It seems to happen all the time. Most of us have access to hundreds or even thousands of channels depending on your cable provider, and you click through them and never find anything worthy of your time in front of the TV. Quality programming can sometimes be hard to find. I am notorious for channel surfing, but I began to take notice of specific TV networks and their logos and marketing concepts. I found that there is so much variety and they are all so interesting. Take a look at these and notice how there is no specific style to them. They all vary so much depending on the channel’s general content. What’s your opinion on these?

The major networks use very simple ideas but have  progressed a lot over time. Often, their changes have included creating 3D concepts and adding more modern graphics. The BBC added a blue back light to their HD logo and I had seen a few versions of a 3 dimensional NBC peacock.

The Syfy channel changed their spelling and their logo. They dropped the Saturn symbol and adopted a new font instead. I think I will miss the Saturn symbol. It added a futuristic presence.

I think people often take TV channel logos for granted. They appear as tiny icons at the bottom corner of the screen and are more overlooked than noticed. They at least tell you what channel you are on if you land on it, but a lot of work actually goes into their design, just like any logo. Next time you are surfing for that perfect show to watch, take a look at the network logo and you may appreciate it a bit more.

-Nora Reed

Ah, college. What a great time in a young adult’s life to experience higher education, a chance to grow and mature, time to do a little partying and the sheer opportunity to gain a little independence. They say college years are the best years of your life and that is true for the most part. There is no other time in the future that is exactly the same. Most of us who thoroughly enjoyed college are always trying to get back there. Unfortunately, the time passes so quickly and right when we feel like we are adjusting, it ends, but it leaves us with a world of memories.

Higher education is a business, like any other. Both colleges and universities have to do their part in selling themselves to students to stir interest in their facilities. Of course, this means branding themselves, and displaying a great logo is a huge part of that branding. The logos for colleges and universities all vary in different ways, but are all very formal. Some have slogans and some display a coat of arms representing the history of the school. You can tell a lot by the logo such as an idea of the age of the school, it’s history and you can gain a feel for their branding efforts. The variety of logo designs is extremely interesting, but they all share a very professional look along with a bold font.

Penn State in State College, Pennsylvania, has multiple logos to represent their very large, well known school. It’s easy to see that the school’s logo designers have put forth a successful effort in their development. All four examples involve some form of their famous Nittany Lion and their navy blue and white school colors.

A coat of arms for a college or university is used as a common symbol to represent the school. A coat of arms is a traditional design that represents a group of people or a family. The coat of arms usually contains ancestral designs within a shield. The symbols stand for ancestry and achievement. Most colleges or universities date back over a hundred years, therefore the coat of arms contains history and meaning. The details change from school to school, but the symbols celebrate pride.

College is a great accomplishment is a graduate’s life and once all that studying and hard work is done, there exists a sense of pride in an alumnus’s heart.  A great logo for a college is important since it’s not only all over the school, but the life of the logo continues as alumni proudly display it on clothes, bumper stickers or other merchandise. School logos become traditions, therefore an effort to be the best is well worth it.

-Nora Reed