City of
Melville
Rebrand

01 — Overview

A city's identity, rebuilt for the next generation

Melville is a city in southeastern Saskatchewan with deep roots in the region's agricultural and railway history. When the city decided to modernize its visual identity, the goal was clear: create a brand that honoured that heritage while projecting confidence and longevity into the future.

The project covered the full identity scope — logo system, colour palette, and brand guidelines — delivering a cohesive visual language that works across everything from fleet vehicles and civic signage to digital applications and merchandise.

02 — The Problem

A logo that no longer reflected the city it represented

The original City of Melville logo was a product of an earlier era — a detailed illustrated mark featuring the city hall building, surrounded by ornate typography and a sweeping illustrative style. While historically meaningful, it had aged poorly and was failing the city in modern applications.

• ✕ Unscalable illustrated mark — the detailed city hall illustration lost legibility at small sizes, making it unusable for digital icons, pins, or embroidery
• ✕ No standalone symbol — the logo had no icon that could function independently, making it impossible to use without full text in modern contexts
• ✕ Dated typographic style — the serif/script combination felt bureaucratic and old-fashioned, not reflecting a confident, forward-looking city
• ✕ No versatility — a single lockup with no variants for different applications, backgrounds, or sizes — every new use case became a problem
• ✕ No brand system — without defined colours, typography, or usage guidelines, the city's identity was inconsistent across departments and vendors

03 — Design Direction

Symbol first. Type second. System always.

The central challenge was finding a symbol that felt authentically Melville — not generic, not decorative, but rooted in the real story of the place. Saskatchewan's identity is inseparable from agriculture, and Melville's history is no different.

The wheat sheaf became the mark. Simplified into a clean geometric form, it reads instantly at any size — from a 16px favicon to a full-building mural — while carrying genuine meaning. Typography was rebuilt around a confident, geometric sans-serif that complements the symbol without competing with it.

04 — Brand System

A complete visual language for the city

The brand system was designed for durability — clear enough that any vendor or department can apply it correctly, flexible enough to work across every medium the city uses.

The logo system was delivered in full — every variant needed for every context.

05 — Outcome

A civic identity that scales, adapts, and lasts

The new City of Melville identity was delivered as a complete brand system — logo files in every format, a structured brand guidelines document, and clear usage rules for internal teams and external vendors alike.

The wheat sheaf mark immediately resonated with the community, striking the balance between modern design sensibility and authentic local meaning. The new identity is in active use across civic signage, fleet vehicles, municipal communications, and merchandise.