An example of design-by-community: Scott Harrison, the man behind the Carousel of Happiness, examines Godot’s visual history poster, which details the journey from concept to design.[/caption]

Godot returned to Nederland on January 30, 2024, to once again hold a Community Design Session where residents were invited to openly view, discuss, and vote on several new design options for the Town’s brand identity, which includes a logo, font, and tagline. From 6 to 8 p.m. the nearly 20 participants looked at, argued about, and judged potential visual representations for Nederland.

According to Godot, the designs were created from a combination of over 500 hours of community engagement hosted throughout the fall and early winter in 2023, as well as the litany of feedback from the Board of Trustees (BOT) and the community concerning Godot’s unpopular first design, revealed during the Trustees’ meeting on January 2, 2024.

Despite Godot approaching the end of their contract timeline, determined by the requirements of the $20,000 grant that paid for the project, the design firm returned to the drawing board to attempt to ensure a visual identity that the community could be proud of.

Four stations were set up in the Community Center meeting hall, each station representing a style of visual design, including Abstract, Traditional, Approachable, and Whimsical, and presented several options of logos.

Godot’s original design was considered Abstract, which is a more expressive form of art that depicts “deep” themes with the use of simpler elements. Traditional refers to more representational municipal logos that depict mountains, streams, and trees.

Approachable design refers to logos which are bright and bold, contain smooth edges, and are immediately identifiable and legible. Whimsical designs highlight the stranger side of Nederland, and double down on more odd and irreverent imagery and taglines.

The members of the community present were granted 30 minutes to review the 15 available options and then provide constructive criticism, facilitated by Trustee Nichole Sterling. Godot’s Creative Director Beckett Taylor was also present to answer any questions concerning the designs and the process that lead to their creation.

Sterling first established some ground rules, explaining that the goal of the session was to narrow the choices down to three options that the BOT would then discuss during their meeting on February 6. Sterling reiterated that those participating were expected to voice their opinions, positive or negative, about the designs, but emphasized that the session was not meant as an opportunity to be contentious.

When asked why the Town was pursuing a brand identity, Sterling stated that the aim was to “galvanize our identity,” and to portray to visitors just how Nederland should be defined. She also noted that many grant applications require a town to provide their brand identity.

As participants began viewing the options, Taylor mentioned that two of the designs were created by members of the community, one using AI and an “unpatentable” image, the other using proprietary clip art that would need to be adjusted. These designs were included because of their popularity with the public on a Facebook post.

In addition to the 15 designs, Godot also included a “visual history poster” which showcased Godot’s design process throughout all the public engagement sessions held with the people of Nederland. The poster included the totality of their design samples as they continued to assess all of the community’s feedback.

Some members of the public asked for further explanation regarding the feedback that Godot and the BOT were expecting, and whether the options presented were finalized or open for further revisions.

Sterling explained to attendees that as they reviewed the options and began forming opinions, they could suggest mixing and matching elements of the designs, including the fonts and taglines, to form a more satisfying choice. Taylor attempted to guide the discussion into being less about detailed ideas for revisions and more about base input, such as what each attendee liked and disliked about each design.

Taylor detailed how the BOT will be taking community input to form suggestions for how Godot should continue, and was insistent that the feedback remain free of specific suggestions.

After the group sat down and discussed the designs, Sterling then asked attendees to stand next to the design of their choice and explain to the group their reasons for the choice. The group was split fairly evenly between preferences for Traditional and Whimsical designs, though there were suggestions of blending Whimsical designs with Approachable elements.

The Traditional design of choice (option A1, viewable at https://godotcreative.com/votened/) depicts Nederland’s mountain peaks, bright sun, and beautiful reservoir. The Whimsical design of choice (option C1), one of the two designs created by community members, also features mountains and the reservoir, as well as a hula-hooping moose.

Option B4, which features a howling moose on a hilltop, silhouetted by a giant moon, was the third most popular design.

One member of the public stated that he was not going to choose from any of the 15 options and instead opt to keep the Town of Nederland’s current logo, explaining that it fulfills exactly what a municipal logo is expected to portray.

Though the matter of the Town’s brand identity has been somewhat controversial, one Nederland resident noted that Tuesday’s design session featured a much more peaceful and productive dialog, especially when compared to the online reception to Godot’s original design, which was angry and negative.

The votes from those in attendance were tabulated at the end of the session. The final results will be presented to the BOT on Tuesday, February 6. Trustees will discuss the input provided by the public and direct Godot on how to proceed.

Those who were unable to attend the community design session can vote on their favorite logo and tagline at: https:// godotcreative.com/votened/.