Brand Identity Guidelines

Institutional Logos

The Institutional Logo features the Whitley Clock Tower and a river or pathway, which are symbolic of the university's campuses and our mission of academic excellence and intellectual growth.

The time of the Clock Tower is set to 19:58 (7:58pm) to represent the founding year of Columbus College.

Logos

The primary vertical format is preferred for applications of the logo. The secondary horizontal format is preferred for horizontal applications only.

One-color and reversed applications are to be applied as demonstrated below.

Institutional Mark

The isolated Clock Tower icon and isolated Columbus State University text can be used as design elements in materials. An official institutional full logo is still required in all materials.

One-color and reversed applications are to be applied as demonstrated below.

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Athletic/Spirit Logos

As an extension of the institutional brand, the Athletics Program commits to a singular brand to promote instant identification and association of the various Cougar Athletic teams.

The Athletic's brand combines the use of our official mascot, a Cougar, with our athletic/spirit font to create combinations for a variety of applications.

Athletic Logos

For non-athletic applications of the logo (i.e. student spirit materials), the Primary Logo is preferred. Home and Away Logos are reserved for athletic-use only.

One-color and reversed applications are to be applied as demonstrated below.

Athletic Marks

The isolated running cougar icon, isolated cougar head icon, and isolated spirit text can be used as design elements in all materials. An official athletic or institutional full logo is still required in all materials.

One-color and reversed applications are to be applied as demonstrated below.

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Create You Branding

The 'Create You' brand showcases the endless opportunities that students have at Columbus State University to discovery who they want to be, build a strong foundation, and live their passion.

Create You Brand Elements

The Brand Elements are meant to engage audiences and evoke an emotional connection to the university. The Elements are meant for promotional applications and are not meant for formal use. An official athletic or institutional full logo is still required in all materials.

The Circle element can be used as a frame around photos and as a design element in materials.

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Colors

Blue, Red, and White are the official university colors. They must be used in all materials.

Light Blue and Light Gray are used to complement the official university colors. They cannot replace the use of CSU Blue or CSU Red.

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Typography

Futura serves as the primary font of the institutional brand identity. It should be used for headlines and body copy. Bolder weights are used for headlines and lighter weights are used for supporting copy.

Berling serves as a formal font for the university and is used in formal documents.

CSU Bold is the Athletic/Spirit font and is used for athletics and student life spirit materials.

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Accessibility

In compliance with WCAG Accessibility Criteria, text is required to have a certain level contrast ratio of your background and text colors. The below chart indicates how CSU brand colors can be combined to ensure accessibility for people with low vision or color blindness in both print and digital materials.

Refer to this free Color Contrast Checker tool by Adobe for more information.

Accessible Brand Color Combinations

The chart below illustrates proper color combinations that meet WCAG Accessibility Criteria. Any misuse of unapproved color combinations could result in legal ramifications to the university and should be avoided entirely.

An asterisk indicates a color combination that does not meet criteria for text that is smaller than regular size 17 pt or bold size 14.

Accessible Brand Color Combinations Printable PDF (PDF)

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Download Guidelines

Our guidelines are subject to change so please refer back to this site for our latest, most-up-to-date guidelines.

Identity Guidelines Printable PDF (PDF)

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Contact

For questions or access to further resources, please contact:

Office of Strategic Communication + Marketing
Richards Hall, Suite 241
marketing@columbusstate.edu
4225 University Ave
Columbus GA, 31907