Competition in the education industry has become tight throughout the years. This comes as no surprise as there are 132,853 K-12 schools in the U.S. and about 76.8 million people enrolled in 2018. To stand out from the crowd, schools should follow the lead of many businesses that target the hearts of prospects rather than the mind. And this is where branding becomes crucial. Your school design branding should positively identify you as a place of great learning. If you’re planning to refine your school graphic design and branding, here are 15 examples to inspire you:

 

1. San Francisco Day School

With a very colorful and modern logo, San Francisco Day School displays its contemporary image. They aim to mold students that are ready to take on a diverse world through intellect and imagination. The school graphic design perfectly captures this as it projects a fun and lively atmosphere.

 

2. Escuela del Sol Montessori

Consisting of custom bugs, flowers, and fish, Escuela del Sol Montessori’s logo is supportive of its nurturing brand ethos. The school offers a holistic learning environment that focuses on activating the child’s curiosity and instilling a love of learning. The overall school design branding exudes an air of nurturing and fun adventure.

 

3. University City High School

University City High School is proud to show its embrace of diversity while welcoming the next generation. They have beautifully displayed it in their school graphic design materials as we can see from their website. The use of bright colors and youthful patterns gives an energetic appeal to students.

 

4. Private Lomonosov School Nizhny Novgorod

In 2017, Private Lomonosov School Nizhny Novgorod commissioned a new school branding identity to celebrate its 25th anniversary. And these are what they got—elegant and dignified school graphic design. The school is located in Russia and accepts international students. Thus, a brand identity that appeals to a larger target audience.

 

5. University of Suffolk

Bold and progressive is what this University wanted to project in their school branding, and that’s precisely what they got. The design approach was minimalist. Lastly, it perfectly captures the core proposition, which is a new university that’s ready for the changing world.

 

6. Udemy

An online learning platform, Udemy uses a personal approach to make a connection with potential students. In addition, online businesses tend to lack the human touch and Udemy has done it so well with their school design branding. The ‘U’ in the logo reminds us of a handwritten grade the teacher gave us.

 

7. Fall Creek School District

Not all schools have big budgets to create branding that can rival those with big names. However, low budget doesn’t necessarily mean poor design. Fall Creek School District has done an excellent job with their school branding. It’s simple yet very engaging, proof that you don’t have to spend a lot on great design.

 

8. Rutgers Arts Online

Rutger’s online arts department needed school branding that can compete nationally and globally. A dynamic and cohesive school graphic design was conceived. Overall, the result was an amazing brand identity that inspires enrollment ever since.

 

9. Universidad Tecmilenio

 

Universidad Tecmilenio offers education programs that aim to achieve the individual aspirations of its students. Happiness and fulfillment are in their core values, and their brand identity shows it off quite well. The logo shape has associations with divergent paths, a tree for growth and renewal. Plus, the colors blue and green signify trustworthiness and professionalism.

 

10. Universities Canada

Universities Canada uses a school branding design that’s contemporary and reflects its evolution, growth, and inclusivity. Using a multi-linear square for its logo, it has a semblance to a town square, a traffic intersection, and a college quadrangle. It is simple yet exquisite and modern.

 

11. University of Northampton

University of Northampton’s mission, “To transform lives through inspiring change” is clearly shown in their school design branding. In their student recruitment campaign, they created these materials that aim to appeal to the Gen Z students. The design is upbeat and vibrant, something that will catch their target audience quite well.

 

12. Humber

 

Located in Ontario, Canada, Humber offers career-oriented education that employers prefer. Their school graphic design landed on this list as it is one of the most well-tailored designs. Their banner displays are a great combination of sound colors, appropriate fonts, and eye-catching layouts.

 

13. Royal Grammar School

With a crest as part of its logo, Royal Grammar School in Newcastle has a branding identity that’s overflowing with a youthful appeal. The school is steeped in its long history yet focuses on educating tomorrow’s innovators. From the color to the font choice, its heritage is apparent, but the school design branding is leading it to the future.

 

14. Coeur d’Alene Public Schools

Coeur d’Alene Public Schools’ objectives are to invest, inspire, and innovate. Thus, their mission is to give excellent student experiences. Moreover, their website and social media channels show images of various school activities to point out their people-centered principles. The school design branding is lively and engaging, clearly matching the school’s focus.

 

15. University of California

Looking at the University of California’s website, you’ll forget that you’re looking at an education website. And this is because the site uses imagery, colors, graphic design, and fonts that make it fashionably enjoyable. It is a breath of fresh air amidst serious and somber identities that other universities put forth.

Even the university vehicle’s shape and color remind you of an ice cream truck.

 

How Graphic Design Plays a Role 

From websites to flyers, to brochures, graphic design plays a major role, whatever the industry you’re in. Your school requires a visual representation that can relay to your audience your vision, mission, core values, and your story. Using blocks upon blocks of text just won’t cut it.  

And creating a brand identity for your school isn’t something you hand out to anyone with a propensity to “design.” If you want solid branding for your school, you need the assistance of a professional graphic designer. Standing out from the competition is quite a challenge. And to do it right, always go to people who understand school design branding.