Shikatani Lacroix Wins 2016 GDUSA American Graphic Design Award

Branding and design agency Shikatani Lacroix wins a 2016 GDUSA American Graphic Design Award for its work with York Link.

“Thank you to GDUSA for this recognition. We’d also like to thank and congratulate York Region for the opportunity and great success of the new logo,” said Jean-Pierre Lacroix, President of Shikatani Lacroix.

To revitalize the brand, York Region worked closely with Shikatani Lacroix to clearly define its point of difference in order to leverage the region’s numerous assets to create specific, targeted messaging. Focus groups, one-on-one interviews, competitive reviews, research, and online surveys with target audiences and stakeholders were conducted to identify key messages. Utilizing Shikatani Lacroix’s ThinkBlink process, the marketing campaign logo, tagline and positioning statement were developed around this key differentiation.

Shikatani Lacroix designed the “York Link” icon and message to focus on York Region’s economic and urban growth. Its tagline, “Where Talent and Opportunity Intersect,” resonates with companies as an attractive area to establish their business.

The York Link logo features a visual representation of the region’s centers and corridors. The logo features bold intersecting lines to symbolize transit across and beyond the corridors. The colorful nodes represent the centers made up by the cities of Newmarket, Richmond Hill, Markham and Vaughan.

“The use of primary colors and bold graphic lines invites York Region’s various target groups to interpret the logo in multiple ways,” said the logo’s designer Lynn Giles, senior designer at Shikatani Lacroix.

Shikatani Lacroix evolved the brand from outdated and unclear, to modern, definitive and memorable. The new branding initiative is being implemented across the nine York Region municipalities, and has been well received by both the economic development officers and developers.