Fresh. New. Look. Here’s how a rockstar designer made Uptown’s logo sing.
Nothing beats the work produced by great journalists on a tight turnaround.
That's why we felt so lucky when our friend and designer, Gloria Orbegozo, agreed to help us elevate Uptown 11's branding and, recognizing my need for getting business going, agreed to turn the job around right away.
A couple of months ago, here's where Uptown's visual identity stood. Let's be generous and say this was ... a start.
I whipped this together in Photoshop Express and slapped it onto the first iteration of our website. It ... served its purpose.
But deep down, I knew needed the touch of a professional designer.
Every design I've created in the past has been elevated by the keen eye and expertise of a smart professional.
Lucky me, I know so. many. smart. professionals.
And I knew the perfect one for this job.
Gloria and I had worked on heaps of projects together at The San Diego Union-Tribune, where she designed everything from the front page of your community’s newspaper to its award-winning Arts and Culture section.
Not only is she an incredibly talented artist, she’s a born storyteller and is deeply in touch with San Diego.
So, how quickly could she turn around a logo and beginning of a brand book?
Say less.
Thankfully, Glo is a bit of a mind reader, and she could tell what I was going for in the original logo. The business is named after the #11 trolley that connected passengers in the old days from downtown San Diego to Adams Avenue, where the agency was founded.
“I could see with the blocked out type that you were alluding to something that had to do with transit,” Gloria told me after delivering the logos. “And from the content of Uptown 11 and hearing it was the line from downtown to Normal Heights, I knew you wanted to show the connection of movement from where you were creating this stuff to the center of commerce.
“So, the intention was clear. it just needed more legibility and it needed to be more flexible.”
With that in mind, Gloria delved into font research, eventually honing in on Arya. She sent me a whole host of options to begin working with, including versions I still love, but ultimately didn’t settle on that feature the swishy “U.”
Gloria sent me these original mockups to get my feedback before moving forward with final designs.
Safe to say, I loved the direction, so after a quick conversation, Gloria went back to work, focusing some of the logo’s weight to its natural transition points, namely, the double and triple lined #11.
“I see the official name as Uptown 11 Studios, but when it’s just fun, it’s just Uptown 11. It’s a good shorthand for that.”
Gloria also knew I’d need a logo that could thrive across platforms, from social media avatars to watermarks, without sacrificing visual impact. By simplifying the design and opting for a double-lined "11," the logo achieved a balance between elegance and practicality.
The same logo that you use on a banner or a website doesn’t always work when it’s only 25 pixels wide, so Gloria sent me a whole range of options, and instructions for how to use them across platforms.
With the design finalized, I integrated it into our website and rolled out my first business cards, with the the “special use only” version on the front and the vertical version on the back. Seeing the logo seamlessly blend into our platforms was a watershed moment. Not only did Uptown 11 have a fresh visual identity, but it had been built in collaboration with a trusted partner.
Working with brilliant San Diego creatives who are tuned into our community is why we started Uptown 11 Studios. If you need help making your brand sing, hire Gloria. Or better yet, put us to work together. Teamwork. Dreamwork.
