Brand Guidelines
Our Brand Guidelines PDF includes more detailed info, including tone of voice checklist, sample lines, and technical tips.
UFV Brand
The UFV Brand
Experience
This is your place. A space to challenge ideas, push boundaries, and step outside your comfort zone.
Here, learning goes beyond lectures and textbooks.
It’s about transformation. It’s about the moments that shape you — the risks you take, the connections you make, the discoveries that change everything.
What happens when we learn together? We lift each other up. We turn learning into possibility, passion into purpose, and ambition into impact.
UFV is more than a university. We’re a gathering place for learners, leaders, and seekers. A place where diverse perspectives meet, changemaking takes root, reconciliation begins, and possibilities are as endless as the mountain ranges that surround us.
Your path is yours to define. Your future is yours to build.
And no matter where you go, this community goes with you.
This is your place. This is UFV.
UFV brand personality
Spirited
Resourceful
Inquisitive
Empowering
How does spirited
sound?
Playful
How playful comes to life:
Use humour
Humour is a powerful tool that can help us feel more human, memorable, and full of life. Our flavour of funny is playful and clever — not sarcastic or goofy. One tried-and-true way of finding the funny is the rule of threes. If you’re listing a few things, try making the third thing something similar, but a little unexpected. Lean into different traits when it makes sense.
Example:
Our student mentorship program just matched its 500th mentee. Here’s to building connections, shaping futures, and the cake our mentorship coordinator Sue brought in today to celebrate.
Another way to add some levity is through exaggeration and/or poking a little fun at ourselves.
Example:
If you hear hollering from our CERA Lab, don’t be alarmed. We secured funding for three new research projects next semester and we’re just a little excited. Stay tuned for updates.
Share anecdotes
Personalize copy by adding in short, relevant stories.
Example:
Join the UFV team
Find a career with interesting challenges, a supportive culture, and opportunities to learn and grow. That, plus a pretty fun team. Just ask us about the time we all dressed up as a our teenage selves for Halloween.
Use familiar phrases
Drop in words and phrases that are commonly used in conversation.
Example:
If you’ve never played pickleball before — no worries. Our drop-in games at the North Gym are beginner friendly. Now let’s play some pickle.
Unconventional
How unconventional comes to life:
Unexpected language
Swapping out common verbs for more energetic ones, twisting familiar phrases, or creating imagery are just a few ways you can freshen up your writing.
Example:
Once a Cascade, always a Cascade.
Since 2001, the UFV Alumni Association has been rallying graduates, forging connections, and shining a spotlight on your success. We’re here to keep you plugged into the UFV network — so your experience here can keep paying off.
Use relatable analogies
Real-world comparisons can make the writing more vibrant and unique.
Example:
Learning a new skill is like planting a tree — it takes time, but the results are worth it.
How does resourceful
sound?
Helpful
How helpful comes to life:
Show empathy
Think about the audience’s perspective and experience. We can help make them feel seen by acknowledging how they may be feeling.
Example:
Going back to school can feel overwhelming, but you’re not alone. Just ask our thousands of other continuing education students.
Be solution-oriented
Suggest solutions that they can put into action and share links to resources whenever possible.
Example:
Financial Support
Bursaries. Loans. Awards. Not sure where to begin? See our breakdown of tuition aid below or make an appointment to chat with an advisor here.
Practical
How practical comes to life:
Concrete language
Being specific makes the content feel more relevant to our audience, so use clear examples rather than broad or abstract statements.
Example:
Abstract:
“Your work shapes the future of education.”
Concrete:
“Instructors like you give students the skills to launch their careers.”
Simplify your structure
Use bullet points, headings, and whitespace to add clarity, and avoid lengthy paragraphs when possible.
Example:
Library Resources
Libraries aren’t just for books — although we have lots of those too.
Drop by to access:
- Journal articles (in print and online)
- Research guides & databases
- Course reserve materials
- Streaming videos & DVDs
How does inquisitive
sound?
Conversational
How conversational comes to life:
A more personal POV
Speaking in third person — referring to ourselves as UFV — is often necessary. But sometimes it can feel impersonal. Try the collective first person “we” and “us” to remind our audience that we’re people too.
Example:
We’re so grateful for donors like you.
Be informal
Using simpler words makes us more accessible. Think of it as not quite as casual as texting your best friend, but much more relaxed than a legal proceeding.
Example:
Formal:
It is imperative that you attend UFV’s orientation.Informal:
You don’t want to miss orientation day.
Avoid jargon
Choose words that are more accessible to a general audience, rather than insider phrases.
Example:
Jargony:
“To ensure strategic alignment with our long-term vision, we are refining our governance framework to enhance accountability and decision-making processes.”Conversational:
“To stay on track with our long-term goals, we’re improving our decision-making process to be clearer and more effective.”
Thought-provoking
How thought-provoking comes to life:
Pose rhetorical or reflective questions
Adding in a question that doesn’t need an answer can spark a little curiosity.
Example:
What’s stopping you from taking the next step?
Address the reader directly
Speaking to our audience as though it’s just you and one other person helps the reader imagine things more clearly for themself. You can do this by using the second-person “you”, and helping situate them in a relevant scenario.
Example:
Picture this: you, walking across the stage at graduation
How does empowering
sound?
Confident
How confident comes to life:
Use active voice
Active voice is when the subject (that’s the student in the example below) of a sentence is the one doing the action. Writing this way helps us sound clearer and more direct — which makes us sound more confident.
Example:
Passive:
The report was written by the student.Active:
The student wrote the report.
Use encouraging calls-to-action
A call-to-action is a great way to make our confidence contagious. Try using conversational phrases that energize our audience to
take action.
Example:
Let’s get started.
Let’s do this.
Go for it.
Make your move.
Keep it short and punchy
If you can say it in fewer words — do it.
Example:
Original:
At UFV, your success is what matters most — in class, on campus, and after you graduate. Our small class sizes mean you get more individual attention and one-on-one time with your instructors. We’re here for you outside of class, too, whether you need academic advice, counselling, career guidance, assignment help, or a sympathetic ear.
New:
Your success is what matters most. From small class sizes to career guidance, we’re here to get you the support you need.