As one might expect for an aging institution, the aesthetic of Willamette Week has evolved over the years, from broadsheet to tabloid, including new models adapted to the decades. Over time, the logo, or flag as it is called in the press world, has also taken on new forms.

Here is an oral history of how the WW The logo has changed over the decades, as told by people who have raised and lowered the flags.

1. 1974: The Original, designed by Byron Ferris

“We had five candidate names (for the paper), which we typed on index cards and showed to people we knew. The winning name, Willamette Weekwas the inspiration of two men, separately. They were Ted Hallock, a prominent public relations executive, and Doug Babb, who would become the paper’s production manager.

“The studio of graphic designer Byron Ferris was in the Dekum building. When he revealed his logo design, he explained that he did the opposite by making the vertical lines thin and the bottom and top elements big. —Steve Forrester, co-founder of Willamette Week

2. 1980: The cursive update, designed by Steve Bialer

“When I arrived as artistic director at Willamette Week Many years ago it was a bit irrelevant. Portland was no pioneer, and while it contained seeds of the future, it smelled like brewery cornflakes and was a little sleepy.

“ WW was a broadsheet publication with a fairly traditional newspaper format filled with writing by very intelligent people digging in, under and around all sorts of interesting places and things. I wanted the design to highlight this new spirit.

“The logo was a vertical, scripted element that to me was more shabby than Hallmark Card. My plan was to develop a new design (keeping the storyline idea for continuity) that was more energetic and contemporary.

“There was no money set aside for this.

“I contacted Tim Girvin, a lettering designer from the Northwest who I knew had done some great, vibrant lettering projects. Think layers of brightly colored ink writing melting emotionally into rice paper, and he had done other significant logo projects as well.

“He agreed to make a tailor-made version that I could present to the powers that be. WW. We found one that I thought was right because I thought it captured some of the spirit of emerging Portland, and I presented it. They liked it.

“I came back to Tim and made a deal. We cleaned up the illustration and I glued it to the top of the first page (with melted wax like we did back then) and WW had its new logo. —Steven Bialer, WW artistic director, 1980-1981

3. 1989: The Serif font, designed by Elizabeth Anderson and John Laursen

Originally published in Willamette WeekNovember 2, 1989:

“The new look is the work of two Portlanders: Elizabeth Anderson, a noted graphic designer, and John Laursen, a book designer whose company Press 22 is known for the quality of its work. The mission of these two was to create a flag that, from a design perspective, would take Willamette Week In addition, Anderson and Laursen were asked to design a flag that would represent the seriousness of purpose, intensity of effort and somewhat rebellious nature of this newspaper. —Marc Zusman, WW journalist, 1980-1981; editor, since 1981; owner, 1983-present

4. 1994: The Bold Red, designed by Kat Topaz

“We took the existing cover logo and kept it more consistent from week to week. At the time, the cover looked a lot like a poster, and the logo could easily be overshadowed by the art. By giving the logo a consistent color each week and making it contrast with the cover art, we tried to make it easier for the reader to see. WW at a glance, especially when displayed alongside other free newspapers. We also made sure that the covers had high contrast from the previous week, had a main central image, and were not too dark. —Kat Topaz, WW artistic director, 1993-2000, 2019

5. 1996: The Black Line, designed by Johnson + Wolverton

“It’s hard to emphasize what a big deal this was at the time. First, the new look allowed for a very different approach to coverage. Not only was it generally more journalistic, but it also significantly reduced the time it took to produce a cover story. When the redesign was launched, the most shocking element was the thick black line.

“The design had such an impact that people wanted to be part of the newspaper. We were seen as more relevant and even received national attention. Print The magazine did a feature on us and showed examples of our covers and designers. (The production then consisted of nine full-time designers; we averaged more than 100 pages a week.) The cover now had its own look, and we eventually moved away from a poster-like cover and took clues on the web. Keep in mind that when this redesign launched, the web was new. —Kat Topaz

6. 2007: The current logo, designed by Leopold Ketel & Partners

“I remember being very impressed with the agency we were working with: not only were they talented, but they really seemed to understand the heritage of the logo they were creating. I also remember that all of us internally were very excited about the new look, but knew there would be haters – and there were, but they faded quickly. More than anything, it was like a shot of adrenaline to be able to produce a newspaper with something so bold and modern.

“They really put a lot of thought into the style of the two different Ws. They stylized the corners of the italicized one to be more numerical, putting a stake in the ground that WW was invested in print and online publishing. Of course, WWThe website was nothing new. Brian Panganiban (the newspaper’s news services manager) could tell you it was at least a decade old at that point. But instead of relying on a sense of heritage, they looked to the future. That, in itself, seemed bold. —Maggie Gardner, WW artistic director, 2004-2009