Month: May 2011

A broader, better BlogHighEd.org

When Matt Herzberger and Brad J. Ward launched the higher ed blog aggregator BlogHighEd.org way back in February 2008, there weren’t a lot of blogs to pick from. Matt and Brad wisely limited the original list to a sweet 16.

They would add a new blog to the site every now and then, always with the buy-in of existing members, but as more higher ed types got into the blogging game in the months to follow, and as other, already aggregated sites languished due to their authors’ lack of interest, and as Matt and Brad got busier with other pursuits, it became more of a chore for them to keep the site current.

All of that changed this week, however, as Matt and Brad expanded BlogHighEd membership to 29 high quality higher ed blogs. They also weeded out the inactive blogs and updated their application guidelines to spell out minimum guidelines for member blog activity.

I’m very happy to see this expansion. Bigger isn’t always better, but with the higher ed blogosphere expanding (relatively) dramatically in recent years, I think it’s good for an aggregator site like this to incorporate more perspectives. The addition of new voices adds more value to BlogHighEd, keeping it fresher and giving blog readers more reason to visit that site on a regular basis.

Also, the way Matt and Brad run the site, consulting with existing members about new applicants, this aggregator also serves a curatorial role, offering a feed of what I and my fellow BlogHighEd members consider to be the best of the higher ed blogosphere.

So, welcome aboard, new BlogHighEd members. And if you haven’t paid a visit in a while, today would be a good day to do so. Also, don’t forget to follow @bloghighed on Twitter.

OCAD U’s new logo an open canvas

Most colleges and universities tend to be pretty restrictive when it comes to usage or alteration of their logos. But Toronto’s OCAD University just unveiled a new look that invites students to play around with it.

Mau-Icons

The icons shown above are examples of how the new OCAD U logo can become what Fast Company describes as a “mini art gallery” for the school’s art and design students. Created by Bruce Mau Design, the new logo’s largest frame is an open canvas. While the mark provides a nod to one of OCAD U’s most prominent buildings, the Sharpe Center for Design, “its primary purpose,” writes Fast Company’s Suzanne LaBarre, “is to show off students’ creative toils.” The school plans to invite its top students each year to contribute something from their portfolio to transform that open frame into logos for the following year.

It’s a risky approach, and one that could drive brand identity police nuts. But in this era of social media, when so many of us talk about how we don’t “control” the brand, we’ve still been pretty strict about allowing much flexibility with our organizations’ visual identities. Maybe it’s time we brand managers relinquish some control of the visual brand, too. OCAD U is leading the way.

Congratulations to Steve Virtue, OCAD U’s director of marketing and communications, who has been shepherding the design process since the university first announced its partnership with Bruce Mau Design last September.