Employees at the UofA Bookstore have mixed feelings about the new logo that students designed for their store.

The logo consists of a blue figure reading a book.

The color blue was selected based on retail studies that indicated blue gives a sense of warmth, said Frank Farias the director of UofA Bookstores.

"We are hoping to project a fresh new image," said Farias. "We have a new store and a need to project a whole different image than the old bookstore."

A group of 25 students from the Southwest Retail Center and the marketing and fine arts department created the logo. The students from each department competed for the winning design and the winners were given three academic units. Matt Gase, Suzy Silanee, Haley Wright-Frederickson, Shang Tang and Jeremy Wesanen, all of whom are now alumni, were the winning students.

The new logo was released last week.

"Frank Farias came to us and suggested we team up with other students from other areas, not only to create a better project, but also so the students and faculty could learn about other disciplines," said Jackson Boelts, the art professor who instructed the fine arts students. "It was great learning experience for all involved."

There was a mixed reaction from the employees of the bookstore regarding the logo.

"I don't like it," said molecular and cellular biology junior Matthew Knatz, who has worked at the bookstore for two years. "It's simplistic and I don't like the whole theme of the student shops bit. This is a student population. We are not looking for cutesy, we are looking for a place to buy books cheap and get out."

Another student said the new building was more important.

"I don't think the new logo will help, but the brand new store itself will attract new people," said criminal justice junior and bookstore employee Tim Valenzuela.

But some employees felt it will help the image of the bookstore.

"I like it. It is different and it looks uplifting; it makes me feel up," said Rita Rossman, a bookstore employee for 22 years.

Farias placed the previous bookstore logo into effect six years ago, and now he hopes this logo will give the bookstore a more inviting feeling.

"We wanted to have one identity that connected all the stores. It is inclusive of extra space that makes it more welcoming," Farias said.

The logo will unify all of the bookstore's locations, which include McKale Center, Park Student Union, the Health Sciences Center and one in Sierra Vista.