Visual Identity FAQ

Clarity and consistency are the hallmarks of effective communication and an imperative in the crowded marketplace of higher education. The refreshed Dartmouth identity cuts through the many competing wordmarks, colors, fonts, imagery, and designs in current use across our campus, updates our various assets for the digital age, aligns visual messaging throughout the institution, and provides communicators with the guidelines and tools they need to produce professional, integrated communications across many channels.

The foundation for this design work comes from strategic messaging that captures Dartmouth's unique characteristics:

• Liberal arts are at the very core of the institution and infuse a culture of critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, and leadership in a complex world.
   
• The teacher-scholar model is Dartmouth's greatest distinction and the driver of the finest educational experience anywhere.
   
• The College is a base camp to the world, a vibrant, tight-knit community from which students and faculty venture forth, ascending to new heights.
   
• Dartmouth has an adventuresome spirit that embraces the unknown, invites fearlessness and teamwork, and radiates tenacity, curiosity, and life-changing ideas.
   
• Dartmouth has a profound sense of place. From the Green to the river and the mountains beyond, Dartmouth grounds and transforms all who experience the institution.

How was the visual identity determined?

A Visual Identity Steering Committee and working group were formed with representation from across the institution, including the four graduate schools, the student affairs office, athletics, the general counsel's office, campus services, advancement, web services, communications, faculty, the provost's office, the president's office, and admissions. Over the course of a year, Dartmouth enlisted the design support of a professional agency, which launched a "deep dive" into our history, traditions, location, and culture, while at the same time members of the committee consulted with groups across campus. The resulting identity system is rooted in our heritage, inclusive community, and tremendous sense of place. It is distinctly Dartmouth.

Why does the wordmark say Dartmouth and not Dartmouth College?

The use of the simpler "Dartmouth" wordmark was established in 2004 and is designed to represent and serve the entire institution.

How do I order letterhead, business cards, and envelopes using the new identity?

Dartmouth Printing and Mailing Services offers stationery order forms on their website. For more information, call (603) 646-2642.

How do I access the new wordmark and other components of the identity?

Visit the Dartmouth Visual Identity web pages to view, download, or request; our guidelines, files, and fonts.

How can I use the new identity on Dartmouth-branded merchandise?

Any use of Dartmouth trademarks, trade names, symbols, and indicia on merchandise (anything other than official College business) must be approved by the Office of the General Counsel. As part of its commitment to humane labor practices and protecting the rights of workers who make insignia merchandise and other products, Dartmouth requires that departments, clubs, student groups, alumni classes, and organizations wishing to have merchandise produced use an "official re-sellers list." Contact the licensing office at (603) 646-1729 or email trademarks@dartmouth.edu for more information.

Is Dartmouth Athletics using the new visual identity?

Our design team is working with the Office of Athletics and Recreation to facilitate the gradual integration and extension of the new identity into signage, uniforms, publications, and marketing components. The "Athletic D" remains part of the institutional identity.