Ten with Ken (Video)

Ten with Ken hits the road again to attend the 2017 Ontario Universities' Fair, the largest PSE consumer show in North America. This year we spoke with a dozen university presidents and their designates about the latest innovations on their campuses, trends they see emerging over the next decade, and in particular, about how college or university leaders can nurture a culture of innovation on campus.

In part 1 of a 3-part series, Ken Steele talks to a dozen Ontario university leaders about creating the environment on-campus in which creative thinking, entrepreneurship and innovation mindset can flourish. Higher ed has a thousand-year tradition of being thoughtful, cautious, and somewhat perfectionist in its pursuit of excellence. As a result, universities in particular have minimal tolerance for risk, financial or otherwise. In discussion, these senior administrators identified 10 key ways to help foster an environment more amenable to innovation, including ideas about people, special initiatives, organizational values and culture.

In this episode, we hear them discuss the first 2 recommendations:

1) Foster meaningful dialogue on campus.

Make room to discuss the big ideas, trends and potential innovative approaches. Hold off-site retreats to get people away from the everyday realities, or bring in external speakers to talk about emerging trends. (Ken is a big fan of this idea, naturally!) We hear about Carleton University's "Leaders Program," that brings together faculty and admin personnel to work collaboratively on solutions to "wicked" problems.

2) Listen to campus stakeholders.

Leaders must be careful to ensure they do not assume they have all the answers. Lasting, significant innovation almost always arises from the front lines, and senior administration's role is to seek out those ideas wherever they might be. It's vital to hear from diverse voices on campus, and especially to listen to students! Hearing from diverse perspectives, debating new and radical ideas, is in many ways core to the mandate of even the most traditional university.

Those are the first 2 ideas – but there are 8 more! Stay tuned for parts 2 and 3, or subscribe to ensure you don't miss them. http://eduvation.ca/subscribe/

Special thanks to the university spokespeople who took time with us at the OUF. Their insights are reduced to sound bytes in this "essay" episode, but we will soon be releasing their individual interviews as standalone "bonus" episodes:

Algoma University – Acting President Celia Ross

Brock University – Provost Thomas Dunk

Carleton University – VP Enrollment Management Janice O'Farrell

Lakehead University – President Brian Stevenson

Laurentian University – Interim President Pierre Zundel

Nipissing University – President Mike DeGagné

OCAD University – President Sara Diamond

Queen's University – Provost Benoit-Antoine Bacon

Trent University – President Leo Groarke

University of Waterloo – President Feridun Hamdullahpur (previously released)

University of Waterloo – Registrar Cathy Newell-Kelly

University of Windsor – President Alan Wildeman

Thanks also to my patient videographer, John Matthias, and to Deanna Underwood and the organizers of the OUF for allowing us to keep coming back!

In a 12-minute episode that sums up 7,000 slides and 20 years of research, Ken provides a fast-paced overview of the full spectrum of innovation occurring in higher education around the world.

In response to the 9 key forces for change, institutions are seeking efficiencies and new markets, including online and international students. They are collaborating and seeking alternative revenue streams. They have reinforced student services and mental health supports. Built new campus facilities to support new approaches to teaching and learning. Partnered with industry and explored the possibility of new evaluation systems and credentials. And academic programs have evolved, been launched, and been retired.

Ten with Ken continues to explore some of the more interesting and thought-provoking experiments and findings across this whole spectrum. Check out scores of episodes on our YouTube channel, or at www.TenWithKen.com

Ken Steele's conference keynotes, campus presentations, retreats and workshops help institutions grapple with the pressures they face, competitor strategies, and the best course for their own future directions.

Ken Steele returns for season 3 of "Ten with Ken".

He has analyzed almost 7,000 data points over 20 years of trends and experiments, and consolidated them into a single graphic that sums up the whole spectrum of higher ed innovation. This week, we take a quick look at the 9 forces for change affecting colleges and universities worldwide. Politics, Funding, and declining Demographics are forcing institutions to adapt, and making them more alert to evolving needs and expectations among traditional students. Students are becoming more Digital, Social, and Anxious, and are particularly Careerist. Industry and employers are increasingly helping to shape programs, curriculum and credentials at colleges and universities alike. And to a lesser extent, breakthroughs of Science are starting to inform new approaches to teaching and learning on campus.

Clips this episode:

Simon Fraser University, "SFU Launches New Texting-Free Walking Zones"

https://youtu.be/U0UqHM6qOFg

SAIT Polytechnic, "Walk-a-bot"

[Video removed from YouTube]

Malardalen University College, "Fighting Spirit"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jiD9PmtQ61I&feature=youtu.be

Next week we look at the full spectrum of ways in which colleges and universities are innovating in response to these 9 forces for change. Subscribe now to be sure you don't miss it, at http://eduvation.ca/subscribe/

Ken Steele completes his review of 12 higher ed rebrands in the past 2 years that sparked a backlash from campus stakeholders and alumni.

In part 1, we looked at half a dozen new visual identities that caused outrage, either because they were too crazy creative or deadly dull. https://youtu.be/khrMeE_hngs

But there were also some competent rebrands that nonetheless met remarkable opposition, often because stakeholders were too emotionally attached to what they had before:

Western Sydney University (Australia):

When its name changed from "The University of Western Sydney" in 2015, WSU also abandoned its 13-year-old logo, which featured a "bluebird" icon. Although the former logo felt pretty cool and corporate, students nonetheless had become emotionally attached to the bluebird, and launched a #SaveTheBlueBird campaign on Twitter. The new identity was more contemporary, and pretty conventional: a deep red shield with the letter "W". Comedian Aamer Rahman mocked the expenditure for student audiences, but the administration stuck with the new look.

Aamer Rahman - https://youtu.be/5Bg90nkRL3c

Penn State University (PA):

When one of the largest universities in the world changes its visual identity, plenty of people take notice! Penn State, with almost 100,000 students on more than 20 campuses, had been using the same brand identity for 30 years when it finally launched a rebrand in 2015. The new look was much cleaner, focusing the shield on just the head of the "Nittany Lion" shrine, and using a modern slab-serif typeface. The illustration was fairly realistic, of the stone shrine itself – but as a result the lion's eyes seemed blank, unblinking, almost zombie-like. Football fans were relentless in attacking it, and a petition on change.org attracted about 4,000 signatures – but remember, that's just 4% of Penn State's enrolment. They rightly stayed the course.

Berklee College of Music (MA):

Berklee's former logo was barely a logo at all: simple type in the corner of a red block. It didn't reproduce well at small sizes, and in 2015 Berklee unveiled a rebrand that focused on the single word, "Berklee", with a new icon (the "natural" notation). 500 students signed a petition objecting to the new identity, and particularly the loss of the word "College" – about 10% of the institution's enrolment. The administration ignored the minority opinion.

University of Leicester (UK):

The former shield, in use for 20 years, was an awful orange colour, with intricate details and a Latin motto, and used a very dated typeface for the wordmark. Anything would have been an improvement, and although some students objected, the new identity features more sophisticated typography and understated colours.

Linköping University (Sweden):

Since its founding in 1975, Linköping (pron. "Lingschoping") has used a variation of its official seal as its visual identity. To celebrate its 40th anniversary, LU hired Stockhold design firm Futurniture (who yes, does some work for IKEA) to develop a radically new brand. The result was a bright blue block containing bold initials, "li.u" – much to the chagrin of almost 5,000 students, who expected something more conventional. Even though the students collected alternatives and held a poll on their Facebook page, the administration stuck with the bold new look.

Wheaton College (MA):

This private liberal arts college near Boston is almost 200 years old, so students and alumni were naturally shocked when it unveiled an industrial-looking new identity in early 2017. The look does little to convey the desired brand attributes (forward-looking, inclusive, personal). It's cold, impersonal, and reflects a design aesthetic from the 1970s. A change.org petition attracted 1,200 signatures – 75% of the school's enrolment! Unfortunately, the administration is stubbornly planning to launch this ugly new identity in August 2017.

Wright State University (OH):

After 20 years, WSU revised their cherished logo featuring the Wright brothers and their biplane. The designers tried to simplify it, moving to some sans-serif type, eliminating the shadows, and darkened the colours – so far, so good. But they also eliminated the figure of Wilbur Wright, and added some inexplicable swooshes that made it look like the plane was tumbling out of control. And from then on, the rebrand tumbled out of control too. Despite spending a reported $250,000 on the graphic design alone, administration abandoned the rebrand and stuck with their former logo.

So to sum up: you can't please everybody when it comes to a university rebrand. You can expect 20-30% of your stakeholders to express displeasure. If it's less than 10%, you're doing really well! If it's more than 70%, you should probably reconsider the design.

Check out other Ten with Ken episodes about Branding at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLodJ8ParJmYWtpFIkmuPeZ1h2SDI5LI5Y

Ken Steele starts reviewing the 12 higher ed rebrands of the past 2 years that caused outrage and opposition among faculty, students and alumni. Odds of a backlash are 10% overall, 20% at universities (4-year colleges), 0% at community colleges -- and 50% at arts institutes!

This week, 5 disastrous rebrands that pretty much deserved what they got. 3 of them were overly ambitious, taking bold and daring approaches:

Loughborough University (UK): A well-ranked public research university founded in 1909, that launched a hot pink octagon "LU" logo in 2015. (Yikes!) A protest petition gathered 13,000 signatures -- 76% of the school's enrolment! The administration backed down and 5 months later unveiled a much more conventional coat of arms approach.

Loughborough U Year in Review - https://youtu.be/TDfVHTtcl7g How to Make the LU Logo on Photoshop - https://youtu.be/4IZSAl4giQ4

Emerson College (MA): This liberal arts college focuses on communications, media and arts programs. In April 2016 Emerson proudly unveiled a preliminary new identity that featured a large, hand-drawn purple "e". A student leaked a photo on social media, and sparked immediate protest of the "glorified scribble" that looked like "a breast cancer ribbon." Lee Pelton, the college president, compared misperceptions to the presidential primaries. But a year later, Emerson is still using its former logo.

Emerson Reacts to New School Logo - https://youtu.be/VkT8E3Opciw

Ravensbourne College (UK): In 2010, this arts institute launched a radical new identity that shattered the word "Ravensbourne" into 3 fragments, based on the anodized aluminum tiles that covered its new purpose-built building. Students protested, but the logo stayed for 6 years. Finally, in June 2016, Ravensbourne unveiled a much more professional logo, using a flexible "container" for student art. (Like the 2011 brand identity for OCAD University.) The latest Ravensbourne logo sparked some mockery, but the designers embraced the satire.

Ravensbourne Brand Film - https://vimeo.com/168322138

Other redesigns are so uninspired they spark well-deserved opposition, too.

IE University (Spain): The Instituto de Empresa ("Business School") is an open university teaching business programs across Spain. The original monogram and olive branch had become streamlined to the point of absurdity, so in 2016 the institution launched a new, totally bland logo. Students complained that it lowered the reputation of their institution, but the new identity continues to be used.

We are IE: Reinventing Higher Education - https://youtu.be/pFGIMstrOk0

Quinnipiac University (CT): When this institution abandoned its elegant small-caps wordmark for a funky, 1970s-style logo, students protested the lack of a capital on "university." The "capitalize this!" campaign got media attention across North America, accusing the university of making a grammatical error in its new identity. After months of protest, the administration backed down and revised the logo, to include the word "University" in all caps. (They pretended the student protest had no effect).

Q30 #THAT 9/13/16 - https://youtu.be/9AIxjxVo9Jo

Whenever a university opts for a less-formal brand identity, it's likely to spark outrage. All the more reason that your concept needs to be creative, your typography professional, and your design polished.

Next time: we'll look at 7 brand redesigns that sparked a backlash whether they deserved it or not!

Based on our recent global survey of more than 100 higher ed brand identity redesigns over the past 2 years, Ken Steele counts down the 10 best rebrandings – those that are professional, memorable, balanced and well-designed, AND that didn't spark a backlash from faculty, students or alumni.

In Part 1 last week, we looked at #10-6 - https://youtu.be/bkrxAD0AbbE

Now, the countdown continues:

#5: East Stroudsburg University, Pennsylvania

Plenty of higher ed brand identities feature mountains, but ESU pulled off a slick rebrand that continues to emphasize its location near the Delaware Water Gap in the Pocono mountains. In 2017, ESU replaced a 24-year-old logo with a new one using a ceremonial banner shape. The ESU Warriors finally got a polished new mascot too, a Spartanesque warrior in the same banner shape.

The New ESU - https://youtu.be/kzpNCsaSsYE

#4: Colorado College

Colorado College, ranked the best private college in the state by Forbes magazine, is particularly notable for its setting near the base of Pikes Peak, and its revolutionary "block plan". (Students take a single course at a time, for 3.5 weeks, before moving on to the next "block".) In early 2016, CC unveiled a striking new identity that replaced a 20-year-old calligraphic logo. The new logo integrated circles (for Cs and representing the campus community) and triangles (suggesting mountains), within square blocks (for the unique pedagogical approach).

Colorado College - A New Look, A Unified Voice - https://youtu.be/iXz_Mlj2J6c

There were also a couple of "runners-up" that featured mountains: California's Feather River College, and BC's College of the Rockies. Both were massive improvements, and show creative promise, but somehow came up just a little short.

#3: SAIT Polytechnic, Calgary

After 18 years, SAIT finally jettisoned their swooshy, "Jetsons"-like identity for a bold new brand that is a breath of fresh air! It added 3 new colours to the traditional red and blue, and created a 3D spherical icon, "the Catalyst," as an "activator of change."

SAIT's New Brand Revealed - https://youtu.be/KpV9QBi5JaE

SAIT Unveils Centennial Art Sculpture - https://youtu.be/hJmZi1Ysg34

#2: University of Suffolk, UK

University Campus Suffolk got independent university title in May 2016, adopting the new name "University of Suffolk", and launching a new visual identity by Only. The simple black square represents a shield of sorts, with a yellow triangle in the corner pointing to its location in the southeast of England. 45-degree angles create a sense of momentum throughout marketing materials.

uSuffolk - An Introduction - https://youtu.be/zAGy2eY-3ZU

#1: Capilano University, BC

Since it gained university status in 2008, Capilano has revamped its visual identity twice. First they abandoned a stack of blue books for carved blue letters that evoked indigenous tradition. In 2016, they unveiled a much more dynamic, colourful identity that masterfully combines traditional academic shield and eagle feathers in the Coast Salish indigenous tradition.

Capilano University Brand Refresh - https://youtu.be/4b7hnLBCYiU

Alberta's Northern Lakes College likewise leveraged the traditional symbol of the eagle in their new identity, a runner-up for this episode.

Finally, honourable mention goes to Minneapolis' Augsburg College, for an extremely subtle rebranding unrolling this fall as Augsburg University. Alumnus Samuel Gross showed great attention to detail and significantly improved upon the former wordmark.

Augsburg University logo - https://youtu.be/DlNBv1l0Oa4

Check out Top 10 Identity Trends for a review of overall higher ed branding trends in the past 2 years – https://youtu.be/8lD3PUQLBnw

Based on our recent global survey of more than 100 higher ed brand identity redesigns over the past 2 years, Ken Steele counts down the 10 best rebrandings – those that are professional, memorable, balanced and well-designed, AND that didn't spark a backlash from faculty, students or alumni.

#10: Saint Louis University, Missouri

Design firm Olson of Minneapolis created a streamlined new logo using a vastly simplified coat of arms and an "ownable" fleur de lis. The branding system includes specs for consistent iconography, a variety of wallpapers, and a wide range of subbrands – including a new logo for Billken Athletics.

This is SLU - https://youtu.be/CYMBLYkEsPQ

About SLU's New Logos - https://youtu.be/oc1tCyzm0_c

What is a Billiken? - https://youtu.be/xmaxVk8lakY

#9: Belmont Abbey College, North Carolina

Another Catholic college redesigned their steeple-focused identity with the help of Rickabaugh Graphics in Ohio. The result is a dynamic shield emblem with fresher typography and a slightly brighter crimson, and a new mark for Crusaders Athletics.

#8: Augusta University, Georgia

In 2012, Augusta State University merged with Georgia Health Sciences to create Georgia Regents University – and then, apparently after a lawsuit from Regents University in Virginia, it changed its name again in 2015 to Augusta University. The new identity features a slick illustration of a colonial belltower (which doesn't actually exist) that is simultaneously clearly a letter "A".

Augusta University Identity in Depth – https://youtu.be/CIBKWkF9DMY

#7: Stanislaus State University, California

It was known by far too many different names: CSU Stanislaus, CSUS, California State Stanislaus, Stanislaus State, Stan State, and even "Turkey Tech." But with the help of the Jeffrey Scott Agency in Fresno, Stan State unveiled a snazzy new "split shield" logo system in 2015 that standardized its name. Departments and individuals can now choose from "CSU Stanislaus" or "Stanislaus State" logos, and even "Stan State" is officially endorsed for internal audiences.

#6: Maricopa Community Colleges, Arizona

The 10 colleges in Maricopa County had startlingly different brand identities, but in 2015 the Maricopa System unveiled "One Maricopa," a new unifying logo system that would create consistent subbrands for each campus, while retaining their former colours and visuals. It was a masterful effort at compromise… but so far, there's little sign that the colleges have actually adopted the new branding system.

That's the first half of our round-up of the world's top ten recent rebrands. Next time, we'll complete the countdown with the top five!

Subscribe so you don't miss it, or check out Top 10 Identity Trends for a review of overall higher ed branding trends in the past 2 years – https://youtu.be/8lD3PUQLBnw

Based on his global study of more than 100 higher education brand identity redesigns over the past 24 months, Ken Steele offers up these tongue-in-cheek samples of utterly conventional, unobjectionable logo designs following the latest trends. If your new identity had to be approved by 100 branding committees, this is what it would look like, for each of 4 categories of institution:

Community College Religious College Public University Arts Institute

Check out the top ten trends in brand identities in this 13-minute summary: https://youtu.be/8lD3PUQLBnw

Brand strategist Ken Steele sums up the results of his global survey of 105 higher ed brand identity redesigns completed over the past 24 months, from May 2015 until May 2017. Examples from the US, Canada, UK, Europe, Middle East, Asia and Australia -- and ultimately, there are 10 clear trends.

We identify the most popular recent colours, shapes, and imagery for universities, community colleges, religious colleges, and arts institutes, and we look more closely at several examples:

Emily Carr University of Art + Design University of Georgia Oregon State University University of Nebraska SUNY Buffalo University of Kentucky University of New Mexico Bradley University University of Detroit Mercy Tennessee Tech Upper Iowa University Michigan Technological University Maricopa Community College System Tel Aviv University University of Findlay Winston-Salem State University Augusta University Otis College of Art and Design Manor College Emmanuel College Wycliffe College The King's University Calvin College Whitworth University Emmaus Bible College Dominican College College of Saint Elizabeth Feather River College College of the Rockies East Stroudsburg University Sierra College Northern Michigan University Allegany College of Maryland University of Greenwich

We also look at several logo approaches that seem to be falling OUT of favour, from circular seals and blocks of colour to explicitly religious imagery. And self-confessed "typography geek" Ken also spends a few minutes discussing trends in typeface selection among the four different categories of institution.

Videos excerpted:

uFindlay - https://youtu.be/ax_cUVMhMnI Winston Salem State U - https://youtu.be/fu0K1_VfKHs Otis College - https://youtu.be/3e5taaIV028

Coming up: we'll develop 4 "committee-proof" logos, look in depth at the top ten rebrands of the past 2 years, and look at 12 branding misfires that caused campus outrage.

While the "Ten with Ken" team was at the University of Waterloo to profile the Velocity incubator, we sat down with President & Vice-Chancellor Feridun Hamdullahpur to discuss the overall innovation ecosystem at what has been ranked Canada's #1 most innovative university for the past 25 years.

UWaterloo started off in the 1950s as a revolutionary idea - an Engineering-focused university created by local industrialists. From the beginning it focused on co-operative work-integrated learning, and to this day co-op experiences prepare UW students and faculty to think more innovatively. The institution has been building momentum for decades, attracting more and more innovative faculty and students.

Dr Hamdullahpur emphasizes the importance of outward connections with the world -- international, applied research, industry connections, co-op, research commercialization, and entrepreneurship. Innovation doesn't come from turning inward, retreating into the library or the lab, but from interacting with the world outside the university.

Some of UW's advantage has sprung from its creator-owned intellectual property policies. UW could benefit in the short term by taking a percentage of new discoveries and startup companies, but Dr Hamdullahpur believes UW, and the country, benefit more from allowing creators to retain complete ownership of their ideas.

Many colleges and universities want to know how to nurture a more innovative or entrepreneurial culture. Dr Hamdullahpur admits that it is a huge advantage for an institution to have been born that way, but suggests that it is possible to grow later. It cannot be partway, however: it must penetrate all aspects of operations. He also firmly believes that if institutions do NOT embrace innovation, they will become "insignificant" in another 15-20 years.

Dr Hamdullahpur is very proud of Waterloo's reputation and track record, which only makes him more determined to ensure the institution continues striving to stay on top.

Check out out site visit to the University of Waterloo's Velocity incubator to learn more, and hear from some of the student entrepreneurs who have recently founded startup companies on the strength of their co-op experiences. https://youtu.be/lj1AnCfYRMk