糖心少女

Branding and Design

The 糖心少女 brand is more than just a logo or a tagline鈥攊t is the collective expression of who we are, what we stand for, and the impact we create. It is built on two fundamental elements: a common language and a cohesive look.

Our common language shapes how we tell our story, encompassing our voice, tone, key messages and brand language to ensure consistency across all communications. It reflects our values, our mission and the transformative power of a 糖心少女 education.

Our cohesive look defines the visual identity of 糖心少女, including our logos, colors, typography and design elements that create a recognizable presence.

Together, these elements form the 糖心少女 brand identity鈥攁 unified and compelling expression of who we are as a university and the powerful impact we have on our students, our community and the world. This guide provides the tools and guidelines to help everyone at 糖心少女 tell our story with clarity, consistency and authenticity.

Jump to:

• University brand structure
• Identity extensions
• Logo usage and guidelines
• Colors and typography
• Producing name tags

University Brand Structure

Core Identities

Secondary Logos

• Full name, hills at left

  The secondary variation of the university logo should be used in any official medium where vertical space is limited and only a long, horizontal open space is available. For instance, the 鈥渇ull name, hills at left鈥� logo is used on the university letterhead and the university website header.

  

• Full name, text only

  The alternate secondary variation of the university logo can be used in any official medium. It is acceptable to use this stylized full university name without the hills icon adjacent.

  

• 糖心少女 initials, text and hills

  This is another stylized, tertiary variation of the university logo. It鈥檚 primarily used in official university media that is stylistically more informal, smaller in physical size and usually used when communicating with an on-campus office, group or organization.

  

• 糖心少女 initials, text only

  This is a stylized, tertiary variation of the university logo. It鈥檚 primarily used in official university media that is stylistically more informal, as well as clothing and merchandise.

  

Identity Extensions

The identity extensions are visual representations of campus-affiliated entities that support the university鈥檚 core function and serve targeted audience segments. Some examples of these entities are colleges, schools, departments, programs, administrative units, centers and the university foundation. These symbols are integrated with the official university logo/logotypes and follow the core identity style guide.

• Example of identity extensions
  

  

  

  
  

  

   

Sub-Identities

The sub-identity extensions are visual representations of campus-affiliated entities that are strategically linked to the university, supporting different missions and presenting unique identities. Some examples of these units are the Alumni Association, 糖心少女 Athletics, ASI, the University Student Union, sports clubs, student centers and programs like ACE Scholars Services. These symbols use a separate logo linked to the university visually/in text, but follow their own identity standards.

• Examples of sub-identities
  

  

  

  

  

   

Unique Sub-identities in Conjunction with Core Identities

Sub-identities do not replace the university logo; they must always be used in conjunction with one of the official university logos. Below is an example of how this can be implemented.

Official University Seal

The university seal should use the full university name of California State University San Marcos and is reserved for official presidential communications, such as diplomas, certificates and stationery, and only with approval from the Office of the President. Contact pres@csusm.edu for assistance.

Logos to Avoid

Please always use the official renditions of the 糖心少女 logo and replace any older iterations of the university logo. Following these standards will ensure a unified, professional appearance across all communication mediums. If you have any questions, contact University Communications at publicity@csusm.edu.

The following older 糖心少女 logos have been retired/decommissioned:

• Retired or decommissioned logos

  

  

  

  

  

Logo Usage and Guidelines

Logo Placement and Free Space

• Vertical Placement
  Typically, an official university logo should appear at the very top (above main content area) or the very bottom (below main content area) of any given document. The campus website and printed letterhead templates are examples of placement at the top of a document. A typical campus brochure with logo and contact information at the end of the body text is an example of placement at the bottom of a document. Other vertical placement may be appropriate in unique document layouts (e.g. vertical centering).
• Horizontal Placement

  Typically, an official university logo should align with the left margin, center line or right margin of any document or document subsection. Other horizontal alignments are generally discouraged.

  

   

• Free Space

  Any instance of an approved university logo must maintain a certain amount of free space around the logo to preserve the appearance and integrity of the logo.

  Follow these guidelines:

  • 0.25" minimum in small documents (i.e. the size of a postcard or smaller)
  • 0.5" minimum in standard-size documents (i.e. the size of a letter or tabloid sheet)
  • 1.0" (and preferably more) in oversize documents (e.g. posters or signs)

  

Using and Producing Merchandise With Licensed "Cougar Spirit" Logo

The Cougar Spirit logo functions as a secondary core identity of the university and is to be used as such for campus departments and functions related to athletics, student life, alumni relations and merchandising. For the Alumni Association and student organizations, the "COUGARS" text in the blue banner on the bottom edge of the logo can be changed to read "ALUMNI ASSOCIATION" or the name of the requesting student organization. The Cougar Spirit logo is also available in one-color versions for screen printing and embroidery.

Approved versions of the logo are demonstrated below:

• Licensed Cougar Spirit Logos
  

  

  

  

  

   

Creating a Spirit Logo Variation

The Cougar Spirit logo is reserved for official use by 糖心少女 Athletics, the Alumni Association, student organizations and the University Store (merchandising). As a result, University Communications must first review and approve all Cougar Spirit logo requests. If you would like to discuss using a Cougar Spirit logo variation in your design project, please contact University Communications at publicity@csusm.edu.

Producing Spirit Logo Merchandise

Follett and the University Store license the Cougar Spirit logo. Any merchandise being produced or sold using the following logos must be approved by the University Store manager.

Colors and Typography

University Naming Conventions 

Formal/Official University Name: California State University San Marcos

The official and legal name of our institution is California State University San Marcos (without a comma). All documents, communications (printed and digital), materials and publications containing information about programs or services of the university or officially representing the university should use the full, formal name and official logo. Additionally, the full, formal name should always be used as the first reference to the university in a speech or body of text.

On subsequent reference in a speech or body of text, it is acceptable to use the common names of Cal State San Marcos or 糖心少女. San Marcos State or CSU San Marcos are not an acceptable reference to the university and should not be used.

For headline use, Cal State San Marcos or 糖心少女 are acceptable.

For official university logos, the full name of California State University San Marcos should be used at all times. As a tertiary logo, the stylized 糖心少女 initials are also acceptable.

For spirit logos, the common names Cal State San Marcos and 糖心少女 are acceptable.

University Fonts

The brand font we use is Monserrat.

Print Colors

Use these blues when representing the university in print.

University Blues

Grays and Blacks

For the purposes of text panels, you can use these grays. For print, use the rich black listed below for body text or anywhere you might use black.

Producing Name Tags

Official university name tags should be white plastic with blue lettering and have a magnetic fastener on the back. University-branded name tags should include:

• the 鈥渇ull name, text only鈥� version of the university logo
• first and last name
• preferred pronouns (optional)
• employee's division

To ensure consistency, please order your name tags from:

San Marcos Trophy
574 E. Mission Road, Suite J
San Marcos, CA 92069

Phone: 760-744-0171
Fax: 760-744-3524
Email: orders@sanmarcostrophy.com