Creating A New Master Plan for Amherst

Logo and Tag-Line Competition

Branding

The planning process needs to be compelling and easily distinguishable from other goings-on in the community. Today’s lifestyles are full of competing demands and a variety of activities vying for our attention. We are asked to attend a multitude of meetings at work, at school, for volunteer activities. Therefore, it is necessary to express the importance of this particular planning process by giving it a graphic identify and a tag-line that expresses its importance and uniqueness. In other words, the process should be “branded,” that is all communication should have the same “look” so that is immediately recognizable and associated with the specific planning effort.

The community should be involved in creating a logo. The process of creating the logo, through competition or otherwise, is in and of itself a community building experience, one which calls attention to the importance of coming together around planning for the future.

Tag-Lines

The term “master plan” has such a sterile and somber sound. It can make people feel intimidated and/or uninterested. A tag-line such as “Master Plan: Imagine the Future” can help to soften the sound and express what the master plan really is about, making it more attractive and accessible.

Logos

The logo could be a photograph and/or a drawing of a building, a part of a building (e.g. a church steeple), a cluster of buildings, a heritage landscape or some other symbol of the town. It does not have to be a literal representation of the place, but should be somewhat recognizable. It could also be simply a symbol of the future. It might also be a graphic embellishment of the word ‘Amherst.’ , or the tag-line. You choose. The logo should:

• Be Unique and represent Amherst appropriately and imaginatively
  • Avoid going over the top in order to be unique
  • Simple is usually best
  • Avoid complex imagery (it reduces the recognition we are after)
  • Avoid culturally sensitive imagery
• Follow basic design principles (space, color, form, clarity, proportion)
  • Use as few colors as possible
  • Avoid gradients or multiple shades of the same color
• Be Usable in both large and small format
• Be Easily reproducible in both color and black and white (meaning that it should look good in both).

Here are a few examples.

EAST BOSTON CAMPS MASTER PLAN:
“EXPLORE YOUR TOWN’S BACKYARD”

METHUEN MASTER PLAN 2007:
PLANNING FOR OUR FUTURE

Lexington Center Collaborative

• Chapter 1: Executive Summary: 595KB
• Chapter 2: Population and Housing: 937KB
• Chapter 3: Environmental Resources: 1.95MB
• Chapter 4: Community Facilities: 1.41MB
• Chapter 5: Transportation: 1.65MB
• Chapter 6: Land Use: 1.40MB