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What happens when a university has no visual rules, and every department is just doing whatever it wants?
I sat down with Barth Hague, the former Chief Marketing Officer at Wichita State University, to talk about what it actually takes to build a consistent brand from the ground up. We covered the chaos that existed before the rebrand, why a logo is not a brand, and how setting boundaries can actually unleash creativity rather than kill it. This conversation is a masterclass in the ROI of visual standards — and why without them, you’re simply throwing your investment away.
Episode Highlights
- Wichita State had multiple logos and zero visual standards when Barth arrived — every department was designing on its own terms
- The marketing office functioned as the university’s in-house ad agency, but without rules, the answer to every request was essentially “do whatever you want”
- Barth’s philosophy: branding is a dollars-and-cents decision — without consistency, you’re wasting your investment in a visual identity
- A logo is not a brand — colors, typography, photography, illustration style, texture, and pattern all work together to create brand DNA
- Visual standards don’t limit creativity; they redirect it — the best creatives thrive within a well-defined framework
- Brand consistency sends a powerful signal to prospective students: if the university looks this put-together, maybe it is this put-together
- The rebrand created a ripple effect of institutional pride — students, faculty, and staff started wearing the mark and identifying with the university
- The financial case for standards is real: economies of scale, reduced reinvention, and faster ROI all follow from a coherent visual system
- WSU’s campus has since doubled in size, and the visual identity established during this era continues to define the institution today
- The winning firm in WSU’s national RFP search was just 15 blocks away — because heart and proximity matter
0:00 — Cold open: The national search that ended 15 blocks away
1:02 — Introduction: Barth Hague and the rebranding of Wichita State
1:35 — The state of the brand when Barth arrived: no rules, no standards
2:17 — “Whatever you want”: how visual chaos happens at scale
3:01 — The case for consistency: branding is a roadmap, not decoration
3:46 — Merging the academic and athletic logos — and what comes next
4:32 — The marketing executive mindset: thinking in dollars and cents
5:23 — Codifying standards to create accountability and clarity
6:23 — Fragmented university design: every college doing its own thing
7:03 — The website as a cautionary tale: when you stop enforcing the rules
8:25 — What inconsistency signals to prospective students
8:59 — “Marketing is the business of getting and keeping customers”
9:22 — Branding as enrollment strategy: students need to recognize WSU
9:49 — A logo is not a brand: the full DNA of visual identity
10:29 — Pressing the yellow button: bringing WSU’s color to life on campus
11:37 — The art director who pushed back — and the consultant’s response
12:21 — Creativity within constraints: doing more, not less
13:04 — The CFO loves standards: cost savings and economies of scale
13:18 — ROI from visual standards: why it pays off early
12:20 — Student and faculty pride: the cultural shift that followed
13:02 — WSU’s campus today: a lasting legacy of the rebrand
14:43 — Closing: teamwork, RFPs, and the firm 15 blocks down the road
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Further Reference
- Wichita State University identity design and wayfinding system work by Gardner Design
- Wichita State University Rhatigan Student Center environmental graphics work by Gardner Design
About Gardner Design
Brandifesto is brought to you by Gardner Design. Since our founding in 1983, Gardner Design has produced effective and award-winning designs and results for many industry leaders.
Our designs and brand influence can be found in well-known brands including Facebook, Spirit AeroSystems, Cessna Aircraft Company, Kroger, Koch Industries, Cargill and hundreds more.
Regardless of size or industry, we get fired up about helping you reach new heights. Because we see it every day—better branding leads to a better future.
Ready to build a brand that consistently connects across all touchpoints?