NBHS Logo Design Challenge

High school students in Art I this school year had a unique opportunity to be involved in a community partnership with the New Buffalo Railroad Museum. My students were invited to submit logo design ideas for the board of directors' consideration as they initiated a name change and logo redesign process as the Harbor Country Museum of History and Rail.

 This was a wonderful opportunity for my students to apply the Design Thinking process to their artwork with a real-life application in their community.

1. Research

My students took a field trip to the New Buffalo Railroad Museum to learn more about the history of New Buffalo and the role that the railroad played in the development of the greater Harbor Country area.

Board members, Vanessa and Katha, led the class on a guided tour to point out historical archives and answer questions from the students so they could better understand the museum's history.

What is important to represent in a logo design for the Harbor Country Museum of History and Rail?

• Pere Marquette Railway- The students learned that New Buffalo was an essential station that connected trade routes from Chicago throughout Michigan. The railroad served as a major employer for local residents and was important not only to New Buffalo, but to the entire region in Southwest Michigan.

  

  
  

• New Buffalo Area Military Veterans - The museum pays tribute to the men and women from the local community who served in the armed forces. Their names are listed on the veterans' honor roll and a collection of military artifacts are on display with personal stories. The museum's Pullman WWII Troop Sleeper Car was a railroad passenger car that served as a mobile barracks while transporting troops over long distances.

  

  
  

• History of New Buffalo High School- Students were able to see memorabilia from their high school in this exhibit that is dedicated to student life and alumni stories as early as 1905 with retro team uniforms and newspaper clippings.

  
  
  

  

Students were excited to visit the museum and share their thoughts in a group discussion. They asked specific questions about the design preferences for a new logo that they could apply to their design ideas.

The museum even had an example of a logo design development on display with the process drawings from the C&O Chessie Boxcar logo.

2. Develop Ideas

While some students had been to the museum when they were in elementary school, others were visiting for the very first time and got a fresh perspective of New Buffalo with greater understanding of local history.

The New Buffalo Railroad Museum gave my students an incredible learning opportunity to contribute their ideas to the logo redesign process that the board of directors could share with a professional graphic designer to finalize a new logo as the Harbor Country Museum of History and Rail.

The field trip gave students first-hand experience to draw from while generating their ideas in our very own classroom think-tank.

Students read about effective logo design and reviewed the Elements of Art and Principles of Design to create a logos that visually communicated the museum's mission through simple and memorable design principles.

We also looked at the new logo for New Buffalo Area Schools and how the design symbolizes the identity of our district as students were creating their drafts for the Harbor Country Museum of History and Rail.

3. Final Designs

Students created hand-drawn designs with what they felt best represented the museum's mission "to preserve our history and enrich our community for future generations." Students titled their work and wrote artist statements to communicate their thought process.

Logo Design by a 9th Grade Student

Artist Statement: I wanted to portray three main focal points that the museum represents. This includes the history of Lake Michigan and our lakeside town, New Buffalo's crucial railroad history, and the surrounding area's military service. I wanted a logo that could equally portray these things in a simple and memorable way. My logo has an anchor with waves in the background and tracks to represent the railroad history. Lastly, there is a soldier’s helmet hanging from the top of the anchor to represent our veterans.

Logo Design by 9th Grade Student

Artist Statement: My design is based off of antique railroad signs. The lettering for “Harbor Country” is inspired by that of the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad which ran from 1900-1967. The stars featured on my design represent the astounding military history of the Harbor Country area which is displayed at the museum today. The clock on my design lies at military time 18:36 which was the year New Buffalo was established. The “est.1989” in between my words tells when the museum was founded. Lastly, the forest green and fire engine red hues represent the color scheme of the museum building.

These logo concepts were presented to the board of directors for consideration as they moved forward with their graphic designer on the redesign.

The board presented the students' designs to their graphic designer who created a different logo inspired by all of their ideas. I was invited to attend the Box Car Buffet fundraiser where the students' artwork was featured on display and the board presented me with Oink's gift cards to give to all of the students for a sweet treat! The board revealed their new logo for the Harbor Country Museum of History and Rail to the guests and thanked the students and administrators for their involvement.

I would like to thank the board of directors for not only their generosity but also for providing these artists with an opportunity for experiential learning in a way that they could contribute to their community. Each of my students were a part of history with this community partnership by donating their work to the museum for the logo redesign process!