Discussion: OUSA logo

While competing on saturday at the WPOC meet, I noticed something strange about the logo.

This was about halfway through the course when I was nice and tired, and only just barely managing to plan ahead, typically by setting a bearing from the control such that I at least had my exit planned. So on one control like this, I set my bearing and start running, and the terrain is 90 degrees out of sync with the map. I caught this after about 20 steps or so, and tried to figure out what caused the error.

This is when I noticed the shiny blue ousa logo with a massive arrow pointing EAST.

I checked my massive stash of maps, and this was the first course I ran with the logo printed on the map. Perhaps the logo could be printed vertically on maps?

Noooooooooooooooooooo

LOGO FAIL!

just jokin'...

I think somebody pointed out this potential problem during the logo selection process.

Yep. I see you got the point.

Yikes, Beware the O logo!!

This was brought up last year, too.

I wonder how many logo designers can say that they are directly responsible for negative performances of their fellow competitors?

Slight tangent: the Buffalo Bills unveiled completely new uniforms last Friday, and the new unis bring back white helmets, which haven't been standard issue since 1983. The story behind why they switched to red helmets for 1984 is because their quarterback threw a lot of interceptions. The coaching staff felt that because three of their divisional rivals (Dolphins, Patriots, Jets) were also wearing white helmets, that they should change to a darker helmet color so that it would be easier for the QB to spot his own receivers. The year after the switch, interceptions were down, but the Bills still finished 2-14.

With the switch back to white, I wonder if interceptions will go back up. Looking at their 2011 schedule, they play 6 of their 16 games against other white helmets! (assuming there's actually a season...)

Use. The. North. Lines.

Called it.

While I have my three minutes of gloating, here's the real problem with the specifics. Some USOF types are talking about WOC, World Cup, JWOC, and all this sort of stuff USOF can't possibly handle even in a dream (but, since everything in USOF is fait accompli, it will be tried anyway).

Imagine if this happened in one of those events (as I point out in the referenced thread, the peril to the international competitor). Catastrophic ouch. Gotta get a reasonable logo before holding one of these events. Its that simple. I've orienteered in more countries than most people have been to, and I actually understand the sort of things that international competitors face on foreign soil. Moreover, being a semiotician, I have an even keener insight into the problem.

While I enjoy gloating now (actually I don't, I still want to help, despite being called names by USOF board members in front of local meet start fields), PLEASE don't give me the opportunity to gloat after one of these events.

Here's the deal, to reiterate. The thing looks like a north arrow. A sample of many international maps showed many renditions of the north arrow. A semiotician understands the problem. Do the right thing and fix it.

Sorry for being so aggressive, but how can USOF be credible in the international orienteering community with such an obvious problem waiting to happen?

What? Randy, usually you talk some sort of sense... the logo is great.

I have never ever heard of anyone serious using anything other than north lines when lining up the map/compass.

And you're not the only one here who has spent a lot of time orienteering abroad.

I use, at various times:

a. north lines
b. edge of paper
c. drawn borders around the map
d. any text
e. north-aligned symbols such as depression, greenbar, pit (hopefully not a cave...), and even horizontal marsh symbols.

That's in order from most- to least-used. It's more a subconscious awareness than a conscious decision. Everything is usually good, but then something just seems wrong.

I like the logo. I can only think of one type of event where I'd care about the logo---something IOF-sanctioned like a WRE. If I were an IOF event advisor (I'm not), I'd require that the logo be printed pointing N. It's still screwed up because the text is now 90 degrees off, but that's what I'd do. I figure it's not an issue for people who live here, but it is an issue for a WRE where you expect non North Americans to attend.

{Edit: I flip-flopped my position. See below.}

I too like the looks of the logo, but as Matt points out, merely turning it to the N puts the text 90 off which also is against ISOM spec IIRC. But in these days of custom printing maps for the event, the simplest solution is just to leave the logo off any maps being used for top level competition (A-meets, WRE's etc). That way, the problem only has the potential to creep into a lower level event where its not such a huge potential dealbreaker.

Not the best solution, but better than scrapping the current logo...

Put the control descriptions over it.

Dear Aunt Mabel, I have trouble when I'm out driving, many bends have an advisory speed sign with an arrow showing the shape and when I align my car with my map I keep going over the edge, what can I do? Yours, Magnus O'Teer

The map symbols for power lines and fences look so similar to me that I often confuse them, usually about halfway through the course when I'm nice and tired. Can someone please change that so I don't ever misinterpret and make a dumb mistake again?

There's a really simple solution here. The logomark doesn't always need to be accompanied with the logotype. (For example, I have an O-USA hat with just the arrow logomark on the front.)

We just need to include what constitutes appropriate and inappropriate usages of the logo into the style guide or visual identity. If we're going to use it on a map, then the appropriate usage is to remove the text and rotate 90 degrees. Bam, done. People don't get lost, we can keep the logo.

If people get confused by a logo... what the hell do they do with parallel ditches

Apparently the NAOC 2012 logo is a deliberate ploy to confuse the foreigners from north of the border. There'll be a special prize for the first Canuck to complete the 'course'.

The oganisers have yet to work out how to discombobulate those who actually know what a map is.

Well, I'm changing my position. I was on a map today with the OUSA logo. Last night my memory focused on the arrow, but today actually seeing it on the map, the "Orienteering USA" text is much more dominant than the graphic arrow. To me it was really obvious. I'd probably just keep it next to some other text or logos and not worry about the arrow, even for WREs.