Tower returns

Beginning this summer, those familiar with Whitman College will notice some changes in the materials used to visually communicate about the college. In recent years, Whitman has seen increased diversity in styles, images, colors and fonts on our Web site, stationery and business cards, campus signage and more.

This past year, college staff worked with a communications firm to create a look that is to become the one-single look — the visual identity — for Whitman. The new look incorporates the Memorial Building clock tower. It was selected because it is one of the most recognizable and important landmarks on campus — a majestic building that represents our proud heritage and tradition. Within the double-ruled circle, Whitman’s location in the Walla Walla Valley, adjacent to the foothills of the Blue Mountains, is referenced by rolling hills in the background.

The typographic wordmark of the name of the college was built from the typeface named “Whitman,” a fitting coincidence. It received an award from the Type Directors Club in 2002 and combines the qualities of classic American book types with a contemporary aesthetic.

Combined, the icon and wordmark aim to capture the Whitman tradition while projecting a progressive modern image and visually reflecting a balance between Whitman’s past, present and future.

For our intercollegiate athletics program, the look will be as pictured here. The blue is accented by yellow — both provide a reference to the historic reflection of the skies and wheat fields. The WC logo, used by athletics in recent years, is now in the Whitman font with the C offset below the W. The college Web site also has adopted the blue and yellow.