The city council held an extended study session on November 25 and one of the items that was discussed was the City of Bellevue logo rebranding. The city logo serves as a visual identifier assuring that the document or item is official by the City of Bellevue, according to the minutes documented at the meeting. The current logo was originally created in 1969.
There have been many discussions internally about rebranding to modernize the logo, over the years. The council voted to move forward with a request for proposal, a document that a business creates to outline the requirements for a specific project. Staff voted for the process to begin in early 2020.
City council wants the logo to represent the current Bellevue community. According to Mayor John Chelminiak and Councilmember Jared Nieuwenhuis, “Given Bellevue’s ongoing growth, thriving diversity and high-desirability as a place to live and do business, we believe there is a unique opportunity to create a logo that is more representative of the community.”
In early 2019, staff conducted preliminary research on the rebranding experience of other government organizations like the City of Helsinki, Finland, Engelwood, Colorado, and Redmond, Washington. A document was put together to propose a development process, price range and implementation strategies. Without including the price of implementation, the estimated cost ranges between $100,000 to $150,000 to create two drafts of the rebranding, as well as multiple rounds of public engagement.
The logo rebranding will be implemented after up to three rounds of design and public comment, with three final options being presented to the council.
What portal does the city use for their public outreach and bid submittal? As a branding expert and Bellevue resident of over 30 years, I’d appreciate the opportunity to bid on this project.