Brand Architecture

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; and,
• provide a simplified user-friendly brand structure that entities within UMass Amherst can use to strengthen their own positioning, messaging, and marketing.

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. 
 

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:

Short Form Wordmark

Long Form Wordmark

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:

Horizontal Version

Stacked Version

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:

Horizontal Version

Stacked Version

Tier Three is reserved for secondary brand extensions of UMass Amherst. Secondary brand extensions are departments or department-level programs within schools, colleges, libraries, and centers and institutes that report to a dean. All wordmarks, acronyms, or visual identities that were unique to these secondary brand extensions prior to this brand architecture are now void and not to be used in any circumstance. How Tier Three applies depends on the entity. Here’s how:

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 a sans serif Frutiger in a Tier Three font size in the approved black. They always appear with and below their Tier Two primary brand extension. Together, they appear either alongside the university wordmark (horizontal arrangement) or below the university wordmark (stacked arrangement), depending on the user’s purpose. In Tier Three usage, the word “and” is used instead of an ampersand (&). Here, we do use an Oxford comma (a comma before the word “and” in a list). 

Here’s an example:

Horizontal Version

Stacked Version

Tier Three for Entities within High-Level Nonacademic Support Functions:

Entities within high-level nonacademic support functions are always in a sans serif Frutiger in a Tier Three font size in the approved black. They always appear with and below their Tier Two high-level brand extension. Together, they appear either alongside the university wordmark (horizontal arrangement) or below the university wordmark (stacked arrangement), depending on the user’s purpose. In Tier Three usage, the word “and” is used instead of an ampersand (&). Here, we do use an Oxford comma (a comma before the word “and” in a list). 

Here’s an example:

Horizontal Version

Stacked 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 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:

Horizontal Version

Stacked Version

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:

Horizontal Version

Stacked Version

Tier One is the institutional brand itself—University of Massachusetts Amherst. When using the University of Massachusetts Amherst wordmark, it stands alone and should not be locked up with any other entity workmarks. The font in the university wordmark is always Minion Pro.

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 Primary Brand Extensions: Schools, Colleges, and Libraries

The font in all versions of a primary brand extension is the official serif webfont Lora in maroon.

Here's an example in web context:

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:

Tier Three is reserved for secondary brand extensions of UMass Amherst. Secondary brand extensions are departments or department-level programs within schools, colleges, and libraries and centers and institutes that report to a dean.

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 serif webfont Lora in maroon. 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:

Tier Three for Entities within High-Level Nonacademic Support Functions:

Entities within high-level nonacademic support functions are always in the official serif webfont Lora in maroon.

Here's an example in web context:

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 serif webfont Lora in maroon. 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:

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 the official sans serif webfont Open Sans in black. 

Here's an example in web context: