AUA, American University of Armenia
About AUA
Project Type
Designers
Industry
Higher Education
Brand Identity Creative Direction Editorial Design
Peno Mishoyan Vahagn Kocharyan Osan Markarian
This revamped visual identity is the next step in the AUA’s ever-evolving journey. Founded upon international best practices, Proper Company created a visual identity system that combines AUA legacy, values and goals. We referred to AUA archives and first publications
to purposefully combine the old and the new, as the university building itself is a combination of a historic and a modern architecture. The visual elements are inspired by Martiros Saryan’s fauvist art: bright and colorful, bold and expressive.
AUA is a long-standing pillar of the future of Armenia
University's visual identifier has changed and evolved throughout the existence of the university. One thing has remained the same: AUA. This abbreviation is the basis for the university’s brand, taken from the people who comprise their extended community: students, faculty, staff, and Armenian society.
The new official logo is grid-based and custom-designed. It is available in both Armenian and English versions in respect of the two cultures to which the institution owes its existence. The placement of the university name is available in horizontal ('River') and vertical ('Mountain') lockups. There will be cases where AUA logo will be reproduced without the “American University of Armenia” English or Armenian text.
The objective of this project was not to rebrand but to define and systemize the visual identity and to create guidelines that would be appropriate and applicable. Since the very beginning of our process, we encountered inconsistency and lack of essential visual elements in AUA arsenal of visual tools. Although, we did not plan to change the logo, the need for this change became clear as we studied the visual material that AUA produced throughout its existence.
We consulted the best international practices and studied the visual systems of dozens of US universities to offer the most appropriate solution. After thorough research, a decision was made to separate the seal and the logo. The seal became the symbol for university legacy and heritage. In search for logo inspiration, we collected all media, where AUA abbreviation was used as a visual identifier. We did not select a typeface to create the logo, but built geometric mono-weight letters, based on a mountain-shaped grid. Thus the name for the primary logotype -- Mountain Lockup.