Brand education
This Brand Excellence Training
This Brand Excellence Training aims to educate brand communicators in the proper usage of the university’s brand identity elements.
The Brand Excellence Training course is an educational opportunity for all campus communicators.
Anyone who communicates on the university’s behalf should find this course a helpful, important resource. If you are reading this guide, you are a part of a collaborative process and share a vested interest and responsibility in maintaining, promoting and protecting the UIC brand.
Maintaining consistency in messaging and design across the university strengthens the institution’s brand overall. Let’s work together to uphold our reputation for excellence in all that we do.
Brand studio hours
To bring the UIC brand to life, we are introducing Brand Studio Hours—monthly virtual office hours to answer your questions about how to apply the brand in your college or department for the uplift of UIC. Bring your brand questions and current projects for one-on-one guidance, tools and resources. Each Brand Studio Hours session, recurring weekly, focuses on one aspect of applying the brand: writing, application and design.
Make our voice known (writing in the brand voice)
Bring your current projects, ideas and rough drafts for direct guidance on how to apply the brand through words, themes and storytelling. We can help you develop subject lines for a communications initiative, incorporate brand themes, brainstorm storytelling ideas and more. This session is centered on practice — writing, testing and improving messaging in real time to ensure everything we write is consistent, intentional and on-brand.
Make our voice known (writing in the brand voice)
Make our voice known (writing in the brand voice) 6/23
Make our voice known (writing in the brand voice) 7/7
Make our voice known (writing in the brand voice) 7/28
Make our voice known (writing in the brand voice) 8/18
Make the UIC brand known (brand application)
A hands-on working session focused on applying the brand across real materials and real scenarios. Bring current projects or use provided examples to practice correct logo usage, spacing, hierarchy and layout decisions across digital, print, merchandise, events and experiential applications. This session is centered on doing—reviewing, troubleshooting and building brand-aligned outputs in real time to ensure consistency and integrity across every touchpoint.
Make the UIC brand known (brand application)
Make the UIC brand known (brand application) 6/10
Make the UIC brand known (brand application) 7/1
Make the UIC brand known (brand application) 7/22
Make the UIC brand known (brand application) 8/12
Make creativity known (design and identity)
A hands-on working session for designers focused on actively creating and refining on-brand design work. Bring real projects to develop, iterate, and strengthen using the brand system in practice. This session focuses on applying design principles, maintaining visual consistency, and translating the brand into compelling creative outputs across different formats and applications. The emphasis is on doing—building, testing, and improving design work in real time with direct connection to the brand identity system.
Make creativity known (design & identity)
Make creativity known (design and identity) 6/11
Make creativity known (design and identity) 7/2
Make creativity known (design and identity) 7/23
Make creativity known (design and identity) 8/13
Make impact known (paid media consultation)
A paid media consultation is a crucial step for any brand looking to maximize its reach and impact in today’s competitive market. We’ll provide insights into effective advertising strategies, help identify target audiences, and optimize media spending for better return on investment. We’re here to help you navigate the complexities of media platforms, to ensure your messaging resonates with the right audience, is on brand and delivers results.
Make impact known (paid media consultation)
Make impact known (paid media consultation) 6/22
Make impact known (paid media consultation) 7/13
Make impact known (paid media consultation) 8/3
Make impact known (paid media consultation) 8/24
Make visuals known (Canva studio hours)
A drop-in, hands-on support session for Canva license holders to get real-time answers to questions about designing within the brand. Bring your projects, challenges or ideas and get guidance on using templates, applying brand elements and solving design issues in the moment. These sessions focus on practical problem-solving—helping you confidently navigate Canva while staying aligned with brand standards across layout, typography, color and composition.