GUELPH – Students were central in designing the new logo and visual identity for the Upper Grand District School Board (UGDSB).
The rebranding was approved unanimously at the board meeting on May 9, and the implementation process has now begun.
Urban student trustee Julia Elmslie said during the meeting that her “peers are so very excited” about the change.
“It’s inclusive, positive, diverse, forward-thinking, and student-centred,” she said.
The process for designing the rebranding has been underway since November.
It involved many drafts, professional consultation, a diverse working group, survey, and meetings with hundreds of students representing all secondary schools in the board.
Rural student trustee Brooke Hartley said when logo drafts were presented during the meeting at her school, Wellington Heights Secondary School in Mount Forest, everyone pointed to [the eventual choice] and exclaimed “‘that’s the one right there!
“That’s the one that’s gonna fully represent the Upper Grand District School Board, and us.’”
Hartley noted the colours in the logo were chosen to show “the Upper Grand District School Board is so diverse and we can accept change.”
Elmslie and Hartley were both part of the working group that designed the visual identity, along with other students and staff with responsibilities including equity, anti-racism, Indigenous education, mental health and special education.
They collaborated with strategy and transformation management consultants at Level5 Strategy.
John Furneaux, a branding expert at Level5 Strategy who worked on the UGDSB visual identity, said “students were at the centre of the decision making process.”
The identity “formed out of this concept that we wanted a non-illustrative graphic” that communicated inclusion and diversity, he said. The goal was to create “something that allowed everyone to see themselves.”
The “U” in the centre of the logo represents how students are at the centre of everything the UGDSB does, Fureaux explained.
And the “variety of colours and shapes and sizes” mean that regardless of students’ identities or how they see themselves, they are an essential part of the UGDSB.
The logo was tested on a range of accessibility evaluations and passed with flying colours, Furneaux said.
The visual identity goes beyond the logo, as the mosaic concept can be incorporated into student-facing applications like webpages.
The logo will be included on a range of surfaces like flags, signs, vehicles, T-shirts and books.
Director of education Peter Sovran noted the board will be “very conscious of the environmental impact with any of the current materials where the visual identity would be replaced.”
UGDSB chair Ralf Mesenbrink said “the new visual identity captures the excitement of the work our staff and students do every day and provides a strong visual connection to our multi-year plan and its priorities.”
Board spokesperson Heather Loney said the rebranding has cost about $79,000 to date, though the overall cost of a phased-in approach to implement the change is not yet known.
