City Introduces Redesigned Resident Newsletter Naperville Connected
Winning Name and Design Created by Robert Morris University Student Maria DeLeon
The City of Naperville is proud to introduce its redesigned resident newsletter Naperville Connected to the community. This one-page publication is being distributed monthly with residents' and businesses' utility bills. For e-Bill customers, a link to an electronic copy of Naperville Connected is sent to the e-mail address they provided to the city. A PDF of the May edition is now available to view on the city's website at www.naperville.il.us/connected.aspx.
Naperville Connected replaces the former Bridges newsletter that was mailed quarterly to every home and business in Naperville. In recognition of this change, the city hosted a contest for an aspiring artist or graphic designer to rename and redesign the newsletter's nameplate. Eighteen submissions from people of all ages were received, with the public selecting the top 10 through online voting. From those, the Mayor and City Council voted for their favorite name and design.
The winning artist is Robert Morris University student Maria DeLeon of Aurora. DeLeon submitted the name and nameplate design as part of Dr. Mei-Fen Chen's print design class. As part of the class, DeLeon also designed a two-page newsletter spread. The design and nameplate worked so well together, the city is using the entire package for the relaunched and redesigned newsletter. All of the finalists will be publicly recognized at the May 17 City Council meeting.
“Bridges was identified in the 2008 Citizen Survey as the number one way residents receive information about city news, events and initiatives,” Community Relations Manager Nadja Lalvani said. “While the name is changing, the information is not. You will still receive the same important city news, just with a new name and new design. An added benefit is that the newsletter is now being distributed more frequently to our residents and businesses in a manner more convenient to them.”
By transitioning the newsletter to a one-page, in-house printed publication, Naperville is saving 7,938 pounds, or 252,000 sheets, of paper per year. Additionally, Naperville will save an annual $54,000 on postage fees and $35,000 on printing costs.
For more information on Naperville Connected, visit www.naperville.il.us/connected.aspx. For more information on the City of Naperville, visit www.naperville.il.us. Sign up to receive the latest news on the City of Naperville's projects and initiatives via e-mail at www.naperville.il.us/enews.aspx.