New Logo Enhances CA Brand

By Stephen Candib
Gottschalk+Ash International

The new CA brand identity works on a variety of visually symbolic levels designed to reinforce the positioning of the CA brand.

The brand identity comprises three elements: (1) the CA symbol, (2) the CA word mark or letters, and (3) the jurisdiction/Institute name. These elements have been designed to work together, as well as to function as part of a broader identity system.

When the three elements are used together, with a jurisdiction or Institute name, they are referred to as a ‘signature,’ and there are a wide variety of consistent-looking signatures across the profession. When the symbol and the work mark are used together, they are called the ‘logo.’

The symbol has been designed to suggest a variety of things. It is multi-colored, which is intended to suggest the multi-dimensional nature of the CA designation. The colors are bright, bold and contemporary. The word mark itself is in uppercase black type – authoritative, bold, sober and strong, which is designed to balance with the bright colors in the symbol.

The sans-serif Gotham typeface has been chosen to be modern, unadorned and based on classical type proportions, so that it will function well for many years without looking too trendy or dated. It has also been chosen to stand out among the many other typefaces that are widely used. It is fairly open and highly legible.

In addition, the symbol is simple enough to allow viewers to immediately recognize it, and abstract enough to allow viewers to read meaning into it. When the symbol is looked at by itself, the green in the lower left suggests an arrow, and the complete symbol also suggests a larger arrow, especially when the symbol is seen in small-sized applications.

When the green component is combined with the white ‘negative spaces’ between the gold, blue and silver squares, the symbol also suggests a plus sign, as well as a Cartesian grid. Furthermore, the upper right placement of the symbol suggests an arrow pointing forward and upward.

These elements combined result in a logo that works well in small and large sizes, in full color, as well as one or two-color versions, as defined by the limitations of the media in which it is expressed.

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