Even since I came to University of Detroit Mercy as a transfer student in 2014, I wanted to fix the boring, block logo.
I am sure most of the students felt the same way.
Needless to say, when I found out that they were changing the logo I was a little excited.
I am a Digital Media Studies major, and that field of study focuses on graphic design, video and web design with a sprinkle of web coding and 3D design. A new logo is something that would be important to me.
On several occasions, I’ve even sat down to see what I could come up with.
Despite my interest and experience, nothing could prepare me for what I saw on September 15.
The grand reveal included a large banner being unfurled from the track at the top of the Fitness Center, and the unveiling was a let down in more ways than one.
A logo it must be iconic; something that will always remind you of that product, company or in this case, school. It should also reflect what it represents.
The most troubling part is that our new logo was not designed in Detroit, let alone Michigan. The University chose a firm in Pittsburgh. Detroit Mercy is supposed to be all about Detroit and embracing the community around us, yet some company from an outside state gave us that logo. We have a whole design major in this school; did they even think to come to us so we could have a say in what would truly represent the school?
If we are about the community why wasn't it involved in the design? If we have a design major taught on campus why not talk to them, unless we truly don't believe in what we are teaching.
The logo itself isn’t bad, and is in fact starting to grow on me. But it doesn’t represent the community or Detroit.
I like that I am a part of Detroit Mercy. I like to be a part of Detroit. I just wish the logo also represented those things as well. Maybe in another 26 years the next new logo will reflect that.
