Hello Colleague,

The elements that make up the NYU look—our city grid design, violet color palette, and Gotham typeface—work together to tell the story of a university that is dynamic, adaptable, and connected to the urban spirit. These elements can also be used in different ways to create visual tones that connect with our many audiences, so you can always find the right look for your communications.

In case you missed it: In previous parts of NYU Brand Basics, we covered the NYU brand essence, personality, and audience personas; templates and logos; the NYU voice and tone; content strategy; the NYU look; editorial, inclusivity, and accessibility standards; communications channel best practices; and resources for creating photography and video.

The NYU visual tone ranges from traditional to contemporary and subtle to bold. To find the right tone for your communication, consider what you are communicating and whom you are communicating it to. A celebratory event for students, for example, will have a different tone than a formal event for donors.

This tone captures the excitement and energy of urban life and NYU’s innovative culture. It especially resonates with prospective and current students and alumni.

This tone has the same energy and excitement as Contemporary/Bold but is grounded in maturity and confidence. It resonates more with internal facing audiences like administrators, faculty, and staff.

This tone is for formal communications that require a personal and accessible touch. It is sophisticated and restrained, resonating most with donors, trustees, and audiences of formal events like Commencement.

This tone is for matter-of-fact messaging that needs the significance of NYU’s gravitas. It resonates with more mature audiences like retired faculty, graduate students, and external financial partners.