Amador County – The Amador Regional Transit System (ARTS) Board of Directors discussed a possible new logo for the ARTS system at length Wednesday evening before tabling the discussion until further research is conducted. ARTS Transit Manager James Means said a rebranding is necessary because the current logo “seems out of touch with reality.” Mike Radogna of Element 58, the media design and development company hired to create a new brand, said his staff looked at as many as 200 logos from transit systems across the country. They concluded that nearly every system tried to form a singular name out of multiple words and the majority pulled a visual element from somewhere in their region. He said “nearly all of each areas public was able to make an association between the logo itself and the service it provided.” He said “ARTS” is a commonly used word and is in most cases associated with the visual arts. He suggested shortening the name to “Amador Transit.” He presented the board with a slideshow including pictures of the proposed new logo as it would appear on buses, business cards and letterhead. He said the color green was chosen “to represent green energy and the many benefits of using mass transit.” At-Large Commissioner Dave Richards said there was already a company called Amador Transit and asked if this would cause legal problems associated with name similarity. Radogna said the most important reason for the logo change is making it more recognizable to the general public, but admitted that there may be name conflicts. Board member and Supervisor John Plasse asked if there was any research conducted as to the cost of implementing the rebranding. Radogna said he had not conducted any formal study. Means said his agency was running out of the current letterhead which already includes the wrong telephone number and hoped to commit to the rebranding before more stock was ordered. He said there is a new grant where more buses will be acquired and suggested phasing in the new logo. Plasse said phasing in the logo will only cause confusion compared to doing it all at once or “doing nothing at all.” He said that “if you asked a lot of people about ‘arts’ they’re not going to say it’s the picture store on the corner of Main Street.” Board Member Pat Crosby said he never liked the current logo and “any change is a good thing.” Board member David Plank suggested using the name “Amador Public Transit” or “A.P.T.” to avoid confusion. Board member and Supervisor Richard Forster suggested using the color gold to represent Gold County. During public comment, Gary Reinoehl suggested the board consider a logo he sketched on a piece of paper while sitting in the audience. Forster said he was sure everyone in the room had some suggestion for a logo if you asked them. The board approved a motion by Forster to table the rebranding discussion until more research is done on the anticipated cost, color designs and a potential name conflict with existing businesses. The discussion will be raised again at the next meeting. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. -
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Amador County – The Amador Regional Transit System (ARTS) Board of Directors discussed a possible new logo for the ARTS system at length Wednesday evening before tabling the discussion until further research is conducted. ARTS Transit Manager James Means said a rebranding is necessary because the current logo “seems out of touch with reality.” Mike Radogna of Element 58, the media design and development company hired to create a new brand, said his staff looked at as many as 200 logos from transit systems across the country. They concluded that nearly every system tried to form a singular name out of multiple words and the majority pulled a visual element from somewhere in their region. He said “nearly all of each areas public was able to make an association between the logo itself and the service it provided.” He said “ARTS” is a commonly used word and is in most cases associated with the visual arts. He suggested shortening the name to “Amador Transit.” He presented the board with a slideshow including pictures of the proposed new logo as it would appear on buses, business cards and letterhead. He said the color green was chosen “to represent green energy and the many benefits of using mass transit.” At-Large Commissioner Dave Richards said there was already a company called Amador Transit and asked if this would cause legal problems associated with name similarity. Radogna said the most important reason for the logo change is making it more recognizable to the general public, but admitted that there may be name conflicts. Board member and Supervisor John Plasse asked if there was any research conducted as to the cost of implementing the rebranding. Radogna said he had not conducted any formal study. Means said his agency was running out of the current letterhead which already includes the wrong telephone number and hoped to commit to the rebranding before more stock was ordered. He said there is a new grant where more buses will be acquired and suggested phasing in the new logo. Plasse said phasing in the logo will only cause confusion compared to doing it all at once or “doing nothing at all.” He said that “if you asked a lot of people about ‘arts’ they’re not going to say it’s the picture store on the corner of Main Street.” Board Member Pat Crosby said he never liked the current logo and “any change is a good thing.” Board member David Plank suggested using the name “Amador Public Transit” or “A.P.T.” to avoid confusion. Board member and Supervisor Richard Forster suggested using the color gold to represent Gold County. During public comment, Gary Reinoehl suggested the board consider a logo he sketched on a piece of paper while sitting in the audience. Forster said he was sure everyone in the room had some suggestion for a logo if you asked them. The board approved a motion by Forster to table the rebranding discussion until more research is done on the anticipated cost, color designs and a potential name conflict with existing businesses. The discussion will be raised again at the next meeting. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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