USU searches for a new look
A new logo is in the works as part of a marketing campaign aimed at giving Utah State University a more consistent image.
There is confusion about what the symbol of USU is, and this creates confusion about what USU is about, said John DeVilbiss, executive director of the integrated marketing project.
“There is no single overriding theme,” DeVilbiss said. “We are telling people, ‘You decipher what we are.'”
DeVilbiss has been working with Tim Vitale and Whitney Wilkinson, both of the public relations and marketing department for the university to come up with a new logo, or word mark.
The current word mark, created in 1994, consists of “Utah State” in bold letters, with the word “University” in smaller letters underneath. This logo was initially hand drawn, then converted later to a computer font, Vitale said.
USU is at a different place than it was in 1994, DeVilbiss said, and he feels like the visual representation of the university should change to reflect that.
While a new logo is just a part of a bigger project aimed at bringing consistency to USU’s image, it is the most visual part, Wilkinson said.
In creating this new logo the team was looking to emphasize what they see as USU’s strengths: the center for persons with disability, and research in various areas including space and water, Vitale said. As universities become increasingly competitive, USU is trying to find its niche in the state and nation, he said.
In September, a team of two student and two professional designers from Carnegie Communication were hired to design the new logo, DeVilbiss said. Working with a list of USU descriptors, such as dynamic, forward thinking and innovative, they designed more than 50 logos.
These 50 logos were pared down to three which were then shown to various student, professional and interest groups.
“The point is to be inclusive and gather feedback,” Wilkinson said.
However, the results of these focus groups were not conclusive.
“Nothing exploded off the screen,” DeVilbiss said. “We’re not getting the ‘wow’ we want.”
The team will continue developing the plan over the summer, and Wilkinson said she hopes to see the group test the new logos in the fall. There is a possibility, Wilkinson said, that the word mark won’t be changed at all, if continued research shows that the new logo is not getting the ‘wow’ factor they looking for.
-dmaxfield@cc.usu.edu