SMU's New Branding: A Critical Examination
Written by Julia Yurchesyn
@juliaxemilyy
Thumbnail Photo by Saint Mary’s University
From current SMUdents to the infamous Dal Memes instagram account (@dal_memes), it seems like everyone has an opinion regarding Saint Mary’s University’s new branding. Some like it, some hate it. Regardless, was introducing the branding overhaul in June 2021 the wisest decision for the university?
It’s no secret that the 2020-2021 academic year has not been an easy one, with students burning out from ‘zoom university’ and experiencing even higher rates of mental health issues than usual. From being worried about the health of loved ones, trying to navigate the uncertain and competitive job market in the middle of a pandemic, and working to maintain a good GPA, students have been grappling with extremely complex and difficult circumstances.
Despite these extraordinary times, SMU raised tuition fees three percent for domestic students and seven percent for international students. Additionally, SMU was one of the few Atlantic universities to not incorporate the pass/fail grading option for its students during the fall 2020 semester. These decisions have been extremely disappointing for all students, and not conducive to supporting first-year students who are experiencing the academic stress of university for the first time. Adapting to university in first-year is hard enough on its own, never mind adding virtual learning to the ever rising pile of challenges. International students have also experienced many obstacles, with already high international tuition fees now having increased, and some dealing with extensive time differences when it comes to virtual learning.
Following this challenging year, it is no surprise that not all students have responded positively to the SMU rebranding. To be blunt, students are frustrated to see that when circumstances are difficult, instead of receiving support from the university that makes a difference, there is a major aesthetic upheaval. It makes no sense to funnel financial resources into rebranding when current students need more affordable tuition, better academic support, and in general a more student-focused perspective from the university. In many ways, this rebranding demonstrates how ignorant the SMU administration is of the difficulties pandemic-era students face and how misplaced the university’s priorities are.
To justify the rebranding and why it was introduced now, the SMU website states the following: “...with declining population numbers in the Atlantic provinces, it is imperative to communicate how and why we are different, why we matter and what makes us distinctive.” The website also states that a branding refresh is usually needed every eight to ten years, and that it has been over fifteen years since SMU’s last brand review. Upon further investigation, the website can be seen to list the present branding refresh as having begun in 2019. This means the rebranding process took a little over a year, starting before COVID-19 was a relevant concern.
While one may not be able to contest SMU’s reasons for updating its branding, especially given the fact that the rebranding process began before the onset of the pandemic, it leads us to question why SMU could not have put the rebranding process on hold and focused its efforts on helping students during a fantastically difficult academic year. If the SMU branding had not been refreshed for over fifteen years, would waiting at least another year have realistically made a difference? It is frustrating for students to see that this is where SMU has been funnelling so much time and money, when those resources could have been directed towards current students and their needs. And, honestly, for all that effort, couldn’t the colours and design have been better?
This is not to say that there is zero value to the rebranding. The changes attempt to embrace inclusivity and better resemble the broad, diverse community that is Saint Mary’s University. Here, SMU provides a justification for the new shield logo. However, the reasons given are also not without their faults.
Photo by Saint Mary’s University
A notable example is the circle within the shield. SMU’s description of the symbol mentions how the circle resembles a globe, supporting the ‘world without limits’ theme. It also claims that it has meaning in Indigenous cultures, without going into depth about what that meaning is. This explanation is severely vague and lacking; instead of demonstrating how SMU actively stands with and supports the rights of Indigenous peoples, it seems to indicate that SMU just tries to appease everyone, without much effort or intention. Does SMU really demonstrate its commitment to inclusivity through the design, and does it express a firm stance of support for Indigenous peoples? Reading this description, it feels very surface level and shallow. SMU needs to provide much more than just a vague comment about circles when standing for justice, representation, and acknowledgment for Indigenous peoples.
For the wave aspect of the shield (the thick, white wavy line), SMU claims that it ‘hints’ at the university’s location in Nova Scotia, and also resembles the letter ‘M’. I’ll be honest, in my opinion, I think this part of the shield looks very unappealing. The ‘wave’ does not really look like an ‘M’, and appears more like a coincidence than an obvious design choice. Finally, the ‘books’ and the ‘thistle’ are not much of a divergence away from the previous design, but they are simplified.
The design itself is reflective of the simplistic, minimalistic logo trend that has become popularized in recent years. While there is nothing inherently problematic with this, studies have found that sometimes, less is not more. More descriptive logos can help people identify more with the organization/business. In this case, while the new logo does make the effort to simultaneously be more inclusive and recognize SMU’s history, the minimalist style seems to strip it down and take away its authenticity and charm. It would have been entirely possible to update the design in a way that still felt descriptive of SMU, and not ‘too’ simple.
Whether one has reservations about the timing or the design itself, there is much to reflect on and evaluate regarding SMU’s decision to rebrand. The rebranding ushers in a new era of SMU, one that presents a ‘World Without Limits’. But how accurate is this slogan to the true nature of SMU? With ridiculously high tuition rates for international students that are still rising, it can indeed seem like a very limited world. While one can acknowledge that the rebranding is in some ways a ‘fresh’ change after a difficult year, the idea that SMU is actively creating a world without limits is an idea that should be challenged. At the moment, it seems like there aren’t many options available for struggling students. How is SMU making itself a more accessible institution, particularly for international students? How is it creating a more diverse student body, especially when not everyone can afford the continually rising tuition rates? How is it supporting the students who have experienced a difficult 2020-2021 academic year?
This begs the question: is the rebranding being used by SMU as a pacifier and distraction from other pressing issues? SMU students need deeper, more relevant initiatives. More needs to be done to support students, especially as not all classes will be in-person come the fall. In other words, will the rebranding follow through on the ‘World Without Limits’ theme and result in SMU better addressing student needs? I guess we will have to wait and see.
References:
https://www.instagram.com/dal_memes/?hl=en
https://www.smu.ca/brandproject/process.html
https://www.smu.ca/brandproject/welcome.html
https://www.smu.ca/brand/abouttheshieldicon/
https://news.smu.ca/news/2021/6/2/news-release-saint-marys-looks-to-future-with-new-brandstory
https://www.smu.ca/brand/aboutthebrand/
https://www.thesmujournal.ca/smusa/smusas-advocacy-for-the-passno-credit-option-and-why-it-matters
https://www.businessinsider.com/consumers-arent-finding-minimalist-logos-likable-or-authentic-2019-9
https://globalnews.ca/news/7031108/smu-classes-online-fall/
https://nowtoronto.com/covid-19-pandemic-post-secondary-students-mental-health