April 8, 2024: Brand Training for Faculty and Staff (May Session)

Registration for the May session is live and open to faculty and staff seeking to learn about the University of Oregon brand and how to properly incorporate it into their work. This session will offer a hybrid format to allow remote staff to attend. The training will take place Monday, May 6 from 2:30–4:00 p.m., in EMU 254 | Gumwood Room. More information and registration can be found in the Training and Development section of the website.

April 4, 2024: Editorial Style Guide Updated Entry

The editorial style guide has a new entry that addresses the use of the term, "leading research university." In references to the university, use this term routinely to underscore that the UO is a major research university whose work benefits society. The University of Oregon, a leading research university, is one of only two schools in the Pacific Northwest selected for membership in the prestigious Association of American Universities.

March 22, 2024: Updated Licensees Lists

Refreshed lists of internal licensees have been uploaded to the brand site. The most current lists include a revision date of March 21, 2024, found in the footer of the PDFs. 

March 15, 2024: Photo Color Treatments

Guidelines on how to apply color overlays and monotone treatments to photography have been added to the Oregon Brand Guide. The new information provides step-by-step instructions on how to accomplish these treatments as well as best practices for using these effects.

March 14, 2024: Metallic Colors

Whether its through metallic inks or foil embossing, using metallic colors can help make a project pop, while conveying a feeling of importance and exclusivity. However, this kind of color treatment should be used sparingly. Guidelines addressing how metallic colors should be applied can now be found in the UO Brand Guide.

March 7, 2024: Sponsorship, Solicitation, and Print Services Policies Updated

Two policies have been added to the UO Brand Guide, while a third was updated to include a link to the policy’s language. The three policies address:

Sponsorship by Non-University Entities – The cobranding and sponsorship page of the UO Brand Guide now has a section that deals with sponsorships by outside organizations. This section points to the official policies set by UO Government and Community Relations.  

Commercial and Charitable Solicitations – The advertising section of the UO Brand Guide now addresses solicitations on campus and points to the university’s official policy on this topic.

Using Print Services – A link has been added to the print section the UO Brand Guide. The new link points to the university’s policy that requires projects be sent to Print Services for production.

March 6, 2024: Icons Added to the UO Brand Library

We have added 17 new icons to our icon set, including nature and outdoor icons, additional fitness icons, and technology-based icons focused on email. Visit the UO Brand Library to access and download these new assets.

March 6, 2024: Design Competition Guidelines

The Oregon Brand Guide now includes guidelines for design competitions.

Design competitions have become common across campus. They are a way for the community to express their school spirit while showing off their creativity. However, it is important to ensure that the design entries support the university’s identity, working within brand guidelines and following licensing and trademark rules. The design competition page highlights key things to consider when designing, while also making clear that entries must follow UO brand guidelines and competition rules to even be considered.

March 4, 2024: Brand Training for Faculty and Staff (April Session)

Brand training for faculty and staff is now being offered monthly. Registration for the April session is live and open to faculty and staff seeking to learn about the University of Oregon brand and how to properly incorporate it into their work. This session will offer a hybrid format to allow remote staff to attend. The April training will take place Monday, April 8 from 2:30–4:00 p.m., in the Ford Alumni Session Ballroom. More information and registration can be found in the Training and Development section of the website.

February 14, 2024: Brand Training for Faculty and Staff

Registration for brand training for non-communications professionals at the UO, is now open. This in-person, 90-minute gathering is an opportunity to learn about the University of Oregon brand, how to incorporate it into your work, and have questions answered by the UO brand experts. The training is slated for 2:30–4:00 p.m. on Monday, March 4, in the EMU. More information and registration can be found in the Training and Development section of the website.

February 9, 2024: Using Legacy Green for Commencement

The colors webpage, found under the visual identity section of the brand guide, has been updated to address the permission to use Legacy Green (PMS 3435) as the primary color for commencement-specific materials and regalia. Legacy Green still will not be approved for the use of apparel or merchandise that are not commencement-specific materials or regalia. In those cases, UO Green (PMS 356) remains the primary green.

February 5, 2024: Defining permanent and temporary signage

The campus signage webpage has been updated to include language that defines permanent signage versus temporary signage. The new language also includes how each type of signage requires review. The definitions are:

• Permanent Signage: Defined as signage that will be up for more than 30 days. Please allow an additional four to six weeks for approval. Some permanent signage must be reviewed and approved by the Campus Planning Committee. Please email the concept and request to uobrand@uoregon.edu for approval prior to printing.
   
• Temporary Signage: Defined as outdoor signage that is up for 30 days or less. These items must have art approved by the Marketing and Brand Strategy office before it is printed. This process excludes the East 13th Avenue street banner location, which is managed by the EMU. Please email art to uobrand@uoregon.edu for approval.

January 26, 2024: UO Icon Set Refresh

Significant updates have been made to the UO brand icon set to enhance its visual consistency, usability, and scalability. These changes are aimed at providing a seamless and user-friendly experience when using any of the 200-plus icons in our set.

Summary of design changes:

Simple Shapes: The brand icon set follows a design philosophy centered around simplicity. All icons are crafted using clean and straightforward shapes, ensuring a unified appearance.

45-Degree Angles: Each icon leverages a 45-degree angle when applicable. This deliberate choice adds a dynamic and unified feel that connects the icons to other brand elements such as the United typeface, beveled-notch containers, and the diagonal line brand pattern.

Minimal Rounded Corners: Rounded corners are used sparingly and only when necessary. This allows the icon to maintain a consistent appearance across the icon set and visually align with other brand elements.

Flat Perspective: All icons now utilize a front-facing and flat perspective. This approach ensures that the icons are easily understood and adaptable for any application.

Scalability: To guarantee scalability, all lines within the icons have been aligned. This allows for seamless resizing without compromising the integrity of the icon.

Format: It is important that the icon set is versatile. Each icon's stroke weight has been tested in both 0.75 pt. for print and 2 pt. for screens. Also, the icon set is provided in the brand library in various file formats for screen and print, including PNG, SVG, and EPS.

New icons will continue to be added to the set. Requests for new icons can be directed to uobrand@uoregon.edu. Campus designers may create icons for specific instances. After creating an icon using the template instructions, they can submit it for approval to uobrand@uoregon.edu with the subject line “New icon for review.”

January 24, 2024: Email Signature Guidelines

On the Applying the Brand section of the website, we have added new navigation which points visitors to the email signature guidelines page. The guidelines page includes a template for properly building email signatures as well as guidance on fonts. The template has been designed and tested for use on modern Outlook clients and the Outlook web client.

January 18, 2024: Brand Camp Registration

We have updated the Training and Development section to promote and link to University Communications Brand Camp, an invitation-only, in-person, mini-conference for the communications professionals on campus. This is an opportunity to learn how to leverage the Oregon brand in our work to promote the university. Brand Camp is slated for Tuesday, January 30. You can also link directly to the Brand Camp registration page for complete information.

December 4, 2023: Student Employee Resources

In the training and development section, we have added a new Student Employee Development webpage which includes LinkedIn Learning training courses, curated resources from the LinkedIn Learning library, and several surveys available for communicators to use with their student employees

November 29, 2023: External Engagement Resources

A link to the Office of the Provost’s External Engagement Support & Resources for UO Employees document has been added to the Community Management webpage of the social media section. This document provides resources for UO employees in responding to situations in which they are targeted by individuals or groups outside the university based on the content of the employee’s service, scholarship, teaching, and more.

November 9, 2023: Land Acknowledgments

The Land Acknowledgment page has been updated to include other UO campus locations.

October 25, 2023: Pole Banners

The Campus Planning Committee voted to approve a new process and approved locations for pole banner advertising. The Marketing and Brand Strategy team will be the main point of contact for reservations which will begin in winter 2024. Currently our facilities team is working to secure new pole mounting equipment and determine the install cost. If there are questions while the reservation and approval process is being finalized you can email uobrand@uoregon.edu.

The information on our campus signage page has been updated with more details.

October 13, 2023: Color Builds for UO Print Services

We have added language under the header UO Print Services Color Adjustments in the color portion of the visual identity section on the Oregon Brand Guide website. The added information provides instructions for color builds when sending files to UO Print Services to help ensure accurate color reproduction when using their equipment.

This additional information addresses confusion campus designers had expressed regarding discrepancies with the color values published on the Oregon Brand Guide website and the Adobe Swatch Exchange (.ase) files provided via download for UO Green and UO Yellow. The color values in the .ase file were updated to better clarify the standard color palette and the palette specific to UO Print Services.

In summary:

UO Print Services Color Adjustments: When sending files to UO Print Services, use the following color builds for UO Green and UO Yellow. These color builds have been created with input from UO Print Services to ensure accurate color reproduction with their equipment. To ensure the best representation of UO Green on a variety of paper stocks, there are two CMYK color builds for UO Green.

• For coated stocks, use 90-10-100-20 (UO Green 356c)
• For uncoated stocks, use 90-0-100-18 (UO Green 356u)
• Use 0-6-76-0 for UO Yellow.

September 28, 2023: Welcome

We're thrilled to have you here, where you'll find a wealth of information, insights, and engaging brand content that celebrates the spirit of the University of Oregon community. Whether you're a communicator, vendor, employee, student, or simply interested in learning more about our brand, this is your go-to source for all things branding UO.

At the University of Oregon, we believe in the power of collaboration and open dialogue. That's why we value your opinion and would love to hear your thoughts on our brand website. We strive to provide an exceptional user experience, and your feedback plays a crucial role in helping us achieve that goal and making improvements. Please take a moment to share your thoughts, suggestions, tool ideas, or any issues you may have by emailing us at uobrand@uoregon.edu. Your feedback is invaluable to us, and we appreciate your contribution in making this brand website even better.

We are committed to continually improving our website to better serve our community. As we make changes and additions to enhance your browsing experience, we will update this brand blog accordingly. Be sure to check back regularly to stay informed about the latest updates, news, and features. Our blog is a dynamic platform that evolves with the University of Oregon's progress, ensuring that you're always up to date with the most relevant information.

We will update you as things launch but here are just a few additional things you will see on the website in the future:

• Brand trainings for faculty or staff
• Brand training for professional communicators on campus
• Registered student org logo system
• Duck illustration and image
• Voice and tone information
• Environmental branding
• Additional templates in the Brand Library
• Searchable approved licensed vendor listing
• Branded event displays and product rentals

We look forward to supporting you as we amplify the UO brand and grow together. If you see something you would like us to explore including on the website, please email us at uobrand@uoregon.edu.