouver" text. There are also black and white versions to be used when full colour isn't an option.

The report says the simplified logo "presents an updated image of the City of Vancouver as a modern, innovative and highly desirable place to live and work."

But some members of the public weren't impressed with the design.
"My eight-year-old could do that," one person told CTV News.
"I like the old one. I think I'd rather them spend (the money) on something else," another said.

A third called the logo "boring," and another person just laughed.
The logo will be discussed at the city's monthly "Policy and Strategic Priorities" meeting, starting at City Hall at 9:30 a.m. Also on the agenda are a review of the province's approval of the Kinder Morgan pipeline expansion and an update from the mayor's task force on mental health and addictions.

The agenda and related documents are available online.

[RickDaTuner]

Looks like the designer is a Canucks fan..

[D'z Nutz]

That's a steal! We could have had almost 60 new logos for the price of the blue ring. That's more than a new one a week for a year!

[A790]

Fiverr....

$7,995 profit

[msommers]

Originally posted by RickDaTuner
Looks the designer is a Canucks fan..

Was mandatory to avoid more rioting.

[sexualbanana]

Current trends in logo design right now are emphasizing simple and clean fonts. Shaw's is similar in that respect.

[Mitsu3000gt]

Haha yeah they could have had that for $5....It's also so incredibly simple and unoriginal that nobody could ever accuse you of copying it because anyone could reasonably think that up.

I used to work for a company that paid $70K for a logo that ended up just being an oil drop more/less haha.

[JRSC00LUDE]

Fuck, we hired a highly regarded marketing firm for a logo redesign a few years ago. They spent a bunch of time and charged a lot of money and the three "finalist designs" they offered were all ripoffs of other companies. When they presented each one I instinctively said another company name in under 3 seconds each time as the first thing I thought of when I saw it.

And they had the nerve to be offended by my reaction. Lazy pricks.

Immediately fired, last invoice torn up.

[HiTempguy1]

We need to get rid of our instantly recognizable logo and replace it with something NEW and ORIGINAL.

Because people not knowing who the f*&k we are is fantastic! (I'm pretty bitter about my organizations two renames in the 6 years I've been here. Nobody knows what the hell the name means, or what the company does, but if you tell them the name we operated under for 40 years prior, they know and it has some prestige).

When the new CEO came in, the minions were consulted for a name change. Overwhelming support (75%) of people suggested going back to our old name. Of course we didn't.

[lilmira]

Siri can you spell Vancouver for me?

Boom profit

[suntan]

How else are you going to have sustainable logo design companies???

[rx7_turbo2]

Seems legit to me. They got the "City Of" centered over the "Van" damn near perfect, that's better than I could have done, $8k well spent! :rofl:

[spikerS]

and $250,000 gets you this....

"be part of the energy" and throw away money!


The latest flush of the financial toilet is $250,000 to promote the slogan that’s likely to become Calgary’s new civic advertising pitch.

“Be Part of the Energy” is the tag line, dreamed up by Calgary Economic Development, a city-funded agency with the goal of promoting Calgary as a business centre.

[AndyL]

wasn't it a quarter million calgary spent on putting the crest into a red box with calgary beneath it? :)

At least theirs was taxpayer friendlier.

[Xtrema]

That's a steal. I would have charged 10x that.

[revelations]

Im no expert, but if I was tasked with this job, it would probably be a weeks' worth of exploring local ideas and concepts - even this simple (ie simple colour hue changes).

The actual creation work probably took 5 minutes - once all is narrowed down.

[suntan]

Originally posted by revelations
Im no expert, but if I was tasked with this job, it would probably be a weeks' worth of exploring local ideas and concepts - even this simple (ie simple colour hue changes).

The actual creation work probably took 5 minutes - once all is narrowed down. Yeah TTYTT they got it for a song.

[ExtraSlow]

Apparently my Company logo design was a steal of a deal. A mere fraction of that price.

[flipstah]

I like the old one more...

[Sugarphreak]

...

[J-hop]

City staff asked the creative agency that offered the lowest bid on the contract to design something that would be clearly legible on municipal signage, social media accounts, websites and other places.

I feel that when it comes to things like creative/artistic design if you select the bottom bidder by default you are pretty much guaranteed a bottom of the barrel product...

[kertejud2]

Originally posted by Sugarphreak

They pointed out that even before the logo was voted in, they were already using it on stuff :rolleyes:


Seems par for the course from a marketing/communications department. Gotta be ready to launch the brand as soon as possible. you'd just look foolish if you waited for something as trivial as approval.

[toastgremlin]

$8000 feels cheap for a logo. Where you really pay the money is in the endless meetings where middle managers debate if it can be made "bluer."

[revelations]

Originally posted by toastgremlin
$8000 feels cheap for a logo. Where you really pay the money is in the endless meetings where middle managers debate if it can be made "bluer."

Thats exactly what i was thinking.

[Seth1968]

During Wednesday's meeting, fellow NPA Coun. Melissa De Genova said she'd been sent several versions members of the public had recreated on their own, and wondered about the consultation process behind the design. She said she herself was able to replicate the logo using Microsoft Word (see below for CTV's similar replica) and wondered why the design cost the city $8,000, and why it wasn't done in house.

Director of Corporate Communications Rena Kendall-Craden responded that the design was more than just selecting a font, and that those hired in the contract had first identified the qualities they wanted it to represent. They also had to figure out what would be legible on small screens.

What would be legible on small screens? Well, any 10 year old could answer that for free.

It's a small example of government corruption, waste, and inefficiency. It happens thousands of times a day at each level of government, and most of it goes unnoticed by the general public.

[A790]

Originally posted by toastgremlin
$8000 feels cheap for a logo. Where you really pay the money is in the endless meetings where middle managers debate if it can be made "bluer."
$8k is an expensive logo, but it's not an expensive brand.

People look at the simplicity of the logo and assume it was thrown together in five minutes. In reality, there was probably a lot of meetings, calls, and back and forth- that's where costs add up.

You hit the nail on the head.

[HiTempguy1]

Originally posted by A790

$8k is an expensive logo, but it's not an expensive brand.

People look at the simplicity of the logo and assume it was thrown together in five minutes. In reality, there was probably a lot of meetings, calls, and back and forth- that's where costs add up.

You hit the nail on the head.

I agree with this, but their old logo was fantastic. There was zero reason to change the logo besides some jerkoff trying to justify his job.

[Xtrema]

Originally posted by Sugarphreak
Is this just a thing where the leaders of large cities are just idiots?

Yesterday on the news here they basically pointed out this was a huge waste of money, and they also asked people on the street, locals, tourists, students, etc... which logo they preferred... not one picked the new logo

They basically wrapped up the story with "the vote is tomorrow, and we trust the city isn't that stupid"

Gets voted in today, 7-2 :banghead:

They pointed out that even before the logo was voted in, they were already using it on stuff :rolleyes:

First announcement... replacing the signs in and out of the city will cost 150K

The public who isn't subject matter expert but think they are, are dumb.

Paying $8K for a new branding is dirt cheap. Especially if it's going be a decade before you revisit it.

[ExtraSlow]

Good point about the difference between a logo and a brand. I know when i bought mine, my graphic designer produced a fifteen page document of "brand standards" which has ended up being really helpful. It's not just so simple as "buying a logo".

[asp integra]

Didn't this happen here a few years back but the cost was way more?
I thought this re-design was in the hundreds of thousands???

http://thewellspring.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Calgary-Logo.jpg

[suntan]

Can we make the hat fuzzier?

[msommers]

I think they used the spray can in Paint for that hat!

[Sugarphreak]

...

[Sugarphreak]

...

[civic_stylez]

Do you know what $470,000.00 gets you in Calgary?


http://cdn.where.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/TravellingLight.jpg

[A790]

Originally posted by HiTempguy1


I agree with this, but their old logo was fantastic. There was zero reason to change the logo besides some jerkoff trying to justify his job.
Maybe. I mean, I'm not going to comment re: the need for a new logo since that doesn't really matter in the context of the conversation. Somebody was commissioned to created a new logo and that's what they did. From that perspective, need is irrelevant.

Their old logo was certainly better in my onion.


Originally posted by Sugarphreak


No, what is dumb is asking a designer to give you a new logo and they come back with nothing but generic text with fonts from is MS word. That isn't even acceptable on Fivver. You don't have to be a subject matter to know that tax payers were utterly scammed, likely by one of Gregors personal hippie asshole friends.

What is also dumb is how much it is going to cost to re-brand the city signage, documents, brochures, business cards, vehicles, web sites, etc. when you already have a perfectly good, modern, and recognizable logo for the city.
I promise you: that's not how it went.

What likely happened is that the designer was commissioned and had an exploratory meeting. This meeting was probably two hours or so.

After that, 3-6 designs were likely made and sent to stakeholders. Chances are those stakeholders wanted to see the drafts on signage, promo materials, etc., so renderings and whatnot were created for each.

Then, a bunch of department heads and people who really have no skin in the game but still want to be involved (for optics or whatever) get involved. More meetings take place. Each meeting is likely $400 or so in billable time, but that doesn't matter.

More back and forth, revisions.

Finally, you settle on a final product that looks like it came from fiverr (for whatever reason). Everyone approves, everyone signs off. Done.

And that's how a text-based logo that looks like it took 5 minutes actually took 60 billable hours to complete.

Hence, $8,000 logo.

I've seen things like this happen so many times that it's not even funny.

[suntan]

That fancy little abstract graphic in the old logo would turn out poorly in B&W. Also hard to do for signage.

[CompletelyNumb]

Originally posted by A790

Maybe. I mean, I'm not going to comment re: the need for a new logo since that doesn't really matter in the context of the conversation. Somebody was commissioned to created a new logo and that's what they did. From that perspective, need is irrelevant.

Their old logo was certainly better in my onion.


I promise you: that's not how it went.

What likely happened is that the designer was commissioned and had an exploratory meeting. This meeting was probably two hours or so.

After that, 3-6 designs were likely made and sent to stakeholders. Chances are those stakeholders wanted to see the drafts on signage, promo materials, etc., so renderings and whatnot were created for each.

Then, a bunch of department heads and people who really have no skin in the game but still want to be involved (for optics or whatever) get involved. More meetings take place. Each meeting is likely $400 or so in billable time, but that doesn't matter.

More back and forth, revisions.

Finally, you settle on a final product that looks like it came from fiverr (for whatever reason). Everyone approves, everyone signs off. Done.

And that's how a text-based logo that looks like it took 5 minutes actually took 60 billable hours to complete.

Hence, $8,000 logo.

I've seen things like this happen so many times that it's not even funny.


This sums it up perfectly. Welcome to government contracts.

[J-hop]

Originally posted by Seth1968


What would be legible on small screens? Well, any 10 year old could answer that for free.

It's a small example of government corruption, waste, and inefficiency. It happens thousands of times a day at each level of government, and most of it goes unnoticed by the general public.

Funny you say that. I was looking at the city's mayor and the city council and all but a couple look over 50. The average tech interface ability and knowledge of people over 50 I'd say is somewhere in the range of 20% (at best) that of the average of people half their age.

It will be interesting to see in government and all other aspects of society how the efficiency changes with the exiting of the generation that still has a high % of hunt and peckers :rofl:

[toastgremlin]

Originally posted by CompletelyNumb



This sums it up perfectly. Welcome to government contracts. Welcome to any contracts. Holy shit I hate discussing design with managers and engineers.

[A790]

Originally posted by toastgremlin
Welcome to any contracts. Holy shit I hate discussing design with managers and engineers.
What are you into these days? Web?

[Sugarphreak]

...

[HiTempguy1]

Originally posted by Sugarphreak
This just in:

Local artists unhappy with the new logo design... the mayor ignores tax payers, but poor starving artists must have their voices heard!

http://globalnews.ca/news/3280383/vancouver-mayor-halts-rollout-of-citys-new-logo/


So you can tack another 50K onto the logo cost

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

Amazing, simply.... amazing.

[hampstor]

Could be worse.... could be the Office of Government Commerce logo hilarity when the logo was rotated 90 degress (cost was GBP$14K).

https://static.independent.co.uk/s3fs-public/styles/story_medium/public/thumbnails/image/2015/09/02/12/OGC-web.jpg

[D'z Nutz]

Originally posted by hampstor
Could be worse.... could be the Office of Government Commerce logo hilarity when the logo was rotated 90 degress (cost was GBP$14K).

So instead of a stick person jacking off in bed, it's now a stick person jacking off standing up?

[J-hop]

Originally posted by D'z Nutz


So instead of a stick person jacking off in bed, it's now a stick person jacking off standing up?

Ah shit, can't unsee it now hahahaha

[nismodrifter]

Fuck this city.

Not sure which floor I live on because many 4's are missing.

Luckily, got assigned storage locker 44 :nut:

[suntan]

https://digitalsynopsis.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/worst-logo-design-fails-ever-field-center-child-policy-practice-research.jpg

[schurchill39]

This makes me feel better about the 5-7K my company spent on redoing our look just to have them come back with us with a bunch of triangles, and no change to the logo. They just put it ontop of Triangles. Fuck.

I should learn how to be a designer. It looks like thats how you clean house.

[Tik-Tok]

Originally posted by schurchill39
I should learn how to be a designer. It looks like thats how you clean house.

The $8000 payout is only evening out the 100 other "for exposure" or "but I can get it done in India for 1/4 of the price" jobs.

[A790]

Originally posted by Tik-Tok


The $8000 payout is only evening out the 100 other "for exposure" or "but I can get it done in India for 1/4 of the price" jobs.
lol yea, this exactly.

[kertejud2]

Originally posted by Tik-Tok


The $8000 payout is only evening out the 100 other "for exposure" or "but I can get it done in India for 1/4 of the price" jobs.

So at worst the city overpaid by 400%. That's the real scandal!

Really it could have been done on spec and a good negotiator would consider getting the winning firms name dragged through the press as extra exposure negating any fee that would be negotiated if their design were indeed chosen.

Bunch of amateurs out there.