Mayor Walters is pleased to announce that the City of Cuyahoga Falls has been collaborating with design professionals from local advertising agency Triad as they mentored and guided local art and graphic design students from Woodridge and Cuyahoga Falls High Schools to develop a new city logo. The chosen logo will be much more than a piece of art; it will be a symbol of heritage, community involvement and sense of place in the City of Cuyahoga Falls.
“The City of Cuyahoga Falls is one of creative thinking, revitalization, collaboration, and pride,” explained Mayor Don Walters. “We have a city seal that represents our city government, but we don’t have a logo that represents who we are as a tight-knit community—one that exemplifies that Life is Better Here in Cuyahoga Falls.”
The students worked with professional designers at Triad through the professional design process to create logo options that define Cuyahoga Falls. The project was facilitated by Rick Krochka, President of Triad.
After the city website had been revamped, Mayor Walters and Krochka began talking about the best way that the city could engage the community in defining their city. When they discussed a new city logo and how to incorporate the local High Schools, Krochka volunteered to facilitate the effort with his staff so that the students could receive professional guidance and mentoring throughout the project.
“This is a phenomenal opportunity for my team to collaborate with the Mayor’s office and local students to make a lasting impact on the city’s branding effort,” said Krochka. “This is a great teaching moment for my organization and me, and we are thrilled to be able to give back to the community through this project.”
The city reached out to Marketing Teacher Craig Wargowsky at Cuyahoga Falls High School and Art Teacher Chelby Codding at Woodridge High School to select students from their art and graphic design classes. Representing Cuyahoga Falls High School were students Tommy Hillyer, Ian Hose, and Jake Spinner. Participating from Woodridge High School were Amanda Dunn and Clare Willett.
On Tuesday, April 26, Mayor Walters and Krochka facilitated a focus group with various members of the community. The students listened in as their clients, invested residents of the city, were walked through a series of questions. They were asked what the City of Cuyahoga Falls means to them, what one word defines Cuyahoga Falls for them, and what image they imagine when they think of the city. Residents touted the perfect balance of history and tradition, with hope and optimism for the future. They talked about Cuyahoga Falls being a great place for older adults and young professionals to live, and a safe environment to raise families. There is a strong sense of undeniable pride in the city.
The students took the information from the brainstorming session back to their respective schools to start production on their artwork. Working closely with their professional mentors, the students worked diligently on developing and honing their designs. Beyond mentoring the students through the design process, the team at Triad also worked with the students to help strengthen their presentation and public speaking skills. On Tuesday, May 31, a panel of local business professionals listened to presentations from the student artists and their mentors as they detailed the creative process that resulted in their individual logo designs. After the presentation of the eight logos, the panel discussed the logo renderings and picked the top 3 student logo designs. The top three logos are now being released to the public for a city-wide vote so that residents may choose the permanent city logo.
Voting is now open and will run through June 29. Votes may be cast at http://www.cityofcf.com/mycflogo Ballots will also be available at the following locations starting Thursday, June 9: Western Reserve Hospital, City Hall (Mayor’s Office and Utility Billing), the Cuyahoga Falls Chamber of Commerce, the Bureau of Motor Vehicles, and the Cuyahoga Falls Library.
The new city logo that is chosen by the community at large will be unveiled on Friday, July 1, at 8:00 p.m., during the Riverfront Concert Series, presented by IROK.
For more information, please contact Kelli Crawford-Smith at 330.971.8140 or Crawford-Smith@cityofcf.com.