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From simple things like finding a lucky penny to stumbling across a beautiful building, life supplies many unexpected surprises and serendipitous moments. Seeing the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) new identity was both of these for me: I saw rhythm, simplicity, and a catchy acronym. Upon further exploration I found an intelligent, remarkable, and sophisticated mark.
The Maryland Institute College of Art won its first, seven-year-long battle by identifying itself with the simple acronym, MICA. The second challenge was finding a unique mark that clearly represented the college. Abbott Miller and his design team at Pentagram [www.pentagram.com] (including Kristen Spilman, a MICA graduate) set out to solve this second challenge. Not only did they solve it, they hit the nail on the head.
The 1904 Beaux-Arts Main Building and MICA’s 2003 Brown Center.
As Pentagram explains — and you can see many more images there — the typography is based on the collision of mixed-era architecture in the historic neighborhood of Bolton Hill, where MICA is located:
“This mixture of old and new creates the school’s distinct environment and is what inspired the new identity that is composed of the historically based slab serif typeface Giza designed by David Berlow in 1994. A slab serif was chosen because of the fonts’ popularity around the time of the College’s founding in 1826. The full signature of the institution, Maryland Institute College of Art, is set in a sans serif font, Griffith, that was designed by Chauncey Griffith in 1937, the same year he designed Bell Gothic. At the time, Griffith was the design director of Mergenthaler Type, founded by Ottmar Mergenthaler, who lived in the MICA neighborhood of Bolton Hill.”
The identity also features a pattern and texture inspired by the architecture details of the buildings.
What I love most about the new identity is its unique voice — grounded with history yet current. The old mark did not represent the college anymore; who did it speak to? Artists or Graphic Designers? MICA now speaks to both Artists and Graphic Designers — in a non-clichéd way — representing one of the top four art and design schools in America.
Ed. Note: We are happy to welcome John as our newest author for Brand New. More information on him, and the rest of the Brand New authors, coming in the future.
Jump to Most Recent Comment
Josh G’s comment is:
That's homerun number one for Pentagram this year.
On Apr.09.2007 at 10:21 AM
david gouch’s comment is:
They've been going as MICA for a while now.
I'm not sure the old logo you're showing is their most recent: I've seen it on some letterhead, but other materials have this logo. And the logo that was just on their website is different from both those. I think I've seen a bold, scripty logo version too.
This article talks about the cost of the new identity:
> The school spent $75,000 on the logo's design and
> implementation. It's not saying how much of that cost
> was the design, versus the printing of banners, new
> letterhead and such. Miller, who, like his wife Ellen
> Lupton, teaches at the school, said he gave MICA a
> good deal.
felix’s comment is:
Absolutely gorgeous. Say no more.
Previous identity is even more awesome; Seeing that blue brush stroke under Goudy Small Caps laid out on creamy speckletone sheet screams Mom, I'm gay.
On Apr.09.2007 at 10:42 AM
Paul Riehle’s comment is:
I wish my school gave us portfolios
let alone that cool
On Apr.09.2007 at 11:50 AM
Josh G’s comment is:
David
That article from the Baltimore Sun was definitely not what I expectd it to be. Talk about editorializing. She was so brash as to make a mockery of the mark and then have Abbot Miller 'splain it to her in layman's terms. What a shame.
On Apr.09.2007 at 12:01 PM
Steve Ivy’s comment is:
Breathtaking. The mark captures in a glance the character of the architecture - John, great choice in photos to accompany the article.
I'm going to keep going back to this logo for a while, just to study it. As a previous poster commented, Pentagram hit this one out of the park.
On Apr.09.2007 at 12:24 PM
david gouch’s comment is:
Josh: Yeah, that article was mostly worthless. I mentioned it simply for the real cost figure it had.
On Apr.09.2007 at 12:47 PM
felix’s comment is:
she (Baltimore Sun writer) was so brash ... What a shame.
Do you really think conservative Baltimorians want to engage in "design-speak". I was more surprised to hear her "earmarky" comment. After a quick parusal of the Sun's Op Ed section one bears witness to a right leaning, New York-liberal hating constituency.
On deciding to leave NYC, I had the great idea of moving to Annapolis (near Baltimore) four years ago. It's a beautiful town but strolling through the neighborhoods I saw the aggressive Naval base mentality. At one point our real estate broker pointed to the "silly liberal" war protesters on the bridge... we're in Jersey. Best decision I ever made.
On Apr.09.2007 at 01:00 PM
andrewmartin’s comment is:
Brilliant mark by a brilliant man at a brilliant firm for a brilliant client.
Masking the textures with the letterforms works very well here. That said, it makes me wonder why Mr. Miller chose to take that route rather than let the textures end more organically, and thereby imply the edges of the type:
Implied edges could be excellent for one-color applications. I see them, too, as creating a bit more of a refined overall design. And yet it's clear that many two-color uses make a lot of sense with the masked edges (as the blue background and brown patterns are identically masked, coming off of white -- see above or this van, for example).
Perhaps I'm missing a big functional issue -- or perhaps it's purely up to taste, or experience?
On Apr.09.2007 at 02:05 PM
Josh G’s comment is:
Felix - yeah I browsed through her column it's pretty funny. I live in a completely different world though (Connecticut transplanted to Rochester, NY), it's weird to see articles like that in print and then people patting eachother on the back about it.
On Apr.09.2007 at 02:11 PM
Armin’s comment is:
What I love about this identity, more than the identity itself, which is indeed great, is that it solves one of the hardest design challenges: Designing what design and creativity look like. The "before" shot – which may or may not be the official "before" as David pointed out earlier – of the logo shows what happens when art and design are translated into the visual, tired (and some may consider offensive) cliche of the artistic, boundless brush stroke. The new identity is grounded in cues taken from the context of the school and applied in a highly creative and simple way that is a more approprate interpretation of what it means to be a designer. Rather than focus on what creative is, the identity focuses on simply being creative. I'm a big fan of this identity.
RE: The Baltimore Sun article
Any journalist that uses the Mastercard tagline as a title for a newspaper article loses all credibility.
On Apr.09.2007 at 02:54 PM
david gouch’s comment is:
Andrew: Great observation about the pattern masking. (And thanks for making the example.)
I would guess that a perfectly matched pattern logo -- because the letters' outlines would be wavy -- might have looked too different from the solid color version.
On Apr.09.2007 at 03:22 PM
Josh G’s comment is:
Agreed, I think it's more an issue of consistency rather chalking it up to a stylistic choice or experience.
On Apr.09.2007 at 05:44 PM
Jerlyn’s comment is:
Oh I love it!
On Apr.10.2007 at 01:19 AM
L.Vazquez’s comment is:
Working at an institute of higher learning, I immediately studied this mark. It is beautiful, functional, and works across the board. I'm wondering if other (non-art) schools will see this and understand the value of good design.
On Apr.10.2007 at 08:03 AM
fatknuckle’s comment is:
LV-
I wouldn't hold your breath. Although the Portland identity holds some hope.
I'm not sure I agree with the majority of posts here in that I'm failing to see the "brilliance" in the mark.
While I feel it's aesthetically appealing, as I've been a fan of the slab-serif for a long time, I'm not sure that this face in particular does much to showcase the class. The letterforms in their solid form are a bit awkward and heavy and really visually swallow those definition lines.
On the other hand, in its patterned version, the forms become significantly lighter and far more approachable. I would have liked to see this as the primary mark which methinks it is in anything other than name (everything I've seen uses it versus the solid.)
I think it's great that they took the other road and didn't try to shine it up with some fancy modernist face, and the nomenclature change was a smart move.
On Apr.10.2007 at 09:10 AM
L.Vazquez’s comment is:
Fatknuckle: I agree. What was I thinking (coffee hadn't kicked in yet) although the Portland identity does hold some water.
On Apr.10.2007 at 01:32 PM
eric strohl’s comment is:
This is perhaps the only rebrand I have seen on this blog that I can truley say I LOVE.
Nicely done.
On Apr.10.2007 at 01:53 PM
andrewmartin’s comment is:
David (and Josh): You're right to say that there needs to be one consistent mark that works in all color and production environments. What I meant to ask was:
Why do you suppose that Mr. Miller opted for the masked edge rather than implied edge?
On Apr.10.2007 at 02:04 PM
Armin’s comment is:
Andrew... Regarding the masking versus the unmasking letters... What you get when you mask something is the sense of layering. The idea that there is something underneath – and that there is something bigger and vaster – beyond what you can see through the holding shape can be a great graphic device. It implies that you can't see the whole picture but that, somewhere out there, the thing exists completely.
When you make the letters without the mask, and allow the texture to define the letter you are, in a way, sculpting something new, that stands on its own. You are pretty much saying "This is it". No more to see, nothing beyond this. Which is an equally valid solution. But in the case of MICA, my feeling is that it's about scratching the surface and the possibility of discovery.
This may be too philosophical, but I just had a great piece of ginger cake with coconut icing, so I'm in that kind of mood.
On Apr.10.2007 at 02:13 PM
Josh G’s comment is:
Armin - Heavy. But I definitely agree with you. It really creates a sense of dimensionality in the mark, philosophically as you have pointed out, but also aesthetically, I think it removes that flatness you'd find in the mark otherwise. The pattern is almost rolling off the edges of the letterforms and being engulfed by the field of color behind it.
On Apr.10.2007 at 03:56 PM
J Levi’s comment is:
Lots of implementation questions.
Lots of questions in general.
Lots of things to nitpick.
Not much of gravity to really debate here though.
Some of the reasoning/development descriptions feel thin/unimportant. Like I'm being sold to. No matter.
It does solve a lot of logistic/visual issues.
It was time for a new mark.
The new mark is good.
DesignMaven’s comment is:
Interesting Treatment Abbott, Semantically, referencing the Monogram.
Allow me to play Devils Advocate.
It's a known Fact Initials in Identity Design and/or Creation of Acronyms are considered a Cop Out in Identity Practice since 1969.
Is the Money Invested in this Identity by MIC/A to successfully PULL OFF shortening the name? Meaning having the populous actually enunciate the Acronym instead of the Full Name.
Corporations spend Millions of Dollars to embed in the Public Mind Initials and Acronyms.
Think Federal Express, FedEx, General Motors, GM Citi Services, Citgo Branch Banking and Trust, BB&T, Consumer Value Stores, CVS / Pharmacy. To name just a few.
Unlike, MIT, UCLA, USC, others known for the enunciation of their initials have garnered Patronage by investing Millions to Promote the Identity and embed the name in the publics mind.
UNC, although known by their initials is continually called University of North Carolina because of the lack on investment in promoting the USC Identity.
MIC/A is a Home Run Semantically.
Not a Grand Slam. Those Slab Serif's Remind me to much of Rand's IBM.
Successful nonetheless.
DM
The Hostile Takeover of Corporate Identity
On Apr.11.2007 at 01:22 AM
J Levi’s comment is:
Calling the school MICA is nothing new.
That’s what everyone calls it, so
that’s what the marks should be.
It's not forcing an acronym.
It will not take excessive time and money
To force their audience to recognize them by their
new name because that’s what their audience already calls them.
It's creating an identity that strategically reflects
The school, its goals, and its name.
It looks nothing like IBM.
Mark.S.’s comment is:
The before example used reminds me of a Factory Records cover.
(Maryland Institute and their new single College of Art).
Josh G’s comment is:
I actually got to check out some collateral yesterday and I'm a little disappointed to say that although the mark looks fantastic on all of the pieces, the standards that have been set for body copy on the letterhead is clunky and inelegant.
On Apr.11.2007 at 08:15 AM
DesignMaven’s comment is:
Welcome to Brand New John.
J. Levi:
Are your Eyes Wide Shut???!!!
For sake of Argument, Any Initials in Identity
or Acronym incorporating Slab Serifs is Reminiscent of Paul Rand's City Medium Typeface for IBM.
It is the First and Most Successful Slab Serif Monogram in Identity History.
Whether or not the school is actually enunciated MIC/A doesn't Negate the Fact. Initials in Identity Practice is considered an EASY SOLUTION.
Has been for 38 years.
No Disrespect to J. Abbott Miller.
The Student Body and Faculty may call it MIC/A.
MIC/A as a Name doesn't Resonate with the General Public and has NO MEANING!!!!!!!
It will take Millions of Dollars to BUILD EQUITY with the name in Advertising and Promotion to have the General Public EMBRACE and understand the meaning of MIC/A.
If MIC/A as an Identity were shown to three hundred (300) people outside of Maryland Institute College of Art.
I can Guarantee that would be 300 people that wouldn't know the meaning of the Acronym because it has No Relevance outside the Institution and Academic Culture at MIC/A.
MIT, UCLA, USC, others don't suffer from this problem.
Isn't MIC/A Audience THE WORLD AT LARGE for Recruitment and not limited to the Faculty, Student Body and Alumni???!!!
DM
The Hostile Takeover of Corporate Identity
On Apr.11.2007 at 09:51 AM
DesignMaven’s comment is:
Follow Up:
In reference to Name Recognition of MIC/A.
I'll go as far saying, if you took the MIC/A Identity and stood outside of Maryland Institute College of Art without J. Abbott Miller's Signage System adopted and asked 300 Passerby not affiliated with the Institution the meaning of the Acronym. That would be 300 Passerby that wouldn't know the meaning of the Acronym.
Two years from now after the MIC/A Identity and Signage System adopted and the Identity dissiminated in Advertising and Promotion embedded in public perception quite a different story and outcome.
It will take time to Build Equity in Public Perception and Name Recognition of MIC/A.
DM
The Hostile Takeover of Corporate Identity
On Apr.11.2007 at 10:16 AM
DesignMaven’s comment is:
Correction:
Actually, Herbert Matter's Slab Serif Identity for KNOLL and New Haven Rail Road was First and Designed before Paul Rand's IBM.
Must've had a Senior Moment???!!!
DM
The Hostile Takeover of Corporate Identity
On Apr.11.2007 at 10:43 AM
J Levi’s comment is:
One doesn't say the letters in MIC/A as they do in I.B.M, M.I.T, U.C.L.A, U.S.C. You pronounce it as one chunk, "M-eye-ka". It has a very different presence and attitude.
They didn't change their name. If you look at usage it always has "Maryland Institute Collage of Art" used somewhere with the mark. Weather that be next to it, in large use the "/", or in an address block.
It's more like, say, RISD. Something one can pronounce, something everyone called the institution, something that's easier to remember and say, and something that works.
As far as name recognition... It will take time for the general public to recognize them by that name. Not excessive time, but in due coarse with this new system they will. Its too much, and unreasonable to ask anyone to make a change in thinking about an organization like this without time or "without J. Abbott Miller's Signage System adopted" or usage in web, ads, etc. You can't expect anyone to magically know things.
But, hopefully, with this new bold system, people will at least take notice, and maybe even care.
On Apr.11.2007 at 11:06 AM
Frank’s comment is:
"It's a known Fact Initials in Identity Design and/or Creation of Acronyms are considered a Cop Out in Identity Practice since 1969."
Sorry to have to disagree with you here (again).
Since when exactly are initials by default considered to be an "easy solution" as you say ?
And who exactly says so ?
I know your answer might be "1969", but what is this based on ?
I agree with you in terms of initials can be an easy solution but it doesn't mean they always are or have to.
There are quite some pieces in my portfolio that are based on initials and noone in their right mind would consider them to be an easy solution, let alone cop out.
I'll be happy to provide you with some samples to prove my point, let me know.
Ever heard of ambigram/logo god John Langdon ?
Tell me these are an "easy solution":
http://johnlangdon.net/logos.html
It all depends of what you do with intials.
Just like it is with everything else.It depends.
On Apr.11.2007 at 11:42 AM
Josh G’s comment is:
Isn't MIC/A Audience THE WORLD AT LARGE for Recruitment and not limited to the Faculty, Student Body and Alumni???!!!
DM -
While I don't completely disagree with you on that point, I think that would only apply under the pretense of the MICA name having little or no equity in the public eye. MICA is well known for their incredible fine art programs as well as their design MFA. Ultimately, I think the "world at large" that you talk about is not the general public at all, but individuals involved in the art world.
Even so, by rebranding themselves as MICA, I think it allows the general public to feel part of something special and it gives them a more personal connection to the university than the Maryland Institute College of Art ever could.
On Apr.11.2007 at 12:02 PM
david gouch’s comment is:
DesignMaven:
Who cares if people know what MICA stands for? Those 300 passerby may not know the acronym, but they would know it's that expensive art school in Maryland.
I knew who and what the AIGA did for quite awhile before I ever knew what the letters stood for.
Besides, this logo isn't the start of a campaign to force people to start calling them MICA. They don't have to campaign: no one calls them Maryland Institute College of Art anyway.
On Apr.11.2007 at 01:38 PM
DesignMaven’s comment is:
david gouch:
"No one calls them Maryland Institute College of Art anyway".
Blanket Statement and embellishment of the Truth.
I sent the MIC/A Identity to several Identity Designers and nobody knew what the Acronym or Initials meant.
A couple Designers thought is was a Play on the Defunct MCI Identity. They were Clueless to the meaning behind the Acronym.
MIC/A isn't and does not have the Notoriety in Status as, Basel School of Design, Art Center College of Design, RISD, Pratt, The Art Institutes, Parsons, Academy of Art College, Cooper Union, others.
I'm well aware of the Reputation of Maryland Institute College of Art.
If memory serve me correctly Ellen Lupton
J. Abbott Miller's Better Half Singlehandedly BUILT IT's REPUTATION.
As someone from the District of Columbia formerly Chief of a Design Department and in a position to Hire, Fire and Recommend Designers.
I can Honestly say I've never reviewed a Portfolio from anyone Graduating from Maryland Institute College of Art.
Hell, Corcoran School of Art in D. C. is very expensive and has a fine reputation. It's not very well known outside of D.C.
Frank
My Ole Pal, it would be like PULLING TEETH to take time to explain. It is written, known and a Statement of Fact in Identity Practice Acronyms and Initials are considered Easy Solutions and a Cop Out.
Again, No Disrespect to J. Abbott Miller.
Ping, Maestro Tony Spaeth at Identityworks.com
Better, I'll provide you 411 on said subject matter as a ONE TIME COURTESY.
Read Paul Rand's interview with Michael Kroeger and in the second part of the interview Mr. Rand discusses the Federal Express Identity with a Design Student.
http://www.mkgraphic.com/paulrand.html
I can provide you other sources of 411 but
Time is Money.
DM
The Hostile Takeover of Corporate Identity
DesignMaven’s comment is:
Frank
A Snippet of 411 I forgot to mention.
About four (4) years ago Gunnar Swaanson sent John Langdon to me to answer some Identity Questions he wasn't Privy.
As Gunnar Swanson will inform you I'm perhaps the only Person in the Hemisphere that could answer the Questions in Reference to Identity.
PING Gunnar Swanson or ask John Langdon yourself.
Mr. Langdon is well aware of the Expertise, Knowledge and Capability of DesignMaven.
DM
The Hostile Takeover of Corporate Identity
On Apr.11.2007 at 03:39 PM
DadoQueiroz’s comment is:
I just wonder wether people would be speaking so highly of this identity if it wasn't done by Pentagram. My opinion about it is beside the point, but I feel that many times people tend to think good things (or bad) about a particular project before they actually perceive (or not) its inherent qualities, depending on the studio that undertook it. You cannot have an impartial take on projects from high profile offices like Pentagram or designers like Sagmeister or Carson. You either respect or hate or are indefferent and I'm pretty sure it affects judgement.
On Apr.11.2007 at 04:10 PM
J Levi’s comment is:
Is there anything left to say besides:
Pentagram or not, its just nice to look at.
It's fun.
It is a very flexable system.
It achieves stategic goals of the school.
It is unique, especialy in reguard to it's catagory, yet has enough stature to take it seriously.
It can be managed easily becuase MICA isn't hiring "My frined's sister who knows illustator" to create colladeral and implement it.
Is there much to debate there?
On Apr.11.2007 at 05:56 PM
Frank’s comment is:
@DM:
Thanks for your insight but that doesn't take away anything from the fact that initials are not a bad solution per se.
No matter who said it was and no matter how famous he was/is.
Maybe there's a misunderstanding here and it might even be my fault:
It's one thing to abbreviate the actual brand/product/company name.Indeed it's an issue worth discussing if abbreviations in general are a good idea or not because just as meaningless general "corporation" swoosh/orb/etc logos often tell literally *nothing* about the brands' essence, abbreviations often tell equally nothing about the brand either.
But: I was talking about a situation where either the abbreviation is already a given for the designer (i.e. happened before the brief or he had no word in it) or where the name is *not* abbreviated but you still find a -> clever http://logo-design.info , page 2:
Chris Firat Training
Chris provides provides professional debt collection training courses, which means a lot of her daily work and what she teaches is about communication.There are typically 3 parties involved in debt collection: the creditor, the debitor and the collector.Typical goal: have all 3 parties involved communicate in a way that results in a satifying solution for all involved.
Now what i did in the logo brings across exactly this communication aspect: 3 speech bubbles.
And guess what ? The bubble is made from c, f, t - the initials of her company name "chris firat training".
So you tell me what's wrong with that approach.
It's all initials, but it still says something.
Get my point?
But again , maybe it was just a misunderstanding in terms of abbreviations in the company name vs. using initials in logo design.
:)
On Apr.11.2007 at 08:14 PM
Frank’s comment is:
Oops, somehow the paragraph in my above posting was cut off in the middle so here's the missing part again:
"[..]But: I was talking about a situation where either the abbreviation is already a given for the designer (i.e. happened before the brief or he had no word in it) or where the name is *not* abbreviated but you still find a -> clever http://logo-design.info , page 2:[..]"
Hope this works :)
On Apr.11.2007 at 08:18 PM
Frank’s comment is:
Geez, got cut off again, don't know why, 3d and last try:
"[..]But: I was talking about a situation where either the abbreviation is already a given for the designer (i.e. happened before the brief or he had no word in it) or where the name is *not* abbreviated but you still find a *clever* way to incorporate the brands initials into the logo.
Which doesn't take away from the fact that just initials in most cases is not enough because you *still* have to find a way to have the logo convey a message.Hence the word "clever".
May i introduce you in a totally selfish self-promotion manner to a logo that's on my portfolio site http://logo-design.info ,page 2:[..]"
Darn.
On Apr.11.2007 at 08:25 PM
DesignMaven’s comment is:
J Levi:
We're on the same page.
I think MIC/A is an Impactful, Memorable, Livable, Usable and Proprietary Identity.
Over time after the Identity is fully implemented and the Identity associated with events, marketing and communication promotion it will begin to take on layers of Positive Meaning.
I thoroughly understand why J. Abbott Miller opted for a Purely Typographic Solution incorporating initials.
His inclination and taste in Identity are Purely Typographic Solutions.
My concern is the lack of Originality and Imagineering that informed the Reposition of the Name Solution.
I have No Problem with J. Abbott Miller's Visual Identity for MICA/A.
Even with Initials and/or Acronyms the Trick is the make the Identity Poignant.
Frank:
You're better than Armin Vit and
Felix Sockwell.
Notice I didn't say better than me definitely better than Armin and Felix.
Not quite in my League yet. Maybe in about thirty (30) years or so. (wink)
Frank, there are certain Canons (Laws) in Identity Design that are only Privy to people working in Corporate Identity because of its Confidential Nature. These Canons are Universal.
Akin to Fashion Fopas in Sartorial Dress, such as:
1. Don't wear polka dots with strips
2. Never were Argyle with Paisley, Glen Plaid, Tartan, Herringbone, or Hound's-tooth.
3. Don't wear Baseball Caps with Suits.
4. Never wear Sneakers with a Suit unless you're headed to the Basketball Court for a pick up game.
If you Break These Rules you better know what you're doing and be able to Pull It Off.
Paul Rand was 100 percent correct in his assessment of Substituting Initials for the Corporate Name.
The same is True for IBM, abc IIT, Illinois Institute of Design which Paul Rand Designed.
The problem after IBM, abc, IIT, ATT, GTE, and other Identities of the era. Corporate America became inundated with Alphabet Soup Identities as they were called in 1969.
Essentially Designers were trying to Pick Up on the Magic of the aforementioned Successful Identities which is impossible.
Very similar to the plethora of Swoosh, Arch, and Orbit Identity Craze of the 90's.
In 1969 Acronyms and Initials became Identity Fopas because they were Designed with little or no thought behind them and everybody was doing them because of the success of the aforementioned Identities.
It's not just Paul Rand iterating the Bastardization of Acronyms and Initials in Identity Practice. It is a General Consensus Among American Identity Designers that work on the First Tier Level of Identity Practice.
Read Maestro Tony Spaeth, First Impression for Royal Bank of Canada and others.
First Impressions:
"flight to initials is rarely, if ever, a flight to strength. It is so easy for insiders to know and love their own initials, and to delude themselves that the world will love them too; such decisions must be taken with the most extreme caution".
http://www.identityworks.com/reviews/2001/rbc_financial_group.htm
NEF Identity
First Impressions:
Will we never learn? Ten years ago TNE knew its TNE symbol was not an asset; yet they have done it again, carving into stone initials which no one outside of Headquarters knows or cares to know.
http://www.identityworks.com/reviews/1998/nef.htm
Read First Impression:
http://www.identityworks.com/reviews/2005/ca.htm
The Rules of not using Initials and Acronyms are continually broken but the Idea is to make the Identity Poignant.
Here's a Good Example of what I mean by Poignant.
http://www.identityworks.com/reviews/2006/nxp.htm
DM
The Hostile Takeover of Corporate Identity
On Apr.12.2007 at 10:30 AM
Frank’s comment is:
@DM:
First, thanks for your acknowledgment; i guess coming from you it means something..:)
Ok i read the whole Paul Rand interview/lecture you linked me to, thanks for that; definately an interesting reading.What i took from that transcript is this:
1) In the first half PR acts like an "i-know-it-all-but-don't-give-answers a**hole.Sorry to be so harsh, i wasn't there but just from reading he comes across like that.Might be the actual tone of his was totally different in the actual conversation, what do i know.
2) Second half is way better, especially the bits about defining "design" and his 4 step process approach.Though nothing really new in there, still interesting to read and i liked it a lot
3) As for using initials and about the Fedex logo etc - i really do think i read the transcript carfully but it seems to me that the only problem(s) PR had with the Fedex logo were issues of weight and proportions and that to him the "hidden" arrow was in the background so to speak - he suggested it to be painted blue.
But i could not find anything in that transcript that said he was against the use of initials in logo design per se.
Remember, i'm only talking about that very lecture, i honestly have no clue what he in general thought about the use of initials.
Now, in your post you're saying initials became a faux pas because "..they were designed with little or no thought behind them.." - hey, maybe we have an actual consensus here, who would have thought ! :)
If it's done with no (even extra) thought, i totally agree; there's nothing to add to that really.I'm just against saying using initials in logo design are always a no-no no matter what.
That brings me to the point of where i think the misunderstanding is:
Isn't the issue of abbreviations/initials first and foremost a question of naming strategy and only secondly a question of identity design ?
As said before, if it's about naming strategy i might even be more on your side than you probably think; but it's of course important to look at the whole scenario to see if and how the designer was part of the decision process in terms of the naming strategy.
Ok, on to the next thread :)
On Apr.12.2007 at 12:31 PM
DesignMaven’s comment is:
Frank:
Of course you know I was Breaking Arm and Felix Balls.
YOU GOT SKILLS!!!!!!!
On with our Discussion.
"But i could not find anything in that transcript that said he was against the use of initials in logo design per se".
I did FOREWARN you it would be like PULLING TEETH educating you on this subject matter.
One has to Read between the lines. Often times its not important what is said more important what is not said.
I think Paul Rand makes it perfectly clear his opposition to initials in Identity Design. Read between the lines.
"What is the first thing you do if you have a very long name like Tchaikovsky (Peter Ilyich, 1840-93). You abbreviate it. Well, that is what they did, but that is not usually the solution because a client does not want his name abbreviated. It is easy, easy, easy, easy come on".
At the same time, the links I provided you to Maestro Tony Spaeth, (my partner in crime) the Foremost Independent Naming Consultant is a Testament to the Fopa of using initials and acronyms in Identity.
Having known Paul Rand and having Dialog with him I can emphatically inform you of Paul Rand's Opposition to Initials in Identity after the plethora of Bastardized Identities.
"I'm just against saying using initials in logo design are always a no-no no matter what".
Man lives according to his beliefs!!!
"I can only point the way, Grasshopper. You must walk the path yourself."
Master Po / Kung Fu
"Isn't the issue of abbreviations/initials first and foremost a question of naming strategy and only secondly a question of identity design "?
Yes and No. I'll explain below.
"As said before, if it's about naming strategy i might even be more on your side than you probably think; but it's of course important to look at the whole scenario to see if and how the designer was part of the decision process in terms of the naming strategy".
I'll kill two (2) birds with one stone.
Corporate Identity is a Communication Problem. Corporate Identity is not Logo Design.
Corporate Identity is the Dynamic Synthesis and Cross Pollination of three (3) Different Disciplines to include, Design, Marketing and Communication.
A Logo in and of itself has No Meaning unless it is Driven by Marketing and Communication which embed Identities in our Mind.
There are two (2) differing philosophies and methods of working in Identity Practice.
1. The Formalist Approach of Solving Identity Problems.
2. The Functionalist Approach of Solving Identity Problems.
The Formalist Approach is a Purely Design Driven Approach to Identity Design is Paramount with or No Marketing Research.
Formalist believe the Communication aspect of Identity has already been solved.
Formalist will commence Naming issues themselves or Retain a Naming Consultant.
Paul Rand was a Formalist.
Paula Scher is a Formalist.
Milton Glaser is a Formalist.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Functionalist Approach to Identity Design is Purely a Research based approach to Identity which involves four phases of Identity Practice.
1. Analysis
2. Planning
3. Design
4. Implementation
Functionalist believe Corporate Identity is a Communication
Problem and Strategic Issues are Paramount to the Success of a Corporate Identity.
Functionalist are involved in ever aspect of an Identity Practice to include:
Brand Strategy, Brand Assessment, Brand Research
Brand Positioning, Brand Architecture.
Naming and Name Systems, Corporate Identity,
Retail Environments.
Print Literature, Packaging Design,
Technology Branding, Interactive Design.
Internal Communications.
Audio and Motion Graphics Branding
Brand Measurement, Brand Management and Brand Evaluation.
Saul Bass was a Functionalist.
Walter Margulies and J. Gordon Lippincott were Functionalist.
Walter Landor was a Functionalist
All First Tier Identity Consultancies are Functionalist.
Trust this answers your questions in reference to Naming.
DM
The Hostile Takeover of Corporate Identity
Mark Mazur’s comment is:
Boy, the design-informed can sure get going about both obvious and arcane design aspects of the new logo...sometimes making interesting points but sometimes just getting lost in it.
I'm not an artist, but the father an aspiring one at Maryland Institute College of Art a/k/a MICA. So here's my non professional, rather uninformed, but not at all disinterested take:
I like it. And the more I view it the more I like it. Which to me feels good, and that's important and a good thing for the institution the logo will represent. It bodes well for branding the school more emphatically and positively to the outside world. I especially like the line between the C & the A in which I see the edge of the Brown Center, the new defining image for the campus and school.
The school as 'a brand' definitely warranted and needed an identity makeover. One could argue forever whether they think schools need to be brands, but it's a waste of breath in this society at this time. Got 2B branded. Extending the identity of the school at all beyond the art community based on the entire 4 word name was a non-starter. Dead issue. Fuggetaboudit.
So it had to be MICA, clearly what 'insiders' have called it anyway for some time. And if in that respect it's akin to RISD (ie pronounced, not spelled as is UCLA), well a) who gives shit and b) the point of reference could be much worse. So yes, RISD has branded themselves very well in that manner. But that particular visual-phonetic device is hardly exclusive to them. Other schools (thinking of schools only) have branded themselves using the same 'pronounced' device. Consider SUNY, UConn, & UMass - 3 NE state universities that come to mind immediately. It's hardly a proprietary device. I'm sure there are others, and other types of organizations, as well.
4 letters. 2 syllables. Like it or not, that's smart branding for the modern age. Whether one thinks the rendering has the desired 'traction /impact' and communicates an identity is a matter of taste. I think it does, and actually a reality-based identity. [Not that that will matter much to most observers]
Of course, all that said, I want and need to see the new logo rendered in more sizes and more contexts - banners, letterhead, clothing etc. But to these eyes MIC/A has 'it.' A Bullseye.
On Apr.12.2007 at 11:37 PM
David B.’s comment is:
Simplicity rules! I love how subtle the line angle is, and yet how radically it moves this from so-so to really great.
On Apr.13.2007 at 01:47 PM
Brian Brooks’s comment is:
It's good!
On Apr.13.2007 at 05:16 PM
CJ’s comment is:
It's good. I'm always frustrating working on the grunt level companies not wanting this kind of design simplicity. I have worked on art school identity projects and they are soooo slow to adapt a good design and implement it correctly. I hope this school follows through with the design.
On Apr.23.2007 at 11:24 AM
gloria’s comment is:
As a student of MICA, I think this is a good change. No more of the "MICA Swoosh." Working p/t at MICA too, I noticed a file folder dated back to the 50s, with the "swoosh" on it. This was long overdue.
As to someone's comment that the "swoosh" is not the only iternation of the old logo: it is, officially, but MICA has been in a long-running identity crisis, with many logos scattered about. But the official "swoosh," has been the official identity.
I am concerned though, that the new hip patterns (that were supposed be based on MICA's architecture), will become outdated within 5-7 years. But luckily, this is a secondary element. I don't think the patterns though, convey what they're meant to convey.
On Apr.24.2007 at 11:01 AM
Jon Kinneman’s comment is:
It's a fine mark. And that's all it is. It's not groundbreaking and it's not bad. It just ain't anything to get excited over. It is better than the mouthful of a name that the acronym replaces (which is why acronyms are used "Design Maven"). But I do believe the gushing commentary is primarily from disciples of the Abbott Miller/Lupton cult that has taken over design at MICA (thank god someone did).
Sorry Design Maven (kind of reminds me of a guy who calls himself a "Chick Magnet" -- he isn't) but the Abbott Miller/Lupton cult did not put MICA on the map. Just the design department -- along with themselves. The Maryland Institute College of Art has been around for a long time. In fact, it is the oldest degree granting art school in the United States. MICA has had a long and distinguished reputation for educating and promoting the fine arts long before Abott Miller/Lupton moved to Baltimore.
On Jul.04.2007 at 11:07 AM
MICAN’s comment is:
This new logo looses the essence of MICA's 200 year histroy. I don't want to see this slab of bold type engraved on the buildings of MICA.
I do like the texture of the type though... if it's not used with this texture, there is no point in using this logo.
On Oct.10.2007 at 09:24 PM
Brandon Page’s comment is:
I haven't read any of them comments yet, but my first impression of the new logo is very positive. Having gone to MICA from 1993-97, I saw MICA going through a critical evolution. They were faced with a rapidly changing future with technology on their heels.
Enter J Abbott Miller circa 1997. As luck would have it, I was exiting. I would have loved to work with him. None the less, what he has done with the recently unveiled logo is amazing. It is all things MICA, past and present. The chunky serifed typeface is memorable, whimsical, and reminiscent of the architectural style of the Main Building and Train Station. The fine point lines separating the letters can be translated in many ways. Personally, they remind me of train tracks, city blocks, and row houses. The slanted line is a direct reference to the new Brown Center.
Kudos Pentagram team to a job well thought out and executed.
Wolf Olins could learn a thing or two from your group...like how to design.
Monica’s comment is:
Y | A | W / N
Wake me when designers realize that logos have become invisible.
On Nov.26.2007 at 12:38 AM
Vanessa J.’s comment is:
i cant wait to visit this school one day
On May.30.2008 at 01:10 PM
Bridget Pitts’s comment is:
os53ghxchb69fc0u
On Nov.12.2008 at 04:04 PM
J. Woodward’s comment is:
I like it.
On Feb.27.2009 at 10:48 PM
Comments in Brand New, V1.0 have been closed.
