In 2021, Trent University and Durham College launched the Journalism and Creative Writing degree-diploma program — the first of its kind in Canada. The challenge was to pioneer a visual brand identity that communicates the unique advantages and opportunities of the program while building on Trent University and Durham College’s existing brands. 

CLIENT: Trent University and Durham College

SERVICES: Visual brand identity

INDUSTRY: Higher education

The design process began with conducting a survey with the faculty heads from the Journalism and Creative Writing (JCW) program at Trent University and Durham College. The survey contained questions about keywords for the brand, reviewing competitor brand identities, and isolating elements from Trent Univeristy and Durham College’s design systems to translate into the JCW Brand.

From there, we worked together to develop a colour palette and typography system that lifted directly from the Durham College and Trent University visual identities to create a cohesive design system that emphasized the strength of each institution’s academic offerings and legacies.

We focused on selecting rounded sans serif typefaces to maximize legibility and create a modern feel for the brand. The colour palette features four colours, with two colour pairings from each institution’s brand identity to communicate an atmosphere of credibility, creativity, and innovation through warm vivid tones of blue, green, yellow and black.

We explored a number of logo options for the program, with a focus on illustrating the overlap and interplay between journalism and creative writing. The final logo for the program paid homage to Marshall McLuhan’s work Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man, which is a foundational work in Canadian media and communication studies, depicting the act of mobilizing information through multiple mediums, and exploring the ways in which a message’s meaning is influenced by the manner and medium in which meaning of the message is disseminated.