Brand and Visual Identity
UW–Madison's official brand guide

Elements for Print

The Office of Strategic Communication offers several graphic elements that embody the UW–Madison brand and provide a sense of fun and vibrancy to marketing materials.

These elements are to be used separately, sparingly, lightly, and for distinct audiences, primarily prospective and current students. Remember: less is often more. Keep in mind the message of the piece and its legibility when considering these elements.

Mini bar

  • This element offers an easy, clean, repeatable way to visually separate sections of copy or design.

Two examples of how the red mini bar might be used with a header: either vertically to the left of the header or horizontally to the left of the header.

Two examples of how the red mini bar might be used with a header: either horizontally below the header or centered under the centered header, with centered body copy below it.

Wave

  • Evoking the fluttering of a flag and the movement of Madison’s lakes, this pattern is recommended for enhancing borders.

Two examples of the wave graphic element for print – 3 red waves flagging the left and right sides of a document, or reversed on a red vertical bar on the right side of the document.

Two examples of the wave graphic element for print – 3 large light grey waves on the bottom third of the document, or reversed on a red vertical bar on the left side of the document.

Circle

  • This distinct and versatile element is ideal for accents and callouts.

Two examples of how the circle element might be used: in a pair, reversed on red, or using multiple black circles on white with grey interior.

Two examples of how the circle element might be used: alone, red on white, or as a background tint in light grey.

Geometric Pattern

  • Comprising many textural components, and with several variations, this element serves as a captivating background.

Two examples of how the geometric pattern might be used: alone, covering a portion of the page, or as a decorative vertical rule on the left side of the page.

Two examples of how the geometric pattern might be used: alone, covering the entire page, or as decorative text.

The graphic elements are available for download below as a single EPS file, which should be opened in Adobe Illustrator. (The mini bar may be recreated at a designer’s discretion and is not available for download.)

Download graphic elements for print