Super City Logo Com­pet­i­tion 'Lost Opportunity'

The Design­ers Insti­tute of New Zea­l­and has expressed dis­ap­point­ment and con­cern that the design pro­fes­sion has not been involved in any con­sulta­tion to date about a pub­lic com­pet­i­tion to design a new logo for Auckland’s Super City.

Sean McGarry, pres­id­ent of dinz, the national organ­isa­tion rep­res­ent­ing pro­fes­sional design­ers, said that the brand­ing of the Super City was vitally import­ant for the future of the city as it would rep­res­ent Auck­land on a national and inter­na­tional stage. How­ever, he said that decid­ing a logo through such a com­pet­i­tion “under­mines the value of a qual­ity strategy-led design process.”

Mr McGarry points out that most high pro­file brands are the res­ult of com­plex strategy work. They have had the bene­fit of many pro­fes­sional hours of expert work inves­ted in them to make them look dis­tinct­ive, to pos­i­tion a city, com­pany or organ­isa­tion cor­rectly, and most import­antly, to con­vey the organisation’s values.

Said Mr McGarry: “Good design, while it might appear to look simple, is usu­ally the res­ult of inde­pth research, a num­ber of concept designs, and then a roll out of a com­plete iden­tity programme.”

He also quer­ied why there was not a pro­fes­sional brand­ing expert or pro­fes­sional designer on the judging panel, which includes art con­sult­ant Ham­ish Keith, artist Dick Frizzell, Waitakere Mayor Bob Har­vey and designer Karen Walker, among others.

“You would think that the authors of this ini­ti­at­ive would have dot­ted the i’s and crossed the t’s through a pro­cess of design due dili­gence, con­sulta­tion and engagement.

“The lack of vis­ion, pro­fes­sional engage­ment and con­sulta­tion with this whole pro­cess will make us look rather fool­ish when the eyes of the world turn to New Zea­l­and next year.”

Brand strategist and dinz mem­ber, Brian Richards, calls the com­pet­i­tion “MMP Design by pop­u­lar con­sent” and a “beauty con­test at best.”

Mr Richards said he could not ima­gine world class cit­ies such as Glas­gow, New York or Ber­lin throw­ing open their city’s brand­ing to a pub­lic com­pet­i­tion. He said the com­pet­i­tion will res­ult in a “logo car­ni­val with no cent­ral ethos or brand to explain the desired outcome.”

Cathy Ven­inga, Chief Exec­ut­ive of dinz, also described the com­pet­i­tion as a “lost opportunity.”

“Auck­land is home to many world class brand strategy and graphic design firms, many of whom con­sist­ently win awards.… Let’s not even men­tion what such a com­pet­i­tion can poten­tially do to the cred­ib­il­ity of design and our inter­na­tional repu­ta­tion as a design led innov­at­ive nation.”

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