File #: REPORT 20-0042    Version: 1 Name:
Type: Action Item Status: Municipal Matter
File created: 1/18/2020 In control: City Council
On agenda: 1/28/2020 Final action:
Title: HERMOSA BEACH LOGO REFINEMENT UPDATE (Environmental Analyst Leeanne Singleton & Assistant to the City Manager Nico De Anda-Scaia)
Attachments: 1. 1. February 2018 Study Session Materials, 2. 2. Logo Refresh Call for Artists Guidelines, 3. 3. Logo Refinements Option A and B, 4. 4. SUPPLEMENTAL eComment from Claudia Berman (submitted 1-27-20 at 5:10pm), 5. 5. SUPPLEMENTAL eComment from Peter Michel (submitted 1-27-20 at 10:34pm).pdf, 6. 6. SUPPLEMENTAL Community Input submitted by the City Manager's Office (added 1-28-20 at 3pm).pdf

Honorable Mayor and Members of the Hermosa Beach City Council                                                                         Regular Meeting of January 28, 2020

Title

HERMOSA BEACH LOGO REFINEMENT UPDATE

(Environmental Analyst Leeanne Singleton &
Assistant to the City Manager Nico De Anda-Scaia)

 

Body

Recommended Action:

Recommendation

Staff recommends that the City Council:

1.                     Select one of the two logo refinement options prepared by Daniel Inez; and

2.                      Provide feedback on the selected logo option for staff and the design team to develop a style guide that articulates the graphic standards and proper use of logo and other brand elements.

 

Body

Executive Summary:

The City of Hermosa Beach has embarked on a refresh of the City’s logo to create a unified set of images, graphics, and visual style to represent the City of Hermosa Beach consistently as an organization and as a community. The process included a call for artist concepts in June 2018 in which the City received 48 submissions. The process was narrowed down to four finalists and presented for City Council consideration in August 2019, in which designer Daniel Inez was selected as the contest winner.

 

Daniel Inez has since entered into a professional services agreement to provide graphic design services to the City including refinement of the logo based on City Council direction and development of a style guide. Two refined logo options with rationale for each option have been prepared and are presented as Option A and Option B, for discussion and selection of a concept prior to development of the style guide.

Option A   Option B

 

Background:

History/Evolution of Hermosa Logo and Seal

The City of Hermosa Beach currently has both a logo and a seal, but does not have an officially adopted set of fonts or color palette to consistently distinguish the City.

 

The current City seal was designed by Mr. and Mrs. John T. Hales and adopted by the City Council on May 5, 1964. The new seal was developed through a community competition in conjunction with the dedication of City Hall in 1965.

 

The current City “logo” was developed in 1968 and has, with some variation, been used on City gateway signs and street signs. The logo was built off the seal with the Hb lettering and was designed to represent the Vetter Windmill, or a sunburst, with a pair of seagulls. Prior to 1964, Hermosa Beach had a logo and seal that was adopted in 1923 and depicted the waves of the beach and the building previously located at the pier head and included the previous City slogan-the Aristocrat of the California Beaches.

There are also several modified, spinoff, or special use logos presented below that have been used by the City of Hermosa Beach over the years. To celebrate the centennial of Hermosa Beach in 2007, a new seal and logo were developed in 2006. The seal was designed by former Public Works Director Rick Morgan and graphic designer Michael Thompson to depict 100 years of beach culture with the pier, a lifeguard tower, a surfboard, and beach volleyball. The second piece was the centennial logo that was used for banners and marketing efforts and was designed by local South Bay graphic designer and Hermosa Beach native, Chris Davis.

 

Other spinoff versions of logos used by the City either currently or in the past typically include a variation of the windmill design, the signature capital ‘H’/lowercase ‘b’ combination, and elements of the sunburst, waves, or palm trees.

February 2018 Branding + Signage Study Session

In February 2018, the Hermosa Beach City Council held a study session to discuss the City’s signage and branding, including the history of the City’s seal and logos, current use of graphics, and signage/branding needs for the future. The staff report and presentation from that meeting are included as Attachment 1.

 

The goal, as noted at the 2018 Study Session, is to create a unified set of images, graphics, and visual style to represent the City of Hermosa Beach consistently as an organization and as a community. In the case of a government organization or agency, it is common to have a City seal, to denote official city organization materials and communications, and a logo, to represent or highlight the larger community. The City seal is often presented on letterhead, business cards, and to certify official documents such as resolutions or proclamations, while the logo may be used for signage around the City, sponsorship of events or programs, and general marketing of the City.

 

At that February 2018 study session, the City Council recommended:

1.                     A refresh of the City’s logo that maintained key character-defining elements of the current logo;

2.                     A call for artists through a logo contest would be the preferred method for developing the concepts of a new logo; and

3.                     Caution about making changes to the City seal, but open to some updates to the icons located within the Hb, and some color changes to bring consistency between the logo and seal;

4.                     Establishment of consistent standards to distinguish official City communications and to protect the City’s visual identity from modification or use without permission of the City.

 

Logo Refresh - Call for Artists Process

In June 2018, the City released a call for artists to submit designs that refresh the City of Hermosa Beach logo (Attachment 2). The call for artists articulated the City’s goal for updating the branding, the process for selecting a winning design, and provided examples of the City’s current palette of signage and logos. The contest was open for submissions for approximately six weeks and a total of 48 entries were received.

 

Upon submission, City staff reviewed the entries based on the following criteria, which were articulated in the call for artists:

•                     Representation of Hermosa Beach heritage/culture

•                     Distinctive or Unique Design

•                     Legibility (ease with which a reader can recognize)

•                     Contemporary/Current Design

•                     Transferability/Versatility to fit the needs of the City

 

Staff narrowed the entries down from 48 to 16 logos based on the listed criteria and then convened a group of stakeholders to review the 16 entries using the same criteria.

 

Staff identified a diverse group of community stakeholders representing different interests and invited a group to assist with narrowing down the field of entries. The group met on two occasions to review the entries and at their first meeting narrowed the entries to four artists (five entries), but also asked the four artists to submit revised designs based on the feedback of the group. Staff reached out and met with those artists to provide feedback specific to the entries, as well as overall feedback applicable to each of the entries and within a few weeks’, each of the artists’ submitted revised designs. In March the group of stakeholders reconvened to review the revised entries and recommended to staff three artists (four entries) to be considered by the community and City Council as finalists for the logo entry contest.

 

To facilitate community input in the process, staff posted the materials from each finalist online and created a survey for the community to rate each of the finalist designs and provide constructive feedback on the favorite options. Each finalist took feedback provided online through social media and offered refinements to their designs.

Refined Finalist Logo Contest Designs

Logo Designer Selection

In August 2019, City Council selected the designer of Option 2, Daniel Inez, as the winner of the logo refresh contest and directed staff to award the $1,000 cash prize and work with Daniel to develop a scope of work/budget and enter into a contract to develop a style guide and signage program for the City.

 

At the August 2019 meeting, Council provided feedback on elements from the selected design and directed staff to work with the designer on preparing some logo refinements prior to development of the style guide.

 

Discussion:

The direction from City Council at the August 2019 meeting included a request to provide two options of the refined logo, with one design remaining closer to the current City logo and a second option that provides a refreshed look to the logo that honors the character of the existing logo.

 

In October 2019, the City and Daniel Inez entered into a contract in the amount of $22,800 for consultant support in the refinement of the logo options and development of a style guide based on the selected logo. Staff and Daniel Inez have worked together over the last few months to prepare these refinements, which are provided as Attachment 3 as Option A and Option B and described briefly below.

 

Option A

Key Changes

Ø                     The seagulls were removed allowing for the logo to fit into a conforming circle.

Ø                     Smaller rays were added and extended towards the center for balance + consistency.

Pros:

•                     Familiarity; it’s not much of a deviation from the current logo.

Cons:

•                     It’s not enough of a deviation from the current logo to be considered something new.

•                     Keeping the logo all yellow limits its use to darker background for maximum visibility.

 

 

Option B

Key Changes

Ø                     The seagulls were removed allowing for the logo to fit into a conforming circle.

Ø                     Smaller rays were added and extended towards the center for balance + consistency.

Ø                     Addition 2-color ocean element.

Ø                     Orange Hb for high visibility.

Pros:

•                     It reflects key elements of the current logo.

•                     The colors allow it to live with the city seal.

•                     Provides opportunities to bring a range of color into a design system for branding and signage.

Cons:

•                     The refined elements are a visible change from the variations of the current logo, and therefore may be met with skepticism by some in the community.

 

Staff recommends that Council select one of the two options presented for staff and the designer to move forward with in the development of a style guide for the City.

 

Style Guide Outline

Design Values + Vision

The Style Guide provides a comprehensive foundation of graphic standards for proper presentation of the visual identity for the City of Hermosa Beach. Use of the Style Guide improves communication by ensuring consistency within an organization and enforces best practices by guiding designs to a quickly recognizable professional outcome.

 

 

 

Brand Elements

Ø                     Official Symbols

Ø                     Graphics and Icons

Ø                     Color Palette

Ø                     Tagline

Ø                     Typography/Fonts

Ø                     Size and Clearance Space

Ø                     Logo Variations and Sub-Brands

 

Brand Application

Ø                     Use of City Seal and Logo

Ø                     Incorrect Uses

Ø                     Use Policies

Ø                     Licensing Agreements

 

Brand Implementation

Ø                     Publication Planning

Ø                     Document Templates

Ø                     E-Mail Signatures

Ø                     Signage (conceptual)

Ø                     Uniforms, Apparel, and Merchandise

 

Brand Standards

Ø                     Graphic Style Guidelines

Ø                     Writing Style Guidelines

Ø                     Iconography and Photography

Ø                     Maps and Illustrations

Ø                     Charts, Graphs, and Tables

Ø                     Web Guidelines

Ø                     Print and Publication Standards

 

General Plan Consistency:

PLAN Hermosa, the City’s General Plan, was adopted by the City Council in August 2017. An update to the City’s logo and development of a branding style guide and signage program, and the involvement of the community in the process, supports several PLAN Hermosa goals and policies from the Governance and Land Use + Design Elements that are listed below.

 

Governance Element

•                     1.4 Consensus oriented. Strive to utilize a consensus-oriented decision-making process.

•                     2.1 Multiple outreach methods. Consistently engage in community outreach through neighborhood forums, social media, the latest technologies, personal interaction, and other methods on a regular basis.

 

Land Use + Design Element

•                     4.4 Unique architectural design. Encourage the use of unique architectural features, facades, and outdoor spaces within Gateway Commercial developments to signify arrival to Hermosa Beach.

•                     5.4 Unique brand and identity. Promote citywide identity with the addition of gateway signs, monuments, or other features to key entrances (especially to the east and north) that display the City’s name and identifies the area as a distinct place.

•                     11.4 Unique gateways. Celebrate the unique gateways to Hermosa Beach by enhancing them with the work of artists.

•                     11.5 City leadership in public art. Embrace a leadership role in facilitating public art and public art partnerships with City Departments, private developers, and arts and cultural organizations.

 

Fiscal Impact:

There is no fiscal impact associated with the recommendation action. The City has already entered into a contract with Daniel Inez for graphic design services in the amount of $22,800 using funds appropriated in the 2019-20 Budget.

 

Attachments:

1.                     Link to February 2018-Study Session Staff Report and Presentation

2.                     June 2018-Hermosa’s Next Logo: Call for Artists

3.                     Refined Logo Options A and B

 

 

Respectfully Submitted by: Leeanne Singleton, AICP, Environmental Analyst

Concur: Nico De Anda-Scaia, Assistant to the City Manager

Noted for Fiscal Impact: Viki Copeland, Finance Director

Approved: Suja Lowenthal, City Manager