War of the Wordmarks.
The class of 2017 from all 5 polytechnics in Singapore will be graduating this May. Let's look at each school's graduation visual identity and rank them.
5th Place - Republic Polytechnic
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| RP's Grad Logo (Source) |
What happened here? Looks like too many ideas got smashed together to create this logo. After digging around the RP wesbite, I realised that these colours represent each school in RP. Sure, using every coporate colour to create the graduation logo might seem like a good idea on paper, but if the idea is taken literally such as in this case, a disaster awaits.
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| Graduation E-books (Source) |
The Good:
- Well at least the e-books aren't that bad
The Not-so-good:
- Awkward colours, no pattern whatsoever
- No focus point
- The stretched letter 't'
- 50 shades of grey underline
- Kerning of '2017'
4th Place - Nanyang Polytechnic
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| NYP's Grad Logo (Source) |
NYP sure loves its swoosh by enlarging it and placing it on its graduation logo. Unfortunately, if the purpose of the swoosh is to highlight something (in the NYP logo's case, 'innovative'), then 'gradu' is being highlighted. Whoops.
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| NYP logo vs NYP grad logo |
The Good:
- Forward momentum effect caused by the swoosh and italic words
- Subtle branding in the form of the swoosh
The Not-so-good:
- Kerning of 'Nanyang'
- Gradient in '2017' makes the logo look outdated
- No alignment
- 'GRADU'
3rd Place - Singapore Polytechnic
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| SP's Grad Logo (Source) |
Singapore's oldest polytechnic takes the cake for having the blandest wordmark this year. I am assuming that by using gold against dark red, SP is trying to create the impression that this is a prestigious event. However, the lines and circles decorating the background seem to be in conflict with the 'high class' effect.
With that being said, it comes in 3rd place for not making many design mistakes, perhaps because there isn't much material to critique in the first place.
The Good:
- Clean and clear typography
- Great alignment
The Not-so-good:
- Conflicting ideas (Colour scheme and typography vs the background decor)
- Bland design
2nd Place - Temasek Polytechnic
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| TP's Grad Logo (Source) |
TP's graduation visual identity is refreshing and unexpected. A Polytechnic is not a university, and it should not behave like one. Hence, there are opportunities to create youthful, vibrant designs for those who dare to seize them. This is one such example of good design (for a graduation event!) which polytechnics can pull off but universities cannot.
The Good:
- Clean and clear typography
- Unconventional use of watercolours
The Not-so-good:
- '2017' is too large/should have the same weight as 'graduation'
- Disconnect between 'g' and 'r'
1st Place - Ngee Ann Polytechnic
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| NP's Grad Logo (Source) |
There's a clear endorsement of this logo when you scroll through Instagram using #NPGrad17. From the photo booth with the logo plastered all around the backdrop, to the graduation invite cards, the application for this logo is nothing short of amazing.
The social media team at NP also ensured that the logo made its way to almost every graduates' feature on their channel. Classy.
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| Different backgrounds for different schools! (Source) |
The Good:
- Great use of typography
- Great use of logo in applications
The Not-so-good:
- Why have a gradient version when solid colours are used in most applications?
Conclusion
Congratulations to the class of 2017! Perhaps next time, design students should create the visual identities for their respective graduation events to demonstrate how well they have been taught the principles of design.
Enjoyed this article? Be sure to check out Eunoia JC's brand identity and My First Skool's rebrand!
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Enjoyed this article? Be sure to check out Eunoia JC's brand identity and My First Skool's rebrand!
Eh, don't bluetick leh, participate in this poll and leave a comment. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram as well!
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