The Michigan State University has four logotypes, including the wordmark, the seal, the icon, and the helmet symbol. While the wordmark and helmet may be used without any restrictions, the seal and icon can be used only in certain circumstances.
In the center of the University seal, there is a stylized depiction of the College Hall with the text “Founded in 1955” below. The rising sun here is the symbol of the breakthrough in the approach to teaching the disciplines connected with mechanics and agriculture, which took place in the middle of the 19th century. The walkway symbolizes the higher education accessible to a wider public.
What is Michigan State?
Michigan State University, or simply Michigan State, is an American public research educational institution, which was established in East Lansing in 1855. Today the University has ten campuses across the state, where almost 50 thousand students and 6 thousand academic staff spend their best days.
The so-called Block S icon is given in a bespoke typeface in the University’s official color, the MSU green.
The stylized helmet is used mostly as the logo of the athletic teams representing MSU. However, the word “Spartans” may also be used in a broader sense and refer to the students, teachers, and alumni, so in fact the helmet has a broader use. In 2010, the Michigan State logo featuring the helmet went through a redesign. The new version faced a lot of criticism from the fans, so eventually the school returned to the previous one.
The typeface featured on the MSU wordmark is a customized version of the Californian font. Californian is a classic serif typeface inspired by the ancient Spartans. This choice is perfectly natural, taking into consideration that the school’s sport program is called the MSU Spartans.
Also, the Californian type is the secondary font recommended for the school’s website. The primary font is Gotham.
The Michigan State University’s official palette comprises two colors: white and the so-called MSU green (PMS 567 or hex 18453B).