County council logo chosen
Thursday 11th September 2008, 11:50AM BST.
This is the logo which has been chosen for the new unitary Shropshire Council that will run much of the county from April.
The design, which will replace the current Shropshire County Council logo seen here, was agreed yesterday by the implementation executive overseeing the switch to unitary status.
Members discussed a shortlist of four designs by the county council’s in-house design team, and three by students from Shropshire schools.
See the rest of the shortlist below
The winning logo was from the in-house team who worked to a brief to include the county shield in designs.
Officials say the design cost “very little” to produce because it was produced by council staff.
But it is not known at this stage what the cost of branding countywide will be. Spokesman Simon Alton said: “Work is now beginning to work out the actual cost of branding for the new council.
“We couldn’t estimate the cost until the logo was chosen but now that decision has been made, we can move forward.”
It is based around a traditional shield on a blue background and described by officers as “distinguishable, contemporary and fresh”.
Councillors voted overwhelmingly for the design because they felt it was modern and forward-looking while maintaining a link with Shropshire’s heritage.
Chairman Malcolm Pate said: “It was important to choose a logo which showed a new beginning for Shropshire Council, while highlighting the heritage of the county. We felt using a traditional coat of arms with a modern look and colour scheme did just that.”
Councillor Miles Kenny, one of the two member “champions” for communications, described the logo as “clear”, adding: “This was important as it would be used in a variety ways, for example on staff uniforms, the sides of vehicles and letter headings. It needs to be recognisable and understandable,and I think it is wonderful design.”
A report from officers said the logo would provide the foundation for the development of a “brand identity” for the new council.
See the rest of the shortlist below and read the full story in today’s Shropshire Star
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Its no different to the old logo.
How much will this cost tax payers in Shropshire to change the logo’s on all stationary buildings etc.
Again a waste of money
and here I was thinking we were about to go into recession.
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Wow!!!!!
With such modern, innovative and almost revolutionary design capabilities Shropshire will soon be in the dark ages!!!!!!!!
Congratulations to all the dinosaurs involved -give them all a payrise (again)
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No.2 is brilliant, how it shows the fields and hills of Shropshire… why didn’t they choose that one? was it because the designers would be embarressed that a child with no design education designed a better logo?
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Glad they kept the loggerheads… but why that horrible shade of light blue? Planning to save money on ink??
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I agree with previous comment.
HOW MUCH IS THIS GOING TO COST US!
Out side my drive the road is a mass of dirt from all this rain.
BUT we have no money to send a road sweeper!
No money for road men of old.
Money for waste but not for maintaining our county.
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I suppose it would have been embarrasing to have chosen from outside of the Council designteam. But really is that as good as it gets…
How much is that going to cost now to update everything? At least update it and make it look like its changed and people can notice where there money has gone…
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Hopefully the councillors and everyone employed at Shropshire County Council will now choose not to have a payrise next year to fund this waste of money…
Oops sorry just realized I’m still in bed dreaming
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Something has got to be done to stop the blatant waste of tax payers money by the inflated, inept and self congratulating public sector. Come to the private sector and experience the real world!!
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Contemporary? That means it will need to be redesigned when it’s no longer contemporary. The design brief should have requested longevity.
As usual, the predictable “how much?” blah blah is being trotted out. Please change the record.
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That isn’t a very inspiring logo.
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Wow! Must have taken them ages to knock out the word “county” from the old logo. Trebles all round for the designers no doubt!
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If they are insisting on calling themselves Shropshire County Council, then should they not have included the word County in the logo – or would that have cost too much? Or maybe it was an oversight by there overpaid consultants.
Personally, I found some of the other logos far more 21st Century – especially those created by the school children.
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oh god at the risk of repeating every one else HOW MUCH IS THIS TRIPE GOING TO COST US, this is the problem when you have some one spending money which is not there own.
why didnt they ask for designs from the tax paying public it would have been free and many would have participated , if the logo was designed free then i appoligise was it???? i dought it .ALL we have is some tin pot market town councillot telling US how good it is .
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Waste of time – why ask the children to design a logo using a different set of rules to one’s given to the ‘designteam’ ? – the kids logos are far better – all they’ve done is lop off the ‘county’ and changed colour – why even bother with all the hoopla, why not keep the existing logo and lop off the ‘county’ when exisitng items need replacing? I don’t think it looks ‘distinguishable, contemporary and fresh’ at all – such a waste of time, effort and moeny.
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I think a more appropriate image would be a boot crushing democracy under foot.
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Obviously the Councillors were advised to use the shield and straight away this excluded the designs by the pupils. Why hadn’t they been told to include the shield? I think it is too similar to the County Council logo, when the County is just one of the councils that will merge to form the new Shropshire Council. I thought we were getting a NEW council. Obviously not!
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The kids’ designs are way better. The chosen design is corporate, boring and in no way encapsulates our beautiful county. However, it could be said that it does encapsulate the council…
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hmmmmm a new logo which the just the same as the old without the word County in it – This unitary council is looking more and more like a County council take over of the District Councils.
Perhaps the general public should have been asked to vote for a new logo – oooops – when would Councillors ever take any notice of what the mere public want?
Fresh – new ???????? Its just a reheating of the same old tired meal
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Will the schools get paid as much as the Company for their designs?
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this is a absolute DISGRACE – do these people listen to no one – you arrogant arrogant people at Shire hall, you must have read the blog here http://www.shropshirestar.com/2008/07/08/new-council-logo-line-up/ where 70 odd people all felt that the old SCC logo must go to create a new launch for a new authority, those poor young children who clearly did the best designs have missed out to this blue rinsed old logo, its a disgrace which reflects Shropshire CC’s attitude to people, consultation and everything
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OK guys, regardless of what you think of the design, just a couple of points of information we all ought to bear in mind:
Andrew – it was designed by an inhouse team, that means the council didn’t pay for it as it was designed by people who already work for the council. Not ‘free’ of course, because they pay the design staff, but they employ them anyway so isn’t this part of their work?
Laurence: I think you’ve missed the point, the new council WON’T be called Shropshire County Council, just Shropshire Council, so it wasn’t an oversight to leave the word county out – as Millie says above.
And as for everyone else who complains about it being a ‘waste of taxpayers’ money’ – would you not be a bit embarrassed to have a new council – Shropshire Council – which hadn’t bothered to change its logo from before? Wouldn’t people be a bit confused as to what it’s name was if all the bins, stationery etc had the old name on for ever more? And before anyone asks, I doubt the new authority is going to go round replacing everything that has the old logo on it, they’ll just wait until it needs replacing.
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Oh my goodness… I can’t believe that! Those other designs were FAR better, showing more imagination, talent and taste.
I would like to vote david d into council, he seems to speak sense.
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Of course david, we all voted for the young lad with the squiggly hills, but remember we all voted to retain and enhanced two teir set up for local government in shropshire too hey. Shropshire County COuncil dont listen to the people, they are rude, ignorant, arrogant, undemocratic and shame on them and their silly blue logo
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OK Everyone,
Which is going to cost less: an all new, four colour logo, or a monochrome one so much like the logos of at least SABC and SCC that it will be years before anything but the headed notepaper has to be changed?
I hope the young designers copyright their designs and get to sell them to local businesses. But as a tax payer, I’me glad the Council’s chosen the cheap, boring one.
@Harry – I like the darker blue, too, but doesn’t it look a bit too Conservative Party to be entirely comfortable?
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Hurrah for the Loggerheads, but why go through the farce of an open consultation and then plumb for a tepid in-house solution.
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The logo does embody the council precisely. Fear of change and the ability to sit on a very ‘conservative’ fence.
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Must have taken a long time to come up with that logo. What imagination, lets just drop the word County and change the colour. WELL DONE?
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@21 – Rob
My post was timed at 11:32am, and I was responding to the article, which was then updated at 11:50am. I was misled by the original article which I believe didn’t remove the word County from the new councils name.
However, unlike one particular poster on here – let’s call him ‘X’ (or even ‘Y’) I now stand corrected. Thanks Rob.
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What a boring plain logo. Maybe a new council but still the same old dinosaurs who vote. This is the 21st century, open your eyes or go to the opticians.
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it could have been a lot worse. unless they include the words on it of floreat salopia we will be out with tins of paint!!
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To be quite honest I am glad that the council did not go down the route of producing an expensive, flashy logo. I am sure cost played a big part in the decision and for once they employed a bit of common sense.
I am a patriotic, born and bred Shropshire lad and I quite like the fact that they have retained the shield of ‘Shropshire’ – that’s the whole of Shropshire not just Shrewsbury. These days everything is so throw away and disposable – why do people feel the need to change everything.
I can live with this one
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This logo and colour scheme choice is a massive waste of public money, because it will require new signs at all council premises, and large new colour panels on all council vehicles. If the simpler, more ‘classic’ and attractive lettering on a white background had been chosen (i.e. basically a slight modification of the existing) all this waste could have been avoided. Essentially this is just change for the sake of change, regardless of the cost. Despite all the promises about the new unitary council saving taxpayers’ money, this shows that when there’s an opportunity to waste money needlessly, they are happy to take it.
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I will repeat what I said in the earlier thread (as mentioned in #20 above
(http://www.shropshirestar.com/2008/07/08/new-council-logo-line-up/) :
Jul 11th, 2008 at 8:36 am There are plenty of excellent graphic design companies in shropshire, whom I meet regularly at Shropshire Chamber of commerce meetings.
I suggest that the council prepares a proper request for design brief, attends the local Chamber of commerce Breakfast meetings, (along with the School kids who have done a much better job anyway ), and put the whole damn thing in a 10 minute presentation to local businesses, who really understand about marketing and re-branding.
Challenge to the council ….. give the Shropshire chamber of commerce a call, and see you at Grazia Restaurant on Wed’s week at 0800 hours(23rd July)
AND THEY NEVER TURNED UP !!
So ……
They were presumably not confident enough to stand in front of 45 local Shrewsbury business owners at a Chamber of commerce meeting …
and SELL the idea !
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Well, at least it did go to the in-house team, and presumably saved the council a packet because they didn’t have to pay an outside art agency thousands of pounds (as some councils have done).
However, it’s pretty much the same as the old one!
Let’s be honest – the council were NEVER going to choose a logo designed by anybody else…..!
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I can’t contain myself it is such an exciting logo!!!
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The inhouse team alleged to been told to put emphasis on the shield. Was the school entries told this too, was all teams given the same set of rules? doesnt appear so. I too like the schoolkids entries and while they are in colour, they can also be made in monochrome therefore saving on printing costs. I wanted to see imagination, creative thought into a new logo for a new local authourity..oh boy was i seriously let down.
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all the signs on buildings and veichels will have to be changed,at what cost?allso all I.D. badges have to be changed so ,more “cost” to the TAX payer! but i am sure the tax payer will not mind.
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this is a joke, how dare they, the poor kid that won the competition fairly and squarely
this is outrageous i will be writing to the Audit Comission and the local government ombudsman about this
where is floreat salopia, where is the references to shrewsbury and the other districts, where is the modern new freshness a new organisation needs, where is the reference to our local environment and regional identity in the shropshire hillls, all of these came out of the consultation as a priority, yet have been ignored by shropshire county council, they are so ignorant, they steal near 2 grand a year for me to waste on their beaurocracy and they dont listen to anyone, i hate them
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I wrote to the council when the new designs were first released, expressing my views and offered to provide some more ideas FOR FREE (I’m a graphic designer by trade), however, my offer has never been taken up.
I think the council can see from the comments on this site alone that they’ve made a bit of a blunder here – why postpone the initial decision to ‘take on board people’s views’, then totally ignore everybody? – design is a subjective matter, what is one man’s masterpiece is another man’s scrap-paper but my god, this ‘new’ logo is awful, it’s not nice at all, it’s certainly not fresh – such a shame a great opportunity to brand Shropshire is going to be saddled with this awful logo.
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I feel extremely strongly about this. I am absolutely disgusted! The students work is so much better.
Given that the design team were given a brief to include the logo, it was obvious they wanted the logo to include a brief so why weren’t the students given the same brief!
The final logo also shows 3 colours – a dark blue line across the bottom, the main blue and the white. My favourite is the one designed by Ben Bryan of Oldbury Wells School in Bridgnorth. It’s modern but shows off the key factors that shape our country – the rolling countryside and the river severn.
The one they have picked is dull, basic and something a lot of people could have done (including myself with my limited design skills)
A petition needs to be started! (not that the council will ever listen to anything the residents of shropshire have to say!!!)
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this is outrageous, stop press, scandal at shire hall , they have cheated the poor kid out of his rightful prize, will councillor miles kenny show me the minutes of the meeting where they decided to ignore the public consultation and cheat this kid out of his winnings please, then will he explain how this rubbish blue rinse which is not a NEW logo its the old SCC logo, not fit for purpose for a NEW council, explain this please, we want the kids win reinstated, lets start a campaign for the kid who won fair and square
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Please accept my apologies for my terrible english in the last post I made. I was so angry it all came out wrong and makes little sense. My point was the students should have been given the same brief as the design team to be given a fair chance of being picked.
As for what Rob said several posts above, I think people would be (slightly) happier about spending money if there was a real difference to the logo. Unfortunately it seems the council will be paying an awful lot of money to remove the word ‘county’ rather then spending money on a new improved fresh logo which I think the people of Shropshire were expecting!
The chosen logo has been described by the council as ‘distinguishable, contemporary and fresh’!!! I really think the councillors need to take a look at a dictionary because the logo is the exact opposite!
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typical shropshire cc, hold a phoney consultation and then do their own thing anyway, what a bunch of amateurs, the kids did a great job and they get slapped in the face by the bunch of amateurs
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great stuff, lets all do more to celebrate darwin and use it to help attract tourists and trade to shrewbury
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the amount of comments sums it up.
there is no money
SO WHO IS PAYING FOR ALL THIS.
my road is still a mess.
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typical scc, dont listen to the people who pay their wages
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how typical of shropshire cc to make a decision behind closed doors prior to the consultation then ignore the public, i have no respect for SCC as a result of this, and as such i have no respect for the new council because lets face it, its just Shropshire cc in disguise, same old inefficiency, same old lack of respect for democracy, same old cronism, same old dodgy outdated logo
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clearly the public have spoken
clearly scc have ignored them (again)
see you at the next election guys (another 30% turn out guarenteed)
Democracy is dead in shropshire, lets have an x factor vote off next time it would be less of a comedy sham than shropshire county council
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shropshire county council – what a disgraceful bunch you are – shame on you for killing democracy in shropshire, remember your greek, demos = people, cratos = power
we shall have our will, remember who elects you and who pays your wages
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seik heil!! All hail shropshire county council, the new force in undemocratic local governance, you will comply with their will, they are obviously the best
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