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Downtown Eugene


“Work downtown” is one of bell+funk’s guiding principles. So, when the opportunity to create a logo for downtown came up, we were super happy to work on it. Downtown Eugene has undergone what we might call a makeover – like, the kind of makeover where you barely recognize the person after. You know the kind we’re talking about?

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One of our favorite things here at bell+funk is research (that and pit-mix puppies). So right off the bat, we dove into the deep end of what was going on in Downtown Eugene: getting insights from the people who live, work, and own businesses downtown. In discussion groups, we asked them to imagined downtown as a person and what their personality might be like. We talked about the ideal downtown experience and just whom we would like to attract to the area.

Once we had our bearings (and pages of research) we began the design process. Part of what makes Downtown Eugene such a cool, up-and-coming area of town are the people who are driving its renaissance; and we wanted the logo to reflect them. They are enthusiastic, vibrant, positive, and while the ages vary they all have that infectious youthful energy. So we went colorful, bold, and modern to help carry some of that energy over into the brand. And what do you know – they loved it. It’s been embraced all around Downtown Eugene, popping up on store windows, tote bags, t-shirts and even chalked on the sidewalk. That’s what we call logo success!

Next, we designed a fun, responsive website at DowntownEugene.com, and some outdoor collateral for the First Friday Artwalk in conjunction with the Lane Arts Council – all intended to help get the word out to people who might not know all the good things about downtown. Not long after, we were asked to develop an ad campaign for downtown that shows off the great things going on. As a member of the downtown Eugene community ourselves, it’s important to us personally and professionally to showcase all the fabulous food, drink, shopping, art, and culture that Downtown Eugene has to offer.