Beijing 2022 needs logo designer

The hotly anticipated Rio 2016 Olympic Games commence today, 5 August. But already the Beijing Organising Committee has called for a budding graphic designer to create a logo for the Beijing 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

Despite not being held for another six years, the Winter Games, which will take place in Beijing and Zhangjiakou, require a strong visual identity, in order to begin its branding process.

The call for logo designers has been issued by the Beijing Organising Committee in celebration of the one-year anniversary of China winning the bid.

A key requirement is the inclusion of traditional Chinese imagery and symbolism. This is to reflect the historic location in which the Games is being held, as well project Chinese culture to the Olympics’ global audience. The committee also stipulates that the logo should be flexible, and designed in a way easily recognisable across television and print media.

And, to aid those potentially interested, the committee has issued a series of broad guidelines designers should follow, in the form of key words and phrases.

These include creating an identity for the Beijing Games as being “green, open, shared” and run in an “honest manner”. The notion of mass participation is also included, with the phrase, “millions of people participating in winter sports.”

Sustainability has been noted as high on the agenda, along with notions of national and international development.

It has also been announced that the various stadiums needed for the 2022 event will begin construction by the end of 2016.

Groundwork preparation has already begun, with the initial stages expected to be complete by the end of this year.

An 80-strong delegation of Beijing-based observers is also travelling to this year’s summer Games in Rio, Brazil, to gain inspiration and ideas for the 2022 event.

Han Zirong, head of the Beijing Winter Olympics Organizing Committee, says, "These observers have already studied some of the key issues and difficulties that could be associated with the 2022 Winter Olympics, as well as some of the problems that could be involved in the 2022 Winter Games themselves. We expect our group in Rio is going to definitely bring back some useful information and experience."

A high speed railway line is currently under construction between Beijing and Zhangjiakou.

The design application deadline is 30 November 2016 - apply here.