Branding and visual identity

The Monash University brand is more than the logo. The brand includes the university's name, courses, history, people, and reputation. The users' experience of the Monash University website is also an integral part of the brand and it is important that this experience is one that enhances the brand.

The Monash branding for websites is captured in the approved web templates and these should be used wherever possible.

Masterbrand websites

All administrative and business units of the university come under the Monash University masterbrand unless an exemption has been obtained from the university's Marketing and Student Recruitment division. To contact the Marketing and Student Recruitment division, email marketing@monash.edu.au.

Centres with cross-faculty affiliation should also use the masterbrand as attempting to use multiple faculty sub-brands and colours on a website may be unworkable.

Masterbrand websites must use:

• the masterbrand as defined in the Monash Brand Guidelines (staff only)
• the approved web templates.
• the approved masterbrand colours

The approved masterbrand colours for websites are as follows:

Faculty websites (including schools, centres, departments within a faculty)

Each faculty has been given a distinct colour and a modified sub-brand.

For centres that have two or more faculty affiliations, the masterbrand should be used.

Websites for all schools, departments and centres within a faculty must use:

• the faculty sub-brand as defined in the Monash Brand Guidelines (staff only)
• the approved web templates.
• the approved faculty colours

Faculties can use grades of their faculty colour though adequate contrast between text and background colours should always be maintained. To determine whether a selection of colours has adequate contrast, a colour contrast testing tool is available.

The approved faculty colours for websites are as follows:

Art and Design

Arts

Business and Economics

Education

Engineering

Information Technology

Law

Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences

Pharmacy

Science

Organisational units that have been given a sub-brand (not faculties)

Some organisational units have been granted sub-brand status. For example, Monash South Africa, Monash University Malaysia, Monash Research Graduate School, Monash University Accident Research Centre, Monash University Library, and Monash International.

Sub-brand websites must use:

• the sub-brand as defined in the Monash Brand Guidelines (staff only)
• the approved web templates.
• the approved sub-brand colours

The approved colours for sub-brand websites are as follows:

Commercial entities

Commercial entities with links to the university also use a sub-brand but without the Monash University shield. For example, Monash Commercial, and Monyx.

Websites within this category:

• must use approved sub-brand logo without shield at top left of page
• must comply with whitespace rules around logo
• can use own web design, but design must be approved by the Marketing and Recruitment division; contact the Marketing and Recruitment division at marketing@monash.edu.au
• must use the minimum size web logo, linked to the Monash University home page, in the footer of each page.

Other entities associated with Monash University

Websites of other entities associated with Monash University, for example, student associations:

• must use the minimum size web logo, linked to the Monash University home page, in the footer of each page.
• must not use masterbrand or sub-brand logos (with the exception of the previous requirement) unless permission has been given by the Marketing and Student Recruitment division; contact the Marketing and Recruitment division at marketing@monash.edu.au.

Dual branded sites

Where Monash University is just one of a number of organisations involved in a project, centre or activity, use of the Monash University brand, while necessary, must be negotiated with the needs of other entities involved.

• Where Monash University is the leading organisation and controls 50 per cent or more of the relationship, the site must use the appropriate Monash University brand at top left.
• If the site is part of a joint project e.g. a Monash University/University of Melbourne project, negotiate use of the Monash University brand.
• Otherwise, negotiate use of the Monash University brand.

Further information on co-branding requirements is available from the Monash Brand Guidelines (staff only).

Use of other logos/brands

Entities within Monash who have existing logos should contact the Marketing and Student Recruitment Division at marketing@monash.edu.au to discuss the continued use of these logos under the Brand Guidelines.

Personal pages

Personal pages should not use or attempt to mimic any of the branding or visual design aspects of the official Monash University web designs. Professional profile pages that are part of a faculty, school, centre or department site are exempt from this requirement.

Use of images

• Strong, single images should be used, not a collage.
• A feeling of natural light and space should be present in the images.
• Images should be fresh, high-quality and incorporate people wherever possible - do not use clip art or clip art-like illustrations.
• Images should create a sense of confidence and optimism - avoid negative imagery.
• Clean and natural images are preferred - avoid using coloured lighting or graphic design effects such as contouring and coloured backgrounds.
• Images should convey some or all of the university's key brand attributes - international, influential, innovative, engaged, substantial, dynamic, broad, accessible and full of integrity.

Examples

For examples of images for different target audience, see the Monash Brand Guidelines (staff only).

Images must be approved for use

Photographic images used for decorative or promotional effect on official Monash University websites must be approved by Marketing and Student Recruitment. For image approval email uniweb@adm.monash.edu.au.

Other images and graphics (such as diagrams, process charts, and screenshots) appearing on Monash web pages must be of a high quality but do not need official approval.

Do not re-use images from the top levels of the Monash website

Images appearing in the header of the university's top-level pages cannot be re-used on other Monash University websites.

Resources

• Monash University Brand Guidelines (staff only)
• Brand value and the user experience
• Branding and usability
• Building successful brands on the web