We’re just weeks into the 2014 season of college football, but team camaraderie has already kicked into high gear. From polished helmets to vibrant spandex and face paint, you can’t deny the unifying impact of strong brand design.
Off the field, however, it can be trickier to maintain a consistent brand throughout campus and online. For higher education, especially, a brand identity encompasses so much more than letterheads and business cards. The visual elements of a school or university represent more than a business; they reflect the legacy of that institution. Generations of loyal alumni are proof enough that the roots of advocacy run deep.
With this in mind, we as designers understand the importance of adhering to brand standards in an educational setting. We also understand that style guides are often void of direction for a lot of critical elements. It’s up to the designers to ensure plans moving forward maintain the essence of the brand. So where do we begin?
1. Understand the values and mission of the school
As designers, we’re used to digesting the brand standards handed to us at the beginning of a project. From the typefaces used to the color palette, visual elements play strongly into the school’s identity. But often these packets also paint a picture of the integrity of the organization – and it is this message that we hope to convey in whatever we are designing.
2. Design beyond the paper
Spatial design is an often-underused component of branding. As explained earlier, style guides don’t usually include specifications of lobby furniture or outdoor architectural elements to be used, but that doesn’t mean a designer should decorate or build a space based on personal preference. An Eames chair is aesthetically pleasing, sure, but it may not be the right choice for a university’s school of medicine.
3. Find new ways to express the brand
A university presents the unique challenge of maintaining its historical integrity while also incorporating a sense of innovation. Each year floods of prospective freshmen, family and alumni visit for Homecoming and orientation weekends. A strong brand design should reflect the modern student.
4. Adopt a cohesive mindset
Often times, designers will be asked to not only extend a brand identity to the surrounding space, but to also harmoniously merge multiple brands together. Going back to the school of medicine, for example, spatial design might need to reflect a sterile, modern approach to healthcare – but the core brand of the university can’t be lost. Below you can read about a specific example of the work we did for two institutions.
Recent Scholastic Design Projects
A recent project involved merging two brands into one system to provide a youthful, fun environment for students ranging from Kindergarten to 12th grade. The Washington University mySci Resource Center is a new facility that melds two separate entities’ branding, the university’s Institute for School Partnership (ISP) and mySci, a science education program developed in conjunction with Monsanto.
The main challenge was to integrate both brands into one cohesive space. Washington University’s prestigious reputation is not typically associated with elementary children, so we blended the mySci color palette with the university’s formal signage.
Inside, the spatial design featured a blend of modern touches with youthful energy. The fun science-themed icons that wrapped around the exterior were replicated on the walls inside. The donor wall showcases the names of generous organizations and people with a Fibonacci-sequence art piece – creating the “golden spiral” that is seen frequently in nature.
Branding vs. Design vs. Apples vs. Oranges
Branding and design are complementary – an essential pairing, even – but they still have distinct purposes. A brand identity platform will direct and influence the type of design incorporated into a school – but sometimes to use the space to its full potential, the identity needs to be looked at a little differently, whether that means pulling inspiration from multiple brands or experimenting with a new demographic.
For help with finding new ways to express your brand, get in touch with Blake at BlakeE@theswitch.us.
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