Eau Claire’s New Logo: How Do You Brand a Community?
The City of Eau Claire JUST unveiled a new logo. Announced via the City of Eau Claire’s Facebook page, the new logo replaces an old logo that has been in place for over 20 years.
The previous logo was hand-drawn by Brian Amundson who was the City Engineer at the time and has long welcomed visitors and residents into our city.
Here is Eau Claire’s previous logo:
In the new logo you’ll see familiar downtown buildings, Eau Claire’s newest pedestrian bridge connecting Phoenix Park with the Confluence Plaza and the trees and rivers that have come to characterize our landscape.
How Do You Put a City In a Logo?
When considering how to convey all of the variety and diversity of a city into a singular logo, there are a few directions you can go.
One way is to capture the geography that a community is known for. That could the boundaries such as the outline of the state of Wisconsin, or the features of an area such as the water, sky, and rivers that have helped define Eau Claire for years and years.
Another route is to represent the attitude and vibe of the people who live there and find ways to connect it with a diverse group of people.
When tieing that all together a city logo has the opportunity to be aspirational and not just a reflection of the current state. It can reflect who a community wants to be and not just who they are.
What does the new Eau Claire logo represent?
When I look at this logo, I see a level of vibrancy and creativity and flow that happens within it. Perhaps the designer’s (RT Vrieze of Knorth Studios) intention was to pull attention to the flow of the water and anchoring it with some main features like the bridge and buildings of downtown Eau Claire.
It represents the Eau Claire community in an exciting and new way.
What a logo should ALWAYS be
At the simplest level, a logo design is a symbolic representation of something.
A logo does not create an identity by itself but it takes the identity that we create as the community and gives it a singular icon. When done well, that icon or logo becomes something that the community identifies with.
What do you think of the City of Eau Claire’s new logo?
Laura is the founder of wpDuo. Laura has been working professionally to develop brands and design websites since 2003, during which time she has been honored with numerous industry awards. Laura has a passion for working with businesses and organizations to create brands people love. Connect with her on LinkedIn
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