Calvin University

Official Websites

• https://calvin.edu
• http://www.calvin.edu

Brand Guidelines

2019

Brand Summary

Mission

• To cultivate a dynamic, living, breathing brand that interacts with its audience, ensuring long-term growth and management of Calvin University’s reputation and visual identity, rooted in discovery, curiosity, investigation, and innovation [^1].

Core Values

• discovery
• curiosity
• investigation
• innovation
• consistency
• clarity
• quality
• community
• tradition
• progress
• equity
• fearless investigation
• self-discovery
• personal growth
• exploration
• inquiry
• positivity

Target Audience

• Prospective and current students, faculty, staff, alumni, and external stakeholders seeking a transformative educational experience characterized by exploration, inquiry, and personal growth [^2].

Personality Traits

• dynamic
• human
• clear
• consistent
• fearless
• confident
• content
• intelligent
• positive
• playful
• innovative
• tradition-minded
• progressive

Visual Identity Overview

• The visual identity is anchored by maroon and gold colors, a distinctive shield emblem, and a customized typographic system. It emphasizes clean layouts, geometric scaffolding, professional imagery, and a balance of tradition and progress, with strict logo usage and flexible design system parameters [^3].

Categories

Brand Imagery

• Imagery, whether illustrative or photographic, is one of the most critical assets in a brand identity system. Human beings relate best to other humans, and photography affords us an opportunity to relate with others while expressing a brand’s ethos and distinctive personality. The right image can make or break a story. To that end, Calvin’s marquee imagery fits into three primary imagery categories described on the following spreads. Regardless of the style or content of an image, some universal technical standards are required of all photography representing Calvin University:
• UNIVERSAL IMAGE CRITERIA • Professional photography only—no cell phones or amateur point-and-click devices • Natural color—refrain from grayscale, muting, sepia, or artificial manipulation • Never scale an image up past its original resolution. • Print only high-resolution imagery (300dpi or higher). • Contact a professional before cropping or editing a photograph. • Never provide official Calvin University imagery to third-party sources without the consent of the office of communications and marketing.
• Calvin’s first category of marquee imagery is highlighted by an individual student, faculty, or a group in a larger physical context—typically outdoors embarking on a journey in some form. Subjects are engaging with and wondering about the vastness of creation. There is a clear focus on adventure and the landscape that the individual(s) is(are) interacting with. For this image style, it is preferred to capture the shot with a wide perspective to show expansiveness and feature the surroundings. Subjects shouldn’t be acknowledging the camera, as this isn’t a “posed” approach; rather, it relies on the raw, exploratory, unrefined quality of the moment. Unique angles, like a dog’s-eye view, or interesting lens perspectives, like a fisheye, are acceptable for this category to achieve a sense of motion and activity.
• IMAGE CRITERIA • Individuals or group activity • Subjects are not acknowledging the camera. • Discovery, adventure, and exploration are the central attitudes of the image style. • Special emphasis on the surroundings, creation, and its expansiveness • Unique camera angles and lens perspectives are acceptable.
• This second image category is typified by the individual in their “laboratory” setting, in the broadest sense. That may entail arts, sciences, lifestyle, and beyond, so long as the content pertains to the Calvin experience. The subject is quite literally surrounded by their area of investigation—a “beautiful mess” of sorts. The driving concept is to demonstrate the process of investigation, intense study, and personal discovery. Brilliant insights emerge from a rigorous process, which is never simple or easy. This category represents a far more staged and curated outcome while still exhibiting a raw strength and lack of “over-polish.” The subject may or may not acknowledge the camera, but their facial expression and mood must embody fearlessness, confidence, contentment, and intelligence.
• IMAGE CRITERIA • Single individual (typically) • Subjects may or may not acknowledge the camera. • Investigation, discovery, and inquiry are the central attitudes of the image style. • Additional emphasis on the details of the surroundings in and around the room (the “laboratory”) • Indoor, artificial, dramatic lighting is most effective, but natural-light staging is possible.
• Calvin’s third image category is comprised of group and lifestyle interactions that are highly organic and personal. “Living in the moment” without boundaries is the essence of the style. This style succeeds by showing the subjects (typically students) simply “existing” naturally in a moment or event of great passion or personal interest. There’s no strict staging here, but rather the concept of being present to witness and capture those raw, relatable, interpersonal moments: piggyback rides, campfires, sunsets, group collaboration, laughter, and beyond. While running the risk of feeling more like a retail ad than the prior image categories, it will yield powerful outcomes when the magic moments are captured, because this style represents the “idyllic university experience” at Calvin. Students are learning, loving, and growing together.
• IMAGE CRITERIA • Groups • Subjects may or may not acknowledge the camera. • Positivity, play, personal growth, and experience are the central attitudes of the image style. • The most intimate of the image styles, the shot may draw in close to the subjects or pull back as needed. • Natural light, outdoor settings
• Color blending modes and overlays for photography are invited where appropriate.
• The circular scaffolding is a very effective element for serving as the cropping mechanism for photography.

Color Palette

• Color is perhaps the strongest driver of emotion and recall among all brand identity components. This often deceptively simple visual asset generates powerful psychological associations and recognition. Calvin’s color palette is anchored by the equity and legacy of its maroon and gold while bolstered by the newness and energy of its supporting palette. Collectively, our official color palette communicates Calvin’s story of discovery and fearless investigation.
• These color standards should be used for all communication products. The primary—or informal—design system encompasses virtually all recruiting and admissions-centric communication and is the front-facing palette for the university. For prestige communications—as with the office of the president— assorted metallic colors may be introduced, and the color ratios detailed here may give way to a more prominent use of neutral tones and maroon.
• Calvin’s two primary colors are maroon and gold, which should be used most prominently in the overall ratio on a canvas. Bright red, renew blue, and true green are secondary colors, which should be used in a minority ratio relative to the primary palette, if at all.
• Neutral colors, from black to white, are essential to any brand identity system. These colors allow a canvas to “breathe” and help to highlight and feature the rest of the color palette. Don’t overlook the power of white and black space.
• The MIN and MAX percentages to the left indicate the minimum and maximum amount of the overall page ratio a single color can occupy, not including image real estate. Creative professionals have the flexibility to explore and apply the palette within these parameters.
• Always obey the color values provided.
• For four-color printing, you will generally use the CMYK color mode and values when commercial or offset printing is the intended printing method. For noncommercial printing—as with color copiers or laserjets— the RGB color mode and values may yield more effective results. For all on-screen mediums, use the RGB or HEX (#) color mode and values.
• PRIMARY CLASSIC MAROON PANTONE 202 U 29 140 96 34 76 50 29 # 8C2131 MIN: 20% MAX: 90% CLASSIC GOLD PANTONE 7405 U 6 243 16 205 100 0 0 # F3CD00 MIN: 7% MAX: 33%
• NEUTRALS MIN: 10% MAX: 50%
• SECONDARY BRIGHT RED PANTONE 200 U 16 194 100 0 87 47 6 # C2002F MIN: 0% MAX: 10% RENEW BLUE PANTONE 7458 U 55 113 16 177 15 200 0 # 71B1C8 MIN: 0% MAX: 10% TRUE GREEN PANTONE 359 U 39 162 0 214 64 131 0 # A2D683 MIN: 0% MAX: 10%
• Refer to the color technicals on page nine for guidance and pay special attention to the minimum and maximum color ratios.

Typography

• An effective brand identity requires consistent typography to help communicate an organization’s personality. Calvin’s identity system maintains a suite of typefaces for specific application. These typefaces—or their system alternates—must be used in all communication products. Calvin’s typeface suite includes: CONSTANTIA The “Calvin” in our nameplate is a derivative of Constantia and is a mainstay in our identity system. Constantia is a modulated wedge-serif typeface designed primarily for continuous text in both electronic and paper publishing, and it serves as a headline font for Calvin University. • Application: Headlines / Subheads. System alternate: None. GOTHAM / GOTHAM CONDENSED The “University” in our nameplate is a derivative of Gotham and is a workhorse font for our identity system. This versatile and contemporary sans-serif font communicates progress and strength, and Gotham’s condensed cousin can be used freely alongside it or as a substitute. Gotham is also the preferred web font. • Application: Headlines / Subheads / Body. System alternate: Century Gothic, Arial, Arial Narrow. CENTURY SCHOOLBOOK Since 1924, Century Schoolbook has become synonymous with readability. It is a family of high-performance serif fonts designed to thrive under adverse conditions, particularly as volume body copy. • Application: Body. System alternate: Georgia. Licenses for these fonts are available by contacting the office of communications and marketing.
• CONSTANTIA Case: Sentence. Kerning: Optical. Leading: +8 Available Styles Regular Italic Bold Bold Italic
• GOTHAM Case: Mixed. . Kerning: Optical. Leading: +8 Available Styles Light Light Italic Book Book Italic Medium Medium Italic Bold Bold Italic Black Black Italic
• GOTHAM CONDENSED Case: Mixed. . Kerning: Optical. Leading: +8 Available Styles Cond. Light Cond. Light Italic Cond. Book Cond. Book Italic Cond. Medium Cond. Medium Italic Cond. Bold Cond. Bold Italic
• CENTURY SCHOOLBOOK Case: Sentence. Kerning: Optical. Leading: +8 Available Styles Regular Italic Bold Bold Italic
• Calvin’s logotype is called the nameplate and includes “Calvin” and “University” set in specific and unchanging placements and typographic styling. The placement of “Calvin” and “University” varies depending on the signature format—the technical details of which are covered later in this document—but they always exist together. “Calvin” is a highly customized type treatment derived from the font Constantia, demonstrating both tradition and progress, while “University” is set in a modified Gotham font.
• Department logotypes replace the founding date with the name of the department set in Constantia Bold Italic with the capital letter ascending to the “A”-height as depicted. Use the single-line arrangement until the department name exceeds 20 characters, including spaces, at which point the double-line arrangement should be used.

Logo Usage

• A brand identity’s cornerstone component is its signature or logo + logotype, because it’s the one element that is featured on virtually all communication products. Calvin University’s signature has evolved to reflect our institutional brand personality, led by values of discovery, curiosity, investigation, and innovation. The signature must be present on every communication product without exception.
• As a communicator of the Calvin University brand, you are required to be in possession of—and thoroughly understand—the University’s brand identity document, which anchors all visual and verbal solutions. If you do not have this deliverable, please contact the office of communications and marketing.
• Calvin’s logotype is called the nameplate and includes “Calvin” and “University” set in specific and unchanging placements and typographic styling. The placement of “Calvin” and “University” varies depending on the signature format—the technical details of which are covered later in this document—but they always exist together. “Calvin” is a highly customized type treatment derived from the font Constantia, demonstrating both tradition and progress, while “University” is set in a modified Gotham font.
• Calvin’s logo is called the wayfinder. It is a symbol of exploration and destination. Its design is derived from the historic chevron shape in the university’s official seal. The four outermost corners form a square, paying homage to the institution’s foundational theology that every square inch belongs to God. Within the wayfinder is the reflective “C” symbol with an interior negative shape that forms a “U.” The symbol also forms the semblance of a heart, tying into the heart-in-hand element in the institutional seal.
• Calvin’s signature is available in multiple arrangements—vertical and horizontal, and with and without the founding date. While the horizontal arrangement with the date is preferred, all options are equally acceptable, and the decision should be dictated by the product to which it is being applied and the associated content.
• The wayfinder and nameplate should not be separated or used independently without approval from the office of communications and marketing.
• Never attempt to redraw or typeset Calvin’s signature. Official files are available by request through the office of communications and marketing.
• Our signature (logo + logotype) is built with intentional dimensions, ratios, and alignment. These intricate mechanics are demonstrated here, showing the variety of spacial relationships that work together to preserve the integrity and quality of the Calvin University signature. Never resize, shift, skew or otherwise deviate from these mechanics.
• A clear zone is the protected area around the signature—as indicated by the dotted perimeter margin—ensuring that no other design elements (text, shapes, images) interfere with the signature. The size of the clear zone margin is defined by the squared height of the letter “c” in Calvin’s nameplate.
• Clear Zone requirements apply to all signature arrangements and brandmarks, not just the two options represented on this spread.
• The use of a properly sized signature in our communication establishes a unified and professional appearance. Furthermore, reproducing the signature below a minimum size jeopardizes its legibility. Never reproduce Calvin’s signature at a size smaller than the minimums provided here.
• As a creative professional use your best judgment when applying our signature, seeking to achieve the most desirable balance between the size of the signature, the surrounding content and the available canvas. Simply making the signature bigger is not always the best approach, as a bloated signature relative to its canvas can be as ineffectual as a signature that is too small.
• There are instances where it is OK to drop “University” in order to maintain legibility. Contact the office of communications and marketing for case-by-case guidance.
• Exceptions for especially small items with limited surface area, such as pens, are permitted.
• Signature sizing is measured horizontally from the left edge to the right edge of the nameplate. The minimum size for both the horizontal and vertical orientations of the signature for print & digital applications is 1.00 inch or 72 pixels.
• There are a variety of high-use signature color formats derived from Calvin’s color palette detailed on pages eight and nine. While we prefer that you use the full color positive signature over a white background as often as possible, all of these formats are approved as on-brand options.
• These color formats are intended for specific uses depending on the medium, so please consult a design professional if you are unsure of the appropriate application.
• All of the signature arrangements in our official suite—horizontal and vertical, with and without the founding date—adopt these same color standards.
• While only the horizontal signature arrangement is represented in the color format examples on this spread, the examples apply equally to the vertical arrangement.
• Calvin’s official signature requires design modifications to suit pad printing, which is a standard process for many retail items. Use only the Calvin signature options displayed on this spread when pad printing is required.
• The signature file for pad printing is available from the office of communications and marketing.
• The inverse options shown here do not represent the extent of the allowable background colors. Use discretion and good judgment when selecting product colors from vendor(s), striving to remain as close to on-brand as possible. When inverting the signature on a darker background, use either white or gold as demonstrated.

Brand Values

• Calvin University’s signature has evolved to reflect our institutional brand personality, led by values of discovery, curiosity, investigation, and innovation. The signature must be present on every communication product without exception.

Visual Style

• Color is perhaps the strongest driver of emotion and recall among all brand identity components. This often deceptively simple visual asset generates powerful psychological associations and recognition. Calvin’s color palette is anchored by the equity and legacy of its maroon and gold while bolstered by the newness and energy of its supporting palette. Collectively, our official color palette communicates Calvin’s story of discovery and fearless investigation.
• These color standards should be used for all communication products. The primary—or informal—design system encompasses virtually all recruiting and admissions-centric communication and is the front-facing palette for the university. For prestige communications—as with the office of the president— assorted metallic colors may be introduced, and the color ratios detailed here may give way to a more prominent use of neutral tones and maroon.
• Calvin’s two primary colors are maroon and gold, which should be used most prominently in the overall ratio on a canvas. Bright red, renew blue, and true green are secondary colors, which should be used in a minority ratio relative to the primary palette, if at all.
• Neutral colors, from black to white, are essential to any brand identity system. These colors allow a canvas to “breathe” and help to highlight and feature the rest of the color palette. Don’t overlook the power of white and black space.
• The MIN and MAX percentages to the left indicate the minimum and maximum amount of the overall page ratio a single color can occupy, not including image real estate. Creative professionals have the flexibility to explore and apply the palette within these parameters.
• Always obey the color values provided.
• For four-color printing, you will generally use the CMYK color mode and values when commercial or offset printing is the intended printing method. For noncommercial printing—as with color copiers or laserjets— the RGB color mode and values may yield more effective results. For all on-screen mediums, use the RGB or HEX (#) color mode and values.
• An effective brand identity requires consistent typography to help communicate an organization’s personality. Calvin’s identity system maintains a suite of typefaces for specific application. These typefaces—or their system alternates—must be used in all communication products.
• Calvin’s typeface suite includes: CONSTANTIA, GOTHAM / GOTHAM CONDENSED, CENTURY SCHOOLBOOK.
• The “Calvin” in our nameplate is a derivative of Constantia and is a mainstay in our identity system. Constantia is a modulated wedge-serif typeface designed primarily for continuous text in both electronic and paper publishing, and it serves as a headline font for Calvin University.
• Application: Headlines / Subheads. System alternate: None.
• The “University” in our nameplate is a derivative of Gotham and is a workhorse font for our identity system. This versatile and contemporary sans-serif font communicates progress and strength, and Gotham’s condensed cousin can be used freely alongside it or as a substitute. Gotham is also the preferred web font. Application: Headlines / Subheads / Body. System alternate: Century Gothic, Arial, Arial Narrow.
• Since 1924, Century Schoolbook has become synonymous with readability. It is a family of high-performance serif fonts designed to thrive under adverse conditions, particularly as volume body copy. Application: Body. System alternate: Georgia.
• Licenses for these fonts are available by contacting the office of communications and marketing.
• Case: Sentence. Kerning: Optical. Leading: +8
• Available Styles: Regular, Italic, Bold, Bold Italic
• Case: Mixed. Kerning: Optical. Leading: +8
• Available Styles: Light, Light Italic, Book, Book Italic, Medium, Medium Italic, Bold, Bold Italic, Black, Black Italic, Cond. Light, Cond. Light Italic, Cond. Book, Cond. Book Italic, Cond. Medium, Cond. Medium Italic, Cond. Bold, Cond. Bold Italic

Layout And Composition

• Calvin’s layout begins by “building the scaffolding.” Think of scaffolding as the framing of a house that sets the parameters for the fit-and-finish elements to come.
• The scaffolding can take on an infinite number of forms, dictated by the content requirements of the piece—which is always the first consideration. Content leads design. The page layout is also an important consideration for how you will construct your scaffolding: portrait, landscape, square.
• Central to Calvin’s identity system is the 33 degree angle, which the logo in out signature is founded upon. The 33 degree angle runs both uphill and downhill.
• At a minimum, your linear scaffolding must contain the following elements: 1a. One horizontal edge (for portrait or square layouts) 1b. One vertical edge (for landscape layouts) 2. One uphill 33 degree edge
• While these are the minimum requirements, there is virtually no limit to the type of scaffolding a design professional can create, guided of course by content needs and design sensibilities. Note that not every page of a product is required to use scaffolding. There are instances when a photo may flood a page with simple text over it or an interior page may be intended for text-heavy columns. However, cover pages and high-visibility canvases, like ads, must seek to incorporate as many on-brand visual elements as possible.
• Scaffolding edges do not literally mean lines, but rather edges of various types: color field edges, cropped image edges, and beyond.
• As a secondary method of creating your page scaffolding, you may introduce circular features or arcs in tandem with the linear arrangements. As with the purely linear variety, the scaffolding can take on an infinite number of forms, dictated first by the content requirements of the piece. Content leads design.
• At a minimum, your linear + circular scaffolding must contain the following elements: 1a. One horizontal edge (for portrait or square layouts) 1b. One vertical edge (for landscape layouts) 2. One uphill 33 degree edge 3. One circle or circular arc edge
• The circular scaffolding is a very effective element for serving as the cropping mechanism for photography.
• With your scaffolding strategy in place, it’s time to select which geometric compartments will house your image(s) and color fields. In general, strive to feature marquee imagery as prominently as possible and in more central locations on the canvas. After you’ve determined your photography location and boundaries, begin assigning the official primary brand colors to the remaining geometry. Remember, white and black are official colors as well. Refer to the color technicals on page nine for guidance and pay special attention to the minimum and maximum color ratios.
• Color blending modes and overlays for photography are invited where appropriate.
• As you’re determining your color fields, be cognizant of where your primary text content and the official signature will live and plan accordingly. Remember, the full color positive signature on white is preferred.
• With the primary page architecture in place, you can begin integrating your text and typesetting it for balance and impact. In general, choose a headline with as few characters as possible, and ensure that it’s larger on the page than the accompanying body text. Seek contrast with your color strategy, noting that Calvin’s gold contrasts beautifully with black and maroon. You can use the secondary color palette to accent bits of text that deserve callout attention.
• Less is often more—don’t say too much and risk clouding your design.
• Calvin’s URL should almost always be present on the canvas.
• As a finishing step, consider aspects of the design that would be enhanced by micro-tuning, such as textures, stylized bullets, secondary colors, supporting vectors, highlighted edges, or other flares that provide interest to the design without overproducing it. Again, identity design is not about monotony, so our design standards are not overly restrictive on this point—we extend trust to the design professional to experiment and make choices that they believe authentically bring forth the personality and story of Calvin University.
• A campaign may introduce a textural element or series of accents that have an expiration date that ends with the campaign. This is okay. Don’t be afraid to explore within the parameters provided.
• Note that accents are not necessarily required to produce an on-brand product.

Co Branding

• Calvin University often collaborates and creates partnerships with academic institutions and other organizations. When we enter into collaborative relationships, our standard is to maintain at least equal weight as the collaborator signature on communication products. When the communication is Calvin-sponsored, we should have visual predominance (left position) relative to co-branded signatures. When the product is not Calvin-sponsored, we submit to the brand standards of the sponsoring organization as long as the standards governing our signature are not violated.
• There may be times when collaborator signatures have an irregular footprint and are unable to meet the height requirements shown here while maintaining a reasonable size ratio. In these cases, size the collaborator signature so that its total area (width x height) is nearly equal to that of the Calvin signature.
• Single organization co-branding When a single organization is collaborating with a Calvin-sponsored function, use a signature lockup as depicted to the right. This nearly equal size treatment signals that both entities have balanced weighting overall, but Calvin is the lead in the particular function.
• Custom co-branding When multiple organizations are collaborating with a Calvin-sponsored function or the partnership requires a customized solution, please consult with the office of communications and marketing.
• Use the Calvin University signature without the founding date when preparing sponsorship lockups.

Print Guidelines

• For four-color printing, you will generally use the CMYK color mode and values when commercial or offset printing is the intended printing method. For noncommercial printing—as with color copiers or laserjets— the RGB color mode and values may yield more effective results. For all on-screen mediums, use the RGB or HEX (#) color mode and values.
• Signature sizing is measured horizontally from the left edge to the right edge of the nameplate. The minimum size for both the horizontal and vertical orientations of the signature for print & digital applications is 1.00 inch or 72 pixels.
• Never reproduce Calvin’s signature at a size smaller than the minimums provided here.
• Print only high-resolution imagery (300dpi or higher).

Digital Guidelines

• Signature sizing is measured horizontally from the left edge to the right edge of the nameplate. The minimum size for both the horizontal and vertical orientations of the signature for print & digital applications is 1.00 inch or 72 pixels.
• 1.00” or 72px (web)
• For all on-screen mediums, use the RGB or HEX (#) color mode and values.

Additional Properties

Employees History

Total Assets History