Seneca College, officially the Seneca College of Applied Arts and Technology, is a public postsecondary institution in the Greater Toronto Area and Peterborough, Ontario. Founded in 1967, the institution has operated under the brand name Seneca Polytechnic since 2023, when its new Strategic Plan, The Next, introduced a new brand identity and the name change. The rebrand was accompanied by a domain change to senecapolytechnic.ca across its digital infrastructure. [1]
Design and History
Seneca’s visual identity has been a typographic wordmark since the institution’s early years. A photograph from the Seneca archives, dated October 28, 1967, shows President William T. Newnham presenting the new Seneca logo to Ontario Premier John Robarts, confirming that a logo was in place during the college’s founding year. [2]
In the 1990s, Seneca commissioned the Toronto design firm PG&A to create a new identity or brand that would stand out in both domestic and international markets. The firm produced a wide range of collateral, including approximately 400 retail ads, calendars, annual reports, posters, brochures and international advertising. The work won major awards in both Canada and the U.S. [3]
In early 2023, Seneca’s new Strategic Plan, The Next, introduced a new brand identity for the institution as Seneca Polytechnic. [1] The institution’s 2023-24 annual report notes that phase one of the rebrand was completed across all external channels and logos. [4]
Meaning and Symbolism
Seneca’s official school colour is red. [5] The institution’s flag features a red logo on a white field. [6] The current logo is a typographic wordmark that places the Seneca name at the centre of the identity, a format the institution has maintained throughout its history.
The 2023 rebrand to Seneca Polytechnic was driven by the institution’s desire to differentiate itself in the postsecondary landscape. The name change was intended to reflect the institution’s commitment to polytechnic education, which combines academic rigour with practical, professional skills. [7]
Typography and Design
The Seneca wordmark is a typographic design that has been consistently applied across the institution’s communications. The 2025 brand campaign, This is Seneca Polytechnic, was developed by Seneca in partnership with Ultralight Creative, a Toronto-based creative consultancy. [8] The campaign focused on bold, dynamic visuals to define the Seneca Polytechnic difference. [8]
Logo Index is an independent educational archive covering logos, visual identities and graphic design history. All trademarks and brand assets remain the property of their respective owners.
