You Can't Please Everyone With A Logo
When a major university made the decision to design a new logo, the media covered the story so the university looked like it made a huge mistake in doing so. As a person that works for marketing communications, I can say that the story lacked some details that should have been pointed out about why the university made the decision to change the logo in the first place.
Of course, the university agrees it should have allowed for the opinion of the students, and was delayed in the issuance of graphics standards that were needed in order to use the logo and university seal. However, aside from these minor breaches of etiquette the university has not really done anything wrong, whereas your coverage insinuates them guilty of some heinous crime.To find logo contest information see this resource.
There are those who say that best idea for the university is to standardize their logo in order to use it with the university seal. One of the core philosophies of graphic design is that institutions need to have one standard set of logo marks and then create a set of use rules so that the public receives a consistent message from the company.
The administration should really be praised for making a prudent business decision and improving the brand of the institution.The more diverse the institution the more complex the logo design process will by necessity become. The logo must represent all that the university does, and this often ranges from rigorous academics to intramural sports, so there is a wide range to be covered.It is a difficult and stress-filled task to undertake, and I say this as one who has been in attendance at many a corporate meeting's argument over a new design.
Most people were most concerned with the fact that the university paid $20,000 to have the logo designed, but that is nothing compared to the costs of printing and things that the logo will be a part of for a long time to come. Anytime a well known institution designs a new logo, there are going to be people who are against it, and there are reasons for this. To get a closer look on logo competition visit this site.
People generally do not embrace change easily, and this is even more true when it involves symbols that people have an emotional investment in.Another thing to consider is that since the logo is the public representation of the university, if someone had an underlying concern they may just redirect it towards the logo issue.And as always, there are those people who have no artistic talent at all who think they can judge the designs of a professional.
The logo itself is going to take some time to grow on people. It's obviously unrealistic to anticipate immediate acceptance of a logo, considering the fact that this university has only used their seal consistently before now, and had previously employed an inconsistent array of logos and typefaces.In the business world, I know individuals that use outdated corporate symbols even at the threat of reprimand from higher on the chain of command because they have grown attached to them.However, companies still have a problem with employees that continue to misuse logos, so inconsistency is an issue no matter what your business happens to be.So it isn't hard to see why the old symbols weren't done away with immediately afterward.
There is simply no way possible to satisfy everyone including T shirt sellers, residents, staff, alumni and faculty by allowing their input in the design process, though administrators really should have allowed students to have some level of involvement.
In order for a logo to have the most impact, it needs to be unique, convey a clear message, and should stick in the memory as well as translate well to print and in the media. A logo needs to be a valuable part of a program for graphic identity, which should be defined by a manual of standards.I believe that the new logo for the university lives up to these requirements, or is well on its way to doing so.Since the university didn't have a logo before, it's actually a lot easier to get started using one!
Filed under Uncategorized by on Sep 25th, 2010.
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