We asked, many of you responded so we now offer up the challenge.
Corporate branding Web site Brand New called a new design for the City of Philadelphia one of the year’s worst.
In the spirit of the new year and because we know you don’t want to do any real work this week, we put an open call out to the designers and developers and tinkerers and artists in our community. Make a designer’s design for the City of Philadelphia.
Submit your ideas for a logo that would better suit the City of Philadelphia — yes, it can be sarcastic or heartfelt. It can even include the Liberty Bell or a cheesesteak if you think they sum Philly up well … and you can endure the taunts of your peers. We’re thinking standard display images, but we won’t begin to limit you, the audience. If it fits in an e-mail or can be linked to, we want to see them.
All submissions need to be sent to info [at] technicallyphilly.com [files or links] by the final whistle of this Sunday’s 4:15 p.m. Eagles last regular season game, against those bastard Cowboys.
The best design — to be decided by an incredibly complex algorithm that combines RTing, commenting and how surly reporter Brian James Kirk feels that morning — will win an incredibly disappointing prize package featuring the following:
- Pride in winning TP’s first hastily thrown together contest (maybe we’ll even design you a button… maybe)
- One cold, tasty local beer purchased and served to you by the TP staff at our next meetup, to be announced shortly
- A promise that we’ll submit your idea to the appropriate persons at City Hall… if they would only take us off hold.
that article on Brand New was written by my co-worker’s brother – he graduated from Drexel’s graphic design program and has a good bit of Philly pride. He has a good reason to be angry 🙂
I’ll try to find time this week to submit something as well!
hah. Do it! And spread the word. Maybe we’ll just start our own city…. with prettier designs.
-cgw
I decided to try a couple.
http://rjwhite.tumblr.com/post/306592547/a-new-logo-for-the-city-of-philadelphia
I just need to let you know that this is the WRONG way to go about getting a logo designed. Why not – you know – contract an actual design agency?
No good can come from this.
Mike:
If we were being entirely serious, we would, indeed, contact one of the dozens of fantastic design companies in town. Of course, we aren’t being entirely serious. Rather we want people to offer a quick product that just might be tons better than the product the city had — or so people who contacted us said.
…Think of it as a chance to show off your skills to prove the point that the city should strive for better. No?
-cgw
You’d be putting yourself at potential risk, let alone getting a low standard of work. Some light reading for you: http://www.thelogofactory.com/logo_blog/index.php/why-logo-contests-dont-work/
In that case, ignore my comments and the best of luck to you 🙂
Just curious – why does my reply to your comment say that I am the author? Some dodgy coding going on there 🙂
Hey Mike,
You make a good point. I’m cool with this being just for fun, and at the same time, there is a big advantage: Letting new designers who aren’t with an agency and not a ton of name recognition a chance to shine.
I decided to do one. Didn’t take long, and I had fun doing it:
http://luvataciousskull.deviantart.com/art/City-of-Philadelphia-Logo-149019106
That said, thanks to Technically Philly for doing this. It would be awesome if one of the higher-ups in City Hall picked this up.