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Dear Editor:
After reading the front-page article in the Hamilton County Reporter about the new Etch A Sketch logo design for the City of Noblesville, I felt compelled to respond.
If it were the First of April, it would qualify as a first-class attempt at “fooling everyone…” Sadly, I understand that this simplistic, bland design, which would have taken a junior high student no more than 10 minutes to draft using any one of a dozen graphics software packages available, cost the citizens of Noblesville $20,000!
I do remember reading several months ago that five “final drafts” were chosen for local citizens to vote on to select the unnecessary step to replace the “old” logo. But who selected this simple doodle as the new logo, as none of the five final alternatives were even considered?
This morning as I ate breakfast, I casually read the usual fodder on the side of the cereal box. Incredibly, there was a design for the company that distributed the cereal very similar to the new logo. Reminds me of the days of my youth when we used to cut out the circled star bursts from the top of the cardboard cereal box and send them in for a Captain Midnight decoder ring.
Perhaps cutting out the new logo and sending it to the Mayor’s Office you will get a sugar-coated explanation defending this $20,000 solution for a problem that did not exist.
Frankly, cereal box aside, the only thing this “new sterile logo” is missing is the bar code!
Admittedly, the old logo was dated a bit. But why not blend an artistic rendering of the Courthouse with whatever those expensive consultants can pull out of their file drawer for a “newer” logo?
Oh, and one more thing. Outside of Indiana, how many people know where Noblesville is? In an era when we think internationally, globally, and beyond, wouldn’t you imagine it would have been helpful to inscribe the word “I-N-D-I-A-N-A” somewhere in the logo? At least the “designer” of the old logo was quick-witted enough to include that! For $20,000, I think the Mayor can go back to his cronies at the consulting firm and like a savvy Wheel of Fortune contestant, buy four vowels and three consonants to further identify Noblesville’s location.
John Kraft
Fifth Generation Noblesville Native
Noblesville High School 1963
Tallahassee, Fla.
My reaction to this logo is visceral. It’s splendidly ugly! Now that I’ve read the story of how it came to be chosen – no wait! We still don’t know how or why it was chosen, who drew it, who chose it, how much did IT cost the city? We do know that a consulting firm was hired, that they provided five choices, and that all of them were rejected in favor of this Stunningly inadequate drawing. By whom? And why? Can anyone defend this action?
Just asking…
I love this post. People all over town are upset with this new logo. No one wants it but the people in power do not care about our thoughts
Wonderfully stated.
I’m an artist and I have served on a rebranding committee for the not for profit where I’m employed. Creating new logos, however simple they may look, is not simple. That being said- if the goal of the new logo was to honor our history by representing an abstracted star brick, then it should have been red. It almost honored our history. I guess that’s something?
What an expensive and disappointing, if not down right plain ol ugly logo! I am at a loss as to how this logo represents the charm, history and progress of Noblesville, IN. This logo could be Noble-No Place USA! Dont “through out the baby with the bath water!” Sure update the logo but in a time when most areas are bringing back their downtowns and celebrating the charm of their architecture and history along w urban living why would we eliminate the beautiful courthouse image?
Why have the community you represent vote on a selection of 5 final drafts, only to ignore the residents and bring in a totally different design? Who ever thinks this is a unique to the growth and history of Noblesville logo has no idea of what makes Noblesville a great place to live or visit and spend your time and money. Its a costly and embarrassing mistake that needs fixed at no change by the not named designer!
This is another example of our ‘Novice Mayor’ and his ‘play with the taxpayer’s money like it’s a SIM’s computer game’ style of city management, as he further demonstrates there is no intention of him being a good steward of which he has been entrusted with for those in Noblesville.
City planning appears to now be defined as putting Monopoly houses/hotels in a Yahtzee Cup & rolling them across a 25 year old paper map of Noblesville, with Mr Jensen’s blessing(s) & rubber stamp for developer(s} with the committal of taxpayer dollars.
Let’s all go to HSE’s next School Board meeting… maybe we’ll find out what’s going on in our own town of Noblesville. (Sarcasm intended!)