Like the company, EdSurge apparel has morphed over the years.
Note: Apologies are long overdue to the ladies who’ve had to put up with (and put on) some of these ill-fitting creations over the years.
The lower case Collection (2011–2016)
In the beginning, the first letter was lowercase: edSurge. Edgy and eccentric, and certainly electric — a jolt ⚡ to the educational media world.️
But it also proved confusing from a writer’s perspective. (Should the ‘e’ be capitalized if the company name starts a sentence?) It was also an annoying rule to enforce, one that felt irrationally uptight every time we corrected those who used the uppercase ‘e’. (Do you ever grumble when littleBits asks for a correction every time you uppercase the first letter?)
Back then, our official logo color was also more teal than green. (These logos still live in some corners of the web.)
THE OG
The original. The statement piece. And what bolder statement can one make than creating a dictionary definition of who you are (with pronunciation added for effect)? The contrarian, nonconformist streak in our DNA, proudly emblazoned across our chest. Also the only long-sleeve shirt we’ve produced.
CLASSIC BLACK
Our only official black T to date.
PATAGONIA
Our first jacket, for the unseasonably (and unreasonably) cold drafts in San Francisco.
KEEP CALM T
Somehow, somewhere, we were struck by the “Keep Calm and [finish the sentence]” hysteria that befell countless memes, stickers and apparel. (I’m looking at you, Shu Uesugi.)
This shirt debuted shortly before our first EdSurge Summit, and was soon mass-produced and given to staff and volunteers.
GREEN HOODIE
What’s a Silicon Valley startup without the hoodie? (A humble one? I digress.)
ONESIE
Because newborn babies make for great brand ambassadors.
The Single Issues
We designed one-off shirts for specific events.
SHARK
At previous events we organized “Teacher Tanks” modeled after the TV show “Shark Tank,” except education entrepreneurs would be pitching to a panel of educators who would pepper them with questions.
This shirt was given to our educator judges and entrepreneur participants. (And Marisa.)
TEXAS
To boldly announce our presence at SXSW EDU in 2014, we co-opted the color of the Longhorns (the mascot of the University of Texas). Needless to say, the message on the back did not win us many invitations to the salacious and scandalous parties off the beaten track.
“The eyes of EdSurge are upon you, you can not get away…”
The Unauthorized Bootlegs
These are very rare.
BLACK ON BLACK
Seductively subtle, indubitably chic.
‘ED’
The white-on-white. Almost the opposite of the above, but with the first part of our name in green. A great conversation starter that draws squints from passersby and questions like ‘What’s Ed?” and “Are you Ed?”
The Upper Case Standard (2016 — present)
In early 2016, EdSurge created its first branding guidelines to enforce consistency in the use and display of our logos (and to reduce the unsanctioned permutations seen above).
The font morphed from Klavika (fun fact: a font similar to what Facebook used for its old logo) to Gotham, a font that’s curvier and rounder. (One can say it smooths out our rougher edges.) Also gone is the teal, replaced by a more conventional shade of green.
With the formation of the higher-ed team, we also welcomed a new official color: blue.
EDSURGE ICON T
EDSURGE PORT AUTHORITY JACKET
FUSION
Special thanks to EdSurge alumnus Kris, who has the eye for making things look good.
