As Sacramento State pushes forward with its $34,000 identity package, one Department of Design professor wishes it were her students changing the image of the capital campus.

The university purchased the identity package, which includes the new Sac State logo and new logos for other departments and organizations such as Associated Students Inc., from Osaki Design in 2004.

“We have a class geared toward big projects like this,” said Gwen Amos, program coordinator for the graphics program. “We would like more projects and more visibility.”

Frank Whitlatch, associate vice president of Public Affairs, was on the design review committee that was in charge of the parameters of the identity package. The committee generated a request for proposal and distributed it to many agencies, including the graphic design program.

“The RFP (request for proposal) called for a two-month turnaround, which we could not accomplish, then they gave Osaki Design six months to fulfill it,” Amos said.

“The graphic design department did not respond to the request for proposal, so we never considered them in our final choices of possible firms to hire,” Whitlatch said. “Once under contract it was decided that a much better job could be done if Osaki was given more time to complete the project, so we gave (Osaki) six months instead of two. The original two months was to assure that any company hired could work well under a timeline contract.”

“We held all bids to the same standards,” Whitlatch said. “Had the graphic design department submitted a bid, we certainly would have considered them; I believe they were working on a campus signage package at the time.

“(The design review committee was) impressed by Osaki’s commitment to input by the community on this project,” Whitlatch said.

Osaki Design unveiled the university’s new logo in the fall. The new logo consists two S’s emerging from a torch rising from a river. The company is currently working on the new logo for ASI.

“We have a few design ideas ready (for the ASI logo). I am very excited, and I think the students will be happy,” said Kurt Osaki, president of Osaki Design. “ASI’s new logo will create a new identity for the organization while providing consistency on campus and creating one voice for the university.”Osaki employs one a Sac State alumnus and a graduating senior.

“I did not want to leave the impression that we had any doubt in the capabilities of the design department. We simply could not consider them as they put in no bid,” Whitlatch said.

Max Puckett can be reached at [email protected]