The Graduate School Brand
Challenge
The Graduate School at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is one of the top-ranked graduate institutions in the country. However, their previous lack of a brand was doing little to communicate this or their mission of providing leadership to envision, shape and support the highest-quality education for a diverse community of graduate students. To solve this, they enlisted the help of UNC Creative to develop a brand that would visually communicate their mission, appeal to key audiences and be distinct, while tying into the main University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill brand.
Result
UNC Creative developed a digital-first brand that brings excitement to The Graduate School and helps its students, faculty and staff feel more connected to the Carolina community. The main components of the brand – the logo and color palette – lean heavily into the University’s main brand with the use of a UNC-branded logo and several colors that are part of the University’s official color palette. The color palette lends itself to creating high contrast designs that are visually accessible and ideal for digital applications. The fonts allow for flexibility and the ability to create a range of materials with tones varying from fun and casual to more serious and academic. The patterns and shapes are inspired by various aspects of the graduate school experience at Carolina and provide additional visual connection to the University.
