The University of Hull's visual identity

This guide introduces our current visual identity, launched in 2009, and outlines the requirements for its use.

Visual identification is a complex process by which an organisation builds a strong, positive, recognisable image through the use of typography, colours, illustrations, symbols, and other graphic and design elements. All of these items work together to present our university both internally and externally. More often than not, our visual identity is the first impression that people have of us.

The UK’s higher education sector is crowded, and universities compete with each other for students and staff, public funding and commercial income. One way to achieve success in such a highly competitive arena is through strong differentiation: everything that leaves the University, be it a prospectus, letter, email or business card, must have a unified design that accurately projects the image of us that we want people to have. This is equally important for the materials that we produce internally, be they presentations, posters or newsletters. It may seem to be unecessary, trivial or inconvenient, but, in truth, it is vital for embedding the identity. 

The aim is not to restrict creativity but to improve our corporate presence, and the aim of this guide is to make it as straightforward as possible for you to understand, use and be proud of our visual identity.

It is designed to inspire and engage; we do not want to look ordinary, predictable or ‘me-too’. We should clearly communicate what makes us proud of the University, using high-quality, relevant imagery and engaging copy. It is also important that we present the University in a consistent, cohesive manner. The design system is the framework that we use to do this.

The visual identity is not simply a logo, and the following sections are relevant for everyone creating communications and design work for the University. They provide an introduction to our logotype, colours and typography and our approach to imagery. They show how these basic design elements work together to create our unique visual style, and how they are used to create consistent and distinctive layouts.

There are two sections: one for professional designers developing materials for external use, and one for those creating internal documents. The latter includes the various templates available for Word and PowerPoint and explains how these should be used.

If you are unsure about any aspect of the new identity, please contact Martin Bull on 01482 46 6634.