Who we are - our brand

Our brand is a way of expressing who we are, what we stand for and what we offer as an institution. It comprises two elements:

  • Our key messages explain what makes us unique. They cover what we do, how we do it, and what is authentic to York’s personality.
  • Our visual identity is about how we look, such as our logo, colour palette and preferred fonts. It is used to give us consistency of image.

Together they create our brand, which brings coherence to all our promotional materials, reinforces our strengths and protects our reputation.

Who we are

In the competitive higher education sector we have to show the world what makes us great.

We can do this through key messages which will resonate with our various audiences in different ways.

Explore the key messages

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Quick guide

We've produced a simple one-page guide to the brand identity. Print it out and keep it handy.

How to apply the University of York brand identity (PDF , 688kb)

Applying the brand identity‌

The brand identity comprises the logo, the core colours, the core typefaces, imagery and writing style. By using these consistently on all visual communication, you will build recognition of the University’s distinctive identity. 

Brand guidelines in full:

Our logo

The University logo is a key part of our visual identity and should be used in all marketing materials. 

Colours

Our colour palette comprises two core colours and two neutral colours. These can be used with one of nine accent colours.

Typefaces

Professional designers should use the fonts Inka Text A and Monsal Gothic.

If you are producing documents on your own computer you should use Cambria and Calibri.

Images

Images are one of the most powerful ways of capturing life at the University, so they should be of high quality and well composed.

Style Guide

Good writing style and good design go hand in hand, so follow our Style Guide when writing and editing text to ensure that it is consistent and accurate. 

Templates

Download branded templates for a range of uses.

Can I use the long logo?

No. You must always use the stacked logo and shield. The long logo can only be applied to items such as the spine of a book or a pen. Please email marketing-support@york.ac.uk if you want to do this and we’ll send you the long logo with guidance about how to apply it.

 

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