UW–MADISON STUDENT AFFAIRS
Student Affairs is the University of Wisconsin–Madison office responsible for everything outside the classroom: Health and Wellness, Student Success and Belonging, Student Advocacy, and Student Leadership and Community Engagement through The Union. Spanning 14 units, the office had no brand identity of its own, no clear guidance for staff on applying UW–Madison's existing standards, and no visual thread connecting its units to each other or to the parent office.
The resulting brand system is built on a hexagonal circle grid that generates graphic elements across reports, social media, print, and advertising, designed to complement the institutional identity rather than compete with it. Three new colors, Mendota Gray, Monona Teal, and Wingra Yellow anchor the palette alongside Badger Red, each loosely tied to a division of the office. Overlaid with a Multiply blend mode, they produce 10 additional tertiary colors for accents and highlights. A 30/60 degree textured line pattern softens graphic elements throughout. IBM Plex Serif handles titles and headers, chosen for its warmth alongside UW's Red Hat typeface and its availability as a free Google font.
The project also delivered a brand identity guide consolidating mission, vision and values, tone of voice, and the full system into one working reference along with templates, editable design files, and Canva-ready components for staff at any design comfort level. Because several units carry their own established identities, the brand architecture uses a flexible badge and approved language to signal each unit's connection to Student Affairs, appearing in footers across websites, print, and social media.
project leads
Sheena HirschfieldJenny Bernhardt
DELIVERABLES
Brand StrategyBrand Architecture
Brand Identity
Print Collateral
Templates