#trending: ‘Clean and modern’ or plain ‘lazy’? Netizens divided over logo for new University of the Arts Singapore

SINGAPORE — Singapore’s first and only arts university, the University of the Arts Singapore (UAS), unveiled its logo on Wednesday (May 10) but the reaction it has received from the public has been lukewarm at best.

The logo was first revealed at the inaugural UAS Arts Symposium held at Lasalle College of the Arts by Minister for Education Chan Chun Sing, and it has since generated some buzz online. 

A discussion thread about it on online forum Reddit has had more than 130 comments as of Friday afternoon and more than 450 upvotes, which indicates that it has high user engagement or an agreement with the topic.

The discussion on Reddit originated from a Facebook post by arts and culture writer Ong Sor Fern, which had examples of various versions of the arts institution’s logo along with several "face screaming in fear" emojis in her caption, implying that she was not a fan.

Many Facebook users shared her opinion, with some calling the design “lazy” and “bland”.

One online user commented: “For an arts university, I would expect a logo with creativity, visual appeal and possibly provocative (or) clever. This looks like something a primary school child submits as last-minute typography homework, while playing with a protractor.”

Another wrote: “It’s supposed to be the apex of both art schools and they had to go to an external agency to get this outcome? Bodes well for their future… not?”

Announced in March 2021, the university is founded on an alliance between Singapore’s leading arts institutions, Lasalle College of the Arts and Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (Nafa). 

The university said that its logo was designed in collaboration with Singapore-based branding and design studio Foreign Policy Design Group.

Reddit users were equally unimpressed by the logo, with many criticising it for being “underwhelming”, “boring” and downright “ugly”.

One user remarked: “I think they can get 100 cooler options from an AI (artificial intelligence) logo generator or something.”

Another wondered why a university that teaches the visual arts would have such a logo, adding that it "doesn’t exactly inspire confidence" in the institution's capability.

However, not everyone thought the logo design was all that bad. Some seemed to appreciate the logo’s simplicity.

A Redditor said: “Honestly feel that it looks clean and modern enough that it could fit into other posters or marketing materials easily.”

One wrote: “I think it's a pretty toned down and smart design overall. The ‘A’ has a very distinct form to it, you won't forget even if you manipulate the letters to be tilted or in any other form.”

Indeed, the letter "A" in the logo seems to be the main feature of the design.

Explaining the symbolism behind the design, the arts university said that the curved handle on the "A" brings “warmth and friendliness” while symbolising both the creator and beholder of art.

The "A" can resemble both the tip of a pencil or the shape of an eye, depending on how it is perceived.

It added that the school’s colour, UAS Magenta, is a combination of red — symbolising Singapore — and sky blue, which symbolises the institution’s desire to bring its influence to the world. 

The logo can also be reconfigured into various permutations and adaptable for various platforms to reflect the “dynamic spirit of an arts education”, the design studio said in its Instagram post. 

The university will welcome its first cohort of students in August 2024, with applications opening in the third quarter of this year.