Weimar University

“Choosing to work with Types & Symbols was an easy decision. We wanted a team that were not only good at what they do but understood who we are. They spent time researching our goals, mission, and vision in order to create something that reflected the essence of Weimar. The team went above and beyond and we are extremely happy with the final rebrand. The whole process was smooth, with great dialogue and communication throughout.”

—Clive Coutet, Media Director, Weimar University

The Opportunity

Weimar University is a health- and service-focused educational institution with a long and rich history, located on the site of a former Adventist Sanatorium. After receiving accreditation the leadership of the school wanted to more clearly signal their transition from Weimar Institute to Weimar University by introducing a more mature visual identity. We worked closely with Clive Coutet and his team to distill the values of Weimar into a compelling and appropriate brand mark.

The Team
  • Clive Coutet

    Media Director

  • Teresa Costello

    Rebrand Team Leader

  • Dr. Randall Bivens

    Chief Operating Officer

Brand Mark

We explored a range of logo concepts, including references to the former sanatorium as well as Adventist distinctives. We landed on a simplified representation of a concept from their existing seal: a laurel made half of thorns and half of leaves, representing sacrificial service and the work of healing, surrounding three trumpets. We paired this meaning-rich symbol with a clean sans-serif wordmark.

Emblem

The Weimar University emblem is rich with meaning, but the previous version only worked well at large sizes, and didn't hold up when reproduced using special finishes like embossing and foiling. We created a new emblem that addressed these issues while retaining the significant symbolism found within the original emblem.

Sample Applications

We designed sample applications to demonstrate how the various elements of the new visual identity would work together.

Total Community Involvement

Every Wednesday, Weimar University students, faculty, and staff spend a half-day doing whatever they can to meet the needs of individuals and groups in the surrounding communities in a service program called Total Community Involvement. Types & Symbols was asked to design the logo, which uses an element from the emblem, and apply it to a brightly colored t-shirt for everyone to wear each week.

Program Brochures

We defined a minimal color scheme, typographic style, and layout structure, and applied these elements to a set of program brochures advertising the university’s offerings