UMass Amherst’s brand architecture provides structure for the consistent use of the university’s wordmarks. Within our brand architecture, our brand guidelines present simple and clear instructions to schools and colleges, centers and institutes, and nonacademic support functions for using their wordmark alongside the university’s wordmark. Within the brand guidelines, there are web brand guidelines specific to the use of the university’s wordmark on the web.

What's the Purpose of Brand Architecture?

UMass Amherst's brand architecture supports our diverse entities, such as schools and colleges, centers and institutes, and nonacademic support functions with clear, simple, and easy guidelines on how to use their wordmark with UMass Amherst's wordmark. 

Our brand architecture ensures that wordmarks look consistent across UMass Amherst’s many entities, helps each entity clearly identify its visual relationship with UMass Amherst, and works flexibly with various applications and possible size constraints. It is critical to understand that all previous wordmarks or visual identities that were used by schools, colleges, departments, programs, centers, and institutes alongside the UMass Amherst wordmark prior to this brand architecture are now void and cannot be used in any circumstance. 

Why Brand Architecture Matters

The university's brand architecture is important to:

• Build equity and synergy between our entities and the UMass Amherst brand by connecting our audiences more meaningfully to the University of Massachusetts Amherst and the activities that live within it.
• Allow more collective, leveraged, focused, and hardworking brand efforts between academics and the University of Massachusetts Amherst brand.
• Support stronger revenue generation, fundraising, and alumni engagement opportunities for our schools, colleges, and units across the campus.
• Provide a simplified user-friendly brand structure that entities within UMass Amherst can use to strengthen their own positioning, messaging, and marketing.

Our Brand Architecture Is University Led

The UMass Amherst wordmark is our main identifying branding symbol and our singular expression of the university's mission, brand positioning, and personality. It represents our brand at the highest level. A university-led brand architecture means that our institutional name, UMass Amherst, is visually dominant wherever it appears alongside an academic offering or support service. For example, where a school or college name and university wordmark appear together in a design, the university wordmark will always be the visually dominant part. 
 
The university's brand architecture has three tiers, which may be used in all external, public-facing communication, such as the website, marketing campaigns, or print materials. 

Brand Guidelines

TIER ONE: 

Tier One is the institutional brand itself, University of Massachusetts Amherst or UMass Amherst. When using the University of Massachusetts Amherst wordmark, it stands alone and should not be locked up with any other entities. To understand which option is suitable for your use, please contact the University MarCom Group at universitymarcom@umass.edu. The font in both versions of the university wordmark is always Minion Pro. 

Here’s an example:

TIER TWO:  

Tier Two is reserved for primary and other high-level brand extensions of the university. Primary brand extensions are dean-led schools and colleges and also libraries. High-level brand extensions are executive-level nonacademic support functions within the institution. Primary and high-level brand extensions all appear either alongside the university wordmark (horizontal arrangement) or below the university wordmark (stacked arrangement), depending on the user’s purpose. All wordmarks, acronyms, or visual identities that were unique to these primary and high-level brand extensions prior to this brand architecture are now void and not to be used in any circumstance. How Tier Two applies depends on the entity. Here’s how:

Tier Two for Primary Brand Extensions: Schools, Colleges, and Libraries

The font in all versions of a primary brand extension is always an approved serif Minion Pro in a Tier Two font size in the approved maroon. The approved school and college wordmark is the only wordmark that can be used alongside the UMass Amherst wordmark. In Tier Two usage, an ampersand (the “&” symbol) is used rather than the word “and.” In a list form, there is no Oxford comma before the ampersand. 

Here’s an example:​

Tier Two for High-Level Brand Extensions: Executive-Level Nonacademic Support Functions

The font in all versions of a high-level brand extension is always an approved sans serif Frutiger in a Tier Two font size in the official maroon. The approved executive-level nonacademic support function wordmark is the only wordmark that can be used alongside the UMass Amherst wordmark. In Tier Two usage, an ampersand (the “&” symbol) is used rather than the word “and.” In a list form, there is no Oxford comma before the ampersand. 

Here’s an example:

 

Tier Three for Centers and Institutes Led by a Single School or College:

Centers or institutes that are housed within one school or college will appear in a wordmark lockup with UMass Amherst and its school or college, using an approved, sans serif Frutiger font in a Tier Three font size in the approved black. Centers and institutes that are housed in multiple colleges or schools or report directly to a vice chancellor will appear in a wordmark lockup with the UMass Amherst wordmark, using Frutiger in a Tier Two font size, replacing what would typically be a college position. 

Here’s an example:

Tier Three for Centers and Institutes That Report to a Vice Chancellor or Multiple Deans:

Centers and institutes that are housed in multiple colleges or schools or report directly to a vice chancellor will appear in a wordmark lockup with the UMass Amherst wordmark, using an approved sans serif Frutiger in a Tier Two font size in the approved black. 

Here’s an example:

 

 

Tier Two Brand Usage on UMass Amherst-Related Websites

Tier Two is reserved for primary and other high-level brand extensions of the university. Primary brand extensions are dean-led schools and colleges and also libraries. High-level brand extensions are executive-level nonacademic support functions within the institution.

Tier Two for High-Level Brand Extensions: Executive-Level Nonacademic Support Functions

The font in all versions of a high-level brand extension is the official sans serif webfont Open Sans in maroon.

Here's an example in web context:

Desktop version:

Mobile version:

Tier Three for Departments or Department-Level Programs within Schools, Colleges, and Libraries:

Departments and department-level programs within schools, colleges, and libraries are always in the official sans serif webfont Open Sans in black. Departments or department-level programs should appear in lockup with their parent school or college, which will appear in the official serif webfont Lora in maroon.

Here's an example in web context:

Desktop version:

Mobile version: 

Tier Three for Centers and Institutes Led by a Single School or College:

Centers or institutes that are housed within one school or college will appear in the official sans serif webfont Open Sans in black. Tier Three departments should appear in lockup with their parent school or college, which will appear in the official serif webfont Lora in maroon.

Here's an example in web context:

Desktop version:

Mobile version:

UMass Amherst Brand Pillars: ​

Primary message points that support our positioning and highlight our competitive advantages.

Pillar #1: Where big ideas are born.​

As the flagship land-grant university of Massachusetts, we are a world-class research university where strong minds come together to build solutions that are bigger, bolder, and better than the sum of their parts. Where others see edges and margins, we see infinite horizons.

Pillar #2: The freedom to choose your own path.

At UMass Amherst, the student experience is anything but ordinary. From top-ranked programs taught by award-winning faculty, to over 400 student-formed groups, we foster an environment that invites the pursuit of dreams. We’re unconstrained by what is expected as the norm. Diverse thinking has always been at our core. It’s how we propel change.

Pillar #3: The university for the commonwealth​.

At UMass Amherst, we are proudly public and firmly committed to our role as the flagship institution of the commonwealth. With a deep commitment to understanding the unique challenges facing the people of Massachusetts, the excellent education and cutting-edge research done here incites innovation that drives our state and the world forward.