Trussville board approves new district branding after yearlong review

The Trussville City Schools Board of Education on Oct. 25 approved a new district brand guide that standardizes logos, colors and typography for the district and each school.

The board approved the guide as part of the consent agenda after a presentation by Michael Eady, who identified himself as president of Night Eady, a Birmingham-based sports marketing and branding firm. "The task that we were given was we need to create some consistency amongst the Trussville City Schools brand, something that was gonna honor the history of the school system, but also press us forward into the future," Eady said during the presentation.

The board’s vote to adopt the consent agenda included formal approval of the branding materials. Board President Doctor Ward opened the item and asked for a motion; board members voiced assent and the motion carried. The consent agenda vote was recorded by voice; no roll-call tally was provided in the transcript.

Night Eady described the process as taking more than a year and involving surveys, focus groups and meetings with teachers, administrators, principals and community members. The materials the agency presented included: - A primary district mark featuring a lantern and flame motif described by the presenter as symbolic of knowledge and the school system’s history. - A standardized color palette (listed in the presentation as Husky Red, Coat Gray, Pack Gray and Summit White) and Adobe/backup fonts with Google alternatives for broad access. - Individual marks and lockups for Cahaba Elementary, Magnolia Elementary, Payne Elementary, Trussville Middle School and Trussville High School, plus athletic word marks and a refined Husky head.

Eady said the designs were informed by community feedback and local history; he cited a lantern fixture from an original school building as an element incorporated into the primary mark. "This is inspired by the original fixture that was once hung in the school building," he said.

Board members expressed support. Member Sherry Toliver thanked the project team for the collaborative process, and other members noted that teachers, principals and administrators had been involved in the review.

The branded assets will be available to district staff with guidance on color use, font licensing and acceptable lockups, according to the presentation. The transcript records the board’s approval under the consent agenda; the district will now move into implementation and rollout phases outlined in the branding materials.

The board meeting included separate agenda items on testing, policy and personnel not related to the branding vote.