Brand Style Guide

Logos & Brand Standards

The young campus of CSUSM needed guidelines to follow while using the university marks, so I established the following brand style guide. This style guide serves as a reference by any campus representative creating publications or promo materials.

I categorized the different marks used across campus by their respective target audiences. For instance, some core identities can be used for any audience, while sub-identities should be used for specific organizations embedded within the university. Our goal is to be a branded house, not a house of brands.

Color & Typography

In addition to the official logo marks, color and typography are key in establishing a branded identity. The following are guidelines that serve media makers in the Communications Office. I published online a detailed chart of the university’s colors and links to download fonts in order to help guide the campus community while building their own media.

Because the official colors are shades of blue, one challenge while establishing an official palette was to include complimentary or secondary colors that would add life to a piece of media without straying too far from the established brand. I broke down the different palettes by voice. The “official voice” (a more restrictive color palette) serves public-facing media, while the “casual voice” (a liberal variety of colors) serves communication with an on-campus audience.

Campus Stock Photos

Beyond the logos, colors and fonts used in CSUSM’s brand style guide lies the emotions, memories and perceptions people have about the university. There is no truer way to visually communicate those moments than through photography. A key part to strengthening the brand of CSUSM was building a photo library that can be shared by the campus.

My focus worked to unify the photo style across a team of over 10 photographers and train incoming photographers, to shoot with a specific quality and aesthetic that features the university’s strengths. We always aim to communicate its core values and mission statement. Whether shooting live events or directing student models, my goal is to capture images that genuinely boast of the diversity, accessibility, positive energy and pioneering spirit the campus community shares.

Reimagined Mascot

The “makeover” of CSUSM’s beloved mascot, Crash, was a passion project of mine. First-generation Crash was a generic lion costume anyone could purchase on Amazon. As a creative tasked with building the brand, it was painful to watch the docile and sometimes ragged-looking lion costume stumble around at campus events and basketball games. I researched various mascot creation companies and explored what Crash could and should look like. He should have claws, teeth and muscles! He should be worn by trained gymnastic athletes. He should represent CSUSM with the bright “cougar blue” (a phrase I am proud has become a part of the vocabulary of students, staff, faculty and alumni). To see Crash strengthened by his fresh identity was a huge win for the branding of CSUSM and the whole university.