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In my opinion, "D" is the strongest. Although I am not generally a fan of script-style fonts on anything, they do convey a pretty accurate Florida vibe. The lockup is strong, and it reads correctly.
B just doesn't read "New College of Florida" to me. It looks more like "College Florida" with "New" attached. Reads more like packaging copy: "New Look, Same Great Taste!"
Option A looks like there should be a kitten running after that unravelling ball of yarn.
The problem seems to be that the words are too dependent on the Four Winds logo in order for the formatting to be attractive. The two parts need to be able to stand well on their own (see: Columbia University, Sarah Lawrence College, Harvard, University of Illinois). C and D should be eliminated simply because the script-style typeface will look outdated in 5 years. D would be stronger if the two fonts were not so radically different. "of Florida" should not be in a script-style font, it's unprofessional. B does not read correctly (no "of") and putting "New" on its side is confusing and gimmicky. In my opinion, A is the most acceptable with two modifications: the four winds logo should not be connected to the line (the line should stop under the E) and it should be moved down slightly so that the middle of the logo is in line with the middle of the E.
Who the heck is doing this? I think you need to have considered the branding message of the college and not just ease of replication! These are all amateurish and lack the intellectual branding of a superior academic institution. The updated logo looks like one for a holistic health shop selling pseudo homeopathic and bogus shamanistic products. These don’t represent a very enlightened understanding of branding. A. looks like a film school B. What is more important, the name of the college or the state it's in? Put Florida on its side and New above college. C. is ridiculous - unless NC is becoming a beauty college. D. Why is New in a larger font than College? And it’s not NEW – College Florida. It’s New College. Does Florida have to be used at all? (It now seems silly – Do you still need to distinguish this New College from other “New Colleges” like “New College Oxford”?)
"Of Florida" is necessary to distinguish New College as part of Florida's State University System. It's written into the law that separated New College from USF, so they can't call it just "New College."
I agree with the first Anonymous, in every respect. Make his/her changes and restore the Four Winds logo to what it was, which is elegant and timeless. The new effort is crude, and looks like it is part of a pseudo Asian tattoo.
Yeah, I agree with these anonymous' as well, barring the pseudo Asian tattoo part. I'm more on the it looks like a rock carving side. Anyways, these don't look very professional...
I think all of them are problematic. Let me try to explain why:
* All of them use a streamlined version of the Four Winds logo. This removes a lot of character from the original logo, and a lot of the wildness, a problem since it's supposed to represent a force of nature (and it did a good job of representing the college). Moreover, because the winds are so streamlined, the logo inadvertently emphasises the spaces *between* the winds--surely not the right focus.
* Of all of them, the typography of A is the best--because it's consistent. But the use of the logo makes no sense--that line suggests that it isn't an abstract representation of the four winds on the Earth, but rather a wheel rolling along. This is the graphical equivalent of mixing metaphors. An alternative would be to have that line showing at the logo's midpoint--suggesting the orbit of the Earth. The logo would have to be larger for that. However, I think you'd be back to something like mixing metaphors, because the logo is a more poetic representation of the Earth & its climate. That line ain't poetic.
* B is a non-starter because it's lopsided. The designers were trying to balance a circle (the logo) with a pillar ('New'), the first of which is small, and the second of which is rather larger. Their attempt was unsuccessful.
* In some sense, C rivals A for the closest to success, because at least the 'New' revives some of the wildness of the original logo. But with *this* version of the logo, it doesn't work--again, the logo is too streamlined. Furthermore, you're mixing *three* fonts here--which brings to mind the 'ransom note' style of 'desktop publishing' (as it was then called) in the 1980s. And guaranteed, that script typeface will force you to revisit the design in a few years, because it will age poorly.
* D is another non-starter: I get that you use grey to de-emphasise some elements of the design (particularly 'of Florida', which is clearly subordinate to 'New College'). But why on Earth would you de-emphasise your own logo? Also, that 1950s-tourist-ad 'of Florida' typeface is surely not the right image you want for your design. Sure, there are swaying palm trees and people fish in Florida. Do you mean to suggest that people at New College spend their time relaxing and not working hard? Because that's not how I remember it.
* Finally, mixing typefaces (as in C), type weights (as in B) or type sizes (as in D) for the name 'New College' makes little sense: we don't think of it as the 'New' College of Florida--after all, it's over 40 years old and other Florida colleges are newer--it's the 'New College'. If you need to divide up the words, it's clearly going to be a divide between 'New College' and 'of Florida' (as you did with A).
I haven't even delved into how none of these represent the spirit of New College. I'm not saying the design has to be tie-dyed, but blue & grey? And a mechanical, robotic logo? Really?
I don't know where you are in the design stage. I hope this isn't the end. If I were you, I'd fire your designers and start afresh.
I agree for the most part and thank you for your critique. I would add that for D, greying out the logo is functional as it reduces emphasis on a weak element. Does anyone think this clunky version of the symbol is better than the elegant traditional one? It seems not, since even the initial communication about this redesign expresses ambivalence, saying that element will not change. But then, it is changed, dramatically, and we are apparently not supposed to notice. Really? It seems the problem with the new 4 Winds logo is enough to warrant a new approach.
As for the other graphic elements: The problems in A created by that line are manifest, but for me the association was wheel> machine> mass production> diploma mill, and that is a total fail.
It seems obvious that the script font idea is misguided, so C and D are out. It seems obvious that designs failing to unify "New" and "College" are catastrophic, so that means B is out. A is out because the line says all the wrong things. And that is even if you liked the new 4 winds symbol, which it seems few, if any, do. If I was the client I would not fire the designer. I would fire the people who presented these designs to me.
I don't like any of these. How about something simple like the original Four Winds logo with the latin inscription around it (Novum Collegium, etc) with the words "New College" next to it in a compatible font?
Agree with what others have said. Really? This is the best? Why not tap into New College talent and have students and alumni submit their ideas and after narrowing it present it for voting?
I agree, they're all much weaker than the current logo. I hate the script (anti-gravitas), especially in "C"—it looks like you're rolling out a new air-freshener scent. "B" makes no sense without the "of," and just looks pushy. "A" is the least bad to my taste, but I still don't like the serif font, especially the top of the "N." It looks like it's been clipped off, and the letter is leaning to the right as though it had been shoved in the shoulder by a rude typesetter. Basic, everyday Times New Roman looks better than that.
Unfortunately, I agree with many of the comments. I don't like the rather stamp-like appearance of the 4 winds logo. The fonts seem uninspired and the relationship of words to symbol undeveloped.
I would agree with the negative critiques, but would like to offer an alternative version of 'A'. The design process may be too advanced to start over, but the existing options are weak. I have posted a tweak of version 'A' at the NC Alumnae/i Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/groups/4618861715/
I don't like any of them. Version "A" is the least offensive, but that's the best I can say about it. The other versions are not serious, even laughable, recalling all of these superficial, nonsensical discussions about "branding" that one hears so often. And why can't New College simply be known as "New College"? Adding "of Florida" to the name makes the college seem local, regional, provincial. Proclaiming in our name that we are the "honors college of Florida" is no great distinction, either. Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Stanford, New College--that's all that is needed.
"Of Florida" is necessary to distinguish New College as part of Florida's State University System. It's written into the law that separated New College from USF, so they can't call it just "New College." I don't have a problem with it... it's probably best to show where it's located since many people have never heard of it.
All of these comments are very interesting! NCF folks always produce great constructive criticism, probably because they're so smart.
I do graphic and web design for a living. I agree with most of the comments about not liking these options. This is not professional branding. New College should really re-start this process if they want to take it seriously. The last (current) version of the NC logo was already weird enough. Is a professional being hired out for this or is it a student or someone that has another job at New College?
Back to the drawing board. Lose the "of". Lose the script. Lose the rotated type. Keep "Florida"; there are too many New Colleges floating around. Finding a place for the bug seems like the hardest problem; B&D are the most successful in that respect, but fail for other reasons. Maybe try D with a sans Roman "Florida", no "of".
I don't understand this statement, repeated in several places, about the project: "It does NOT involve redesigning the Four Winds seal established by our founders. The seal will remain the core element that expresses who we are and will be used in a number of official capacities." That is contradicted by the assertion that the seal portion of the logo does not reproduce well in small sizes (a purported reason for redesigning the logo), and by the fact that the four choices for the logo do NOT incorporate the real seal, but rather a crude representation of it. What's the purpose of this obviously false statement? Bottom line, if you can't do any better than this, leave it alone.
Pretty sure they're still going to use the seal on New College diplomas, some merchandise, etc. It just will not be incorporated into the logo due the aforementioned sizing down issues.
Option A is the best option. The other just look like ass. I guess the new Four Winds symbol is OK but will take some getting used to with the thicker line.
There seems to be general agreement that none of these is all that great and some are awful. Personally, I think the current logo is better than any of them. Get rid of the words "the honors college of" and change whatever details make the printing of various sizes difficult, and I'd be happier than with any of the new proposed logos.
The new four winds looks primitive, like a rock carving. Please keep the sophisticated old winds and do what it takes to make it work. It is very important. Simple is better. Working with what you have, I'll take A without the line extension, with the old winds larger and lowered to center to the words. Definitely make the "of Florida" smaller, it is not as important as "New College" or eliminate it entirely. Just the New College and the Old Winds would be simple and timeless. The coloring is fine, color to show spirit will be tacky, the spirit is in old winds. All the other designs are rubbish due to gimmicky fonts and layout, they will age badly, and do not make sense. We are New College, that is our name and it needs to be together to read that way. We are not rebranded potato chips, or tourist t-shirts, and I'd really prefer if we aren't primitive rock carvings as well.
Can you please hire a real graphic designer to come up with something that will actually look good? These choices are all terrible. I'm sure there are at least a couple alums that are now working in graphic design and branding. Let's harness that NC creativity!
I think something can be done to simplify the Four Winds symbol without putting it in a circle, but rather keeping some of its current square-like form.
And I strongly feel that we need to avoid script from C&D, completely unprofessional. Differing font sizes are also bad. TimK's version is marginally acceptable... I would still recommend some redesign work on the simplified logo to make it look more windy and less like film reel or a yarn ball.
While I agree that the NC logo needs a redesign, these are all terrible options-- for the reasons everyone else has already articulated.
Please hire a talented graphic design/branding team for this project so that New College can have a classic and timeless logo. I also feel very strongly that the script fonts are completely unprofessional and gimmicky.
Primarily, I want a logo that looks sharp and impressive on a transcript, not something flashy to look at as one cruises down US-41.
P.S. Option A (while clearly the best of this group, for what that's worth) seems like a logo for a Catholic school-- The Four Winds symbol looks like the top of a crozier!
The insipidness of the proposed re-designs suggests that this project should be turned over to a professional--and extremely talented--graphic designer instead of being entrusted to a committee of well-meaning but incompetent amateurs.
I'm so relieved no one likes these designs. I thought I was being a snob. PLEASE hire another designer. All four look amateurish and unprofessional. Those script fonts will be dated in about a year. Actually, they already are. The four winds symbol now looks like a Celtic cross. Or a hubcap. Have you had a look at the logos of other prestigious universities? They do not look like these. The four choices have the feel of a church newsletter. Do not be afraid to reject these designs and hire someone else with a better feel for design.
So this is apparently who is working on the logo redesign. Just a cursory look through their portfolio shows a wealth of mediocre designs for small colleges. Fabulous. http://jensendesignstudio.com/
I do not like the cartoonish version of the four winds emblem. The font on "A" is the best of this batch, I suppose. Honestly, can't we do better? Don't we have an alum who is talented and capable?
None of the above. If the brand does not include the original four winds logo, but some (much worse) alternate version, then it IS effectively a redesign of the only logo that most people will see. The transparent excuse that "the original logo will still be in...um, places" is lame. So it doesn't downsize well...that's a fact of every pre-computer logo (including Harvard's and Oxford's), not a reason to destroy it.
If you were hoping to express "gravitas" in the four proposed designs, you have completely missed that boat. These designs are all failures in so many ways; please start over with a new graphic artist. What is offered here for our consideration is crude, amateurish, childish, insipid--what more needs to be said? Please be serious about this project. New College isn't a new kind of potato chip or candy bar that needs "branding"--New College deserves a better effort than this.
PLEASE no more script fonts. Give us a fresh, yet professional design that reflects the academic rigor of the school, not something that looks as though it belongs to a beauty school.
The Four Winds logo is tragic and over simplified, it has completely lost its meaning in these designs.
Hello from the logo redesign team. We appreciate the feedback and are in the process of reviewing all of the comments we've received via this blog, as well as through the College's social media channels and those of the alumnae/i association and student forum. We are also in the process of reviewing the preliminary results of the logo redesign survey, which currently includes more than 1,300 responses from students, prospective students, alumni, faculty, staff and others who are interested in New College. At present, that survey indicates a strong majority of votes favoring design "A" or some modification of that design. Within the coming few days we will begin the process of incorporating your ideas and suggestions into revised designs and an updated survey to see if we can address some of the issues you have raised. We also are putting together a brief video to better explain the history, rationale, criteria and parameters behind the logo redesign project. As we do so, we look forward to your continued feedback and comments, and encourage you to please remember that while all comments are welcome and worthy of consideration the ethos and spirit of New College are to be respectful and to offer criticism in a constructive fashion. Many thanks!
I suggest that you will get many more designs and much better designs if NCF creates a design contest that lasts for a month. I suggest you offer a $1000 prize and pay the extra $50 to make the contest private so that no one can get your ideas for free (the designers who enter the contest will be able to see the other entries, but that's good because sometimes one designer's idea sparks creativity in others). During the time the contest runs you can rank the designs and give comments about the results so that will give designers an idea of which submissions are closer to what you want, which is feedback that helps generate more designs. The more defined you make your design criteria, the better quality you'll get from the results.
If you look at some of the results from the public contests, you will see that the quality of the work is much better than what you've been getting so far.
Here's a recent contest that isn't private, so you can see some of the designs that were submitted - before you look at the results (432 suggested designs), read the design criteria that generated them.
It is the ethos and spirit of New College to reflect high standards. The designs have been roundly rejected because they are a failure at design. Give me 3 weeks and I will deliver a new round that meets professional standards. All due respect to the designer but this is currently beyond their skills. The supervising team is also incapable of discerning minimum standards. Seriously - this is the worst branding exercise I have ever seen.
The design group is obviously in denial based on their response. Your focus group is giving you a resounding thumbs down. Wake up.
Thank you for your feedback, Hank. We are, indeed, paying attention and re-evaluating based on the public responses and those submitted via the survey. The beauty of this process is that nothing is final yet. We've always known our students and alumnae/i to be passionate and engaged and, thus, we wanted to be sure we included you in the process. Thus far, the feedback has provided us with highly useful and specific information about what is most important (and less important) to New College alumnae/i and students in how a logo might somehow express the unique spirit and intellectual rigor of New College. … So, no, we’re not there yet, but we thank you for your patience as we continue the process.
In my opinion, "D" is the strongest. Although I am not generally a fan of script-style fonts on anything, they do convey a pretty accurate Florida vibe. The lockup is strong, and it reads correctly.
ReplyDeleteB just doesn't read "New College of Florida" to me. It looks more like "College Florida" with "New" attached. Reads more like packaging copy: "New Look, Same Great Taste!"
Option A looks like there should be a kitten running after that unravelling ball of yarn.
The problem seems to be that the words are too dependent on the Four Winds logo in order for the formatting to be attractive. The two parts need to be able to stand well on their own (see: Columbia University, Sarah Lawrence College, Harvard, University of Illinois).
ReplyDeleteC and D should be eliminated simply because the script-style typeface will look outdated in 5 years. D would be stronger if the two fonts were not so radically different. "of Florida" should not be in a script-style font, it's unprofessional.
B does not read correctly (no "of") and putting "New" on its side is confusing and gimmicky.
In my opinion, A is the most acceptable with two modifications: the four winds logo should not be connected to the line (the line should stop under the E) and it should be moved down slightly so that the middle of the logo is in line with the middle of the E.
Who the heck is doing this? I think you need to have considered the branding message of the college and not just ease of replication! These are all amateurish and lack the intellectual branding of a superior academic institution. The updated logo looks like one for a holistic health shop selling pseudo homeopathic and bogus shamanistic products. These don’t represent a very enlightened understanding of branding.
ReplyDeleteA. looks like a film school
B. What is more important, the name of the college or the state it's in? Put Florida on its side and New above college.
C. is ridiculous - unless NC is becoming a beauty college.
D. Why is New in a larger font than College? And it’s not NEW – College Florida. It’s New College. Does Florida have to be used at all? (It now seems silly – Do you still need to distinguish this New College from other “New Colleges” like “New College Oxford”?)
"Of Florida" is necessary to distinguish New College as part of Florida's State University System. It's written into the law that separated New College from USF, so they can't call it just "New College."
DeleteI agree with the first Anonymous, in every respect. Make his/her changes and restore the Four Winds logo to what it was, which is elegant and timeless. The new effort is crude, and looks like it is part of a pseudo Asian tattoo.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I agree with these anonymous' as well, barring the pseudo Asian tattoo part. I'm more on the it looks like a rock carving side. Anyways, these don't look very professional...
DeleteI think all of them are problematic. Let me try to explain why:
ReplyDelete* All of them use a streamlined version of the Four Winds logo. This removes a lot of character from the original logo, and a lot of the wildness, a problem since it's supposed to represent a force of nature (and it did a good job of representing the college). Moreover, because the winds are so streamlined, the logo inadvertently emphasises the spaces *between* the winds--surely not the right focus.
* Of all of them, the typography of A is the best--because it's consistent. But the use of the logo makes no sense--that line suggests that it isn't an abstract representation of the four winds on the Earth, but rather a wheel rolling along. This is the graphical equivalent of mixing metaphors. An alternative would be to have that line showing at the logo's midpoint--suggesting the orbit of the Earth. The logo would have to be larger for that. However, I think you'd be back to something like mixing metaphors, because the logo is a more poetic representation of the Earth & its climate. That line ain't poetic.
* B is a non-starter because it's lopsided. The designers were trying to balance a circle (the logo) with a pillar ('New'), the first of which is small, and the second of which is rather larger. Their attempt was unsuccessful.
* In some sense, C rivals A for the closest to success, because at least the 'New' revives some of the wildness of the original logo. But with *this* version of the logo, it doesn't work--again, the logo is too streamlined. Furthermore, you're mixing *three* fonts here--which brings to mind the 'ransom note' style of 'desktop publishing' (as it was then called) in the 1980s. And guaranteed, that script typeface will force you to revisit the design in a few years, because it will age poorly.
* D is another non-starter: I get that you use grey to de-emphasise some elements of the design (particularly 'of Florida', which is clearly subordinate to 'New College'). But why on Earth would you de-emphasise your own logo? Also, that 1950s-tourist-ad 'of Florida' typeface is surely not the right image you want for your design. Sure, there are swaying palm trees and people fish in Florida. Do you mean to suggest that people at New College spend their time relaxing and not working hard? Because that's not how I remember it.
* Finally, mixing typefaces (as in C), type weights (as in B) or type sizes (as in D) for the name 'New College' makes little sense: we don't think of it as the 'New' College of Florida--after all, it's over 40 years old and other Florida colleges are newer--it's the 'New College'. If you need to divide up the words, it's clearly going to be a divide between 'New College' and 'of Florida' (as you did with A).
I haven't even delved into how none of these represent the spirit of New College. I'm not saying the design has to be tie-dyed, but blue & grey? And a mechanical, robotic logo? Really?
I don't know where you are in the design stage. I hope this isn't the end. If I were you, I'd fire your designers and start afresh.
Well said and great points. They all sort of look like a very rough first draft & a lot of work clearly needs to be done.
DeleteI agree for the most part and thank you for your critique. I would add that for D, greying out the logo is functional as it reduces emphasis on a weak element. Does anyone think this clunky version of the symbol is better than the elegant traditional one? It seems not, since even the initial communication about this redesign expresses ambivalence, saying that element will not change. But then, it is changed, dramatically, and we are apparently not supposed to notice. Really? It seems the problem with the new 4 Winds logo is enough to warrant a new approach.
DeleteAs for the other graphic elements: The problems in A created by that line are manifest, but for me the association was wheel> machine> mass production> diploma mill, and that is a total fail.
It seems obvious that the script font idea is misguided, so C and D are out. It seems obvious that designs failing to unify "New" and "College" are catastrophic, so that means B is out. A is out because the line says all the wrong things. And that is even if you liked the new 4 winds symbol, which it seems few, if any, do. If I was the client I would not fire the designer. I would fire the people who presented these designs to me.
I don't like any of these. How about something simple like the original Four Winds logo with the latin inscription around it (Novum Collegium, etc) with the words "New College" next to it in a compatible font?
ReplyDeleteAgree with what others have said. Really? This is the best? Why not tap into New College talent and have students and alumni submit their ideas and after narrowing it present it for voting?
ReplyDeleteGreat idea!
DeleteI agree, they're all much weaker than the current logo. I hate the script (anti-gravitas), especially in "C"—it looks like you're rolling out a new air-freshener scent. "B" makes no sense without the "of," and just looks pushy. "A" is the least bad to my taste, but I still don't like the serif font, especially the top of the "N." It looks like it's been clipped off, and the letter is leaning to the right as though it had been shoved in the shoulder by a rude typesetter. Basic, everyday Times New Roman looks better than that.
ReplyDeleteCan you post what the 4 Winds logo on the wayfinding signage looks like?
ReplyDeleteI think r did an excellent job of articulating my discomfort with the four options.
These are all terrible!
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, I agree with many of the comments. I don't like the rather stamp-like appearance of the 4 winds logo. The fonts seem uninspired and the relationship of words to symbol undeveloped.
ReplyDeleteI would agree with the negative critiques, but would like to offer an alternative version of 'A'. The design process may be too advanced to start over, but the existing options are weak. I have posted a tweak of version 'A' at the NC Alumnae/i Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/groups/4618861715/
ReplyDeleteYours is a lot better...
DeleteSO much better.
DeleteI don't like any of them. Version "A" is the least offensive, but that's the best I can say about it. The other versions are not serious, even laughable, recalling all of these superficial, nonsensical discussions about "branding" that one hears so often. And why can't New College simply be known as "New College"? Adding "of Florida" to the name makes the college seem local, regional, provincial. Proclaiming in our name that we are the "honors college of Florida" is no great distinction, either. Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Stanford, New College--that's all that is needed.
ReplyDelete"Of Florida" is necessary to distinguish New College as part of Florida's State University System. It's written into the law that separated New College from USF, so they can't call it just "New College." I don't have a problem with it... it's probably best to show where it's located since many people have never heard of it.
DeleteAll of these comments are very interesting! NCF folks always produce great constructive criticism, probably because they're so smart.
I do graphic and web design for a living. I agree with most of the comments about not liking these options. This is not professional branding. New College should really re-start this process if they want to take it seriously. The last (current) version of the NC logo was already weird enough. Is a professional being hired out for this or is it a student or someone that has another job at New College?
ReplyDeleteBack to the drawing board. Lose the "of". Lose the script. Lose the rotated type. Keep "Florida"; there are too many New Colleges floating around. Finding a place for the bug seems like the hardest problem; B&D are the most successful in that respect, but fail for other reasons. Maybe try D with a sans Roman "Florida", no "of".
ReplyDeleteI agree with the people who suggested some sort of logo submission contest. I think the current submissions fail to achieve the expressed goals.
ReplyDeleteI don't understand this statement, repeated in several places, about the project:
ReplyDelete"It does NOT involve redesigning the Four Winds seal established by our founders. The seal will remain the core element that expresses who we are and will be used in a number of official capacities."
That is contradicted by the assertion that the seal portion of the logo does not reproduce well in small sizes (a purported reason for redesigning the logo), and by the fact that the four choices for the logo do NOT incorporate the real seal, but rather a crude representation of it. What's the purpose of this obviously false statement?
Bottom line, if you can't do any better than this, leave it alone.
Pretty sure they're still going to use the seal on New College diplomas, some merchandise, etc. It just will not be incorporated into the logo due the aforementioned sizing down issues.
DeleteOption A is the best option. The other just look like ass. I guess the new Four Winds symbol is OK but will take some getting used to with the thicker line.
ReplyDeleteThere seems to be general agreement that none of these is all that great and some are awful. Personally, I think the current logo is better than any of them. Get rid of the words "the honors college of" and change whatever details make the printing of various sizes difficult, and I'd be happier than with any of the new proposed logos.
ReplyDeleteScript font looks stupid and amateurish. A and B are best.
ReplyDeleteThe new four winds looks primitive, like a rock carving. Please keep the sophisticated old winds and do what it takes to make it work. It is very important. Simple is better. Working with what you have, I'll take A without the line extension, with the old winds larger and lowered to center to the words. Definitely make the "of Florida" smaller, it is not as important as "New College" or eliminate it entirely. Just the New College and the Old Winds would be simple and timeless. The coloring is fine, color to show spirit will be tacky, the spirit is in old winds. All the other designs are rubbish due to gimmicky fonts and layout, they will age badly, and do not make sense. We are New College, that is our name and it needs to be together to read that way. We are not rebranded potato chips, or tourist t-shirts, and I'd really prefer if we aren't primitive rock carvings as well.
ReplyDeleteCan you please hire a real graphic designer to come up with something that will actually look good? These choices are all terrible. I'm sure there are at least a couple alums that are now working in graphic design and branding. Let's harness that NC creativity!
ReplyDeleteI think something can be done to simplify the Four Winds symbol without putting it in a circle, but rather keeping some of its current square-like form.
ReplyDeleteAnd I strongly feel that we need to avoid script from C&D, completely unprofessional. Differing font sizes are also bad. TimK's version is marginally acceptable... I would still recommend some redesign work on the simplified logo to make it look more windy and less like film reel or a yarn ball.
While I agree that the NC logo needs a redesign, these are all terrible options-- for the reasons everyone else has already articulated.
ReplyDeletePlease hire a talented graphic design/branding team for this project so that New College can have a classic and timeless logo. I also feel very strongly that the script fonts are completely unprofessional and gimmicky.
Primarily, I want a logo that looks sharp and impressive on a transcript, not something flashy to look at as one cruises down US-41.
P.S. Option A (while clearly the best of this group, for what that's worth) seems like a logo for a Catholic school-- The Four Winds symbol looks like the top of a crozier!
w-w-well, this just a bunch o' flam-flam! Mr. Potter must have m-m-made these designs! Your damn monkee bit me!! -- Jimmy Stewart
ReplyDeleteThe insipidness of the proposed re-designs suggests that this project should be turned over to a professional--and extremely talented--graphic designer instead of being entrusted to a committee of well-meaning but incompetent amateurs.
ReplyDeleteI'm so relieved no one likes these designs. I thought I was being a snob. PLEASE hire another designer. All four look amateurish and unprofessional. Those script fonts will be dated in about a year. Actually, they already are. The four winds symbol now looks like a Celtic cross. Or a hubcap. Have you had a look at the logos of other prestigious universities? They do not look like these. The four choices have the feel of a church newsletter. Do not be afraid to reject these designs and hire someone else with a better feel for design.
ReplyDeleteSo this is apparently who is working on the logo redesign. Just a cursory look through their portfolio shows a wealth of mediocre designs for small colleges. Fabulous. http://jensendesignstudio.com/
ReplyDeletehttp://jensendesignstudio.com/our-work/new-college-of-florida/
DeleteI think that New College needs to look at The Branding Garden. That Elizabeth Hall knows her stuff.
Deletehttp://www.thebrandinggarden.com/The_Branding_Garden/Home.html
these are all terrible. please, start over.
ReplyDeleteI do not like the cartoonish version of the four winds emblem. The font on "A" is the best of this batch, I suppose. Honestly, can't we do better? Don't we have an alum who is talented and capable?
ReplyDeleteNone of the above. If the brand does not include the original four winds logo, but some (much worse) alternate version, then it IS effectively a redesign of the only logo that most people will see. The transparent excuse that "the original logo will still be in...um, places" is lame. So it doesn't downsize well...that's a fact of every pre-computer logo (including Harvard's and Oxford's), not a reason to destroy it.
ReplyDeleteIf you were hoping to express "gravitas" in the four proposed designs, you have completely missed that boat. These designs are all failures in so many ways; please start over with a new graphic artist. What is offered here for our consideration is crude, amateurish, childish, insipid--what more needs to be said? Please be serious about this project. New College isn't a new kind of potato chip or candy bar that needs "branding"--New College deserves a better effort than this.
ReplyDeletePLEASE no more script fonts. Give us a fresh, yet professional design that reflects the academic rigor of the school, not something that looks as though it belongs to a beauty school.
ReplyDeleteThe Four Winds logo is tragic and over simplified, it has completely lost its meaning in these designs.
Hello from the logo redesign team. We appreciate the feedback and are in the process of reviewing all of the comments we've received via this blog, as well as through the College's social media channels and those of the alumnae/i association and student forum. We are also in the process of reviewing the preliminary results of the logo redesign survey, which currently includes more than 1,300 responses from students, prospective students, alumni, faculty, staff and others who are interested in New College. At present, that survey indicates a strong majority of votes favoring design "A" or some modification of that design. Within the coming few days we will begin the process of incorporating your ideas and suggestions into revised designs and an updated survey to see if we can address some of the issues you have raised. We also are putting together a brief video to better explain the history, rationale, criteria and parameters behind the logo redesign project. As we do so, we look forward to your continued feedback and comments, and encourage you to please remember that while all comments are welcome and worthy of consideration the ethos and spirit of New College are to be respectful and to offer criticism in a constructive fashion. Many thanks!
ReplyDeleteI suggest that you will get many more designs and much better designs if NCF creates a design contest that lasts for a month. I suggest you offer a $1000 prize and pay the extra $50 to make the contest private so that no one can get your ideas for free (the designers who enter the contest will be able to see the other entries, but that's good because sometimes one designer's idea sparks creativity in others). During the time the contest runs you can rank the designs and give comments about the results so that will give designers an idea of which submissions are closer to what you want, which is feedback that helps generate more designs. The more defined you make your design criteria, the better quality you'll get from the results.
ReplyDeleteIf you look at some of the results from the public contests, you will see that the quality of the work is much better than what you've been getting so far.
Here's a recent contest that isn't private, so you can see some of the designs that were submitted - before you look at the results (432 suggested designs), read the design criteria that generated them.
http://www.logomyway.com/contestView.php?contestId=8204
I prefer the old one. If you must change it, I'll echo the previous comments: present us with some new designs.
ReplyDeleteIt is the ethos and spirit of New College to reflect high standards. The designs have been roundly rejected because they are a failure at design. Give me 3 weeks and I will deliver a new round that meets professional standards. All due respect to the designer but this is currently beyond their skills. The supervising team is also incapable of discerning minimum standards. Seriously - this is the worst branding exercise I have ever seen.
ReplyDeleteThe design group is obviously in denial based on their response. Your focus group is giving you a resounding thumbs down. Wake up.
hankblumenthal --@--gmail.com
Thank you for your feedback, Hank. We are, indeed, paying attention and re-evaluating based on the public responses and those submitted via the survey. The beauty of this process is that nothing is final yet. We've always known our students and alumnae/i to be passionate and engaged and, thus, we wanted to be sure we included you in the process. Thus far, the feedback has provided us with highly useful and specific information about what is most important (and less important) to New College alumnae/i and students in how a logo might somehow express the unique spirit and intellectual rigor of New College. … So, no, we’re not there yet, but we thank you for your patience as we continue the process.
DeleteHow much was spent on these samples?
ReplyDelete