NAU Logo PNG
The academic logo of NAU (Northern Arizona University) features authentic elements that signify its connection to the locality. The simple image reflects pride in the region and the institution, conveying the aspiration to transform it into a successful brand and make it desirable for the majority of potential students.
NAU: Brand overview
Meaning and History
Initially, it was the Northern Arizona Normal School. This format lasted from 1899 to 1925. Then, it transformed into a middle-level educational institution named ASTC (Northern Arizona State Teachers College). Further development of the college led to its elevation to university status. Naturally, at each stage of its formation, it had a distinct seal used for official purposes as a stamp on documents. Some of its features have been retained, highlighting the historical connection to the distant past. It features the image of a miner with a pickaxe and shovel and a mountain range with the sun rising above it. Overall, the mountain silhouette is the fundamental element of the university’s identity, always present in its emblems.
What is NAU (Northern Arizona University)?
NAU (Northern Arizona University) is an R2 category institution consisting of seven academic colleges and several educational centers located throughout the state of Arizona. The main administration is in Flagstaff. The higher education institution also has its own sports department, NAU Lumberjacks, which participates in the Big Sky Conference and plays in NCAA Division I.
before 2018
The NAU logo from this period comprises graphics and text that are distinctly separated. Though not connected, they form a cohesive composition that fits well into the university’s concept. The emblem features the full name of the university, occupying three levels and aligned to the left. The longest line is at the top, with the word “Northern.” The next two are shortened due to a miniature shield on the right.
A coniferous tree (presumably a pine) is depicted with widely spaced and uplifted branches. It symbolizes the lumberjacks the region is known for, after which the university’s sports teams are named. Below it is a mountain depicted as a triangle. The letters in the first and second rows are bold, and in the third – they are thin. They are unified by having straight edges and a lack of serifs. All glyphs are uppercase. This logo was introduced in 2005 and created in collaboration with Lipman Hearne.
2018 – today
The key feature of the NAU logo is its textual design. The inscription now contains graphic elements that are camouflaged as the crossbar in the center of “A.” This is a two-peaked mountain, colored yellow to stand out distinctly against the dark blue background. In this form, the emblem is visually connected to the symbol of the university’s sports department.
After the logo’s modernization, it gained a sense of solidity and seriousness, which did not affect the airiness of the glyphs thanks to the wide spacing between the characters and the lines. Interestingly, in this version, there are not three but four lines. The top row is reserved for the abbreviation, made massive for this purpose. All the letters there have sharp serifs pointing to the left side. They represent the needles of coniferous trees.
The remaining lines have retained the previous font: chopped, angular, with evenly cut tops. The boldness of the word “Northern” has been reduced by the designers, so it can be called a medium. The boldest glyphs are in the third line. This way, the developers highlighted the name of the state of Arizona. The inscription in the fourth line is made with thin characters.
The Seal
The NAU academic seal looks like a classic rondel with an accentuated center. It features a miner in a hat with a pickaxe and shovel against the backdrop of high peaks, behind which a radiant sun appears – a symbol of light and knowledge. The image is placed in a heraldic shield. In its upper part is the motto “Ditat Deus,” written in Latin. It is taken in a separate rectangle and centered. Next are circles of different sizes: the farther from the center, the larger. The first of them is the inscription in English, “Great Seal of The State of Arizona,” and the year 1912, separated from the text by two stars. In the widest ring is the full name of the university, typed in a thin sans-serif font.
Font and Colors
The inscriptions are made in an uppercase font. The letters are straight, smooth, and chopped, giving them a perfect geometric shape. Serifs are present only in the abbreviation in the university logo and the slogan in the academic seal. The brand palette consists of two colors: blue (Panton 282) and gold (Panton 3514).
