College of Alameda Logo Overhaul

Design Approach

The focus was never on chasing trends or creating something that only worked in a presentation. From the beginning, the priority was structure, longevity, and real-world use. The logo needed to scale cleanly, hold up across formats, and feel natural everywhere the college shows up.

The geometric foundation of the original “A” was kept as a starting point, but its proportions and balance were refined to improve readability and reduce rigidity. Rather than leaning fully into abstraction, the updated mark was shaped to feel warmer and more expressive, reinforcing school pride and identity.

One of the more meaningful shifts was the intentional integration of the college’s mascot, the Cougar, into the broader identity system. While the campus doesn’t have a single landmark or geographic symbol that clearly represents Alameda Island, the Cougar already existed as a shared point of pride, from the Cougar’s Den ( the college’s cafeteria/student lounge) to athletics culture (mens basketball, and Women’s Volleyball). Building on that connection gave the identity a more human presence and strengthened its ties to student life.

There was some initial hesitation reflected in early survey feedback, particularly around the idea of an animal appearing in an official college logo. During the design discussions, examples from other colleges and universities that successfully use mascots as part of their primary identity helped reframe that concern. Over time, the community began to connect with the logo rather than question it, and the Cougar became a welcomed part of the visual language.

Color was an area where the direction was clear early on. Survey feedback showed strong support for retaining the existing palette. Keeping those colors helped the redesign feel familiar while still allowing for major improvements in clarity, consistency, and visibility. In practice, many of the secondary colors had been underutilized or overlooked in previous years. Bringing them forward and showing how they could work in tandem with the new logo reinforced their value and expanded how the palette could be used across campus.

Throughout the process, multiple directions were explored, and the logo was tested in real-world scenarios early on. Refinements were guided by how the mark performed in use, not just how it looked in isolation. Decisions were grounded in usability and consistency, with the goal of creating an identity that people could recognize, use, and feel ownership over.