SEQUIM — City leaders are calling all artists, designers and graphic design businesses to help redesign Sequim’s aging logo, an effort to rebrand and improve the marketing of the community’s tourism and other business assets.
“To me, it’s all part of freshening up and making our website more functional and promoting tourism,” said Mayor Ken Hays, who described the existing 25-year-old logo as visually “a little weak in today’s highly graphic world.”
The city will accept proposals from artists, designers and graphic design businesses until 5 p.m. Friday, Dec. 16.
A motto might be considered to go along with the logo, and the city plans to also upgrade the city’s website, making it more functional and up-to-date in today’s technology, the mayor said.
Barbara Hanna, who was hired two months ago as the city’s communications and marketing manager, said of the logo: “I think the general feeling is, it’s a bit outdated.”
With the Police Department having its own logo, Hanna said the intention was to unify the entire city under one new logo for marketing and branding.
“With the digital age, we can go color now predominantly,” she said, adding the existing logo is more of a line graphic in black and white, which was good in its day.
Once applications are in, Hanna said, a review committee will look over the proposals “for the overall style we like.”
Artists and designers will be allowed to work with city representatives including Hanna to come up with a design.
The logo is expected to be used on all materials produced by and for the city including signage, printed materials, advertisements, products, the website, e-mails, letterhead and any other selected city materials.
The logo will be designed so that it can officially represent the city of Sequim and serve as an icon for tourism marketing.
The logo must be designed so that it is able to be trademarked or copyrighted.
Those interested should submit examples of prior logo work and a quote for the cost of creating the logo.
“The logo is a critical element of establishing an image for the city of Sequim,” the request for proposals says.
“The logo must, at a glance, give the city a distinct and easily identifiable identity. It must transition between signage, print and online media, and it must stand out from other logos as unique.”
The request for proposal is posted on Sequim’s city website at www.ci.sequim.wa.us, or it can be picked up at City Hall, 152 W. Cedar St., or the Public Works Building, 615 N. 5th Ave.
Submissions can be e-mailed to bhanna@ci.sequim.wa.us.
For general questions, phone Hanna at 360-681-3422.
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Sequim-Dungeness Valley Editor Jeff Chew can be reached at 360-681-2391 or at jeff.chew@peninsuladailynews.com.