Opinion BY Armin

A Scientific Identity

Located in Enschede, Netherlands Universiteit Twente (UT) is a world renown educational institution with a focus on subjects that would make your head explode like behavioral sciences, engineering technology, computer science and nanotechnology among many other areas offering bachelor and graduate degrees as well as PhDs. As part of a €2.2-million expense, UT has redesigned its identity and exchanged its old tagline, “the entrepreneurial university,” for a period. Courtesy of Studio Dumbar.

Brand animation by buro Knapzak.

The new identity is not the easiest to accept. Two main elements have been removed — the icon and the tagline — and for most people nothing has been given in return, after all, couldn’t just about anyone typeset the university’s name in Univers, add a period, and cash a check? Yes, they sure could. Peppered along with the wordmark is science-inspired flotsam and jetsam, which is the cornerstone of the identity. Again, to many, these might just look like bad clip art or scans of not-so-old science books. In short, most critics of this identity — and, apparently there are many, including students who made this funny video — would be right to express concern.

Studio Dumbar’s strategy director, Tom Dorresteijn, explains the design. In Dutch.

I am predisposed to like anything that comes out of Studio Dumbar, I have admired the work for a very long time, but I’m afraid I can’t get excited about this one. The use of Univers — especially at a point in type design history with so many superb sans serif typefaces — and its all uppercase execution in this case feels extremely dated. More than thirteen years ago, writer and critic Max Bruinsma wrote, “Studio Dumbar’s techniques of three-dimensional typography, staged photography and his generous use of decorative elements like bent lines and dots (coined ‘the measles’ by critics), have been copied to such an extent that his name has become a verb: ‘to dumbar’ means: ‘to be shamelessly decorative’.” As a die-hard fan I had always dismissed those criticisms of their work, but in this identity for UT I can’t deny the measle-like disposition of the visual elements.

In a way, this feels like the penultimate design round of this project, where one more push of the visual language and execution could have yielded something a little more spectacular, more contemporary and more visually contagious than just measles.

Thanks to Jort Braam for the tip.

DATE: Sep.30.2009CATEGORY: Education 37 COMMENTS

Nate B’s comment is:

I like it. Very clean and has precision & image complexity that parallels the subjects focused on by the university. Fitting for the school even if you're not a fan of the design.

On Sep.30.2009 at 09:44 AM

Andrew S’s comment is:

The art while based in math, looks more like biology and chemistry. This is confusing to a degree. I'm not to keen on the fact that it also looks like microscopic images of viruses and parasites.

While the wordmark is clean and sterile, it's also void of all character. This perhaps works well for a school of technology science.

I'm not a fan.

On Sep.30.2009 at 09:53 AM

Julio F’s comment is:

Wow, they've reinvented the wheel! I'm imagining a campus full o students proudly wearing t-shirts with a single dot.

On Sep.30.2009 at 09:56 AM

Shauna’s comment is:

Much better. Theuir old logo reminded me of a football which from the sound of the university didn't work well with them, the new plain logo works much better.

On Sep.30.2009 at 09:58 AM

ScottyM’s comment is:

Brilliance personified.

That first video is below-par quality, to say the least. Choppy with very poor production values. I watched it again to confirm my first impression -- poor cuts and shaky execution, and that's being nice.

The visual elements are interesting. Maybe even good. But the logo within is uninspiring, lost, and, quite frankly, thoughtless.

I'm baffled by this one.

On Sep.30.2009 at 10:06 AM

Benga’s comment is:

Much better than the old logo. It's much focus, simplistic and straight to the point without anything distracting additions. However, i do feel that the kern between each text is way to wide, and it can be reduce a bit more.

Benga creative

On Sep.30.2009 at 10:08 AM

ScottyM’s comment is:

Yo, who stole my "Sarcasm mode turned ON" in the above ^^^

It certainly needs to be there!

On Sep.30.2009 at 10:09 AM

Pamela L.’s comment is:

Wow! Talk about get to the point! That logo is as simple as a "Hello, my name is..." tag. But that's it.

Perhaps they feel they do not need to glamorize their university with sickly gradients and icons? If that's the case, then I like it.

Personally, I'd lose the period. I'm tired of the arrogance of a know-all-end-all period in a logo.

Cheers, everyone!

On Sep.30.2009 at 10:12 AM

Jason Schwartz’s comment is:

Well... it's definitely simple and straightforward.

I agree with Andrew S, this feels biological, not mathematical.

This will fly or die in execution, because the logo itself cannot stand up on it's own, it needs context.

On Sep.30.2009 at 10:15 AM

San Antonio Employment Lawyers’s comment is:

Got to go with the new one, straight to the point. Literally straight to the period.

On Sep.30.2009 at 10:40 AM

Robb Irrgang’s comment is:

Back in the day when I wanted to pursue a CS degree I checked out the UT. The logo feels more stiff than the impression I got from the campus, the students, the staff. Then again, the old one was such a stinker that it's an improvement. But I can't say it fit the 'vibe' 14 years ago.(I feel old now)

On Sep.30.2009 at 10:44 AM

Lauren B’s comment is:

ooooo I like the the all-caps clean look. Although it is not a strikingly unique identity, it is clean and well balanced, just like what the university offers in its science/math/engineering/etc classes. It also integrates well within the above designs. In a time when most schools are cutting back on good design (darn budget cuts), it is pleasing to see a university take action in updating their aesthetic.

On Sep.30.2009 at 11:12 AM

Nick’s comment is:

I think the animation is actually the strongest piece to the new brand. Unfortunately, I don't think it translate all the great in print at least from a brand perspective.

All in all though, I do think that the new brandmark is a vast improvement to the old one. The new one may not knock your socks off, I do like the period at the end. It's says this the university to go to, period.

As I'm writing this, I'm actually realizing the brandmark is showing a lot of restraint. Given what the university does, one could easily get carried away... and I'm wondering if that is the reason I'm not so against it.

The print pieces just seem thrown together...

On Sep.30.2009 at 11:55 AM

Ivan’s comment is:

" Although it is not a strikingly unique identity, it is clean and well balanced"... blah-blah-blah, come on, people!?! This is just Univers Condensed. PERIOD.

I fail to see anything ingenious here.

On Sep.30.2009 at 12:22 PM

Paula’s comment is:

Well hey, Art Center's logo is just an orange dot: http://www.artcenter.edu

On Sep.30.2009 at 12:22 PM

Rodrok’s comment is:

ok so they got the font... now they need to work on the logo...

On Sep.30.2009 at 12:59 PM

jonathan’s comment is:

This is strange. Unfortunately I don't know Dutch, maybe the video explains a lot, but I think the branding here is the animation. I've never seen anything like this before, and while I think its interesting, its definitely lacking.

All of this animation going on inside a period (or globe/world) and then it just sits really small next to this emotionless text. Don't get me wrong, I love Univers, but this whole bit is a stretch IMO. A for creativity, F for not sealing the deal.

On Sep.30.2009 at 01:10 PM

Jay Gutierrez’s comment is:

To me "simple" will always equal "classic", there's no denying the logo is cleaner and modern, I feel the new logo works best when viewed with the video, the logo alone does not do the job.

On Sep.30.2009 at 01:10 PM

jonathan’s comment is:

Oh, and don't even get me started on the kerning.

On Sep.30.2009 at 01:19 PM

BWJ’s comment is:

Love this.

On Sep.30.2009 at 02:37 PM

Jonathan Carnehl’s comment is:

Brilliant.

On Sep.30.2009 at 03:32 PM

Luc Doucedame’s comment is:

Love the logotype. Love the identity. While I do agree that there are a lot of great sans out there right now I don't believe that they'll stack up to Univers. This use of the typeface actually has a quite a bit of character to me and feels very appropriate. The period is a nice evolution from the old identity. There has been a push lately to have the i.d. carry most of the burden and let the logo do what it does best; be a succinct, legible representation of the brand. This is a great example of that. Over all - amazing work.

On Sep.30.2009 at 03:34 PM

Christopher’s comment is:

Simple clean, and easy to reproduce. That's really good for a university. It's all great to want to be design-y. To use typefaces that are new and different. But there's an enormous cost in that for a university. A cost that would be better spent elsewhere (and might even need to be spent elsewhere depending on tax laws). Using standard typefaces is an economical choice that works well across a university or a nonprofit. It's a guarantee that your project and brand will be implemented kinda, sorta close to what it was designed as. Universities are enormous organizations that are used to individual autonomy. There are a hundreds of stakeholders making individual decisions about the brand and the presentation of materials. So creating something easy and light with standard fonts, set in a single case, is a good way to ensure standardization.

On Sep.30.2009 at 05:18 PM

couchideas’s comment is:

I'm Dutch [Dot]

What Tom is saying in the video in Dutch is that with this identity system they wanted to show what's in the curriculum of the university on the outside. "We wanted to bring the inside out," as he puts it.

He says you loose 90 to 95% procent of talent, because you have to actually follow the courses to understand what a divers and dynamic university it is. And they wanted the identity "alive" on campus.

They wanted a morphing identity (Yet again another agency that wants living brands?!?) with a lot of unique visual elements that have the same vibe. Because of this divers identity system they wanted to keep the logo (to me more a wordmark) straight to the "point". With the dot in the end, meaning PERIOD!

The critics claim they cashed in because any idiot with a computer and paint could make the same logo. This is a bit of a overstatement. Because they (Dumbar) usually are great when it comes to the aftercare of an identity. Meaning it all looks good or even great.

My opinion:

1. They failed because they are following the trend of living brands, They used to set a standard.

2. They should have gone with higher mathematics applications instead of "wannabe" mathematic shapes in "Yeah!" many colors. The students there are sober as hell. The find their cool factor in other places than a graphic designers perception of cool. Hence the online campaign against this logo.

3. When it comes to the aftercare this time, clear strategy is missing big time. The website is bad [dot], they can do so much better there. The use of Univers is blank for me. Why?

It's really simple. On every aspect of this identity system they dropped the ball. And not a smart thing to do with students from one of the best Universities in the Netherlands.

[Dot]

On Sep.30.2009 at 06:14 PM

Mark’s comment is:

I like it.

At first I though I hated it but after taking a second look and seeing that fantastic animation along with it, I admire the restraint and how stark it is.

Well done

A

On Sep.30.2009 at 06:16 PM

Duy Pham’s comment is:

I think this is the best branding for institutions I've ever seen. It is Clean, Minimalist, Straightforward, Flexible, Nothing yet Everything. I love the animation, the mysterious and yet powerful dot in the end. The type is beautiful too in its simplicity. It really made me want to go to this university!!!

On Oct.01.2009 at 12:09 AM

manichaeus’s comment is:

Now, mr. Armin, this is good blog edition, to present these two posts side by side. I mean the iStock thing and this one, as evidently the Twente id scheme is an example of a stock approach to visual identity. You take some fine vectorial illustrations and, say, half an hour to have that Univers string balanced and... voilá. Prêt-à-porter, anyway, not the haute couture graphic design once was.

In a way I think this is fine for most of the situations. They don't deserve more than a stock logo and, c'mon, they don't need more than that anyway. But I'd think twice before pushing one of these to an university.

On Oct.01.2009 at 01:27 AM

thedesignermike’s comment is:

Really dig the animation.

Think the print execution could have been improved if it took more of a queue from the animation.

Something more interesting could have been developed using the imagery around the 0:47 mark in the video - either in the collateral or in the logo itself.

Often when logos are as simplistic as this one, it is up to the support material to really solidify the brand....and the support material doesn't quite sell it for me with this one, and as Armin mentioned it seems like they stopped just shy of making it work.

On Oct.01.2009 at 07:35 AM

Juana Merlo’s comment is:

This is wonderful! Its fun and a solidified branding effort. Looks amazing.
I am glad someone finally expressed some true branding feelings. I don't agree that it won't sell, I think exactly the opposite. It will sell because its so different. I am bringing the "selling" point due to a previous posting. I truly feel uncomfortable in bringing up this point because other cultures are not like the American culture. The selling point might not be their selling point. In other parts of the world it really "sells" to be creative and unique.

Can we buy their posters? This is excellent. Thanks for sharing.

On Oct.01.2009 at 09:47 AM

Mark’s comment is:

video is ok. reminds me of early MK12. the "identity," well, let's just say... I wish I had the balls to submit that and cash the check.

On Oct.02.2009 at 04:41 AM

SN’s comment is:

The dot I sort of like.
I thought the animation was OK-ish, until I realised that it doesn't actually represent anything real. There's no science involved- it's just pretty shapes, moving. This makes it very superficial, especially when a university is involved.
The logotype is at the same time austere and non-descript. Could be used for anything - literally, because you can hardlly prevent anyone from setting the name of their institution/company in Univers.

If this is the start for a new trend, it's a trend for non-identities.

On Oct.02.2009 at 12:33 PM

marcus’s comment is:

The old logo looked like something you'd expect from the University of Phoenix, or some other university in the states that buy a lot of ad time advertising on cable television late in the night offering online degrees. The new one is more serious, focused, and even a bit intimidating... which I think is a good thing in this case.

On Oct.03.2009 at 12:38 AM

Fred Dumbar’s comment is:

Hi dear logo-experts,

I'm Fred Dumbar of the Fred Dumbar bank. We have a great time reading all your comments here at this blog. It's heart-warming to see how every fan of us is blocking their real opinion in favour of defending our reputation, claiming how clever we are and how well thought through this identity is.
My answer: you are all spot on. Yes, we didn't stop until we had every gaping hole covered by an excuse, which in the end lead us to the creation of the first 100% excuse for a non-design. We thought it would be challenging to send an invoice of 2 mln € for something that's not more than a big pile of excuses. This liberated us. We now feel we can sell shit for any price we want to. And the first signs are that we can (see the logo we did for the city of Delft!!)!
We still make sweet designs, but we use this more and more to work as a cover for all the expensive shit we sell.
Our next challenge is to see if we can sell even more shit in China. Keep a close watch on the news section of our site.
Thanks a lot for all your positive words, we really couldn't pull off our tricks without people like you.

Have a nice day (rest assured, we will),

Fred

On Oct.04.2009 at 06:09 AM

manichaeus’s comment is:

Powerful post, Dumbar. I bet the majority here has no familiarity at all with the corrosive european cynicism. They´re young and naive, after all, europeans are like old cathedral's gargoyles, they have the age of the earth. Yes, no american artist ever conceived selling canned artist's shit, e.g., as Piero Manzoni did. Heil, Europe! Hey, Dumbar, that is a cute project, man, I was kidding you. It even reminds me of the great Marquis Emilio Pucci's designs.

On Oct.07.2009 at 02:01 AM

Nestra’s comment is:

Wow, this is a orgeous bit of rebranding. I always thought UT was in sore need of a makeover.

On Oct.28.2009 at 09:13 AM

Hearing Aids’s comment is:

Simple, sleek, and makes more sense for the organization. Looked like a start up venture capital company, good to see them go with something a little more serious.

On Nov.06.2009 at 11:25 AM

dsi r4’s comment is:

I like all the pics and the logo looks good too. Its very neat and to the point. I like the color combinations too.

On Dec.18.2009 at 03:53 AM