Oh great, another designer chiming in on the We love NYC debate

OK, let’s begin by confirming the most important thing: at least Elon must be happy. I bet a few million new Twitter accounts were created just to comment on the We love NYC launch. Which, to be honest, didn’t surprise me: we’re a city of ten million souls, all with opinions. And anyone who’s lucky enough to produce work that’s seen on an extensive scale in the public forum and all its channels has to expect a reaction, critical or otherwise. It’s why I became a designer, for opportunities like these, and the reception and discussion that rightly ensue.

The road to infamy began in July 2022 when I was contacted about the possibility of working on a new initiative for New York City. I was excited, flattered and naturally accepted. It was an incredible honour to do something for the city I love: the city I’ve called home for the last 30 years, the city where I’ve built a career, and the place that ultimately welcomed me as a citizen.

It was explained that a new mark was to be created; one that referenced but didn’t replace Milton Glaser’s iconic “I love NY” logo. This was to be a symbol to compliment and complement the 1977 Glaser mark, which would continue to be used as the official state slogan, and for the promotion of New York state tourism.

An idea which had been floated by the lawyers at the NY Department of Economic Development (owners of the original mark): the new iteration would change the “I” to “We” to encourage participation in civic-minded volunteer events and support for small businesses, while adding a “C“ to “NY” to distinguish the five boroughs from the state.?

This identity was for the city, the heart of a massive multi-media ad campaign being concurrently developed.?

Accordingly, I looked to pay homage to a pop-culture icon (one that’s already inspired many imitations worldwide), but also reflect the broader, more flexible, inclusive concept behind the strategy.

The brief itself was fairly tight. Using or adapting the original Milton Glaser logo was strictly out of bounds: while there would be a clear relationship between the logos, there could be no confusion.?

The original font, American Typewriter, was off the table and the common graphic element, the heart, would have to be expressed in a different style. Even the arrangement of the letters would be scrutinized.

As we began exploring, the Seinfeld episode came to mind where George decides to do the exact opposite of everything he has done before.?Instead of a light serif font, we went with a bold san serif. Glaser used a flat heart, so ours duly became dimensionalised.?

In keeping with the age and the intended media, emojis were always going to be a part of the design system; hence, the consciously shiny icon appearance of the heart, a precursor of the other symbols that could slot into the campaign phrase.

As a typewriter probably sat on just about every desk in 1977, Glaser’s font was a natural utilitarian choice. Alternatively, we thought about how the logo would look when composed in a text in 2023.

As part of the journey we experimented with multiple fonts along with different configurations, all lowercase, all caps, mixed case. After a few rounds the idea of referencing the subway’s typeface seemed to strike a chord. As the beating heart of the city, here was another system where humanity connected, moved and co-existed together.?

Meetings were had, input was received, teeth were gnashed, caffeine was injected, adjustments were made. Eventually, after consensus and sign-off, the new initiative was launched in Times Square by NYC Mayor Eric Adams and NY State Governor Kathy Hochul.

Walking to the launch on a brisk March morning, the first day of spring, I passed the hotel I stayed at decades earlier when I first visited NYC looking for a job. Just over a hundred yards away the Times Square screens were emblazoned with the work. A curious cyclic moment, in the calm before the storm.

About an hour after the ceremony, the social media frenzy erupted. I think it’s fair to say the debate was vigorous. Responses have been approving, appalled, puzzled, positive, but the point is: people responded. It was, frankly, exhilarating, an example of the conversation that design should inspire. There were inventive memes flying around, colourful critiques, rousing reviews, some folks had even spent time imagining their own logo - kudos to Mr. Ryan McGinness for his exploratory which appeared in the New York Times. Even one of the Jonas Brothers got in on the act in a tweet.?

That people can be so engaged with design - but also with their city and how it’s represented – is such an encouraging sign.?

The new initiative is planned to last for 2 years; I hope that the energy it’s released will sustain for longer than that, and help fulfill what the campaign is intended to do. Get people involved again in this unique place we love, motivate and activate New Yorkers to pull together. Volunteer, make change. Paint a park bench, read to a senior, clean up a common area, help at a soup kitchen, even just pick up a piece of trash. Maybe even become a designer. We always need more of them. Otherwise, what would we talk about?