SHINE District

Brand Identity & Naming

 

The City of Sugar Hill, GA was looking to brand a newly-established downtown entertainment area that allows visitors and residents to enjoy alcoholic beverages from local businesses anywhere within the downtown district.
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But first we needed a name...
 
I partnered with the Economic Development Director Mercy Montgomery and after many conversations about the city's unique history and future progress, we decided on “Sugar Hill’s Intersection of Neighborhoods and Entertainment,” or the SHINE District. A nod to Sugar Hill's history of moonshining on the nearby Chattahoochee River, the district’s brand also highlights the city’s growing downtown focused on the arts and entertainment. 
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A strong wordmark comprised of letters and interspersed colored shapes, the negative space between "I" and
"N" in the logotype reveals the actual intersection where residential streets connect to the district. The dot in the "I" represents a gold nugget which references another key piece in Sugar Hill’s history as a gold mining community. The result is a SHINE District logo that feels both fun and substantial, representing multiple layers of history and capturing entertainment experiences and a bright future for a community on the rise.