Project Strategy & Approach
In June 2009, the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences at the University of Kansas introduced the first Mini College, a weeklong adult learning experience on campus. In this first year, 130 Mini Collegians enrolled in classes and participated in extra-curricular activities led by top faculty and staff. The results of the first year far exceeded expectations. Enrollment was nearly double what was expected and all evaluations from Mini Collegians gave the program glowing reviews.
After its successful first year, Mini College has the potential to become a new tradition at KU. Crucial to this goal is the implementation of a consistent branding to Mini College. In this project, I wanted to create a consistent tone for Mini College that appeals to the target audience and create a logo that could be used on all print and Web media and branded products.
Many factors drove the final results of this project. I had to achieve a consistent tone that appeals to both a KU and non-KU audience and a fairly wide age range (45 to 80). The tone I wanted to create is fun and nostalgic with an undertone of sophistication. The approach I took to achieving this tone was to focus on simplicity – using a modern, but not trendy font; selecting strong, descriptive photos; using simple animations; and choosing a casual, upbeat song.
For typography and the logo, I used one of KU’s visual identity fonts, Gill Sans, and the official KU blue throughout. I chose this font and color because I wanted the text to have a “KU feel” without having to mention KU in every slide and potentially chase off non-KU alumni.
I wanted the logo to be simple yet have a strong, distinct presence. It was also important that it be timeless enough to be used year after year, so the program can build a strong identity to increase awareness and recognition in the region. It also needed to be compatible with one-color printing to keep costs down when printing on folders, notepads, T-shirts and other items given to Mini Collegians. To accommodate all these factors, I arrived at a single-color block form.
I created the logo using Adobe Illustrator. I chose Illustrator over Photoshop for this task, as it allowed me to make a cutout of “College” in the box below “Mini” and allowed me to more easily manipulate the text because I didn’t have to work in multiple layers.
The photos I chose were taken during the first Mini College. I selected the photos because they represent the core appeal of Mini College: the nostalgia of the KU campus, reliving the student experience, taking courses with engaging faculty, acquiring new knowledge, and having an unforgettable experience at a storied university.
Once I chose my photos, I began placing them in Adobe Photoshop and working with text, which I placed in separate layers so it could be animated separately in Adobe Flash. I chose words to describe Mini College that evoke a vacation experience, but with a twist. That’s why I chose phrases such as “paradise,” “tour” and “skip the beach” juxtaposed with academic phrases such as “hit the books.”
When my Photoshop layouts were finalized, I imported them into Adobe Flash to begin creating the movie. I chose simple animations to make the text easy to read and follow.
The soundtrack had to achieve a delicate balance: I needed a song that was upbeat, but not obnoxious; sophisticated, but not boring; and nostalgic, but not sappy. The simple, peppy, jazzy tune “Off Broadway” from Garage Band was able to achieve that balance. I exported the song to iTunes in an .aiff format, then placed it in my Flash movie on a separate layer to act as my soundtrack. Once all the pieces were put together, I exported the Flash movie as a .swf file so it could be used on the Web.
Key Words That Drive The Visual Solution
Experience
Reconnect
Rediscover
Learning
Lifelong
Project Tagline
The smartest trip you'll ever take.
Desired Outcome
If Mini College is to become a KU tradition, it’s important that the program have a consistent branding and identity that is easily recognizable and well-known. This project developed a tone and identity that establishes Mini College as a distinctive program that welcomes all adults to come to the university and be students again. The goal is that creating this distinct identity will establish Mini College as an institution as essential to the post-graduate experience as KU Commencement is to the student experience.