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Guest Editorial by John Feldhouse
It’s refreshing to see an academic institution embrace and invest in a new identity — and in local design. Portland State University (PSU) recently unveiled their new mark created by Portland-based Sockeye Creative, Inc..
Beginning in January of 2005, PSU began conducting audits, surveys, and meetings to clarify the image of PSU. Much has changed since their old wordmark was created so the update to the identity had to best represent the past, present, and future student body, faculty and staff. In February of 2006, Sockeye Creative was brought on board to create the new identity.
The new mark is simply beautiful. It connects the university to the people: diverse, urban, community-centered, and educated. The mixture of typography with the interlocking PSU creates a very pleasant and functional mark. The mark utilizes a clever treatment with the serif and sans-serif typography which reflects the diversity of PSU. The interlocking mark also shows the strength and unity of the university. The application of the mark is very handsome as well, out in the world and online.
To learn more, see the timeline of events [PDF] or view the press release.
John Feldhouse graduated from Auburn University in 2005 and is currently working at Radiant Systems, a technology company based in Atlanta, GA.
Jump to Most Recent Comment
Seth Aldridge’s comment is:
I like it. It doesn't say, "We're the best F%©*!N^ sports team!" but then again it's not painted on someone’s face. :)
I really like the design and how easy it is.
On Mar.17.2007 at 11:53 AM
Michael Tyznik’s comment is:
I've always liked the rebranding that my school did in 2001. It's really changed public perception of the school. I don't think the mark itself is quite as beautiful as Portland State's, but I think it's also good example of having separate brands for the academic and athletic institutions.
On Mar.17.2007 at 12:36 PM
Armin’s comment is:
Seth, I don't think this is meant to replace the athletics logo (which is this).
I really, really like this new identity. Mostly because it is heartily old-school. Most universities end up with a lifeless wordmark and PSU now has a very distintcive, effective and memorable mark to complement a secondary, understated wordmark. I have previously declared my love for chunky logos on this site and this plays to that attraction I have. I love the bold, clean lines of this mark, both the border and the inside counter space. And I admire that PSU agreed to place the logo on top of photographs and let the photograph be seen through the mark, giving it a lovely layered feel. I also like that it works as an abstract mark and as P S U, and the effect is very well achieved.
One of the best identities I've seen on this site so far.
On Mar.17.2007 at 12:43 PM
Danny Tanner’s comment is:
Really Armin?
Strength? Unity? I don't think so. Just because things are toughing or interlocking doesn't communicate that to anyone....I don't see how this mark would ever. That's a little "designer BS." As far as reading PSU...I saw the "P", but who is going to recognize an abstractly drawn "S" on its side or a "U" that looks more like a "J" unless you tell them that it's supposed to be that.
Not to mention that this mark is a Greek Cross? Has no one seen that, because that is what it is...and unless this a christian school, big mistake.
I will say though, knocking the mark out of beautiful photos is a great choice.
On Mar.17.2007 at 01:54 PM
John Muir’s comment is:
I read it as PSU on first sight, and I'm a layman. Works just fine in my opinion. A classy logo that isn't trying for appearance's sake.
On Mar.17.2007 at 03:25 PM
Joe M’s comment is:
As an abstract symbol this is mostly just a soft cross with some technical lines in it ... One might notice letters (hopefully not paperclips, if you're dumb like me.) Regardless, the identity and house style is an exemplar push away from the faux-theological/heraldic mush found in a lot of wannabe-olde institutions.
The mark can be interpreted as sectarian if you wish it to be for sake of a "whose tax dollars" argument. Harry Potter's school is full of fantastic pseudo-religious "ivy league" iconography embedded in Warner-made gothic architecture. On the contrary, one can imagine that the dorms at Portland State are at best tedious; modern spaces with thirsty dry-wall and barely well-lit rooms spotted with fake Tolomeo lamps. If I went there, I would at least enjoy a nod to history summa cum laude silkscreened on my water bottle or lanyard.
A prospective student might want the school to offer an education more than the ordinary "University Experience." To those souls the logo says, "if you walk our halls, one day you may be so lucky to stumble into a chamber of our fully-robed scholars transcribing a bible by candlelight, and ye shall be enlightened."
On Mar.17.2007 at 05:04 PM
JonSel’s comment is:
To those souls the logo says, "if you walk our halls, one day you may be so lucky to stumble into a chamber of our fully-robed scholars transcribing a bible by candlelight, and ye shall be enlightened."
I'm using that in a presentation, somehow, somewhere.
On Mar.17.2007 at 09:31 PM
Peter Marquardt’s comment is:
Oh my god, this is probably the best logo I've seen in a long time. Very, very slick.
On Mar.17.2007 at 10:56 PM
Shane’s comment is:
I love it, it is refreshingly better.
On Mar.17.2007 at 11:54 PM
Christian Palino’s comment is:
This new identity is strong, beautiful and amazingly functional. The mark itself takes a fresh approach to the classic graphic form exercise of combining letterforms – yielding a very flexible shape in terms of usage/placement. As well, the combination of typography used for the name provides the overall brand campaign with an already integrated selection of serif and san serif typefaces. Even the use of the right alignment of the typography which is rather unorthodox provides a refreshing change.
As has been stated here previously, the application of the identity plays an invaluable role in the ultimate success of the brand – and I think we can see here that good choices have been made already about its juxtaposition with images, color usage, and presentation in the environment.
My only criticism, and this is nitpicking, is in some of the details of the drawing of the mark. It seems to me that the optical weight of the bowl of the "p", while mechanically even, is reduced slightly, making it seem a little uneven – note the visual width of the bowl and the extra space/thickness underneath the bowl. I wonder if there are small and large versions for usage where these optical details are adjusted?
However, all nitpicking aside, I would say that this identity is an absolute triumph and a testament to good identity work still existing out there in this tired world of gradients and shiny rendering.
On Mar.18.2007 at 06:22 AM
ELMANCO / Stefano Ricci’s comment is:
A quite pretty good logo redesign. The previous was anonimous.
On Mar.18.2007 at 12:15 PM
big D’s comment is:
This is simply a nicely done identity.
The typographic approach is an excellent choice. It allows for the ever-changing nature of a learning institution. Since the very name of the institution is represented in the abstract mark, the signature helps to create a unique identity without tying the university to any one curriculum or idea. Over time the identity system will be able to grow with the organization.
The mobius strip that is created by the letter forms in the abstract mark, is a nice pay-off. I like it because it is not necessary to the success of the mark but is a nice long term take away.
This mark is distinct and memorable. The upper and lowercase word mark is a good idea. Just looking at the old and new mark side by side, it is amazing how much more quickly your mind can identify the words in the name.
The old mark was generic. The new mark is something unique and fully ownable. Unless someone steals the university's name, it will be hard to confuse this school with its rivals.
On Mar.18.2007 at 12:17 PM
Joe M’s comment is:
Something about the subtlety of the Portland U symbol reminds me of the newish Case Western Reserve University symbol. Half monogram; half wicker. Both symbols looks like they were drawn by an angry modernist with a protractor.
Calvin Ross Carl’s comment is:
Being a Portlander, I see this as a very fitting logo for the university. Portland is a very European city, classic yet very contemporary and progressive. And this school is really THE school of Portland, because it is located in the heart of downtown, where this change from history to future is occuring. Great work, but why would I expect any less from Sockeye. There are far too many great firms here in Portland. It's ridiculous.
On Mar.18.2007 at 03:04 PM
PGMullen’s comment is:
The CWRU logo is on the way out. The chubby surfer logo was introduced in 2003 along with a decision to refer to the university as "Case" rather than "CWRU". That led to complaints from grads of the former Western Reserve University, which merged with Case Institute of Technology in 1967. New logo and renewed use of the full name coming later in 2007.
On Mar.18.2007 at 10:20 PM
Blake’s comment is:
Another great study in creating a new university brand is University of Central Florida. They increased their student enrollment 30% (I believe) after redesigning their submission application alone.
On Mar.19.2007 at 08:12 AM
fatknuckle’s comment is:
Dig it. I, like Armin, delight in the chunk factor. Personal preference aside, this is the type of mark that can go both ways, when paired with the traditional serifed face, it takes on the more formal characteristics.
When taken alone, it has a strong visual formality, with the alphaglyph being noticeable but not overbearing. The refreshing part for me though is seeing a mark for a university that hasn't been bitten by the "sportsification" bug.
On Mar.19.2007 at 11:44 AM
Mary’s comment is:
I am really liking this! I love the fact that they didn't feel the need to make their academic mark a building on campus. Everyone does that and its so over-done and sometimes awkward.
I work in academia and we recently developed an academic mark. Because of internal "politics" I had nothing to do with it, but they went the building route with it and I hate using it because it has too many details that get lost in placement.
On Mar.19.2007 at 12:53 PM
DesignMaven’s comment is:
John Great Editorial and well researched.
I think the Identity is Meritorious and definitely OLD SKOOL.
The Identity Team did a Noteworthy Job.
Michael Tyznik:
You may Fall Out of Love with the University of Cincinnati Identity after reading my Research in David Weinberger's 2005 Recent Rebrandings.
Honestly, you can't compare the two Identities. Portland State University is a MILESTONE compared to University of Cincinnati.
University of Cincinnati Identity was a MISSED Opportunity to Develop a Mark that was Original, Memorable and Unique.
Certainly THE CINCINNATI KIDS, The Favorite Son's, SIR MICHAEL BIERUT and
JERRY THE KING KUYPER could've Designed a more OMNIPOTENT and UBIQUITOUS Identity for University of Cincinnati. Both are Graduates of the Design Program of U of C.
Libby Perszyk Kathman were commissioned to Develop and Design the U of C Identity. They're known primarily for packaging, aside from being headquartered in Cincinnati.
I wonder if Lipson Alpert Glass were invited to Develop Creative Studies. Another of the Great Packaging and Identity Consultancies in Cincinnati.
Recent Rebrandings, November 25, 2005
by David Weinberger
1. Cingular Wireless
2. Cornell University
3. BASF
Editorial Analysis
http://www.underconsideration.com/speakup/archives/002151.html
Comments
http://www.underconsideration.com/mt-static/mt-comments_uc.cgi?entry_id=2151
DM
The Hostile Takeover of Corporate Identity
On Mar.19.2007 at 02:08 PM
Feldhouse’s comment is:
DM - many thanks. Armin was responsible for gathering the header images.
fatnuckle - from what I remember reading, the athletic department had the option to adopt the mark, but was not forced to use it. Since the two uses of the marks are completely different, it is appropriate to have two separate marks: one for the university and one for the athletics department.
On Mar.20.2007 at 12:29 AM
C-lo’s comment is:
More like they Finally have a design / logo
On Mar.20.2007 at 10:08 AM
eric strohl’s comment is:
Wow.
Finally a rebranding on this site that doesnt make me vomit in my mouth.
Nicely done.
On Mar.21.2007 at 12:40 PM
Von Glitschka’s comment is:
Kind of old news around these parts but really well done. Can't say the same for the local college in town trying to do the same but being ruined through design by committee.
On Mar.22.2007 at 06:56 AM
Exigent’s comment is:
I really like what they have here... although I do see this icon as very irish, I like the design for what it is.
A brilliant design.
On Mar.27.2007 at 04:34 PM
Josh’s comment is:
Hey, I went to PSU ten years ago and I remember the other logo very well. I must say the new one is huge improvement.
On Mar.28.2007 at 09:54 AM
Patrick Senecal’s comment is:
Very nice, but not sure about the "university" type.
On Mar.28.2007 at 11:58 AM
Carrie Edwards’s comment is:
I've been reading this site for a while, and this is the first logo I've seen that I like enough to comment on.
Typically the logo re-designs we've seen on here have been just awful. And they make me too sad to comment.
But this one is gorgeous. Very well done.
And I'm glad it stands apart from the athletic logo. They have two very different audiences and goals to achieve. And too many schools try to meld that into one brand.
I also agree with the comment about not using a school building. It's been way overdone and it's refreshing to see good, clean design applied to an academic institution.
Bravo!
On Mar.28.2007 at 02:50 PM
Andrew J Klein’s comment is:
wow...
beautiful!
On Mar.29.2007 at 11:13 AM
Gary B.’s comment is:
A small reminder that all is not lost in logo creation and branding in the community. In a word: splendid.
On Mar.30.2007 at 11:16 AM
Mike’s comment is:
A very handsome identity, and a vast improvement over the forgettable original one.
I guessing that the logo's emphasis on "PSU" is intended for a relatively local audience, since here on the East Coast, PSU is shorthand for Penn State (my alma mater).
On Mar.30.2007 at 04:29 PM
humanot’s comment is:
ahhh .. nice to see something nice for a change (i still have a bad taste in my mouth from the DQ transformation into Frito Lay's ugly little brother).
This works well on all fronts, solid mark, great type, and beautiful supporting material to show it all well. Good job on this one.
On Apr.03.2007 at 04:00 PM
David B.’s comment is:
Being a Portlander, I see this logo in newspaper ads and around town all the time, and I always stop and rest my eyes on it when I see it--nice and solid! And somewhat timeless...nice!
On Apr.04.2007 at 05:02 PM
Ian Lynam’s comment is:
As an undergrad alumnus, it's nice to see that they had the ID redone. Having it done locally was a great move. The results are refreshing compared to the stodgy old identity, but could have been better. All in all, though, great.
On Apr.15.2007 at 05:59 AM
Jeff Fisher LogoMotives’s comment is:
The PSU rebranding is so much better than most college identity efforts. The icon is beautiful and clever. The new image has been very well-received locally. (Note: The project will be featured in my upcoming book "Identity Crisis!")
On Apr.26.2007 at 09:02 AM
Alexander’s comment is:
This looks almost just like the logo of a church in my area:
On Jun.12.2007 at 06:08 AM
blah’s comment is:
flawless victory...
its funny how i JUST read the re-branding of Ringling college of art plus design. this is how it should be done. simple, modern yet timless, memorable mark... and so on...
On Sep.28.2007 at 03:56 PM
Cristian Ronban’s comment is:
Don't you see the swastika? or I'm a paranoid?
On Nov.29.2007 at 04:53 AM
ElKid’s comment is:
Brilliant! I find nothing wrong. The color is great too
On Feb.12.2008 at 05:47 AM
Comments in Brand New, V1.0 have been closed.
