Overview

• Former council member Makenzie Kelly launched a petition urging a pause or citywide vote on the new logo, citing the $1,117,558 project cost and lack of public input.
• City leaders say the brand is intended to improve recognition and trust in services, a priority set by the council in 2018 to replace a fragmented system of logos.
• The city hired local agency TKO for outreach and Pentagram to lead design, with partner DJ Stout overseeing the visual identity work.
• Budget documents list $640,000 for vendors, $115,000 for a public awareness campaign, $75,582 for consolidated design software, and $186,976 for temporary staffing and legal review.
• Digital properties will adopt the brand on Oct. 1, physical assets will change at end-of-life, first-responder uniforms will remain unchanged, and officials describe the design as evoking Austin’s hills, waterways, bridges, and ‘violet crown’ skies as online criticism grows.