UWM has unveiled an updated logo that enhances readability and accessibility on digital platforms while continuing to honor the school’s ties to Milwaukee.
The new logo will be introduced first on digital platforms, including uwm.edu, and shared with campus on Sept. 12 during the chancellor’s plenary. Signage and other materials will be updated as part of their normal lifecycle to control costs.
The updated logo is part of a project to update and enhance the university’s brand that has been in the works for over a year. More than 500 members of the campus community have provided input on the brand work through surveys, email, workshops and committees. Logo-specific input was received from students, alumni, faculty and staff, including designers from across campus and members of the Accessibility Resource Center.
“Our current logo was created a quarter of a century ago, and the world has shifted in seismic ways since then,” UWM Chancellor Mark Mone said. “To stay competitive, UWM must have a brand that not only feels current and relatable but also reflects our commitment to accessibility. So much of the higher education experience takes place online, and I’m excited that we now have a logo that functions more effectively in that space.”
The current UW-Milwaukee logo, created in 1999, features a double wave that has become a cherished symbol of the campus community. The two waves represent the Milwaukee River and Lake Michigan and symbolize the university’s commitment to our city, state and environment. The new logo reshapes and enhances the double wave, symbolizing the impact we make locally and globally.
The current logo also includes a combination of serif and sans serif fonts. Serif fonts, such as Times New Roman, have small “feet” on the ends of the letters, which can make them difficult to read, especially for people with visual impairments. UWM is a leader in research on accessibility and mobility, and the primary goal of the update was to develop a more accessible logo that exclusively uses sans serif fonts, which don’t have the feet on the ends of the letters.
