Branding, Culture, Politics, and Everything in Between

Just a quickie: my university (and current employer) has announced the winning design in the identity competition.

The winning design by Rasmus Snabb

I’m not ready to give my opinion just yet, I need to digest it first. Right now I think Helvetica might have been too obvious a choice for the font, especially if the designer had gone for something “different”. But I have to admit, this isn’t something you would expect to see from a top level university as their logo. And it’s been fun to watch people’s reactions all over the web.

Update: here is the designer’s justification for the design:

The logo doesn’t have a static visual form, it can be endlessly rearranged and changed. The typeface Helvetica has been chosen because it is the most “meaningless” typeface. The primary colours are used because in this combination the have no symbolic value but merely represent “all colours”.

That’s an interesting justification. If they get the right agency to implement the design and they introduce good color palettes for different departments etc, it could really lead to something. It’s starting to win me over a bit.

Also, I’ve seen the logo parodied a bunch of times already. It’s simple to copy (by any standard) and it’s becoming instantly recognizable. Are we seeing the birth of a true design icon already?

Update2: Wow, now we have an Aalto logo generator!

Update3: And another one!

Update 4: And now there’s even an Aalto identity website converter

Wow, I think my gut instinct was right. This identity is incredibly viral, and already downright iconic.

Here it is:

In this lecture I went through the most important findings of my thesis. At the end of the lecture you’ll find my model of brand building by shifting focus from one brand building model to another as the brand matures. I’d welcome comments on that.

Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in.

I’ve accepted a position at Aalto University’s Media Factory initiative as a researcher. This also marks the start of my doctorate studies. Yes, I’m aiming for a PhD in marketing.

This is basically what Media Factory does:

1. Media technologies
Paper and press technologies, (mass-produced print product/art print), ‘after paper’, the digital media, the future Internet

2. Media production and management
Journalistic working processes, interactivity, the public as a producer, formation of information, media economics and management

3. Media concepts and communications behaviour
Media concepts such as periodicals, Internet applications, games, the cinema, and audiovisual media. Communications behaviour such as the consumers’ use of media, media psychology and basic research on media concepts.

I’m interested in all three, but #3 is where I aim to really specialize. My interest is in how media (new and old) work in diffusing cultural meanings, especially on the internet where meanings flow so much faster but in many directions.

Wish me luck. I’m going offline for two weeks, I’m going to have a little vacation before I engulf myself in research.