Official Websites

• https://www.bgsu.edu
• http://www.bgsu.edu/admissions
• https://bgsu.edu

Brand Guidelines

2022

Brand Summary

Mission

• Bowling Green State University is a public university for the public good. It is more than a tagline, more than a motto. It is who we are, who we have always been. The brand reflects more than a century of creating public good and is recognized throughout the world. The university aims to advance the brand through the work of its students, faculty, staff, and alumni, emphasizing value, research, and a commitment to not settling [^1].

Core Values

• public good
• kindness
• dignity
• respect
• curiosity
• intellectual
• forward-looking
• vivid
• dynamic
• brave
• gutsy
• together
• engaged

Target Audience

• Students, faculty, staff, alumni, and community members, with messaging crafted based on the specific audience being addressed [^2].

Personality Traits

• welcoming
• personable
• curious
• eager
• excited
• intellectual
• forward-looking
• vivid
• dynamic
• brave
• gutsy
• together
• engaged
• friendly

Visual Identity Overview

• The visual identity is defined by consistent use of the BGSU logo, a primary color palette of orange and brown with secondary colors for vibrancy, a clear typographic hierarchy using Kepler, Europa, and Univers fonts, authentic and candid photography, and graphic elements such as glow, tags, brackets, and arrows to create a unique, recognizable look. Layouts emphasize white space, clarity, and legibility [^3].

Categories

Brand Voice

• Expressing our voice consistently is essential to the success of the BGSU brand. It helps us reach new audiences more effectively, and forge deeper connections with fellow Falcons.
• With these voice guidelines, you’ll have what you need to tell our story clearly, compellingly, and yes, consistently.
• Keep the sentiment of these traits in mind when crafting communications. Some of these traits will be dialed up or toned down, depending on your topic, audience and channel.
• RATIONAL (THINK)
• Friendly WELCOMING, PERSONABLE We treat others with kindness, dignity and respect. And it comes through in the approachability of our brand.
• Curious EAGER, EXCITED Our students are curious about their lives and their potential. We encourage it, guide it and see where it leads.
• Bright INTELLECTUAL, FORWARD-LOOKING We’re going to be the 21st-century center of learning.
• EMOTIONAL (FEEL)
• Vibrant VIVID, DYNAMIC We embrace the uniqueness of Bowling Green. We have unconventional traditions. Our colors are unexpected. There’s a lot that may surprise you here.
• Courageous BRAVE, GUTSY We defy the status quo to better the lives of those we reach.
• Connected TOGETHER, ENGAGED We care about each individual and help them connect to what matters to them and where they’re headed.
• Regardless of what you’re writing, you want to make sure your message—and our voice—rings clear. Follow these tips to ensure that the BGSU ethos comes through.
• Know your audience. Identify the particular audience you’re trying to reach, or nothing you say will reach them.
• Focus on one thing. Emphasize a single message. Otherwise, your readers are likely to either forget what they’ve read or just stop reading.
• Make it personal. Use the second-person “you” and “your” to engage and motivate the reader.
• Avoid jargon. Write clearly and keep your language accessible. Jargon has its place, but our communications are not it.
• Stay away from the passive. Amazing things are happening at BGSU. Use an active voice to tell the world about it.
• Give the reader something to do. Always include a clear call to action.
• Choose wisely. Every communication needn’t contain every detail. Focus on what’s both important and relevant—clutter just gets in the way of our message.
• Incorporate white space. Your readers’ eyes need places to rest so that their brains can digest information. Work with a designer to organize your content visually, making good use of white space.
• Avoid clichés. It’s easy to resort to clichés: At first blush, they sound catchy. But it’s best to avoid them. Use our personality to your advantage by being original and engaging.
• Don’t force excitement. If the message isn’t something we’d yell, it doesn’t deserve an exclamation point. Use this mark extremely sparingly— or better yet, not at all.
• CHECKING OUR VOICE: When crafting any communication, ask yourself: Does this relate to our core message? Does it sound like something a person with our brand’s personality traits would say? Does it get to the point, or is the key message buried? Is at least one of our secondary messages included? Do the headlines convey our voice, or are they simply labeling the content? Is this appropriate for the intended audience, and does it convey the relevant aspects of our personality? Does it move beyond a simple statement of the facts to reveal something bigger about BGSU? Does it lead with audience benefits? Does it pay off those benefits with our attributes?

Brand Imagery

• Visually presenting the University in an authentic and unique photographic style is the best way to captivate our audience and emotionally connect with the students. We use a wide range of photographs to showcase our unique people, experiences and settings. Whether we’re using existing photos or shooting new images, each image should fall into one of the following categories: portraits, moments and places.
• Photography plays a major role in overall composition, so it’s important to choose the best possible image for every layout. Full bleed photos convey a sense of openness and create negative space that leaves ample room for messaging. Be sure to select photos that feel candid and natural and relate well to the content
• Our people-students, faculty, staff, alumni and community members-are the driving force for what we do, as well as the audience we wish to reach. Images in this category should feel candid, natural and in the moment. These images should have a shallow depth of field and can have a soft focus-conveying a mood rather than being technically flawless. Capturing a sense of curiosity, interest or discovery is a great way to communicate the individual student’s journey.
• Photographing people in their natural environments is important. Subjects can be looking at the camera or not, but they should always be shot in an environment, not in a studio or another location that feels overly stylized. Use natural lighting as often as possible.
• Images in this category reflect the experiences our students have at BGSU-capturing moments with faculty and with each other, in and out of the classroom. These photos should feel natural, candid and engaging. A captivating or real moment that is impactful and conveys a sense of movement, illustrates an individual or group’s objective, and most important, helps tell the story.
• Location-based photography helps establish our setting for audiences who are new to BGSU and reinforces it for those who are already familiar. These photographs represent the campus environment and our surroundings. A cinematic and epic quality, with wide and aerial photos that achieve balance and large-scale symmetry. Images of campus need to convey an appropriate level of energy, movement and excitement, and should authentically represent the on-campus experience.

Color Palette

• Our color palette is built around our primary BGSU Orange and Brown. While this palette is limited, it offers the versatility needed to keep communications looking fresh and dynamic.
• These are our core colors. They identify our school and should be the most prominent colors in any piece.
• These colors add variety to the brand. Our secondary palette includes warm and cool hues that add energy and vibrancy to the BGSU Orange and Brown in the primary palette.
• BGSU Print Orange PMS: 166 CMYK: 0/76/100/0
• BGSU Digital Orange RGB: 253/80/0 HEX: #fd5000
• BGSU Brown PMS: 4625 C CMYK: 0/60/100/80 RGB: 79/44/29 HEX: #4F2C1D
• BGSU Rose CMYK: 9/40/38/0 RGB: 227/164/146 HEX: #e3a492
• BGSU Gold CMYK: 0/3/25/71 RGB: 245/193/100 HEX: #f5c163
• BGSU Tan CMYK: 28/37/51/1 RGB: 186/156/128 HEX: #b99b80
• BGSU Coral CMYK: 0/65/53/0 RGB: 243/123/108 HEX: #f37b6c
• BGSU Seafoam CMYK: 51/10/36/0 RGB: 128/186/172 HEX: #80baac
• BGSU Teal CMYK: 88/49/47/20 RGB: 28/98/109 HEX: #1c626d
• Our primary colors Orange and Brown should be predominant in most layouts. Never use secondary colors in this way. By leading with our primary colors, we can celebrate the pride we have in our institution and incorporate a thoughtful amount of negative space.
• Ratios on individual pages, spreads, layouts and even full communications can vary. The important thing to remember is that our primary colors should be the predominant colors overall. When viewing all the pieces the university creates and applying the “squint test” to the brand as a whole, the balance of color should feel close to what’s shown here.
• Using color is an easy way to evoke energy and emotion within our communications. The use of these colors is not required but illustrates proportional adjustments throughout a designed piece. Reference these sample combinations that demonstrate consistent use of primary colors and white space as well as restrained use of secondary colors for balanced emphasis.

Typography

• The BGSU brand uses a variety of typefaces, that offer flexibility and balance, across all communications and for a variety of audiences. - Kepler is our sophisticated serif that is used for headlines and subheads. - Europa is our workhorse sans that complements Kepler by being used at mostly small sizes in subheads and body copy. - Univers Roman is the font for our body copy. This is also the same font as our BGSU logo. Together, these typefaces help create a clear visual hierarchy and keep our content legible and engaging.
• Kepler Standard Kepler Regular Italic
• Europa Regular
• Univers Roman
• As a graceful serif typeface, Kepler can feel either formal or casual, depending on how the text is used. With its delicate proportions and higher contrast, Kepler is used only for headlines and subheads and should not be used at small sizes for captions and body copy.
• Kepler is available for use at fonts.adobe.com after logging into BGSU Adobe Creative Cloud, with approval from the BGSU Marketing and Brand Strategy Office.
• Europa is a flexible typeface that feels neutral, contemporary and utilitarian. The workhorse of our layouts with its clean design and wide range of weights, Europa is primarily used for body copy and smaller headlines, but can be used at larger sizes when necessary.
• Europa is available within the Adobe Creative Suite to download at fonts.adobe.com.
• Univers is a flexible typeface that BGSU has utilized in its brand for over eight years. Currently, transitioning into Roman from condensed font face which is more legible at less point sizes.
• Univers is available from Technology Support Center (TSC). Please email vbeth@bgsu.edu with your asset number and contact information. TSC will download the purchased font onto your device. Helvetica or Ariel can be used when Univers is not available.
• Proper Usage Hint Trust your eye. If the space between lines or characters looks too tight or too loose, it probably is. Remember, the main purpose of leading and tracking is to make it quick and easy for readers to digest multiple lines of copy.
• LEADING Line spacing, called leading, is critical to setting professional-looking type that’s easy to read. Leading should be set tight, but not too tight. Univers generally look best with leading set slightly looser than the default. A good rule of thumb is to start with leading that’s two points higher than the point size of the text. This won’t always be right, but leading can be adjusted easily from there.
• Leading that’s too loose leaves too much pause between lines. 17 PT. TYPE/30 PT. LEADING
• Leading that’s too tight leaves too little pause between lines. 17 PT. TYPE/14 PT. LEADING
• When leading is correct, the reader won’t even notice. 17 PT. TYPE/20 PT. LEADING
• TRACKING Correct letterspacing, called tracking, also helps make the type easy to read. Outside of headlines, it’s usually acceptable to use the default tracking; however, you may need to increase tracking at smaller sizes, and decrease it at larger sizes. Optical kerning should be used when available. The term “tracking” refers to overall letterspacing for groups of letters and entire blocks of text. The term “kerning” refers to selective letterspacing between pairs of characters.
• Tracking that’s too loose leaves too much space between letters. +75 TRACKING
• Tracking that’s too tight leaves too little space between letters. -75 TRACKING
• When tracking is correct, the reader won’t even notice. -10 TRACKING
• When using Kepler in headlines, reserve the use of italics for calling out keywords. This will draw attention for the user and also emphasize the importance of the idea in the headline.
• Kepler Regular and Kepler Italic Size: 46pt Leading: 44 pt Kerning: Optical Tracking: 0 pt
• Europa Regular Size: 21 pt Leading: 21 pt Kerning: Optical Tracking: 0 pt
• Univers Roman Size: 11 pt Leading: 17 pt Kerning: Optical Tracking: 0 pt
• Kepler Semibold Semibold Italic Size: 34pt Leading: 36 pt Kerning: Optical Tracking: 0 pt
• Kepler Standard and Kepler Italic Size: 48 pt Leading: 48 pt Kerning: Optical Tracking: 0
• Europa Regular Size: 12 pt Leading: 20 pt Kerning: Optical Tracking: 20 pt
• Europa Size: 18 pt Leading: 18 pt Kerning: Optical Tracking: 10 pt

Logo Usage

• The Bowling Green State University logo is one of the most visible and recognizable elements of our identity. The BGSU logo represents us at the very highest level and is vitally important to our brand. It acts as a signature, an identifier and a stamp of quality. It is, and should always be, the most consistent component in our communications. In order to maintain this consistency, a few simple guidelines should be followed.
• The BGSU logo is the official identifier and may be used only for purposes that will promote the goals of the University.
• All communications, both print and electronic, published by Bowling Green State University, must prominently display an approved logo.
• Treat the logo as artwork, not as typography. The logo should be treated as a graphic icon.
• Other logos that represent an individual academic/ administrative area should never appear on stationery. This includes office letterheads, envelopes and business cards. However, individual area marks can be used on materials other than stationery as long as the BGSU logo appears prominently.
• When using a single color, the BGSU logo should be printed in orange, brown or black.
• If using the BGSU logo in two colors, only orange and black may be used as shown. The BGSU logo may be reversed to white if appearing on a dark background.
• Avoid these pitfalls when using the logo. DON’T skew, stretch or bend the logo in any way. DON’T rotate the logo. DON’T use extreme drop shadows or other visual effects. DON’T use any colors other than those specified in this document DON’T apply brand treatments to the logo. DON’T crop the logo. DON’T outline the logo. DON’T apply the logo to a background that doesn’t provide adequate contrast.
• In designing our logo, careful attention was paid to how it scales up and down, ensuring legibility at any size. It’s important that the logo always be prominent and legible, so keep these considerations in mind when using it in layout.
• When using the logo, include enough clear space to set it apart from other design elements. Use half the width of the Gin BGSU as a measuring tool to help maintain clearance.
• To ensure legibility, follow these size requirements. When reproduced any smaller than these sizes, the logo becomes difficult to read and illegible. .75" or 100px

Tone And Messaging

• Expressing our voice consistently is essential to the success of the BGSU brand. It helps us reach new audiences more effectively, and forge deeper connections with fellow Falcons.
• With these voice guidelines, you’ll have what you need to tell our story clearly, compellingly, and yes, consistently.
• Keep the sentiment of these traits in mind when crafting communications. Some of these traits will be dialed up or toned down, depending on your topic, audience and channel.
• RATIONAL (THINK) # Friendly ## WELCOMING, PERSONABLE We treat others with kindness, dignity and respect. And it comes through in the approachability of our brand.

• Curious ## EAGER, EXCITED Our students are curious about their lives and their potential. We encourage it, guide it and see where it leads.

• Bright ## INTELLECTUAL, FORWARD-LOOKING We’re going to be the 21st-century center of learning.
• EMOTIONAL (FEEL) # Vibrant ## VIVID, DYNAMIC We embrace the uniqueness of Bowling Green. We have unconventional traditions. Our colors are unexpected. There’s a lot that may surprise you here.
• Courageous ## BRAVE, GUTSY We defy the status quo to better the lives of those we reach.

• Connected ## TOGETHER, ENGAGED We care about each individual and help them connect to what matters to them and where they’re headed.

• Regardless of what you’re writing, you want to make sure your message—and our voice—rings clear. Follow these tips to ensure that the BGSU ethos comes through.
• Know your audience. Identify the particular audience you’re trying to reach, or nothing you say will reach them.
• Focus on one thing. Emphasize a single message. Otherwise, your readers are likely to either forget what they’ve read or just stop reading.
• Make it personal. Use the second-person “you” and “your” to engage and motivate the reader.
• Avoid jargon. Write clearly and keep your language accessible. Jargon has its place, but our communications are not it.
• Stay away from the passive. Amazing things are happening at BGSU. Use an active voice to tell the world about it.
• Give the reader something to do. Always include a clear call to action.
• Choose wisely. Every communication needn’t contain every detail. Focus on what’s both important and relevant—clutter just gets in the way of our message.
• Incorporate white space. Your readers’ eyes need places to rest so that their brains can digest information. Work with a designer to organize your content visually, making good use of white space.
• Avoid clichés. It’s easy to resort to clichés: At first blush, they sound catchy. But it’s best to avoid them. Use our personality to your advantage by being original and engaging.
• Don’t force excitement. If the message isn’t something we’d yell, it doesn’t deserve an exclamation point. Use this mark extremely sparingly— or better yet, not at all.
• CHECKING OUR VOICE: When crafting any communication, ask yourself: Does this relate to our core message? Does it sound like something a person with our brand’s personality traits would say? Does it get to the point, or is the key message buried? Is at least one of our secondary messages included? Do the headlines convey our voice, or are they simply labeling the content? Is this appropriate for the intended audience, and does it convey the relevant aspects of our personality? Does it move beyond a simple statement of the facts to reveal something bigger about BGSU? Does it lead with audience benefits? Does it pay off those benefits with our attributes?

Brand Values

• Bowling Green State University is a public university for the public good. It is more than a tagline, more than a motto. It is who we are, who we have always been.
• As Falcons, we have a special obligation to create good. We are a high research, comprehensive, nationally ranked university of value that doesn’t settle. This document captures it all — how we tell our story, convey who we are and share the work we’re doing with others.
• The Bowling Green State University brand reflects more than a century of creating public good and is recognized throughout the world.
• While the Office of Marketing and Brand Strategy is tasked with its cultivation and protection, the entire BGSU community has a shared responsibility to be good stewards of the BGSU brand. We want to ensure you have the tools to do so.
• We are here to help you advance the brand through the work of our students, faculty, staff and alumni.
• A brand is: The promise we make to our audiences The essence of our organization The experience we create The personality we convey The message we deliver The identity we express
• Keep the sentiment of these traits in mind when crafting communications. Some of these traits will be dialed up or toned down, depending on your topic, audience and channel. RATIONAL (THINK) # Friendly ## WELCOMING, PERSONABLE We treat others with kindness, dignity and respect. And it comes through in the approachability of our brand. # Curious ## EAGER, EXCITED Our students are curious about their lives and their potential. We encourage it, guide it and see where it leads. Bright ## INTELLECTUAL, FORWARD-LOOKING We’re going to be the 21st-century center of learning. EMOTIONAL (FEEL) # Vibrant ## VIVID, DYNAMIC We embrace the uniqueness of Bowling Green. We have unconventional traditions. Our colors are unexpected. There’s a lot that may surprise you here. Courageous ## BRAVE, GUTSY We defy the status quo to better the lives of those we reach. # Connected ## TOGETHER, ENGAGED We care about each individual and help them connect to what matters to them and where they’re headed.

Visual Style

• The BGSU logo is the official identifier and may be used only for purposes that will promote the goals of the University.
• All communications, both print and electronic, published by Bowling Green State University, must prominently display an approved logo.
• Treat the logo as artwork, not as typography. The logo should be treated as a graphic icon.
• Other logos that represent an individual academic/ administrative area should never appear on stationery. This includes office letterheads, envelopes and business cards. However, individual area marks can be used on materials other than stationery as long as the BGSU logo appears prominently.
• When using a single color, the BGSU logo should be printed in orange, brown or black.
• If using the BGSU logo in two colors, only orange and black may be used as shown. The BGSU logo may be reversed to white if appearing on a dark background.
• Avoid these pitfalls when using the logo. DON’T skew, stretch or bend the logo in any way. DON’T rotate the logo. DON’T use extreme drop shadows or other visual effects. DON’T use any colors other than those specified in this document DON’T apply brand treatments to the logo. DON’T crop the logo. DON’T outline the logo. DON’T apply the logo to a background that doesn’t provide adequate contrast.
• In designing our logo, careful attention was paid to how it scales up and down, ensuring legibility at any size. It’s important that the logo always be prominent and legible, so keep these considerations in mind when using it in layout.
• When using the logo, include enough clear space to set it apart from other design elements. Use half the width of the Gin BGSU as a measuring tool to help maintain clearance.
• To ensure legibility, follow these size requirements. When reproduced any smaller than these sizes, the logo becomes difficult to read and illegible. .75" or 100px
• Our color palette is built around our primary BGSU Orange and Brown. While this palette is limited, it offers the versatility needed to keep communications looking fresh and dynamic.
• These are our core colors. They identify our school and should be the most prominent colors in any piece.
• These colors add variety to the brand. Our secondary palette includes warm and cool hues that add energy and vibrancy to the BGSU Orange and Brown in the primary palette.
• BGSU Print Orange PMS: 166 CMYK: 0/76/100/0 BGSU Digital Orange RGB: 253/80/0 HEX: #fd5000 BGSU Brown PMS: 4625 C CMYK: 0/60/100/80 RGB: 79/44/29 HEX: #4F2C1D BGSU Rose CMYK: 9/40/38/0 RGB: 227/164/146 HEX: #e3a492 BGSU Gold CMYK: 0/3/25/71 RGB: 245/193/100 HEX: #f5c163 BGSU Tan CMYK: 28/37/51/1 RGB: 186/156/128 HEX: #b99b80 BGSU Coral CMYK: 0/65/53/0 RGB: 243/123/108 HEX: #f37b6c BGSU Seafoam CMYK: 51/10/36/0 RGB: 128/186/172 HEX: #80baac BGSU Teal CMYK: 88/49/47/20 RGB: 28/98/109 HEX: #1c626d
• Our primary colors Orange and Brown should be predominant in most layouts. Never use secondary colors in this way. By leading with our primary colors, we can celebrate the pride we have in our institution and incorporate a thoughtful amount of negative space. Rather than viewing white space as a blank area, think of it as a pause. Whether it’s in a photo or a layout, don’t rush to fill negative space. What’s absent can focus attention on the content that’s there.
• Ratios on individual pages, spreads, layouts and even full communications can vary. The important thing to remember is that our primary colors should be the predominant colors overall. When viewing all the pieces the university creates and applying the “squint test” to the brand as a whole, the balance of color should feel close to what’s shown here.
• Using color is an easy way to evoke energy and emotion within our communications. The use of these colors is not required but illustrates proportional adjustments throughout a designed piece. Reference these sample combinations that demonstrate consistent use of primary colors and white space as well as restrained use of secondary colors for balanced emphasis.
• The BGSU brand uses a variety of typefaces, that offer flexibility and balance, across all communications and for a variety of audiences. - Kepler is our sophisticated serif that is used for headlines and subheads. - Europa is our workhorse sans that complements Kepler by being used at mostly small sizes in subheads and body copy. - Univers Roman is the font for our body copy. This is also the same font as our BGSU logo.
• Kepler can feel either formal or casual, depending on how the text is used. With its delicate proportions and higher contrast, Kepler is used only for headlines and subheads and should not be used at small sizes for captions and body copy.
• Europa is primarily used for body copy and smaller headlines, but can be used at larger sizes when necessary.
• Univers is a flexible typeface that BGSU has utilized in its brand for over eight years. Currently, transitioning into Roman from condensed font face which is more legible at less point sizes.
• Line spacing, called leading, is critical to setting professional-looking type that’s easy to read. Leading should be set tight, but not too tight. Univers generally look best with leading set slightly looser than the default. A good rule of thumb is to start with leading that’s two points higher than the point size of the text. This won’t always be right, but leading can be adjusted easily from there.
• Correct letterspacing, called tracking, also helps make the type easy to read. Outside of headlines, it’s usually acceptable to use the default tracking; however, you may need to increase tracking at smaller sizes, and decrease it at larger sizes. Optical kerning should be used when available.
• When using Kepler in headlines, reserve the use of italics for calling out keywords. This will draw attention for the user and also emphasize the importance of the idea in the headline.
• The BGSU brand has a set of graphic elements that create a unique look and make us recognizable. These elements can be dialed up or down individually depending on the audience, to add a richness and depth to compositions and create visual interest.
• The glow element can help you add text on top of slim contrast images. The glow is developed to be use sparingly, to make text more legible. The color of the glow can be our lighter colors of our supplemental color options or a tone of the color to better blend in the design. The edges of the glow should be soft enough to not notice where it ends.
• Adding a .25 for print, 12 px for digital, to images or shapes matches the tag element. It shouldn’t be over used and can be used with square images and shapes. When overlaying elements, both hard and curved edges can be used.
• Tags are a highly flexible visual element that can serve a number of purposes. They can be used as labels for content, create emphasis, or as a wayfinding device. In digital applications they can used as a filter, button, displaying selected options and the corresponding content. Tags are a great way to incorporate secondary colors but should not be overused. On digital applications, tags should include some type of interactive state for a user and are best for hyperlinked buttons.
• Brackets should be used for quotes, subhead, and to accentuate key information. Double quotes should be used for quotes and highlighting information, and single quotes can be used for larger text including headlines and secondary callouts. Brackets should be used sparingly and not more than 1-2 in a piece.
• Arrows will be used to highlight content and draw attention to key information.Arrows should look lightweight and the arrow point should match the angle of our other shapes. Arrows should be used sparingly.
• Visually presenting the University in an authentic and unique photographic style is the best way to captivate our audience and emotionally connect with the students. We use a wide range of photographs to showcase our unique people, experiences and settings. Whether we’re using existing photos or shooting new images, each image should fall into one of the following categories: portraits, moments and places.
• Photography plays a major role in overall composition, so it’s important to choose the best possible image for every layout. Full bleed photos convey a sense of openness and create negative space that leaves ample room for messaging. Be sure to select photos that feel candid and natural and relate well to the content
• Images in this category should feel candid, natural and in the moment. These images should have a shallow depth of field and can have a soft focus-conveying a mood rather than being technically flawless. Capturing a sense of curiosity, interest or discovery is a great way to communicate the individual student’s journey.
• Photographing people in their natural environments is important. Subjects can be looking at the camera or not, but they should always be shot in an environment, not in a studio or another location that feels overly stylized. Use natural lighting as often as possible.
• Images in this category reflect the experiences our students have at BGSU-capturing moments with faculty and with each other, in and out of the classroom. These photos should feel natural, candid and engaging. A captivating or real moment that is impactful and conveys a sense of movement, illustrates an individual or group’s objective, and most important, helps tell the story.
• Location-based photography helps establish our setting for audiences who are new to BGSU and reinforces it for those who are already familiar. These photographs represent the campus environment and our surroundings. A cinematic and epic quality, with wide and aerial photos that achieve balance and large-scale symmetry. Images of campus need to convey an appropriate level of energy, movement and excitement, and should authentically represent the on-campus experience.

Layout And Composition

• Full bleed photos convey a sense of openness and create negative space that leaves ample room for messaging. Be sure to select photos that feel candid and natural and relate well to the content
• Our primary colors Orange and Brown should be predominant in most layouts. Never use secondary colors in this way. By leading with our primary colors, we can celebrate the pride we have in our institution and incorporate a thoughtful amount of negative space. Rather than viewing white space as a blank area, think of it as a pause. Whether it’s in a photo or a layout, don’t rush to fill negative space. What’s absent can focus attention on the content that’s there.
• Ratios on individual pages, spreads, layouts and even full communications can vary. The important thing to remember is that our primary colors should be the predominant colors overall. When viewing all the pieces the university creates and applying the “squint test” to the brand as a whole, the balance of color should feel close to what’s shown here.
• When using Kepler in headlines, reserve the use of italics for calling out keywords. This will draw attention for the user and also emphasize the importance of the idea in the headline.
• Line spacing, called leading, is critical to setting professional-looking type that’s easy to read. Leading should be set tight, but not too tight. Univers generally look best with leading set slightly looser than the default.
• A good rule of thumb is to start with leading that’s two points higher than the point size of the text. This won’t always be right, but leading can be adjusted easily from there.
• Correct letterspacing, called tracking, also helps make the type easy to read. Outside of headlines, it’s usually acceptable to use the default tracking; however, you may need to increase tracking at smaller sizes, and decrease it at larger sizes. Optical kerning should be used when available.
• The term “tracking” refers to overall letterspacing for groups of letters and entire blocks of text. The term “kerning” refers to selective letterspacing between pairs of characters.
• When using the logo, include enough clear space to set it apart from other design elements. Use half the width of the Gin BGSU as a measuring tool to help maintain clearance.
• To ensure legibility, follow these size requirements. When reproduced any smaller than these sizes, the logo becomes difficult to read and illegible. .75" or 100px
• Adding a .25 for print, 12 px for digital, to images or shapes matches the tag element. It shouldn’t be over used and can be used with square images and shapes. When overlaying elements, both hard and curved edges can be used.

Graphic Elements

• The BGSU brand has a set of graphic elements that create a unique look and make us recognizable. These elements can be dialed up or down individually depending on the audience, to add a richness and depth to compositions and create visual interest.
• The glow element can help you add text on top of slim contrast images. The glow is developed to be use sparingly, to make text more legible. The color of the glow can be our lighter colors of our supplemental color options or a tone of the color to better blend in the design. The edges of the glow should be soft enough to not notice where it ends.
• How to create custom Gradient Meshes 1. Create a white rectangle in Illustrator 2. Select the Gradient Mesh tool (U) 3. Click a number points in the rectangle to create the mesh 4. Select different points and add primary and secondary colors (typically warm tones) 5. Adjust the point placement and bezier handles to create dynamic and interesting shapes 6. To create a transparent background, select the white points around the shape and set their opacity to 0% 7. Copy and paste the gradient mesh into Photoshop as a Smart Object 8. Apply Filter > Noise, start with 5% and adjust based on the scale of the gradient mesh to match the noise in the existing set of gradients.
• Adding a .25 for print, 12 px for digital, to images or shapes matches the tag element. It shouldn’t be over used and can be used with square images and shapes. When overlaying elements, both hard and curved edges can be used.
• Tags are a highly flexible visual element that can serve a number of purposes. They can be used as labels for content, create emphasis, or as a wayfinding device. In digital applications they can used as a filter, button, displaying selected options and the corresponding content. Tags are a great way to incorporate secondary colors but should not be overused. On digital applications, tags should include some type of interactive state for a user and are best for hyperlinked buttons.
• Brackets should be used for quotes, subhead, and to accentuate key information. Double quotes should be used for quotes and highlighting information, and single quotes can be used for larger text including headlines and secondary callouts. Brackets should be used sparingly and not more than 1-2 in a piece.
• Arrows will be used to highlight content and draw attention to key information.Arrows should look lightweight and the arrow point should match the angle of our other shapes. Arrows should be used sparingly.

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