April 17, 2008
Publications Services becomes Creative Communications
What’s in a name? Quite a bit, it turns out. Just ask the people at Creative Communications — who until recently were the people at Publications Services.
Eric Mosher, director of the unit, said the name switch has been under way for several weeks, starting with a “soft launch” back in March and continuing with presentations and tours for department clients.
A 19-year UW veteran, Mosher said the name change has been considered for years. Way back, he said, the department was called the print plant, and it became Publication Services in 1989. And now it’s time for another change.
“‘Publications Services’ doesn’t adequately represent the full range of services that we offer and we don’t actually have any publications,” Mosher said. He added that the department now provides a number of services that weren’t available years back, including Web site development, a digital prepress workflow and high-quality digital color printing.
The new name, he said, is meant to be both descriptive of the department’s work and an umbrella name for all the different units of the department. As it did under its old name, Creative Communications offers a host of different services to campus clients. The department includes Project Management, Design & Creative Services, Printing Services, Web Publishing, Trademarks & Licensing, Copy Services & Dawg Prints, and Mailing Services.
As a printed logo, the new name is actually “Creative + Communications,” and is often used with the tagline, “Advise. Create. Distribute.” He explained, “‘Creative’ and ‘communications’ are seen as two elements, and one’s not necessarily a modified by the other. Everything we do involves some aspect of creative communications.”
In time, Mosher said, the name will likely become informally known as “C2,” just as the department’s parent UW organization, Finance and Facilities, has come to be known as “F2.”
