The CFAES website and brand website redesign are the result of the creation of a CFAES identity that is enhancing our current brand. I want to highlight a few things about the CFAES identity, so you are clear about where we have been and where we hope to be in the near future.
CFAES Identity
As many of you know, in 2013, the university overhauled its brand. It changed the logo from the previous block style to the logo we have today; it also created standards for university colleges and units in utilizing the brand. These standards are:
- A single logo for a college
- An approved identifier for certain units within a college (scarlet band, which was approved for OARDC and Extension)
- Four approved fonts for all publications and materials
- An approved palette of colors for all publications and materials
The college adhered to the university brand standards and has done so for the past five years. In 2014, CFAES Marketing and Communications created a robust brand website with guidance and templates for the departments and units in support of the university brand. It also developed a brand advisory team to answer questions about the brand and approve all materials produced to ensure we were in compliance with university brand standards.
The launch of the CFAES identity is not creating a new brand; the university brand standards still apply today. The work is to enhance our existing brand and build a CFAES identity. This is being done in part by creating a graphic CFAES identifier, the CFAES tag. The tag is not a logo, but a graphic way to increase recognition of CFAES in the materials we produce. We also are introducing some optional graphic elements that can be used to build cohesion. These graphic elements (screened back photos, photo frames, textured backgrounds, etc.) can be used as departments and units see fit depending on the publication and audience.
Connecting all of our mission areas, departments, units and programs to the college (via the CFAES tag) enhances our recruitment, alumni engagement, legislative outreach, collaborative partnerships, and fundraising. If people know and understand the breadth and depth of the great work CFAES does, everyone benefits.
CFAES Brand Website
To support the launch of the CFAES identity, the brand website has been updated. To support the enhancements, we will have new templates for departments and units. These templates will help teams incorporate the CFAES tag as well as some of the optional graphic elements as they produce publications and materials.
The site also will be a landing page for additional guidance on publication development including the university and college editorial style guidelines, required nondiscrimination and accessibility statements, and social media guidelines. Having all of our guidelines in one place will make it easier for our users to create and produce publications and materials.
Website Redesign
As part of enhancing the materials we design in Marketing and Communications using the CFAES tag and the new graphic elements, we are gave the CFAES website a fresh look as well. The website design (color scheme and overall feel) has been the same for four years. It only seemed fitting as we refresh our look in printed materials, that we refresh our look online. Your departments and units will not need to do anything as a result of this refresh, and how your teams update and manage content will not change.
In addition to the redesigned look of the CFAES website, we also are launching two new features on the home page.
CFAES Stories
One of the new features you will notice on the new home page, is a section featuring stories. We have created a new section of the website called CFAES Stories, where we are writing feature stories on Who We Are, Discovery, Engagement, and Learning. This section allows us to tell stories showcasing the breadth and depth of our college that we may not have the opportunity to tell in our other communication vehicles.
CFAES Events
Another feature of the new home page is the enhancement of the Events section. Although users won’t see this change, individuals who manage content for CFAES websites will. We have added a feature to all of the event calendars on all of the websites, so individuals that add events to their sites can select the option to add their events to the CFAES calendar. Those events will be submitted for review, and upon approval, will appear on the CFAES calendar of events.
If you have any q1uestions about the CFAES brand and how it applies to the work you do, email CFAES_BAT@osu.edu.