By Dan Buono

Northeastern University’s Marketing and Communications team aims to convey a symbol of academic achievement, history and progress with a new seal and typeface released this week, said John Ombelets, Northeastern director of creative services, and Javier Cortes, a partner at Korn Design, a local design firm that helped create the new designs.

The university unveiled the designs on its website last week. Some other conversions have also been unveiled, like banners on Columbus and Huntington avenues, Ombelets said.

More conversions are in the works, said Thomas Starr, associate professor of art and design, who was part of the team that created the seal and typeface. The whole process should be complete by July 2009, Ombelets said.

The design team included Starr, Ombelets, Senior Graphic Designer Pamela Rodriguez, Art Director Bruce Ployer, former Vice President of Marketing and Communications Brian Kenny, other senior leadership, and members from Korn Design, Ombelets said.

There were six outside firms that pitched ideas for the new graphic identity, Ombelets said.

Out of three chosen finalists were chosen, the design team picked Korn Design to move ahead with the project, Starr said.

“Everything that carries the old torch logo – paper, vehicles, signage – will be changed,” Ombelets said. “Basically, anything not etched in stone.”

The designs were last updated in 1997, Ombelets said, adding that the old torch logo was out-dated and reminiscent of the previous decade.

“Northeastern is a very different place than it was 10 years ago,” Ombelets said. “Our goals and aspirations reflect our greater academic status.”

The old designs were based on just the torch, Starr said. The new seal is based off the university seal from 1935, harkening back to Northeastern’s beginnings, he added.

“What we hope to convey or capture is Northeastern’s history and tradition with the new seal,” Ombelets said.

The new font used in the typeface is based on Baskerville, an 18th century serif font, Starr said. The typeface of the university’s former designs used a sans serif font that made the university look more like a corporation, she said.

The project was challenging because Northeastern is a large community of people who have different needs and interests, Cortes said. He said the team interviewed deans, students, faculty and alumni as part of the design process.

Future students will be the most impacted by the new designs, Ombelets said, adding that the university is trying to shift its graphic identity in subtle ways.

Information about the cost of the project was not available at press time.

Some students said they did not notice the changes in the university’s seal.

“I would not have noticed it if it was not pointed out to me,” said Dayna King, a senior physical therapy major.

Others, like junior finance major Katie Jerdee, said they thought the upgrade was a good idea because it better identified the school.

However, journalism lecturer Gladys McKie, who teaches the course Design and Graphics, said she was underwhelmed by the unveiling.

“I think it’s OK, it’s not unattractive, but I was expecting a little bit more,” she said. “They built up this anticipation for a couple of weeks. My initial reaction was, ‘Is that it?'” … I thought it was going to wow me.”

But McKie said that love it or hate it, the Northeastern community had best adjust to the new logo.

“It’s our logo now, so we all have to live with it,” McKie said. “It’s not horrible.”