For nearly 40 years Bruce House has adapted, changed, and evolved, facing the challenges and always striving to meet the needs of our community and clients.
We recently had the unique opportunity to hire a consultant to give us a make-over, reflecting who we are today. The new look is warm, friendly, trustworthy, and professional without being stuff
Thanks to the wonderful people at Bowda Creative Co. you will see our new look emerge over the coming months as we try on our new duds.
This work was made possible thanks the Ottawa Community Foundation / Community Services Recovery Fund.
Bruce Roney, who was Executive Director when the 1996 logo was created, shared the following:
In 1996, it became clear to the board and me that the name Bruce House was better known and better respected than AIDS Housing Group of Ottawa (AHGO). So, to achieve more community support and recognition, it made sense to operate under the name Bruce House. That led to the need for a Bruce House logo to solidify support.
As it turns out, everyone apparently had a nephew, sister, partner, etc. who was very talented in art – for the logo. We received a few. Rainbows were a common theme. None met the criteria the board had set.In those days, full colour printing was more expensive than two colour. Bruce House was astonishingly poor at the time and this made a difference.
It was clear that the logo had to have – at minimum – red, for the ribbon. Other colours were likely superfluous and expensive to print.
It was frustrating to receive free designs for logos that, though lovely, would ultimately be expensive for the struggling organization to use.
The board and I felt it was important that the logo also said what we were/did/stood for. Thus the slogan of “Supportive Housing and Compassionate Care” needed to be incorporated in the logo.
To get a cost-realistic logo, that met our criteria, I approached a working graphic artist friend, Carmen Goonwardene. I asked her to the work pro bono. She felt strongly that working graphic artists should be paid as any other profession would expect, and in the end, I agreed.
She charged $100 for the logo – clearly a symbolic fee.
In the end, that logo took Bruce House to its next phase, helping to solidify who the organization was and what it stood for 30 years.
The new logo is wonderful and is a reflection of the new reality and new vision of an organization that has helped so many men and women receive the supportive housing and compassionate care they need and deserve.
