The State Journal notes this morning that Madison is planning to update its official logo. Featuring a bold (and somewhat fascist-looking) rendition of the Capitol that you might recognize from manhole covers, it, well, kind of stinks. The current city logo is pretty terrible, too, but at least it capture the jazzy, irreverent, “everyone has computers now!” spirit of the late 90’s. If this new design captures the mood of the 2010s, then—yeesh.
I like this city an awful lot, and, while the unmistakable Capitol dome is certainly its defining urban feature, I think Madison sells itself short by reducing itself down to just another capital city. So here’s my 20-minute design shot at a logo that captures modern Madison a bit better:
and in black and white:
http://viewshed.matinic.us/2013/10/07/500/
