The administration unveiled a new graphic identity this month and officials hope the look becomes synonymous with success, tradition, innovation, and the 乱伦社区.
The central administration officially introduced a new look for the three-campus 乱伦社区 system on Dec. 2. The new logo, which is anchored by an abstraction of the familiar columns, will replace the UW that has been used since the late 1980s. It鈥檚 part of a communication strategy that was initiated under former President Richard L. McCormick.
Specifically, the signature identity is intended to show respect for the institution鈥檚 long and rich tradition while also showcasing the UW鈥檚 new reality as a dynamic institution with a national and international reach. Therefore it was important the new look distinguish this UW from the University of Wisconsin and the University of Wyoming, for example.
鈥淥ne goal was to build an identity that would make us readily recognizable to a broad audience as Washington and not some other UW,鈥� according to Harry Hayward, the director of strategic communications for University Relations.
Other goals were to create an identity that could serve all three campuses and to emphasize the color purple. But more importantly the new identity, Hayward says, speaks to the public鈥檚 connection with the University.
Vice President for University Relations Jack Faris, while pleased with the new look, cautions that a graphic identity can only do so much.
鈥淢y attitude is that there鈥檚 value in doing this, but no one ever solved a communication problem by creating a new graphic identity. That said, I do think the design team did an outstanding job in creating a visual identity that will serve the University very well.鈥�
The column is the most distinct feature of the new identity and it ties into a powerful symbol that members of the UW community can easily relate too. The columns come from the porch of the Territorial University Building, constructed in 1861 in what is now downtown Seattle. They were removed when the building was torn down and stored until 1911 when they were moved to the current campus. The columns have stood in Sylvan Theatre since 1921 and are all that remains of the University鈥檚 first building.
The type is another important element of the identity. The words 鈥淯niversity of鈥� are in a modern, sans-serif font 鈥� GilSans. The word 鈥淲ashington鈥� is in the more traditional Goudy. Together the typefaces represent both the institution鈥檚 long-standing tradition of excellence and its focus on innovation in the classroom, laboratory and throughout the community.
Another important feature of the visual identity, Hayward points out, is that it was designed with the end users in mind.
鈥淲hat鈥檚 perhaps most important about the design is not the single signature itself, but the fact that this is the first time that there鈥檚 been a system of design,鈥� he said. 鈥淚f you鈥檙e a school or a program or a college or just somebody writing a newsletter, you can look at this system of design and it can give you answers. It鈥檚 something that, wherever you are in the University, you can affiliate your program with. It鈥檚 flexible, but it also gives you a chance to really refresh your own publication.鈥�
Individual departments and units won鈥檛 be told they have to use the new logo, especially those with their own visual identity programs. But they will be encouraged to adopt the new program absent their own, according to Hayward.
鈥淭his is a place that values the freedom of thought and values entrepreneurship at the unit level,鈥� he said. 鈥淪o to rigidly impose a system of design simply is to take away a lot of that spirit. We want to provide an opportunity for a design that鈥檚 cool and that appeals to people and one they want to adopt, we hope with some enthusiasm.鈥�
In fact, established visual identities that are easily identifiable in the community, like the Business School, for example, will continue to be used, Hayward said. 鈥淲e want this new signature to be used in concert with those, so that they don鈥檛 oppose each other. We鈥檝e provided some ways in the identity standards that the two can live simultaneously.鈥�
The identity standards can be found on the University Relations Web site, .