Cornell University announced a new logo in October. The development process, which lasted almost five months and involved input from a wide range of Cornellians, culminated in a graphic identifier that has received praise from all corners of the campus. The new logo contains two parts: the insignia, which is a modern and efficient version of the emblem, and the “Cornell University” logotype.

“I am delighted that with the logo we are reconnecting our visual identity program with the university’s historic emblem,” said Cornell President Jeffrey Lehman.

“The new logo is a major improvement. The emblem serves as a reminder of the vision that Ezra Cornell had when he founded the university. Students will be proud to display this logo,” said student-elected trustee Jacqueline Koppel ’05.

The process of creating a new logo was requested by Lehman and implemented by Tommy Bruce, vice president for communications and media relations. And its successful development required the dedicated work of graphic designers from Cornell’s Office of Communication and Marketing Services, who beneefited from advice gathered from a number of campus discussion groups, from numerous individual meetings with Cornellians, and from the guidance of two agencies—Iron Design of Ithaca and Chermayeff and Geismar of New York—as well as on-campus professionals.

Also as part of the design process, the official color has been returned to Cornell’s original deep shade of red—dubbed “carnelian”—first used during the inauguration of the university and its first president, Andrew Dickson White, in 1868.

“We feel, and Cornellians have told us, that this new logo reflects the university’s rich history and academic identity, while providing a modern, clear and meaningful identifier for use in today’s diverse media,” Bruce said.

A detailed style guide for the use of the logo in a variety of applications and media — print, Web, broadcast, signage, and apparel—is available online.

http://www.cornell.edu/identity

—Simeon Moss
Cornell News Service