A couple of weeks ago we started an online survey with the question whether the Summer University Project needs a new logo. For some of you may be out of the blue, but an idea that has been around for some time now.
From the responses we got through our survey or on Facebook people were very much divided on this, and not just divided but also with strong opinions and emotionally expressed. Not strange if you know that the Summer Universities can be life changing and people have great memories and thoughts about them. All triggered by a small smiling sun with a graduation cap on.
Before explaining ourselves first the results. 93 Votes were casted. Out of these votes 51 were in favour of changing the logo (55%). A little less, 42 votes were against changing the logo (45%).
So why did we come up with the idea to have a survey on the logo of the Summer University. As commented wisely by some of you the logo is actually the least to worry about for the SUCT and there are many more important things we have to do. Agreed. But since we like to take on more work and get the Summer University even better we also wanted to address the visual identity and thus the logo of the project. So why? Is the current logo not good enough?
The logo of the Summer University Project since 1997 (or earlier?), 2006, 2010
Since many years the Summer University project has had the sun in one or another way as its logo. Nothing wrong with that, it is funny, takes away the seriousness the projects name creates, and looking at the number of applicants every year it does not seem to be a problem. No problem, so no need to change it you could say. But since our network is slowly changing due to the changing environment AEGEE has to manoeuvre in, there are calls to address issues that do not cause any problems yet. This is also one of the reasons to avoid the dialectics of lead.
This makes me to come to two issues that we need to address. One in general for AEGEE, the second one more specific for the Summer University project:
1. In the upcoming years there is a big chance that AEGEE will see a greatly reduced income from public funds. So new ways have to be found to gain income to keep providing our network with the facilities and services we have built in the last years.
2. New technologies give people not only new ways of communicating, but also cheaper and easier traveling. Compared to 25 years ago, we have many different ways to go abroad. Relatively cheap. AEGEE and the Summer University project are not the only way for us, the youth, to discover the world. So why would we first join AEGEE, go through all the selection process and maybe, or maybe not, end up with a Summer University while you can travel yourself cheap and easy throughout the continent and even further?
These two points are issues we don’t have any traction on. We can’t just ignore them and go ahead the way we have done for the last many years. Since both of them are quite big issues I’ll address the first one in this article, especially because this one was the reason to start with the survey. A later article will discuss the second topic.
Reduced public funds for AEGEE
During last Agora more attention has already been addressed to this subject by the Comité Directeur. Because the question is whether we can still pay for the work of the Comité Directeur in the future, will the house still be paid for by the Commission, what about support for projects or training courses and of course the travel reimbursements to keep in touch with the network. This makes the Comité Directeur look for new ways of raising money, and not only should they do so, but the entire network. Actively or passively by providing ways for private or commercial funding.
As some of you wrote in the responses of the survey, and we only agree on, the Summer University project is maybe the “real flagship” project of AEGEE. It has every year the largest and most widespread attention throughout the European continent. So why not use that properly? So should we not use the Summer University project to raise money for our beloved association, for our great network?
Market research on logos of youth summer schools, universities and local summer camps
As Summer University Coordination team we think we should. But how can we do that? For a start we can sell advertisement space in the booklet, on posters and on our website. To convince possible companies, organisations or other partners to buy that space we do need to look a little professional. Well, one of the many other responses in the survey was that the logo should look more professional and more appealing. That is exactly what we agree on. The current sun is not a logo that would convince potential partners to support this project and therefore AEGEE. The question is whether they would take it serious at all? It is more of a quickly designed logo by a small local organisation trying to organise a summer school or summer camp (see image). And doesn’t the sun maybe portray the image of the Summer University project we don’t want it to have to the external world: sun, sea, party, sex and drugs. Unfortunately, these were actual responses in the survey to the question what associations you have with the Summer University project.
Market research on logos of travel agencies and organisations
If we want to achieve the goal of making the Summer University project look more professional and act by its image as a trustworthy partner for other organisations, it is nice to look at organisations that have the same intention. For example, if we have a look at other travel organisations or organisations (see the image), then there is no smiley or personalised faces to be found in their logos. Why? Because they quickly look childish and not capable to act as a big and important partner. Not for cooperations, not for potential customers. However, to portray they are about traveling there are some other things that do come back often: the shape of the sun, bright various colours, icons of faraway destinations, or icons what they serve you: flights, biking tours, hikes, etc.
If you look at our lovely Sun logo, would you as potential partner cooperate with AEGEE to promote your service and pay lots of money for that? I would not.
So let us prepare for new times, and move forward. What are your ideas for a new logo?
Written by Maurits Korse, AEGEE-Enschede & SUCT
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