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Launched by the Corporate Relations Division, UKZN’s Corporate Identity (CI) Manual is a basic publication usage guide to help ensure the University brand is represented visually in a consistent and impactful way.
Speaking at the launch of the manual, a custodian of UKZN’s communication and marketing strategy, Acting Executive Director: Corporate Relations, Ms Normah Zondo, said her Division’s role was to lead and develop the University brand.
Zondo described the manual ‘as a collection of design elements that work together to create a meaningful guide that allows all parties within the Institution to communicate with one consistent voice’.
Principal Graphic Designer, the late Mr Neville Moodaliar pinpointed three critical concepts in the CI Manual: a brand, branding, and a logo.
Exploring variations in the use of the UKZN logo, Moodaliar said landscape style was preferred with portrait usage requiring authorisation from the Corporate Relations Division before publication. He identified the colour logo as the desired setting, saying the white logo should be used on dark backgrounds and the black logo should be reserved for backgrounds without colour reproduction.
Outlining “do’s and don’ts” when using the logo, Moodaliar urged colleagues to leave a ‘decent amount of clear white space around the brand image’.
He also focused on UKZN’s tagline of Inspiring Greatness and showed examples of how it ‘should be featured in the footer of any artwork within a red strip’. Encouraging colleagues to be ‘more aware of fonts in order to keep the same look and feel required for corporate branding’, Moodaliar said the preferred fonts were Century Gothic Bold for the tagline; Myriad Pro as the official design font and Arial as the general font.
He discussed logo use for subsidiaries, Colleges and Centres and reviewed the importance of a line separator (30% black) in co-branding. Moodaliar noted that College logos should not be used in co-branding.
He examined the difference between College and campus colours (which are represented on the University logo), discouraging individuals from creating their own logos.
In closing, Moodaliar said: ‘We need to work together to manage our image and the way we are perceived within and outside of UKZN, to create a common brand narrative that Inspires Greatness.’
Commenting on the illegal use of the UKZN logo on social media, Zondo said, ‘staff and students are not allowed to use the University logo on their personal social media accounts’, adding that University branding could not be used on external platforms or events without permission.
Acting Director: University Relations, Ms Xoliswa Zulu, thanked everyone for attending the launch and encouraged colleagues to stick to the guidelines provided by the CI Manual and to contact the Corporate Relations team on Corporaterelations@ukzn.ac.za for any clarification or queries.
Mr Neville Moodaliar was an amazing individual with a passion for perfection in his work. He will be remembered for his firm conviction on the incorrect use of the University brand.
Words: Hlengiwe Khwela
Image: Supplied
