When the College of Alameda (CoA) began exploring a visual rebrand in early 2025, the question wasn’t simply “What should the new logo look like?” The question that arose was “Why now?”

(President of College of Alameda Melanie Dixon, engineers, and facilities team at the Transportation Technology Center Ribbon-Cutting)

The answer is reflected in how much the college has evolved since its last brand update in 2016. In less than a decade, CoA has welcomed new leadership at both the college and district levels, opened new modern facilities that transformed the student experience in liberal arts, apparel design and transportation technology, and is in the process of redesigning its website platform aligned with the other Peralta Colleges.

“Community Colleges typically have a brand lifecycle between 7-10 years before they need to be revisited. Whether it is big or small, taking a good look at the college’s brand and seeing if it reflects who we are today and where we are going soon is always a healthy practice when you want to stay engaged with students and the community.”
— Marcus Creel, District Graphic Designer

(Updated map at College of Alameda)

A Community-Informed Design Journey

From the start, CoA’s rebrand was shaped by its community. Surveys and feedback sessions engaged more than a hundred participants — including students, faculty, classified professionals, administrators, and community members. Respondents evaluated multiple design directions, from abstract letterforms and anchor motifs to imagery inspired by the college’s park-like campus setting.

The results were clear: the CoA community valued its spirit, tenacity, and connection to tradition. Students – who provided the most feedback – especially championed a refreshed design that retained the recognizable “A” shape from the legacy logo while integrating the cougar — a symbol of strength, resilience, and school pride that now takes a more visible place across the college’s overall identity.

“I like that the logo maintains continuity with the current CoA logo but stylizes it with the cougar. I like that we bring the mascot into the logo — it’s not represented much anywhere, and mascots encourage school spirit.”
— Student feedback from CoA logo survey

Faculty and staff echoed this sentiment, favoring a modernized mark that reflected progress without losing sight of the college’s roots. Overall, 73% of respondents agreed the new logo direction reflected CoA’s spirit — a strong endorsement of its authenticity and design alignment.

Design with Purpose

The final logo features a bold, stylized “A” intertwined with the cougar — CoA’s enduring mascot. The form conveys movement and resilience, with the cougar’s head angled upward towards the right symbolizing progress and forward thinking. Its shape pays homage to the familiar “A,” grounding the mark in the College’s visual legacy.

While several color palettes were tested, survey data supported retaining CoA’s established blue and green hues from 2016. This decision preserves the college’s visual continuity while signaling a steady transition toward its next chapter.

“Every detail was intentional,” Creel explains. “The typography aligns with modern accessibility standards, the colors honor our established brand, and the form feels both contemporary and distinctly Alameda.”

Looking Ahead

The soft rollout of the new logo begins in Fall 2025, with a full launch planned for Spring 2026 alongside the debut of CoA’s redesigned website. Official brand files and guidelines are available for employees on the CoA Brand Hub (SharePoint) to ensure consistent use across campus and promotional materials.

President Melanie Dixon captured the spirit of this collaborative achievement in her August 2025 report to the Board of Trustees:

“Thank you to everyone who contributed their voice and creativity to this process. An extra special shoutout to our students with the highest voting response rate and Marcus Creel, the real MVP. Together, we are charting a bold new visual identity for the future of CoA.”

Her words echo the shared ownership and pride that defined the entire effort.

“A logo is a story,” Creel reflects. “A story told through color, shape, and shared vision. This is the next chapter in College of Alameda’s story.”