The Long, Winding R

Perhaps one of the most underrated and overlooked aspects of identity design is that done for universities. Typically typographic-driven, these identities are low-key and rarely too distinct; understated and elegant is the name of the game; and “a workhorse” is the most sought-after quality, as the identity must accommodate dozens of programs, schools, divisions and more in hundreds of applications. Coming up with unique and proprietary characteristics for a university wordmark is usually the challenge. In its elongated R and funny-serifed U, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, has found an identity that saves it from 20 years of different and inconsistent identities.Designed by Chicago-based Lipman Hearne — one of the most prolific design firms of university mat