June 8, 2011

By Julie Kay Smithson propertyrights@earthlink.net

The U.S. Department of Interior is having a 'contest' to design a logo. One would think that there would be a press release at http://www.doi.gov for this contest -- but there isn't. Rather, the DOI has hired "crowdSPRING" http://www.crowdspring.com and that is where you'll find more about this http://www.crowdspring.com/project/2296807_logo-us-department-of-the-interior/details/

I think the new DOI logo should better reflect the "public-private partnerships" that have shored up -- or knocked flat -- its image over the past two or more decades.

My five suggestions -- one for each cent that a nickel is worth:

1. Be politically correct and call the critter a bison -- not a 'buffalo' -- which leads in a direct line to coin collectors, who will now be collecting "bison nickels."

2. Turn the bison to face the south -- and be sure to open America's southern border to Mexican-raised bison.

3. Make sure the chosen artwork depicts the north end of a southbound bison, to remind American taxpayers of their "investment" in this federal agency and resultant "rewards." This will also provide an "interesting" view of the bison.

4. Add a frying pan or grill, since "Ted's Montana Grill" http://www.tedsmontanagrill.com restaurants need to be recognized for all their help in bringing bison from the electrically-fenced range to upper-crust restaurant patrons. Remember, the "bison" was once on the verge of extinction, and such entrepreneurs as Robert Edward Turner should be thanked by America's patronage at his various restaurant chain venues: 46 locations in 16 states -- for bringing this herbivore from the brink of extinction to pricey dinner plates!

5. Finally, be sure to reserve a place in the logo for a bison with two heads, to illustrate the two-faced way in which certain federal policies and policymakers have existed via the "enforcement" and "interpretation" of such "laws" as the "Endangered Species Act." 

As for the simplified colors for said logo, DOI can just use shades of red -- red for fires, red to warn of deception, and red for the red ink in which the DOI is drowning, all the while churning out such harebrained ideas.

http://www.crowdspring.com/project/2296807_logo-us-department-of-the-interior/details/

Contest ends June 15, 2011, at 5:25 PM GMT

Award: $1,000 (plus two other awards, each for $250)

Creative brief

What is the exact name you would like in your logo?

We're not tied to the notion of using words in our logo. If you can say, “U.S. Department of the Interior” without text, fantastic. Otherwise, please feel free to use “U.S. Department of the Interior” as text.

Do you have any other info or links you want to share?

http://www.doi.gov/whoweare/index.cfm
http://www.doi.gov/whoweare/interior.cfm

The U.S. Department of the Interior would like a logo for use on clothing (hats, t-shirts, jackets).

Our official seal (which we are keeping - see update 4 below) has many colors (10) and is highly detailed – excellent for a seal, less so for a logo.

We're looking for a logo that is both elegant (simple) and meaningful.

DOI is a cabinet-level agency with responsibility for land management, energy production, conservation, and more. The design must appeal to both our internal and external audiences.

More specifically, the logo must appeal to the 70,000 employees of Interior, as well as (in alphabetical order) cattlemen/ranchers, coal miners, conservationists, farmers, fishermen, historians, hunters, Native Americans & tribal entities, offshore oil and gas producers, recreation enthusiasts (boaters, hikers, campers) and others.

We recognize that this is a lengthy list and include it for a sense of the breadth and scale of our missions.

We have included a link to our seal below. Just to be clear: this logo will not replace our seal. It should be compatible with the seal, but will need to stand on its own.

We're not attached to particular colors, so long as they are few in number (1-3) and meaning is conveyed.
We're also not against any colors.

Please design for use on clothing; however, if the logo works on the Web or in other media, don't be surprised if it appears there. For example, one might imagine the logo as an element of a lower-thirds title block on a Web video.

Legal note: The winning logo design will become the property of the U.S. Department of the Interior.

What are the top 3 things you would like to communicate through your logo?

Stewardship of the land
Conservation of our natural resources
Goodness of purpose
 

What logo styles do you like (image + text, image only, text only, etc.)

Text only or text and image.

Note

This project is using a Private contract. Be sure to read it. http://www.crowdspring.com/download/private_contract/Independent_Contractor_Agreement-crowdspring_20110601.pdf 

Update 1-Jun-11 9:14 p.m. GMT

Legal Note 2: Federal employees should note that they are generally barred from "double-dipping" and cannot be paid for creating a logo for DOI.

Update 1-Jun-11 9:35 p.m. GMT

Legal Note 3: Please read the contract. When we pick a winner, our intent is to purchase more than just the "rights" to the logo. We get the whole thing -- lock, stock, barrel, etc. If you don't have full rights to elements of your design, that could become an issue later.

We look forward to seeing the results of your creativity and thank you for your efforts.

Update 2-Jun-11 8 p.m. GMT

Colors: Please bear in mind that we would like our logo to work well with as few colors as possible (1-3). This effort is, in part, a cost-saving measure. Our 10-color seal is expensive to reproduce, especially when embroidered on a hat or shirt, but even in print. Our forthcoming logo should be far less expensive to reproduce.

Update 2-Jun-11 8:38 p.m. GMT

Our official "buffalo" seal: In case we've been unclear, this logo-design effort is not an attempt to replace our excellent seal. However, the seal is a complex and expensive design element for hats and shirts. The logo is meant to be a simpler design and less expensive to reproduce. The "buffalo" seal will continue to adorn our letterhead, buildings, website, etc. Our hats, shirts and the like will get the logo.

Update 2-Jun-11 8:54 p.m. GMT

Seals v. Logos: This "seal" versus "logo" thing can be a little confusing. Just for clarity, here's how the U.S. Army does it.

The U.S. Army seal: http://usarmy.vo.llnwd.net/e2/-images/2007/11/21/10569/size1-army.mil-2007-11-27-104054.jpg 
The U.S. Army logo: http://usarmy.vo.llnwd.net/e2/rv5_downloads/symbols/armylogovector_gold.gif 

Thanks again. We look forward to seeing your logo designs.

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