Graphics and illustrations

A recognizable brand needs a system of ownable graphic elements. This section details a distinctive visual toolkit that we can draw from when crafting communications for our brand.

Framing shapes

Rounded rectangle

Rounded rectangles

We use rounded rectangles to frame photography, texture and type. This element creates a layout style that’s dynamic, yet structured. Used as frames, these shapes depict a sense of community and interconnectedness between our city, our people and our voice.

Tips:

  • Rounded rectangles should be touching to create notch shapes between them.
  • Within the layout, be sure to incorporate a few solid-colored shapes with textures, for a visual break between photos. These textured color backgrounds are perfect for housing messages.

Frames

Frame

Frames are used to create interest and emphasize imagery. We can use this framing technique for a single photo or a spread with several photos.

Tips:

  • For the frames, use just two or three of our colors. Make sure that they work the photo choices.
  • For the photos, keep in mind cropping and interest. If you are using several frames, change up the photo category.
  • Keep the text detail at the bottom succinct: just one sentence or less.

Circle frame

Circle frame

Circles are an inherent part of our brand. And they’re an excellent option for a way to frame our photography, creating interest and energy within our designs. We can use the circle frame for individual photos or a spread with several photos.

Tips:

  • The circle frame can be used alone or layered in front of the grit texture circles (see texture page for more information).
  • For the photos, keep in mind cropping and interest. If you’re using several frames, change up the photo category.

Punched out circle

Punched out circle

The punched-out circle works well as a way to highlight the subjects in a full-bleed photo. It’s a way to say that UIC was a part of the captured moment — as if the logo itself were punched out of the frame to reveal what was happening.

Tips:

  • Make sure there is plenty of blank space around the subjects so that no one will get cut out of the frame.
  • Use this technique sparingly and only with full-bleed images. It’s not intended to be used multiple times on one image, or on multiple images in one spread.
  • Lead with Fire Engine Red for the framing shape.

Photo notch

Photo notch example

In this technique, the photo notch becomes directional and emphasizes the image. This works best with cropped portraits, but it can be effective with other photo categories as well.

Tips:

  • Make sure the notch enhances the image and does not take away from or cover the subject.
  • As you place the notch, use your best judgment to provide a visual section for typography if needed.

Note: When using the photo notch with a rectangle, be sure to use the pathfinder tool to “punch out” the notch. (Do not place a notch over the rectangle, as this will cause a small, unwanted vertical line.) To punch out the notch, follow these instructions:

  1. Open panel: Navigate to Window > Object & Layout > Pathfinder.
  2. Select objects: Use the Selection Tool to select the notch and rectangle. Make sure the notch is on top of the rectangle and perfectly aligned with an edge.
  3. Apply operation: Choose Subtract (Minus Front): This will cut the notch out of the bottom shape.

Dialog boxes

Dialog box

Dialog box

The dialog box is a type of speech bubble for the subjects of an image. It can be used for a quote or a callout about the subject in the photo.

Tips:

  • Depending on the image, you may want to use a dialog box with no inside rectangle. In other cases, having the inside rectangle will offer better visibility. Use your best judgment to decide.
  • Dialog boxes should primarily be used with full-bleed images.

Large dialog box

Large dialog box

The large dialog box works best with full-bleed images, where it overlays the top or bottom to create space for type. This element can also be employed to create sections on a page or to emphasize important information.

Tips:

  • The percentage of the page taken up by a large dialog box can vary, but it should always reach to the edges of layout, as shown at right.

Textures

Grit circles

Grit circles

Grit circles act as a backdrop layout or frame for circular images. They act as a buffer between the foregrounded image or text and the background. The background may just be a solid color, or it could be another photo.

Tips:

  • When the background color or image is dark, use the Light Grit Texture. When the background or image is light, use the Dark Grit Texture.
  • Build up the texture to create more contrast. For example, you may need to duplicate the grit circle – one on top of the other – to create a higher-contrast grit.
  • Use the types of crops shown here (and in the final section of these guidelines) as a starting place for cropping and layering grit circles.

Architecture textures

Architecture textures

Architecture textures should be used as tone-on-tone backgrounds, as a way to bring depth and grit to layouts. They should be cropped in a way that does not interfere with the text or imagery in the layout.

Tips:

  • Use only the primary, secondary and neutral colors with this element. Tertiary colors should not be used.
  • Use a 60% tint of the chosen background for the architecture texture, except for Fire Engine Red.
  • For Fire Engine Red, use Chicago Brick as the architecture texture color.
  • Avoid using the entire photo as a texture. Tight crops transform the image into an abstract texture that gives our materials a sense of place.

Patterns

Halftone patterns

With halftone patterns, we can bring more depth and interest to our layouts.

Tips:

  • Use the small halftone pattern to fill circles and radiating shapes.
  • The rhythmic halftone pattern should be used with the grit texture only. It can overlay any background color, but it works best with neutrals.
Small halftone pattern

Small halftone pattern

Rhythmic halftone pattern

Rhythmic halftone pattern

UIC Dot Grid

The UIC dot grid adds visual interest to layouts for internal audiences.

Tips:

  • Use sparingly to highlight or anchor text in internal communications, such as internal memos and campus announcements.
  • Do not use these elements for external messaging or branding.
  • Keep dot grid at a legible scale so they support the content without overpowering the highlighted element.
  • Ensure dots are proportionate to the height of the text they accompany (one row per line of text).
  • Avoid covering an entire page with dots.
  • Dot grid should appear only in Fire Engine Red and Navy Pier Blue.
Download dot pattern

Echo patterns

The echo shapes visualize the idea that our UIC voice is being heard and our people are being known. It symbolizes that UIC is amplified across the city and beyond.

Tips:

  • The Echo, Echo Left and Echo Right can all be used as small icons to emphasize a copy block.
  • The same three elements can also be used with a photo that’s set within a circle frame.
  • Make sure that the Echo, Echo Left and Echo Right do not overpower a layout. These elements should always act as an accent.
  • Echo Pattern 1 should be used sparingly. It’s ideal for environmental graphics, like privacy film for a conference room.
  • Overlapping Echo 1 and 2 may be used as small elements on a page or as a full-bleed cropped elements in the background. They can be filled with the Grit textures or small halftone patterns.
Echo left

Echo left

Echo pattern

Echo

Echo right

Echo right

Overlapping echo 1

Overlapping echo 1

Overlapping echo 2

Overlapping echo 2

Text badge

The text badge is a graphic element used to draw attention to a short phrase or word.

In a digital experience, a badge can be used for a call-to-action button, like “Apply Today.”

In print, a badge is used to break the layout grid and draw the eye to a specific high-value point within a static composition.

Tips:

  • Use this element sparingly. It’s not meant to appear more than once in a single layout.
  • A badge should remain relatively small, compared with headlines and other copy.
Steel Gray text badges displayed in small, medium and long widths

Text badge: Steel Gray Text

Text Badge: Fire Engine Red Text displayed in small, medium and long widths

Text badge: Fire Engine Red Text

Text Badge: White Text displayed in small, medium, and long widths

Text badge: White Text

Download graphic elements

Download graphic elements to use in your design.

Illustrations

Illustration example: Amplify.Act. Then show what you know. uic.edu

Use illustrations to add expressive, hand-drawn energy to layouts — particularly when the tone is casual and conversational.

They work well as anchors for subheadlines, placed above text to draw the reader in. Illustrations should be proportionally scaled to the subheadline size and never dominate the layout — keep them to no more than 20% of the composition.

Use them to enhance and support what the text is saying, not to decorate for decoration’s sake.

Avoid illustrations in formal or institutional contexts. If the audience or setting calls for a more serious tone, illustrations may feel out of place and should be omitted.

When choosing an illustration color, consider the background color and ensure it meets the accessibility standards. In most cases, stay within the primary, secondary and neutral colors. If the audience is familiar with UIC, tertiary colors may be used sparingly.

Examples of illustrations as icons: graduation cap, microscope, paintbrushes, text dialogue

Illustrations: Icons example 1

Examples of illustrations as icons: headphones, book, loudspeaker, backpack

Illustrations: Icons example 2

Examples of illustrations as stickers: pizza slice, stethoscope, atom symbol, speakers

Illustrations: Icons example 3

Download illustrations

Download illustrations to use in your design.

Illustrations as stickers

illustrations as stickers: headphones, Chicago flag,

Stickers are best suited for high-energy, expressive moments — social media, event promotions or campaign materials where a playful, bold voice is appropriate.

Creating new illustrations

Use Adobe Firefly to generate hand-drawn-style illustrations, then trace them into vectors in Illustrator. Results may vary — expect to try a few different prompts. Questions? Reach out to the Strategic Marketing and Communications team at smcs@uic.edu.

Step 1: Generate in Firefly

Go to firefly.adobe.com and log in with your Adobe account. Type your prompt into the prompt box and click Generate.

Example prompts:
An illustration of a cellphone using varying weight monoline, hand-drawn, expressive linework.
An illustration of a cellphone using varying weight monoline, hand-drawn, expressive linework. Make it a little less sketchy.

Tweak the prompt until the result matches your vision. There’s no single perfect prompt — it may take several tries.

Step 2: Download the image

Once you’re happy with the result, download the image. Note: It will be a rasterized (pixel-based) image with a background, meaning it will pixelate if scaled up — which is why we trace it next.

Step 3: Trace to vector in Illustrator

Open the image in Illustrator, then go to Window > Image Trace. Use the settings below:

Preset Custom
Mode Black and White
Threshold 118
Paths 50%
Corners 75%
Noise 82 px
Method Abutting
Fills Off
Strokes On
Snap curves to lines On
Ignore color On (Ignore Black)

Click Expand after tracing. Then use the Direct Selection Tool (A) to manually clean up extra points or messy linework.

Step 4: Use your vector illustration

The traced vector can now be scaled to any size or recolored. Copy and paste it directly into InDesign, PowerPoint or Canva as needed.