Ready-to-use assets for Decoding the Universe

• • Learn what it means to Be Boundless
  • Explore the story: “Decoding the Universe”
  • Watch the video: “UW Astronomy undergrads launch careers in coding”
  • Decoding the Universe Photography

 

Foundational copy

The code we write today will decode the universe tomorrow.

Short: UW astronomy undergrads test their cutting-edge coding skills in the cosmos, interpreting what a revolutionary new telescope will discover in the night sky. Their research helps scientists like Professor Mario Jurić observe present phenomena and unravel the universe’s past — while launching the students’ careers into the future.

Medium: UW astronomy undergrads test their cutting-edge coding skills in the classroom — and the cosmos. Working with faculty like Professor Mario Jurić, the students analyze data to interpret what a revolutionary new telescope will discover in the night sky. Their research helps scientists at the UW’s Institute for Data Intensive Research in Astrophysics and Cosmology observe present phenomena and unravel the universe’s past — while launching the students’ careers into the future.

Tagline

Recommended

For data. For discovery.

For small steps. For big discoveries.

For learning new skills. For launching your future.

For your university. For the universe. 

Alternates/Backups

For your studies. For the stars.

For dreamers. For doers.

For coding. For the cosmos.

For learning in class. For launching your career.

Ready-to-use assets for Turning the Tide

• • Learn what it means to Be Boundless
  • Explore the story: “Turning the Tide”
  • Turning the Tide Photography

 

Foundational copy

I study shellfish DNA because I care about healthy communities.

Short: Chris Mantegna’s dream of being a marine biologist came true at the UW. As a grad student in aquatic and fishery sciences, she studies how pollutants affect our food chain, and she trains undergrads from communities underrepresented in the marine sciences. Through her work, Mantegna hopes to turn the tide on climate change — and change the face of her field.

Medium: Chris Mantegna packed her bags and moved cross-country to Seattle with a goal of becoming a marine biologist. That dream came true at the UW, thanks to mentorship from her professors and scholarship support. Now a graduate student in aquatic and fishery sciences, Mantegna studies how pollutants affect shellfish in our food chain. She also trains undergraduates from communities underrepresented in the marine sciences, teaching them how to conduct hands-on research. Through her work, Mantegna hopes to turn the tide on climate change — and change the face of her field.

Tagline

For our climate. For our community.

Getting started

1) Identify your story angle(s).

• Affordability and value: What programs, grants and scholarships are available to prospective students? How does the UW provide support to those who need it, making a world-class education accessible to everyone? Highlight the value of a UW degree.
• Community impact: Why should people care? Show the viewer how the UW improves life for their family, their community, their state and the world. Use a granular impact to show how one person or program can make a difference through the UW.
• Career preparedness: How does the UW provide something unique to students to help prepare them for life and their future careers? Show how the academic value of the UW experience relates to the future.

2) Select a person and/or a profile.

• Try to identify a surprising relationship or connection. Connect two things in an unexpected yet symbiotic way.
• Your participant(s) should understand the reach and visibility of this awareness campaign. Explore how this exposure can be very beneficial to a student participant as well as benefiting the UW and potential students.
• Interview the prospective participant(s) to learn more about their work or the project they’re involved in. Hear from them in their own words; invite them to tell you what makes them passionate about this work. Showcase them in an authentic way.

Pro tip: Be real.

The most important part of this campaign is to tell REAL stories in an authentic way, by highlighting real voices in authentic settings.

Creating a FITB style headline

You can modify the language for your program or unit, the audience you’re trying to reach, and the goals of the piece. The one aspect that remains constant is the FITB formula: two blanks in a full sentence, which the ad participant(s) have “filled in” and customized in their own words, Mad Libs-style.

The basics:

• There should be two blanks in the message, as seen in the “anatomy of an ad” example below.
• The subject can be “I,” “we,” or a named group.
• Messaging is most successful when you keep the following best practices in mind:

Something that seems small is paired with something bigger/more universal.

Example: “I research shellfish DNA because I care about healthy communities.”

This highlights how individuals can make a difference, and how seemingly small contributions add up to big results.

Two disparate things have a unique or surprising connection.

Example: “I study beehives because I care about safe buildings.”

The juxtaposition of these two things piques the reader’s interest and makes them want to learn more.

Ideally, the FITB headline intrigues the reader at a glance and inspires them to learn more — whether on the same page (as seen in “anatomy of an ad” below) or via a link.

Creating the FITB photo style

Most importantly, your FITB photo is a visual expression of the story you’re telling. Keep the focus on real UW people, doing real work in real settings to create authenticity in your photos. The point of this campaign is to highlight the work of the UW, so it’s crucial to be thoroughly authentic and not rely on stock photos or fabricated examples.

Best practices:

• Environmental portraiture. Using an individual or a group of people is the best way to present your topic and highlight the human connection. Show the participants in their natural working/research environments (this could be a lab, the outdoors or whatever environment makes a connection to the research). The image should relate to the FITB headline you’ll be using.
• UW brand presence. Use UW elements in your shoot. You can achieve this with Husky/purple-and-gold apparel, or UW-branded elements that might already exist in your shoot location, or using branded items like stickers and patches that can be placed on props and removed after the shoot. Incorporating a splash of purple and using the approved block-W logo makes our ads stand out from other universities and brands.
• Create authenticity. Plan photography with location and color in mind, but try to capture a moment. Engage with your participants to get them to show how they do their work. Conversations that help the participant feel comfortable, relaxed and in their element will help create an authentic moment. Images are much more powerful when there’s a moment of movement or action — for example, a hand reaching for something, a drop coming off a pipette or a facial expression capturing emotion.
• Tell the story in ONE photo. This is the time to be creative. Show enough of the environment to give context for the participant’s work, and to catch the reader’s eye and make them want to know more. Also, be sure to compose your shot to include negative space for the headline copy.
• Take complementary photos. Leave time to get a few variations of the images, such as a change of attire or removing/adding props. Consider getting images of the environment and equipment, and of the participant in other settings as they set up or move through their space. These images will give texture and feel to additional media that you may want to post on social media or other channels. You’ll want to get these during the shoot rather than end up with too-few assets and not have a chance to capture more.

Examples of portrait style

Examples of atmosphere and tone

Creating a FITB ad or design

Below are some design recommendations to consider as you build your own ad:

Banner

• White UW wordmark on a purple Boundless Bar.
• Margins above and below wordmark within banner should be equal to height of wordmark.
• Upper left corner is the ideal location.

Headline

The components of the headline are:

1. 1. Supporting text
   2. Handwritten text
   3. FITB underline

• Supporting text type should be set in Bookmania Semibold font, either white or black (depending on the background).
• For the sake of authenticity, the original FITB ads used scanned versions of the participants’ real handwriting. However, an alternative option is to use a handwriting font in either Spirit Gold or Spirit Purple, depending on the background. We recommend these Google font options:
  • Caveat Medium 500
  • Permanent Marker

Pro tip: Adjust letter kerning and word spacing to replicate real handwriting.

• Handwriting text should be 135% size of type if using Caveat Medium 500, or 100% if using Permanent Marker. If using another script typeface, size so that its x-height is similar to that of the print type and that it looks natural and comparable in size to the print type.
• Baseline should align with type baseline.
• FITB underlines should offset slightly below baseline of supporting text. Descenders can extend over underline.
• FITB underlines should be the same color as the supporting text.

Body Copy

• Body copy should be set in Encode Sans Normal Medium.
• Recommended sizing is 8 pt over 9.5 pt leading, or a proportional size/leading relationship.
• Body copy is typically the same color as headline type, but either white or black, depending on the background.

Boundless W

• Boundless W should align to the bottom of the page.
• Boundless W can only appear in a primary brand color.

“For X, For Y” tagline

• To develop your For X, For Y tagline, visit the Tagline guidelines.
• The For X, For Y copy should be in sentence case. BE BOUNDLESS appears in all caps. (Example: “For passion. For possibility. BE BOUNDLESS.”)
• Sentence-case type should be set in Encode Sans Normal Bold. All caps font should be set in Encode Sans Normal Black.

Tagline should:

• Connect and align with the Boundless W.
• Be vertically centered with the Boundless W.
• Be left-aligned if placed to the right of the Boundless W, or right-aligned if placed to the left of the Boundless W.
• Tagline should not butt up flush with the Boundless W, but have a clear space of about two periods’ width between aligned side of the tagline and the edge of Boundless W serif.

Optional: QR code

• We recommend a black QR code on a white background box. No block-W, paw print or other graphics inside QR code.
• QR code should appear in one of the bottom corners, to not compete with the other graphics and text.
• Once a QR code is created, you can track clicks and collect data on your collateral. We recommend one QR code for each item. To create a QR code, fill out this form.