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A SYMBOL FOR SARASOTA’S FUTURE, ROOTED IN ITS PAST.

In November 2021, the City of Sarasota embarked on a project to redesign its historic city seal, partnering with DreamLarge, an ATLARGE initiative. The goal was to create a new civic symbol that better reflected the city's dynamic identity and future aspirations.

To achieve this, the project took a community-centered approach, engaging residents through a public survey and a design contest. This collaborative effort sought to unite Sarasota's rich heritage with its vibrant present, ultimately capturing the city's spirit in a fresh and meaningful way.

City of Sarasota


The primary goal of redesigning the City of Sarasota seal was to create a symbol that would bridge the community's historic roots with its current vibrant and diverse identity. The old seal, dating back to the city's founding in 1902, held significant historical value but failed to fully capture Sarasota's dynamic character.

A crucial part of this project was to involve the city's residents directly, ensuring the new design would honor Sarasota's heritage and look forward to its future. This required a careful balance, integrating broad community feedback to create a seal that truly represented the shared vision and values of Sarasota, making it relevant and inclusive for everyone.

CHALLENGE

“It was a thoughtful, inclusive process. The result is a classic, sophisticated seal that pays tribute to the past while reflecting our standing as a top destination, a natural paradise and cultural hub. This seal represents the Sarasota we know and love and will become an iconic symbol.”

-Mayor Erik Arroyo

  • Community Engagement and Feedback

  • Brand Strategy

  • Logo + Brand Identity Development

  • Creative Design and Development

  • Digital Content Creation

  • Website Development

  • Event Planning and Promotion

SERVICES

EVENT PLANNING &
PROMOTION

DreamLarge's first step in the City of Sarasota seal redesign was launching an in-depth survey, aimed at capturing a wide array of community insights on Sarasota's identity. This critical initiative sought to ensure robust participation across the city, setting a foundation for the project with a wide array of perspectives.

The design contest built on this foundation, inviting the community to directly shape the new seal through their submissions - even local students eagerly contributed their artistic touch. Through careful organization and outreach, DreamLarge effectively laid the groundwork for a participative and inclusive redesign process, engaging a broad spectrum of Sarasota residents right from the start.


From the 172 contest submissions, Rachel Manzano's concept incorporated elements that resonated in community feedback—Sarasota's waterfront, bridge, and natural beauty. DreamLarge worked closely with Manzano to develop and refine this concept, applying professional design expertise to transform these ideas into a polished civic symbol that represents Sarasota across all official applications while honoring the community's vision.

CREATIVE DESIGN & DEVELOPMENT

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT & FEEDBACK

As the project unfolded, DreamLarge embraced the wide-array of insights from the community, analyzing over 2,600 survey responses and evaluating 172 design submissions. This phase was crucial in understanding the collective vision of Sarasota's residents, ensuring the redesign process was anchored in the community's diverse perspectives and preferences. The engagement efforts provided a solid foundation of feedback that informed the creative development process.


RESULTS

The City of Sarasota's seal redesign project culminated in the successful adoption of a new seal, deeply resonating with the community's identity and aspirations. Launched with broad engagement, the initiative saw over 2,600 survey responses and 172 design submissions, culminating in a design that incorporates Sarasota's iconic elements such as the waterfront, sun, palm trees, and bridge.

The process not only engaged a wide array of community members, including contributions from local students, but also received unanimous support from the City Commission. This seal has been embraced as a contemporary symbol that honors Sarasota's rich heritage while looking forward to its vibrant future.