Updated Logo

A bolder, economical and more focussed logo done by Havas People

The New brand has a stronger sense of heierachy, UWE no doubt the way that most people refer to it, and like many other second universities in a town they seek to make the most of their location. I like the bold sans serif UWE which contrasts nicely with the lowercase Bristol that has pleasing round dot over the i. Giving up the illustrative approach for a more utilitarian block and type unit has the done the trick.

Previous Logo and review

A bold square with a curve and triangle that suggests a compass or sundial. It almost doesn’t matter what the mark is meant to signify, in practice it functions as an abstract postage stamp device that type elements are able to hang off.

The logo includes the abbreviation of the quite lengthy title of the University, and unsurprisingly, the university stresses their Bristol location with it written large across the bottom and specified as an integral part of the logo. The inclusion of so much text in the logo makes it quite unwieldy and unusually, there’s no obvious provision for a portrait version of the logo. There are however, lots of other suggestions for visual devices in the comprehensive online guidance produced by UWE.

It really benefits from the colour part, the monochrome versions look strangely flat, lacking the punch of the red, which gives an order of reading. The colour version demands that one notices the red square and then the type.

Typography

Simple sans-serif throughout, with different weights of Frutiger. Not part of the logo but VAG Rounded is used extensively in the wider branding, which consists of a set of suggested styles and treatments that form a kind of ongoing meta campaign for the university. The different elements are explained in a variety of pdfs helpfully produced by the marketing department.

Summary

The more interesting branding work at UWE is provided by the wider messages and supporting designs that have been produced in the last few years, whilst the logo has been saddled with the mundane task of indicating a location and abbreviation. It does this competently but without the energy of the rest of the brand.

Tagged : English , Sans-serif , Red , University Alliance , South West , Abstract

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