For Immediate Release

Providence, RI:  The Thayer Street District Management Authority (TSDMA) announces Robert Nall of Manhattan Beach, CA as the designer with the winning logo from the Thayer Street Logo Contest. The TSDMA reported receiving (52) fifty-two logo submissions from around the world. The selection committee considered many aspects when selecting Robert’s logo from the group of six finalists, which included the old oval logo. Selection committee members appreciated that the logo captured what they felt was Thayer Street's eclectic and vibrant spirit as well as incorporated the district street layout. They also considered that fact that the logo presented strongly when tested on multiple platforms both electronically and on printed material. 

Winning designer, Robert Nall has worked in the design industry for all of his career, 
most of it has been for Mattel Toys in Los Angeles. During his time with Mattel he enjoyed designing package graphics for such recognizable brands as Hot Wheels, Matchbox, Masters of the Universe, and many others. He retired from Mattel in 2007 as Vice President of Package Design World-Wide. He now spends much of his time as a fine arts painter - you can see his work at bobnall.com.

In designing this submission for Thayer Street he started by reviewing all the vast material supplied by the TSDMA Board. In doing so he gained an understanding of the district and the lifestyle that the board wanted to project – one of community, vibrant spirit and an eclectic retail experience. The font he selected is intended to project an historic or classic gesture that lends a welcoming feeling. The colored geometry implies the district itself and speaks to and eclectic energy of the community. The enclosing rectangle further underlines the notion of district or neighborhood. His goal was to present a logo that is distinctive and easy to read providing maximum flexibility for usage across many applications.

Runner Up, Finalist:  Michele Costantino from South Bend, IN
A graphic designer by trade, Michele graduated from college and went to work for Site Enhancement Services. A company who helped large clients, such as Fidelity Investments and Nike, select future offices/retail centers by researching city codes, photographing potential sites and showing the client what the building would look like with the proposed signs. In the process of learning the sign industry, she began to learn a little architecture. The job taught her to look at the details of the buildings and the materials as components of a work of art.

She spent seven years with the company working my way up from the new hire to the head of the art department. She chose to leave for a career that allowed her more creativity taking a part-time job teaching at Ivy Tech Community College teaching students about the software of design and the beauty of typography. At the same time, she started her own freelance business offering design to local small businesses with a focus on logos and print design.

She heard about this contest through the article from Communication Arts group on LinkedIn. As an artist, she wanted to challenge her skills and compete with other artists. She knew her greatest weakness would be the fact that she didn't live in the area, residing in South Bend, IN, not far from Notre Dame University, so she did as much research as she could regarding Thayer Street.

The logo she designed pulled from her strongest skills. First, a focus on typography, because Thayer Street has history, she chose a classic font. Bell MT which provided a feeling of days gone by, with serifs that curved to soften the size of the font. This font is juxtaposed with the modern font Biko. Although this font feels modern as a sans serif, it also harkens to an older time with designs reminiscent of Art Deco.

Next, she pulled from knowledge of architecture for the graphic. With clean lines and a modern, vibrant green, she wanted to represent some of the unique designs she could see in the buildings on Thayer Street. She chose the building hosting Café Paragon and Viva. While there were other buildings with more interesting architecture, the long horizontal lines of the building lent itself well to the logo design. In the end she wanted to mix the new upbeat feel that TSDMA was aiming for with the feeling of history that Thayer Street represents.

Finalist:  Olivia Watson from Providence RI (Brown University student)
Olivia is a rising junior at Brown University studying Modern Culture & Media and Visual Art. She learned about the contest through the Visual Art department at Brown. She has been involved with art and illustration throughout her entire life, but has only started expanding into graphics and digital work over the past year. Her design is a take on the district street map, which she wanted to reflect a new, updated image that will appeal to students and Providence community members alike. As a Brown student, she has spent a significant amount of time living, dining, shopping and studying on Thayer Street and wanted that perspective to come through in the logo design. She is excited to see the upcoming improvements to Thayer Street become a reality and wanted her logo to represent that excitement and energy.

Finalist: John Gosselin from Warwick, RI
John graduated from New England Tech with an Associates in Multimedia & Web Design in 2004, and Johnson & Wales with a Bachelors in Computer Graphics & New Media in 2006. When asked to describe his creative process in selecting his design he stated "I'd like to say I have a clear cut process when I'm coming up with a design, but I don't think I really do. Basically I just make sure to fully understand the task at hand, form an initial plan in my head, throw on some heavy metal or electronic music and then go into my zone and work out the finer details as I go along."

Finalist: Branko Skendzic from Zagreb, Croatia
Branko Skendzic is a freelance graphic designer, living in Zagreb, capital of Croatia.
He has been working as a freelance designer for almost a decade, working solo and in teams for clients worldwide, and has been engaged in many projects covering various design fields, from creation and development of visual identities, branding and print to web and mobile design. He discovered the contest via LinkedIn, posted in one of designer's groups. After reading the contest proposition and requirements, he decided to participate. When asked about his design process, he stated "I approached it the same way as I always do with every design, especially when designing a logo, as it really is the cornerstone of visual identity and most important element from where everything else starts. First, I did my research about the design subject and everything related to it to give me a better picture and clearer view. My research included about the TSDMA, Thayer Street District and City of Providence - starting from Thayer Street Planning Study, through College Hill, Brown University, facts on wikipedia and some other sources to the google street view.  After completing the research, I designed some ideas based on my findings and worked on getting a look and feel for the logo that was in line with the requirements. There is always more then one idea in my head, but when I have to narrow it down, I'm always going for the idea which has covered most of requirements and has the best usability."