Battle Creek has a problem.
Well, if we are being honest, a couple. But those are probably other blog posts. What I think is the cornerstone of other problems is what's limiting Battle Creek's growth. Now, I'm not here to judge or ridicule. These are just thoughts as I, a citizen, business owner, and community partner have noticed throughout the couple decades I have lived here.
So what is that problem, then? Excellence. As so many businesses in Battle Creek start, struggle, and eventually leave, this has been the common denominator in their downfall. So much so, that it seems ingrained in the very culture of Battle Creek. And this manifests itself in multiple ways.
Almost good enough
This seems to be the main issue that holds businesses back, regardless of the city that it's in. There are a lot of great restaurants and retail shops here, but do you ever walk out saying "Yeah, that was okay". Unfortunately that's personally how I often feel. Whether it's the experience, decor, or product, something always feels lacking. Is it bad? Not by any means. But is it special, something you rave to your friends about or consistently crave? For me, that is unfortunately rarely the case.
So why is this an issue, especially one that seems to be the standard around the city? It's hard to say really. It's rare these sorts of issues are simple. Owning a small business is difficult. Most people are trying their best, and resources are often limited. But past that, I believe it's a culture issue. That's the only reason to explain why it's a common issue around Battle Creek. People, customers included, lack that drive for excellence, the obsession over the small details, the bold vision and the courage to carry that out. The hunger for more, for just a little bit better. That's why it can feel like our city hasn't moved forward. We settle. And this culture changes our city will stay stagnant.
The visual problem
Now it's probably not hard to see that Battle Creek has an identity problem. We used to be the Cereal City, but as companies seem to move investments and personnel elsewhere, we're stuck with a problem of what this city is and who it's for.
But regardless of that, there seems to be a common thread of bad branding and logo design in Battle Creek. Do we as graphic designers notice more than the average person? Yes. But even in the age of Canva templates where you can get a halfway decent logo for free, we seem to be stuck in a google image search logo culture here. Very few business seem to go to the extra mile to cultivate a brand logo and identity, and you can see that the ones that do, tend to be the ones that stick around. If you look around, you'll see it's everywhere. Even past logo designs to event posters and websites seem to be poorly thought out and put together.
In fact, this even seeps itself into architecture and spaces. Many feel conceived out, or even outdated. How spaces are designed and used are pivotal to the success of businesses. It determines how long people stay and if they have any desire to come back.
Now, this blog post may sound harsh, and maybe it is. Like I said, it's not meant to condemn anyone or make anybody feel bad. This whole thing is meant out of love. Of wanting better for our city and the people in it. There are so many strong leaders in our city that exemplify these traits, and our city is on the upswing. But until we get past this hurdle, and shift the culture, there is only so far we will go.