Queensland’s Sunshine Coast Regional Council is calling on local graphic designers to get their creative juices flowing as it moves into the second phase of its search for a new brand and logo.
Located in southeast Queensland, Sunshine Coast Regional Council comprises the former City of Caloundra, as well as the former Shires of Maroochy and Noosa.
Last year, Council adopted an interim logo as part of the amalgamation process to give it a regional identity from its first day of operation.
However, it was intended that Council would develop a new brand at a later stage, in a more inclusive manner, and after its vision for the organisation and the region had been established.
Community Engagement and Governance Portfolio holder, Councillor Christian Dickson, said Council completed an extensive community engagement program in phase one of the project. This included surveys and focus groups to help shape, in words, Council’s brand.
Councillor Dickson said with the engagement phase now complete, it is time to call on the creative industry to interpret the feedback into a visual brand.
“Via a formal expressions of interest process, Council is inviting graphic designers to take on the thoughts and comments of both Council and the community in developing the look and feel of the new brand,” he said.
“The community engagement program project saw hundreds of residents from all age groups and townships across the region provide us with their thoughts, ideas and comments on how they perceive Council as an organisation, and what those ideas might look like both in terms of words and visual elements.
“The results from that program were presented to Council in April and the design brief is now available to the graphic design industry to interpret visually.”
In summary, the feedback showed that respondents believed the brand should reflect a Sunshine Coast Council that:
- provides the visionary leadership
and strategic planning necessary
to influence, protect and stimulate the
region’s environment and
communities - delivers reliable, honest and responsive
services. - embraces the diversity and considerable
size of both the organisation and the
region
The consultation also strongly conveyed residents’ desires to have the word ‘regional’ omitted from the name.
With submissions to the formal expressions of interest process having closed on 20 May, Council aims to have selected the successful design by June or July this year.
The appointed graphic designer will then finalise the design into a brand and produce a style guide.
Following this, the brand will be rolled out to all Council owned facilities, with new signage and the like.
For further information, or to see the results of the community feedback survey, visit www.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au
