I would like to announce the 100% Un-Official Princeton Theological Seminary Logo Redesign Contest. [Digg Here]
But first, an apparently necessary legal disclaimer: “This 100% Un-Official Contest is just what the name says – it is in no way affiliated with Princeton Theological Seminary, and completely un-official. It is simply for fun. Designers retain all rights to their works, and it will not be used at any time in the future by Princeton Theological Seminary or its affiliates, unless otherwise agreed to by the designer and Princeton Theological Seminary. The only place that your design will be posted, when you send it to me, will be on this blog.”
This contest, as you might guess from its name, is not connected at all with Princeton Seminary and is just something I thought would be a fun challenge for anyone who might want to participate. But first, some history. Princeton Seminary (PTS) had the same web-design for a very long time, and was only changed recently when Iain Torrance became our new Seminary President. While it’s not a bad site, it does have a peculiar resemblance to the University of Aberdeen site. Just over a year ago, the seminary redesigned their logo, and I thought it wasn’t a very good redesign. I still think that. There are many things I don’t quite understand about the redesign.
- The fonts simply do not look clean or crisp. It’s probably the drop shadow on “Theological Seminary” that I find the most annoying.
- Our previous logo clearly had an emphasis on “Theological” – now it’s clearly “Princeton.” What is our identity? Is this just another way to try to become more closely aligned with Princeton University?
- I cannot, for the LIFE of me, figure out what the red line is supposed to do in the design. It is just horrible. Is it supposed to be separating the icon image from the text? Perhaps, but it looks like someone just slapped it on at the very last second. There are many more ways to help create visual separation, and that red line is not one of them.
Realize, this is not an attack on Princeton as an institution, or whoever created the logo. The seminary actually has some very talented graphic designers who create some really well-designed event posters (posters for 2006-2007 events can be viewed here). But this logo is not good brand identity or logo design. Thus, the contest.
The Challenge
Your challenge is to redesign the Princeton Theological Seminary logo. I’m sure they won’t actually use your redesign, although I’m sure that someone from the seminary will find this post and who knows – maybe you’ll be famous. The only requirement is that you either use the existing PTS/cross-logo thing or create a new variation on it. But I hope that you’ll consider entering the challenge. Go look around the seminary website, try to get a feel for the mission of the school, and pretend like you were hired by the seminary to create the new logo.
Submissions and Deadline
I will be taking submissions from today until the deadline, April 9th. On April 10th 12th (I had to push this date back because I am going on vacation and my computer is getting shipped to Apple for a little tender-loving-care and I won’t get it back until the 11th), I will post the submissions I have received and readers will be able to vote on them. I will then post the winners and their entries on April 18th. Please email your submissions to cleave at gmail dot com, in whatever format you desire (.gif/.jpg/.png/.ai) as I have Adobe Photoshop CS2 and Illustrator CS and can open most image files.
Judges & The Prizes
The winning entries will be selected by a panel of judges including myself, a PTS student and a professional graphic designer. The People’s Choice Award will be voted on by readers of the blog. The prizes will be as follows:
First Place: $30 Amazon Gift Card
Second Place: $20 iTunes Gift Card
People’s Choice Award: $10 iTunes Gift Card
Best of luck to you all – and remember – please spread the word about this contest. The more people who know about it, the better the contest will be.
UPDATE: I just ran across some information on the Princeton Theological Seminary logo, and if you are working on a design, I think you’ll want to read this. First, a History of the seminary’s logos and seals. Second, some basic information behind the design choices for the current new logo. And last, some acceptable and unacceptable uses of the logo. Enjoy and happy designing.
what’s with all the comments that start with [...] ?
Lauren, those aren’t actual comments…they are “pingbacks” – they simply let me know when someone has written a blog post that had a link to this post. If you click on one of the links, you will be taken to their websites.
actually..the […] is an automatic filter that Adam has set up. Every time anyone mentions the name of J.E.S.U.S. (with periods so it wouldnt be filtered out), his blog automatically removes it. Just another example of the heretical, postmodern, emergent, liberal, post-critical, post-neo-orthodox, ultra-semiotic, pre-continental, anti-[…] theology that permeates the world of pomomusings..well, i for one am not afraid to lift the name high!
[…][…][…][…][…][…][…][…][…][…][…][…][…][…][…][…][…][…][…][…][…][…]!!!!!!
[g]
mark..
Adam, you are a piece of work. Design is hard labor. Will $30 be enough incentive for me to make you something really good? While I consider it, ponder this quote by Philippe Nericault: “Criticism is easy. Art is difficult.”
p.s. It’s okay with me if you criticize drop shadows on text.
so did erin do the original logo or the 2nd?
this is a really fun idea — as a fellow pts grad (m.div 2000), i was also kind of disappointed in the logo’s redesign. strange how both logos evoke a certain feeling of being transported back in time. the old logo has a kind of 80′s vibe while the new one actually feels older — a throwback to the 50′s.
i’m excited to see how people can bring the pts logo up-to-date, even if it is never officially adopted. i worked in the publications office part-time while i was a student there and i remember thinking how much the seminary would benefit from a great logo.
Is anyone planning on entering the contest?
Daniel, as a previous employee of the Publications office — will you be entering a logo of your own into the contest?
i do hope people submit some ideas. i’m not 100% sure if i will be able to do it — i’ve never been much of a logo guy, though i always appreciate a good one.
Where will the logos be posted for voting?
“First Place: $30 Amazon Gift Card
Second Place: $20 iTunes Gift Card
People’s Choice Award: $10 iTunes Gift Card”
Ummm yahh try present this offer to an Architect to come up with blue prints for your house’s addition and see what he’ll say.
Why should a self-respected logo designer even consider such “offer”. Logo design takes education at least 6 years in University as a designer, typography classes x 4 ($650 per credit hour), design theory class x2 ($650 credit hour). $30 First prize nowadays would hardly even by a latte.
Of course….. if you call a logo something from a “clip art book” then that’s what you’ll get for that prize. No self respected, educated and experienced designer would work for that much.
Kalinka, your talking a load of shit.
Okay the prize isn’t going to get any designers ready to go creative but where do you get your figures from.
And anyone that needs to go University for 6 years to make a logo are idiots, if you can’t make a logo after 1 year of being taught by “professional” it’s a safe bet your going to waste another 5 years if you carry on.
Personally i wouldn’t do it for that much but if you look at from the contest holders point of view he could say $60 to the winner and no 2nd or 3rd.
I think you find alot of young designers would jump at this, not only for the prize but would help build portfolio up, if they don’t win they can still add it and explain it was for a contest.