Color serves as one of the most recognizable aspects of our identity. Using these colors appropriately helps ensure our communications remain consistent and cohesive.

Logos must be reproduced using the WIU purple, white, or with the full-color Rocky face. Accent colors may not be used on logos.

Just like with type or imagery, proper color usage helps create a consistent visual aesthetic in our communications and convey the right visual messages at the right moments.

When using color builds, always use the color values listed here as they have been adjusted for the best reproduction on screen and in print. Using the correct values when working with color ensures consistency.

Primary

Our primary color palette should always be the most prevalent in any piece of collateral or communication.

WIU Purple should be balanced with equal parts white to convey confidence and create areas of visual rest, with gold being added in as an accent element.

Tonal

Our tonal color palette provides additional opportunities to create dimensional compositions and flexibility when setting typography and graphic elements.

Accent

Our accent color palette was created to supplement the primary and tonal color palettes and should be used occasionally and sparingly. A color from this palette should never become the predominant color in a communication.

Academic Logos

The WIU logo is the cornerstone of our visual identity system and must appear on all academic WIU communications.

Group Names

Departments and divisions who would like to have a department logo may utilize the approved design to add the department/ division name. All logos must be approved and created through University Marketing prior to printing/production.

Where the academic logo is the cornerstone of our University's visual identity system, the athletic marks do the same for our teams, spirit, and community.

Background Colors

When using our logos, ensure they are positioned on a clean, clear background of good contrast in the approved colors. Logos must be reproduced using the WIU purple, white, or with the full-color Rocky face. Accent colors may not be used on logos.

Clearspace

Utilize the height of the W or the height of the Rocky face as clearspace to avoid placement of additional graphic elements too close to the logos. It is important to avoid the appearance of creation of a new logo by placing graphics too close to the logos.

Logo Usage Chart

Below you'll find a chart outling best practices and correct use cases for each of our differenb brand marks, from academics to athletics.

Co-Marketing

When utilizing the WIU logos with additional logos from third parties on WIU communications, ensure that the WIU logo is greater in prominence.

Ensure legibility and maintain integrity of the brand when using the logo artwork files.

WIU photography should help tell our story visually. All photos should feel on-brand. Select photos with people connecting with one another instead of people looking directly into the camera. Focus imagery on positive experiences and the benefits that WIU brings to students. Think engaged vs. staged. Utilize photography with natural lighting in realistic environments. Avoid stock photography where possible.

Monotone Imagery

Monotone imagery provides a nice accent to our standard photography library. These images can act just as that, an accent element in a collateral piece, or as a grounding, textural element in a larger composition. The Monotone effect is applied through a few specific steps in Adobe Photoshop, outlined below. A single communication should utilize no more than 10% accent imagery.