TOWLER WEESE
TOWLER WEESE

University of Illinois at Chicago:
visual identity program

The University of Illinois at Chicago is a young, progressive, public research university that serves the needs of aspiring students and a devoted top-tier faculty who share a commitment to the promise of public education and the imperative of social justice and civic engagement ­— doing good and giving back. As one of the most ethnically rich and culturally diverse universities in the U.S., UIC makes real its claim: access to excellence.

Studio Blue worked with UIC in both an academic and professional capacity. The relationship began with a senior-level professional practice course at UIC’s School of Design, in which students conducted primary and secondary research and developed language and design in support of a new identity for the university. Once classroom prototypes were approved, Studio Blue developed the work into a full-fledged identity system that were implemented across the university’s 15 colleges and administrative units. The circular UIC mark references the historical Circle Campus and is closely tied to the university’s previous mark, forming a bridge between old and new. The vertically oriented logotype extends to an uppercase display voice, used for names, prominent titles, or large headlines. The identity system is designed to be stable, yet flexible and versatile. 

The identity provides language, imagery, and supporting typography in order to capture the dynamism of this evolving and increasingly recognized campus. It embraces who the university is becoming, one that harnesses the institution’s intense engagement with the city of Chicago, and that supports a voice and set of stories that can project the university to a variety of publics.

Society of Typographic Arts Chicago Design Archive Award, 2015
University and College Designers Competition: Award of Excellence, 2015  
Levy, Christy. “Design students’ legacy: Creating a new identity for UIC.” UIC News, April 2, 2014.
Smith, Daniel. “Is UIC in line for a new identity? A group of senior design students begins exploring that very question.” UIC Alumni Magazine, Spring 2014.
Smith, Daniel. “Rebranded: New Logotype and Mark Recognize UIC’s Prominence in Chicago.” UIC Alumni Magazine, Winter 2014.
Vit, Armin. “Sideways: New Logo and Identity for UIC by its Design Students and Staff.” Brand New, February 24, 2015.

With faculty colleague Meghan Ferrill, 2013–15