Q: Are Crest and Shield Logos Outdated
/We are a 60-year-old Catholic school with an outdated and not "user-friendly" logo. Our logo is simply a cross with our name and a Latin verse. It is impossible to read the Latin most times and the colours are not conducive to a lot of applications. We do not have a black and white version. We would like to update the logo, while still paying homage to the history of the school. My question is whether crests and shield style logos are outdated?? My thought was to incorporate our cross into a shield or crest. I want to ensure that our logo is modern while honouring our history. Is this an impossible goal?? This example caught my eye. https://www.libertyonline.org/ Thank you very much! From Anonymous
A: SIMMONS
As the logo is a very important first impression for the school, it is a key element of your visual brand identity. That said, so is tradition.
While there are rules to design that will change with time, there is a gray area between what's considered right and what's wrong. I personally don't see a problem with using a crest as part of a school's visual identity.
The fact that the Latin is difficult to read, should not be a limiting factor in your logo design. It also depends very much on usage. Web will be a challenge because it's typically going to be smaller, especially on mobile devices. That said, when thinking about the logo in print and on apparel, you have more to work with.
A competent branding and design firm will be able to find a balance. And at the same time, you should have a comprehensive branding library created as part of your logo design. This would include the primary four-color logo, a black and white version, a knockout version, how it should be utilized on social media profiles, as well as in print or apparel. There should be many versions for any usage you encounter. Additionally, you should have a brand style guide to a company your brand guidelines so that outside parties and even internal staff, are properly representing the brand.
From a design perspective, they should provide you with options as to how prominent the crest is in comparison to the whole. The crest could simply be used as an icon next to the text of your school name. Or the crest could be the entire logo. You should be given options to make an informed decision.
To sum it up, there is no right or wrong in terms of using a crest. In my opinion, it gives a nod to tradition. It's expected. If that is an important element of your brand identity, then it should be the focus. However, if your brand identity tracks more towards the modern, then you may need to rethink the use of the crest and explore new options. Again, this is something that a branding expert will be able to flush out and find a solution you're happy with.
Best of luck with this process.
A: DIGIOVINE
The issue you’re having with your logo is not unusual and is often the primary reason organizations consider a logo redesign or refinement.
If you hire someone to rework or completely redesign the logo, it’s important to communicate your goals. If your goal or one of your goals is to maintain a sense of history and keep elements of the old logo while bringing the mark into the 21st century, that’s entirely possible.
When working on logos, we can use crests (not outdated at all) or any element that our client feels is crucial to maintaining their identity and history, but by rendering the crest in a particular manner and by using certain styles of typography, we can make the crest modern, rather than traditional.
By refining the mark and testing it at different sizes and in different scenarios, we can assure clients that it is useful in various media. If one logo doesn’t work for all occasions, we create variations that work in different scenarios so that, for example, the logo we design for use on the web may not be the same logo we design for use on signage. These logos “belong” together, but are not identical.
I can't stress enough the importance of communication and a brief that defines the problems you're currently experiencing with your mark, such as difficulty with legibility, trouble with reproduction on spirit wear, and an outdated vibe. By defining issues and setting goals, you and your designer can create solutions that are in keeping with your traditions but also bring you into the 21st century, all while paying attention to your production needs.
So if you’re interested in incorporating a crest, go for it!
An example of a really beautiful and clean school logo, in my opinion, that incorporates a shield, is this brand identity for Loyola Marymount University done by Pentagram. It’s a superb example of a logo and all its iterations. And here’s an exciting piece of the Loyola Marymount University brand identity presentation. Enjoy!
A: CLAEYS
Great question!
We often come across this issue with private school logos which use shields as their logomark. From a website perspective, it is often preferred to separate the shield from the name, and just use the name in the header of the website, to simplify and modernize the first impression from the website (we often create an updated logotype treatment - just the name of the school). This process may also involve updating or simplifying the entire logo lockup (the shield/logomark + the logotype), which can be used on items such as clothing and printed materials. (Description of logo elements can be found here).
When the shield and logotype are included in a website header, the shield can cause the header to be too large (example), which is another reason to consider using just a logotype or a simplified shield/logomark (example). Shields can also be very detailed and busy, making them hard to read or see clearly in the header of a website (example).
Separating the logo elements gives you more flexibility without giving up the history related to the shield.
A: CAIN
OK. Lots of great points so far. But I’m just going to say something that you probably wouldn’t expect to hear from a guru. There is too much time and money spent on logos and not enough spent on creating what makes you distinctive as a school.
Seals were created originally to authenticate documents or used to signify official communications of sometimes ceremonial importance. Most of the time seals were used as impressions in wax, clay, paper or stone. So yes they were created a long time ago when primary communications were much different than today. They have continued to be used by nations, states and municipal entities. And of course educational institutions have used to convey history, authority, stability and lately it seems like schools feel as though they need a crest of seal for prestige and tradition.
There are a few things that go into making a great logo.
And while many schools use seals or crests as logos, they honestly don’t work well as a "word mark" or a" logo system". See this video for a great explanation.
In my opinion a logo needs to be thought of as a sponge that absorbs all of your messaging over time. It needs to be legible. It needs to work on a billboard and it need to work on something the size of the nail bed of your pinky finger.
If you can’t read who you are then it’s not working well for you.
Save your crest and seal for more official use.
A: PETERS
Great question. Shield logos are, in my opinion, outdated. When a school has a beloved shield they want to modernize, it’s often worth it because of the brand equity it holds within the community. But even then, we usually recommend sequestering those marks for internally facing purposes such as diplomas, alumni invitations, pins, etc. Of course, there are exceptions to every rule.
Your concerns and goals are spot on, but resist the temptation to over-complicate how you address them. As others have said, simplicity, legibility, scalability, flexibility…these are all important attributes of strong logo design. And there are absolutely ways to honor your history while reflecting your present within a logo or mark. But as you engage in that process, remember that your logo is just one aspect of your school’s identity. As Kathy said, often too much time and money goes into logo creation and not enough into differentiation. While a logo can certainly do a lot of heavy lifting in conveying a sense of your school, it’s just one element of your school’s larger story.
Good luck!
