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ANNOUNCEMENT: New Logo for Downtown Lakewood

Posted: Thu Jan 15, 2009 1:09 pm
by Mary Anne Crampton
LakewoodAlive announces the adoption of a new logo for its revitalization program, Downtown Lakewood. The logo was designed by the Cleveland based branding consultancy and environmental graphic design firm Studio Graphique, with oversight from the Downtown Lakewood Signage & Wayfinding Design sub-committee.

The new logo can be viewed here: www.lakewoodalive.com

“The design draws upon community responses expressed in the public meeting held in October 2008,â€

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Posted: Thu Jan 15, 2009 1:17 pm
by Bill Call
Any chance some signage could be added at Lakewoods three I-90 exits? Downtown, Beck Center, Hospital, Restaraunts, Football Stadium etc..?

Posted: Thu Jan 15, 2009 1:32 pm
by Christine Gordillo
The logo looks great! Classic and yet modern at the same time.
Nice job!

Posted: Thu Jan 15, 2009 1:38 pm
by Stephen Eisel
Very nice!

Posted: Thu Jan 15, 2009 2:17 pm
by sharon kinsella
Let me get this straight. It cost $75,000.00 to get that logo?

The street signs need additional funding?

I find that very troubling.

It's a nice logo, but $75,000.00 with all the artistic talent we have available in our city?

Posted: Thu Jan 15, 2009 2:38 pm
by Brian Pedaci
Sharon, the article says that the Design project is an 'outgrowth' of the overall Streetscape Plan, which was funded with the NOACA grant. I'm sure Mary Anne could clarify, but it sounds as if the $75K grant went to the overall Streetscape project, not just designing the logo.

Posted: Thu Jan 15, 2009 2:42 pm
by sharon kinsella
My issue was that it was mentioned that funding was needed for the street signs "4" of them. So what did it encompass. Those should not be all that expensive.

Posted: Thu Jan 15, 2009 2:43 pm
by Grace O'Malley
It looks like a sign that you might find on a paddlewheel boat or at Cedar Point.

Posted: Thu Jan 15, 2009 3:02 pm
by Jim O'Bryan
Mary Ann

Thanks for the post.

Sharon

I am hoping that Brian is correct, that this is just a small part of the overall streetscape package, that the city landed under the Tom George Administration.

That said I would like to underline, that Lakewood is filled with award winning designers that have created some of the country's finest graphics, which bring us to the color choices. I would have to say that this is what happens when non-Lakewood designers are brought in. A color selection that does not fit in with anything else in Lakewood.

My suggestion would have been for "Lakewood/Sinagra Green" with gold letters. On high end signs gold leaf, or a metallic. This would set off the Cooperplate type face which was designed in the 1800s, and possibly even before the Cooperplate font was named and copyrighted by the URW corp.

Grace

Not the paddlewheel at Cedar Point, in fact it is almost a exact copy of Geiger's Logo, which was done by an award winning Lakewood designer. I have an early version that we did for Geiger's and that designer it is almost identical down to the features at the top of the sign, and exact same font.

Bill

Are we trying to sell Lakewood or downtown is what I would ask. To me, if we reversed the two, the signs could be used elsewhere, to highlight the different districts.

FWIW


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Posted: Thu Jan 15, 2009 3:32 pm
by Mary Anne Crampton
Here the Detroit Avenue Streetscape Plan that NOACA funded. Click on the December 2007 link:

Click Here Please

The volunteer committee that selected Studio Graphique and who has worked with them on this project is made up of 100% Lakewoodites. The public meeting that was held for community input on the subject on October 2 was held in Lakewood (at the Library) for Lakewood residents.

Posted: Thu Jan 15, 2009 3:54 pm
by Jim O'Bryan
Mary Ann

Thank you for the clarification.

That makes it easier to accept, at least for me.

Thanks for the post.


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Posted: Thu Jan 15, 2009 4:06 pm
by sharon kinsella
Maryanne your address came up with a 404 error message.

Posted: Thu Jan 15, 2009 4:13 pm
by Grace O'Malley
Jim

I agree on both your perceptive points: the DOWNTOWN and the teeny tiny Lakewood should be reversed. I also wondered why no choice of green?

Posted: Thu Jan 15, 2009 4:23 pm
by Jim O'Bryan
Grace O'Malley wrote:Jim

I agree on both your perceptive points: the DOWNTOWN and the teeny tiny Lakewood should be reversed. I also wondered why no choice of green?


Grace

First as Mary Ann pointed out, maybe we all should have gone to the meetings. Of course that would have been impossible, and she is doing the next best thing posting and asking for ideas here on the Deck. Long before the signs are bought.

That said, I spoke with the designer of the Geiger's logo, who literally said the same thing you did. It looks real old and outdated. when I mentioned Geiger's logo, he pointed out that it was designed to look old, as Geiger's has been around since the turn of the century.

Denny Wendell of Wendell Design did that logo, and then asked about usage. His concerns were that it meant nothing. "Where does Lakewood downtown start and stop?" when I mentioned usage, he thought it would be confusing. "Is this the exit for downtown Cleveland?" "Is there a restaurant called, "Downtown" at this exit?" He also freaked over the swish from the K is just so wrong and improper that it bothered him. That a non-serif font should NEVER be turned into a swish. Then I mentioned that Copperplate is actually a serifed font, and he reluctantly agreed, BUT it is on their for flair....

Of course I could care as Denny moved from Lakewood to Bay, and now runs the Westlake/Bay Observer. As I pointed out his opinion is nearly as unimportant as other non-Lakewood designers. :wink:

Thanks again Mary Ann for posting this and allowing the city to kick the ideas around in a public forum.

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Posted: Thu Jan 15, 2009 4:35 pm
by Jim DeVito
sharon kinsella wrote:Maryanne your address came up with a 404 error message.


Try it now Sharon.

It looks good but I am not a huge fan. It looks too......... modern..... it think.