Opinion BY Armin

Pieces of Melbourne

I must first say that I have never visited Melbourne (nor Australia for that matter) so any and all opinions about how this identity reference the peculiarities of the city are based on mere speculation and interpretation from afar. But it doesn’t take a local to recognize the progressive personality of the city and the rich visual landscape in which it thrives. Yesterday, Lord Mayor Robert Doyle unveiled a new identity that will represent the City of Melbourne, and provided plenty of rationale behind the new identity replacing a logo designed in the early 1990s.

“The ‘M’ design will become an icon for Melbourne, synonymous with the modern, vibrant, cool city Melbourne is today and will continue to be in the future.

“The new identity will deliver more impact, be stronger, more flexible and reduce confusion as to who is delivering services. It will build greater long term identification and align with best practice around the world.”

“The new brand is strong and leading edge and will be instantly recognised as belonging to the City of Melbourne.”
— Press Release

The identity design was developed by the Sydney office of Landor and the City of Melbourne paid $A91,000 (US$74,000) in “preliminary research for the new brand” and $A148,000 (US$120,000) for the design itself according to Doyle. Of course, any dollar amount ignites ire in people and it’s so easy to say “$A240,000 for a fat blocky M?”. Yes, that’s what things cost people, get over it. But back to the identity.

There is something very appealing and avant garde about this logo and it walks a fine line between trendy-and-useless and progressive-and-defining, but I think it definitely swings to the latter. There is a really great tension created by the detail and overlay on the left side of the M and how it resolves into something more simple on the right side. The gradients are subtle and help add a sense of depth and breadth that you would not get with a flat logo, which is clearly evident in the 1-color application where the logo looks like a bad diagram in progress and loses its enigmatic feeling from the color version. The type selection is also unconventional and helps set apart the City of Melbourne from all other international cities with common, lowercase sans serifs. As the spreads below show, this identity has impact and adaptability beyond the logo and looks remarkably vibrant, dynamic and multi faceted, which is how I imagine the City of Melbourne to be.

Thanks to Josh Darvill for first tip.

DATE: Jul.22.2009CATEGORY: Destinations 49 COMMENTS

Jad Graphics’s comment is:

That is such an awesome logo. I like the way that they are able to incorporate the logo in the various print materials that they use.

On Jul.27.2009 at 02:54 PM

Joshua Schoenaker’s comment is:

This identity is not worth more then $A230,000.

I would never pay $A240,000 for this. It's Outragious!

On Jul.27.2009 at 06:17 PM

David Sanchez’s comment is:

Absolutely brilliant! The Faceted M Device is full of possibilities and really makes sense. Well done Landor. It reminds me a bit of SPIKE TV Promo, but this identity system is a living metaphor of the culture and spirit of a modern city. Simply beautiful.

On Jul.27.2009 at 10:00 PM

Mark Johnson’s comment is:

This is awesome! I love this logo. So much better than their previous one that's for sure. It's so refreshing and vibrant. It just kind of says the city is alive and has newness (is that a word) throughout it. It looks diverse, and applicable to tons of mediums different situations.

On Jul.27.2009 at 10:55 PM

Local Productions’s comment is:

...perhaps a tad steep on the price tag

like it's versatility across media a lot though

On Jul.28.2009 at 02:56 AM

Francesca Carra’s comment is:

I'm a Melbourne based designer. I gotta say - it's an awesome design. I'm happy to have it tattooed to my forehead if it ever came to that.
Very versatile and easy to tag on all marketing collateral.
It's definitely a job well done.

However, the industry and patrons of the city are simply peeved that no Melbourne based studio/agency was given the opportunity to create it. The logo represents the artistic, cultural hub that the Melbourne is, but theLord Mayor takes it to Sydney?

The logo itself is now a contradiction to what it was actually supposed to represent.

(I still like it though)

On Jul.28.2009 at 04:11 AM

Andrew Sabatier’s comment is:

The new City of Melbourne identity comes across as I imagine the place does – fresh and energetic. However, with further interrogation I find both the design and strategy lacking.

There is an interesting structural illusion in the brandmark that doesn't allow my mind to rest on a single interpretation, much like a transparent cube or the Wittgensteinian duck/rabbit. The faceting language speaks of a multi-dimensional experience that is the City of Melbourne and the sense of celebration is palpable.

This identity has many good things going for it but I would prefer to see it taken further. I expect to see a single idea or nested set of ideas to lift the identity out of an associative design-led and cosmetic exercise into a culturally relevant conceptual space expressed poetically in words.

Although I like and appreciate the design idea there are aspects of it that have not been given the opportunity to mature. The faceted forms are not quite resolved. The spotlight/transparent faceted area beginning at the bottom left corner up to the top left inner edge is discordant and messy. The typeface looks raw and naive and the layout system appears wild and overly style-led.

There are some good ideas in this identity but I think it won't be long before the effects wear thin and the lack of other types of ideas becomes apparent.

A.

Permalink

On Jul.28.2009 at 04:47 AM

anna’s comment is:

....its definately more forward looking, i think it may grow on people as the london 2012 olympics one did. i like the 'M' but i think the typeface may date very quickly.

I would like to know, why didn't a design business from Melbourne design the Logo, Im dissappointed to hear that a sydney company did it. Why did they not support Victorian Business? There are some amazing companies in melbourne who would have provided brilliant options non?

hmm weird.

On Jul.28.2009 at 05:02 AM

Brendan’s comment is:

I studied in Melbourne for a semester, and based on my experience of the city, this is a fantastic logo. If anyone's ever hung out in Fed Square (the de facto center of town, along with the Flinders Street Station), you'd agree that this fits that quite well.

But what happened with the logo at this link?
http://www.ttthings.com/images/uploads/something_old_7.jpg

I think this was the current logo of the city, and it was designed by Ken Cato, one of Australia's most well-known designers. I liked it too!

On Jul.28.2009 at 07:49 AM

Adam Bestwick’s comment is:

Great execution.
The identity definitely comes to life in it's gradient form.

The way the geometry and angles of the M has been deconstructed from the standard angles and located to different points is clever and generates lovely shapes.

I do feel however that the linear version of the M is too lightweight and that the single colour execution (with keylines in white) should be the default mono logo.

Interesting crossover to the literature - shame the website couldn't reflect the geometry!

On Jul.28.2009 at 08:08 AM

Kevin’s comment is:

Overall, I really like the identity and approach, but is anyone else bothered by the lowercase type and its treatment?

On Jul.28.2009 at 11:32 AM

Brendan’s comment is:

Yeah...I don't care much for the typeface.

On Jul.28.2009 at 02:07 PM

Melanie Montag’s comment is:

WOW!!!!!! Landor rocked this one. Brilliant on all levels. The facets and the forward thinking, chunky "M" is groundbreaking.

On Jul.28.2009 at 02:28 PM

grfk dzgn’s comment is:

Hallmark of the D Gen (Digital Generation) is a harsh and abrupt and common place reduction to the singular bold and, self contained. Graffiti-esque, letter shape narcissism. Melbourne's blunt statement is nothing more. In the crudest sense it is urban. And if Melbourne is anything - it is urban.

BTW, 'resource' is not a verb, ok?

"how will we resource our plan" - you're kidding me right? That line must have been thought up by one them there 'creatives'. The line is awkward and struggles to be unique, as does Melbourne's identity.

Just gotta love that font too ;)

How much for this work? And was the winning entry done by a grade nine student who just learnt Adobe Illustrator in a single afternoon?

Please tell me I'm right.

On Jul.28.2009 at 02:42 PM

Brian Klepper’s comment is:

Brilliant! Just like any design you're either for it or your not

On Jul.28.2009 at 02:59 PM

David’s comment is:

Similar to this work that was done in 2006. http://www.sochi2014.com

On Jul.28.2009 at 03:04 PM

SecondGRFX’s comment is:

Damn, you're right...
But anyway, the Melbourne CD is well done.
VERY well done!

On Jul.28.2009 at 04:16 PM

katja bak’s comment is:

i like the design - i have to say. it works better on a 3d format but it's still lovely flattened out. as for the price, well, there's so much argument from both sides, i can't decide.

to those that knock it so very hard, i'd like to see their interpretation of melbourne.

On Jul.28.2009 at 11:17 PM

sarah d’s comment is:

For all the false facts flying around, Landor had or has a Melbourne office (look on web for posts about it opening). A project like this takes about a year, right? - politics etc. That means that it was probably started when they had a decent team in Melbourne but due to GFC had to reduce resources and run it from Sydney. They have as much right to do a project like this as anyone, irrelevant of where it is based. How many Melbourne companies do work outside Melbourne. Sounds a bit Hypocritical to me.

All the whinging about not being a Melbourne company, or being a foreign company is daft and ignorant. I work in a similar 'foreign-owned' branding firm and understand the reality. They no doubt have designers from all around the world, including from Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide and Melbourne. The office is also an acquisition by Landor, with the original director still running it! So really, a global agency network means it has lots of info and knowledge at its disposal, and can use global experience to be able to to large projects like this, yet is still Australian at heart. The small 2-5 person companies that are calling this a logo design, don't obviously understand that a large brand identity program involves - a logo is about 5% of the project.

So...before people jump on the bandwagon of criticism, understand the real story - it makes for a far more intelligent debate. - go look at the AGDA letter to the Mayor - there you'll see a bunch of whingers and sheep, giving Australia a parochial and shameful image of idiots not knowing what they are talking about. Its like they are less clued in than the general public.

On Jul.29.2009 at 12:02 AM

Joel P’s comment is:

I want to know how many people that commented are FROM Landor. Melanie Montag?

On Jul.29.2009 at 03:02 AM

JMMSP’s comment is:

I think that anyone who has been to Melbourne would agree that it is a vibrant and dynamic city, where modern and progressive meet traditional and conservative in every corner. That's exactly what the brand created by Landor does. From the logo through the type treatment to the layouts. Also, anything that has some quality and merit to it tends to be polarizing, and as far as I can see that is what is happening in this case.

In a world, where design studios pump out identities, magazines, posters, cd covers and animations around the clock, it is quite refreshing to see work that isn't just comfortable with following a trend, but unique and unexpected. It is a shame to see that there are creatives out there that are way to comfortable with mediocre work. That only think that something is good, if they have seem something similar on a design blog before.

Personally, I like this brand.

On Jul.29.2009 at 06:36 AM

Norman Rabinovich’s comment is:

It looks like Federation Square gave birth to a baby M.

On Jul.29.2009 at 09:16 AM

Itsumishi’s comment is:

I think I'd be the one person that actually prefers the 2 tone version of the logo.

I find the left hand side of the coloured version looks very disjointed and overly cluttered.

I think if they had kept the line from top right hand corner running to bottom left hand corner running the whole way through then the lines running from the top left hand corner though to the middle section of the M would have looked a lot cleaner and left the M looking less distorted.

As it stands now lines create an optical illusion that the M is twisted.

On Jul.29.2009 at 09:07 PM

Judd Madden’s comment is:

The M itself is strong (albeit very 'fed square'). It feels quite modern, the subtle gradients and angles are nice, and it resolves well in monotone.

As for the typography - bleh! It already looks outdated and clumsy; it really does not do the mark justice.

The example applications shown here are also very weak - hopefully Landor will make more of an effort when the time comes for real applications...

Overall I think it has potential; the proof will be in the execution.

On Jul.30.2009 at 02:42 AM

Dav(id Hubner)’s comment is:

I love the mark. Modern, vibrant & lively. Like a pulsing M-shaped heart.
(Not really too keen on the one colour version nor the typeface choice, but the mark is niiice.)

On Jul.30.2009 at 07:24 AM

Santa Claud’s comment is:

It's different. I had to look at it for a while to figure out what the strategy was here...I can see how it goes well with all the advertising pieces and works when the design elements from the logo are carried through into the other designed pieces.

On Jul.31.2009 at 09:33 AM

Adam Bestwick’s comment is:

To "grfk dzgn" - resource is both a noun and a verb.
Go look.

On Jul.31.2009 at 09:34 AM

Simon Bremen’s comment is:

"Melanie Montag"?? yeah right, you so work for Landor.

Faceted logos are a bit too trendy for me.

On Aug.01.2009 at 05:42 PM

Johnny Haru’s comment is:

I like the mark but think the type face could be a better fit

On Aug.03.2009 at 12:38 AM

Chris Dixon’s comment is:

Compare this identify and the price paid for it to the recent NSW state brand reviewed on this site and the price paid for it. You certainly get what you pay for – it's such a shame that NSW so undervalues the creative industries.

On Aug.04.2009 at 09:44 PM

Bec Marwick’s comment is:

Loving the chunky m. Good fun Melbourne, nice one.

On Aug.05.2009 at 06:58 PM

Ben’s comment is:

Reminds me of a logo I saw recently for a recycling facility. The logo looked like crumpled paper. That was a cool for a company that collects garbage. Not sure what that look has to do with the city of Melbourne though. I've never been there.

On Aug.06.2009 at 10:25 AM

Breton’s comment is:

For those who have never been to melbourne.... The common experience goes like this... Get on the train, and get off at flinders street station (Iconic building)

it looks like this:

http://images.google.com.au/images?q=flinders%20street%20station

then look to your right and you see federation square, which looks like this:

http://images.google.com.au/images?q=federation%20square

stroll around a bit and you might find the Melbourne Theater Company building

http://images.google.com.au/images?q=Melbourne+Theater+Company

And on and on. The logo is very much a reflection of the recent architecture here. But notice the contrast with flinders street station. There are still a lot of old Victorian style buildings like that mixed in as well, which was better reflected by the gum leaf, and the roman column in the older logo, but is notably absent from the new one.

On Aug.06.2009 at 08:03 PM

Toko’s comment is:

One of the worst branding jobs I have seen in a very long time! I don't care about the money, I don't care it's designed in Sydney or Timbuktu. Branding jobs like these are extensive and costly (would call this one very reasonable). Looking abroad can be refreshing and definitely creates a healthy competitive tension hence the feedback. It's the design (solution), implementation and underlying thoughts that are NOT forward but backward thinking and that is very unfortunately. My initial thoughts are old-school (80's), un-flexible, ugly (personal), generic (biggest problem) and I could go on... Capturing a city and it's personality, vibe and background in a single logo is simply not possible so don't try it!!! Contemporary identities are not based on logos and some simple shapes (in this case probably based on Federation Square - how shallow). Logo follows identity and not as presented here identity follows logo. It really makes me angry to see such a shallow approach on such an amazing project.

On Aug.07.2009 at 02:41 AM

B&D Leo’s comment is:

It's Like Beijing CCTV build

On Aug.08.2009 at 01:00 PM

Leo Liu’s comment is:

It's Like The Beijing CCTV build

???????CCTV??

-_-!

On Aug.08.2009 at 07:58 PM

daniel’s comment is:

hmm... I live in Melbourne and I'm pretty divided. for me, it does a half decent job of representing the melbourne of the last few years. it will get melbourne a lot of attention right now but it will date very very quickly. the typeface isn't really suitable. poor value for money (taxpayer money at that!). points for being daring, but ultimately i think this will be looked back on as a bad idea

On Aug.16.2009 at 07:42 PM

Ian Powell’s comment is:

I love it! The old one was so Daggy - The old logo looked wack!

On Aug.25.2009 at 04:37 PM

Tom’s comment is:

An amazing logo that will be relevant for years to come. Swipes around the cost are pathetic we have no idea how extensive the scope of works were...what we have seen here is only the tip of the ice-berg. And as of the Sydney/Melbourne thing I find it slightly pathetic, Landor is a global mega-agency and answered the brief, deliverde the goods- does it really matter where they work from? An example of I'm sorry to say a juvenile Australian parochialism.

On Aug.26.2009 at 03:59 AM

Toby’s comment is:

@ Brendan, breton
Melbourne is more than Fed Square and trendy architecture. Right next to Fed Square (itself not uncontroversial) is St Paul's Cathedral. Where is the historic side of Melbourne - perhaps the most important thread of its character - represented? Another key attribute is "diversity" which does not seem well reflected.

I agree with Andrew Sabatier. This is a shallow, and one-dimensional, execution even if the initial glance is impressive and visually tasty.

Like others here I deplore the amateurish typography.

And like anna I don't understand why one of Melbourne's outstanding design firms - or even a syndicate of firms - could not have been used! Self-defeating indeed, as Francesca Carra said.

On the upside, it was fairly cheap.

On Sep.01.2009 at 09:26 AM

D+’s comment is:

I spent a few years in Melbourne, it's true what they say about the blend of modern and traditional on a microscale. And the older logo should stay back with the rest of the 90s. A lot of things that would be unacceptable development of public space in cities elsewhere actually work(or are accepted) in Melbourne.

On Sep.05.2009 at 12:03 AM

Simon’s comment is:

Opinions. Everyone has one! I like the mark. I especially like it in context on collateral (print web etc). This will not date anytime soon. Very well done indeed.

Google Image search "the yellow peril melbourne"

Hmmmmmmmmm....

Simon

On Nov.21.2009 at 08:48 AM

Melinda’s comment is:

Seems to directly rip off Wolff Olins' NYC re-brand, except that NYC has inherent longevity because of its container component allowing it to morph.

I don't know - just think this is pretty forced/lame.

On Dec.28.2009 at 06:36 PM

r4i’s comment is:

Hi Guy's,
The way the geometry and angles of the M has been deconstructed from the standard angles and located to different points is clever and generates lovely shapes.I do feel however that the linear version of the M is too lightweight and that the single colour execution (with keylines in white) should be the default mono logo.

On Jan.01.2010 at 11:54 PM

Ray Chan’s comment is:

Some of the ways the new branding scheme have been used are a little corporate and not what I feel are perfectly suited but overall its amazing design. Simple, energetic and flexible for different applications - I love it! I'm performing a one man standing ovation... right now

On Jan.05.2010 at 04:04 PM

David Kühn’s comment is:

So...when do they pay Stefan Sagmeister for his share? http://www.underconsideration.com/brandnew/archives/the_17_sides_of_a_cultural_ide.php

On Jan.06.2010 at 04:49 PM

Joel Perrego’s comment is:

Joshua, something is always worth the money if someone is willing to pay that amount for that "something".

On Jan.21.2010 at 02:59 PM

Oil Change’s comment is:

Thanks for posting this. Would be intrested to read more or possibly please contact me by email thank you!

On Jan.27.2010 at 08:44 PM

David Stephens’s comment is:

This reflects the changing of Melbourne in the past 10 years from a city filled with unloved victorian architecture to a more modern, progressive and shallow city with it's confused fed square and hideous docklands. In no way does it represent a city that is diverse in most things. This would have been well suited to a city like Sydney.

It will date very quickly and looking at it now it already has. I also agree that it's a rip from the NYC re-brand.

I think one has to live in Melbourne and to understand the city as a whole in order to give it just an "awesome" critique.

On Feb.09.2010 at 12:28 AM