Call to Artists: Old School Square Logo Design

SUBMISSION DEADLINE: April 9, 2025

FINALISTS ANNOUNCED: April 16, 2025

PUBLIC VOTING PERIOD: April 16 - May 7, 2025

WINNER ANNOUNCED:  May 12, 2025

Design a watercolor illustration that embodies Old School Square to serve as part of the new logo. It can be a building, landscaping, architectural elements, or something more abstract - anything that you feel best represents Old School Square and its evolution. The winning artist will be asked to design a family of logos representing each of the individual venues on campus (4 additional designs). Criteria includes: 

ORIGINAL:

• Watercolor designs must be distinctive, avoiding similarities to existing or past OSS logos. Let your imagination run wild!

ARTISTIC & TECHNICAL:

•   Artwork must be clear, despite watercolor’s fluidity to hold up to reproduction.

•   The logo must be recognizable in all sizes from business cards to large signage.

BRAND REPRESENTATION:

•   Blend historical value with a fresh, lively and innovative aesthetic.

•   Key subjects, such as buildings, must be easily identifiable.

•   Avoid overly trendy styles to ensure longevity.

COLOR & STYLE:

•   Artists must choose from one of two provided palettes: Vintage or Vibrant (see final page for details). Artists don’t have to use all of the colors in a palette, but please stick with one palette.

•   Consider print and digital applications, ensuring colors and textures translate well.

PRACTICAL USABILITY:

•   Logos should work on light, dark, and transparent backgrounds.

•   Consider horizontal, stacked, and vertical formats.

•   Artwork must be able to be converted to vector format.

Avoid excessive detail that could be lost in smaller reproductions.

Submission Requirements

·       3 photos of original watercolor illustration of OSS

·       Artist bio and portfolio (3 -5 images of previous work)

·       Short statement about the design inspiration