Style Guides

The Office of University Communications is responsible for using a strong, cohesive voice and visuals to share the stories of Wesleyan University across the University and beyond. Our Editorial Style Guide serves as a quick reference to writing style questions frequently encountered at Wesleyan.   

As part of our core messaging project, Wesleyan also introduced a new set of visual elements to the University. The foundation of the system is our main wordmark, which will be the most commonly used element. It is the University’s name in Copernicus, a font that connotes a strong academic institution. The wordmark also introduces a new element that we call the “open shield,” a modern take on a traditional academic shield, reflecting the way we embrace new perspectives and highlighting our tradition of breaking tradition. The academic seal has also been updated, building on Wesleyan’s strong history, representing our founding year and one of the most iconic buildings on campus. We've also introduced a monogram, which is shorthand for the master wordmark and can be used in its place.

Typography

The visual system also focuses our typography on Copernicus and Replica fonts, which work well in digital as well as print situations. Our school colors of red and black have been modernized so they are consistent from screen to the printed page. 

Photos

We now have two consistent photo styles to represent our amazing community. One is “hero” photography (strong leading images) that captures the unique abilities and interests of our students, faculty, staff, and alumni. The other is “lifestyle” photography, which authentically represents Wes in a candid, natural, and realistic way. 

Powerpoint

Powerpoint and Word templates as well as the Wesleyan wordmark files are available for download from the Templates and Files webpage. Please also visit Usage and Policies to review the guidelines on using our marks.  

For questions about additional style guides, policies, and available templates and logos, please e-mail ucomm@wesleyan.edu.