Fresh take on Cal!

In September photographer Elena Zhukova, her assistant Leon Brauer, and myself spent two days traversing the campus via golf cart in pursuit of capturing the energy, diversity, and spirit of UC Berkeley. The project was spearheaded by UCOP's creative director, Vanessa Corrêa, who is conducting similar photo shoots at each UC campus.


All photos are now available for use in campus publications and websites and can be previewed here.

Please contact Kathryn Bader, Office of Public Affairs, if you'd like a high res version of a particular photo.

UCOP is already using some of these photos, as well as photos from Santa Cruz, on the University of California website.

Logo Drama Unfolding

The thrill of victory. The agony of defeat. What will it be? And more to the point, What the heck is that thing?

At least it's a design drama that's hitting the mainstream press (BBC News) and the underground (and dangerously risque) design blogs (like London's b3ta) alike. In fact, someone is already compiling the press response.

Most impressive, in terms of the power of design, is that medical experts are theorizing that the logo may induce epileptic fits.

UC Berkeley site makes CA’s SOTW

This just came to my attention, but earlier this year UC Berkeley’s own department of Spanish and Portuguese Web site was picked for Communication Art’s Design Interact Site of the Week (Week of January 29th, 2007). You can read the Design Interact analysis in their Site of the Week archive, but from a UC Berkeley identity standpoint I was pleased to note the following:

• Use of University Oldstyle in the site’s logotype


• Use of the UC Berkeley signature


• Use of the UC Berkeley seal*

All-in-all the department of Spanish and Portuguese site looks great, is in line with W3C and usability standards, and for the most part includes the main identifying components of UC Berkeley’s identity guidelines. If only all our Berkeley sites—including this one—looked so good. ;-)

*Why an asterisk? Because the trademarked Berkeley seal is typically used for promotional and merchandising purposes. In the case of Web sites, the University of California seal in conjunction with the Berkeley signature should be used.