Ben is Back at Franklin TV/Radio

With controversy still swirling about the new Town of Franklin logo, the town's independent media company, Franklin TV, has itself broken some new ground.

Staff videographer, and a graphic designer Chris Leverone, has brought Ben, who was after all a scientist and pioneer of electrostatic* theory, into their 21st century technology operation and their logo.

"It's all about how the logo looks on your phone," Leverone explained in an email. The new logo is part of a trend called flat design, which replaced skeuomorphic design trends in the 2010s. Leverone noted that skeuomorphic designs resemble real 3d objects, and were designed to make digital interfaces more friendly to new users in the 2000s. As smartphones became more common in the 2010s, designers simplified color and linework to make icons and buttons more legible on smaller screens. This led to many corporations redesigning their logos from scratch as digital interfaces became more prominent. 

And, apparently it works.

However, Leverone  noted that flat designs (like his Franklin TV logo and the new Town Logo) are often criticized for lacking variety and character, but are also praised for being instantly recognizable and more harmonious on a digital menu.

"In Franklin's case, a flesh-and-blood portrait of Ben has been replaced with a more symbolic design, showing us the town library's windows, and the tree of knowledge sprouting out of a book. This design pays homage to Ben's generous donation of books to Franklin," he said.

* thanks to Franklin Town Councilor Glen Jones for the correction!