This couldn’t happen at a more important time.

With competition increasing for prospective students, faculty, staff, fans, and donors, colleges must find ways to stand out or be left behind. With so many schools all leveraging similar messages and identity tools, higher ed is a "sea of sameness." Every college has a seal. Every college has a notable landmark. Every college has a date of establishment.

But there's only one Lyon College. We provide a transformational liberal arts education dedicated to highly personalized faculty mentoring, meaningful community engagement, and real-world experiences that prepares our students for life in the 21-st century and beyond.

The Lyon wordmark now takes its place at the forefront of the Lyon brand. Bold, powerful, distinct, and instantly recognizable, the new College mark forms the centerpiece of a brand identity system that conveys our identity to the world.

 

 

And that is just the beginning.

As we move boldy to realize our asipirations to become a nationally-know liberal arts college, we need to mobilize all of our marketing assets and efforts into one powerfully cohesive, highly coordinated and university consistent brand identity. Ours is an identity joined across athletics and academics, united as one College. One brand. One Lyon.

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Building Our Brand

A brand has been described as “what other people say about you when you’re not in the room.” Far more than a logo, mark, or symbol; our brand is our reputation — a reflection of who we are and how we appear to people all around the world. Our brand helps people know us at a glance and gives students, faculty, staff, alumni, donors, and the greater community a way to show their pride in Lyon. Our brand embodies our mission, our core convictions, our promise of academic excellence, and transformational education within a caring community.

Our brand is built on a foundation that was laid in 1872. We, like those who came before us, recognize that for the College to succeed in its mission, it must continue to evolve. Our unified Brand Identity is part of that evolution, as we honor our heritage while boldly pointing to our future.

Hallmarks of the Lyon College experience can be described as smarter, smaller, bold, quirky, different, innovative, fun, close-knit community, student-focused, honor, ethics, faculty mentorship, perseverance, spirituality.

 

 

The Lyon College Brand’s success—the degree to which it helps generate memorable, positive impressions as we shine our light around the world—is in our hands.

As members of the Lyon community, we are all brand ambassadors. Everything we do individually impacts how people think and feel about Lyon. When we pull together, we speak with a stronger voice. The more unified we are in our brand identity, the less fragmented we appear. The more recognized we become, the faster our messaging registers. Our marketing dollars go farther. Instead of diluting our brand, we solidify it. And instead of getting lost in the clutter, we rise above it.

By presenting our identity consistently, not only can we convey our brand more clearly, we can amplify its potential impact. It begins with a commitment to working together for the benefit of the College.

 

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Protecting Our Brand

The value of the Lyon brand, shaped over the course of nearly a century and a half, is ever appreciating. With a streamlined visual identity, we can only expect this value to continue to improve.

Making sure that all our branding elements—from our LYON logo, department marks, typography, and colors to our athletic uniforms and spirit gear, signage, social media, publications, web design, letterhead, and licensed products—all flow from the same brand is important.

That’s why we have brand standards. Every successful organization needs them, as they assure all efforts are focused on building momentum for the College. Our brand standards provide a roadmap of how to best present Lyon College, our people, and our programs consistently across all channels.

When communicating on behalf of Lyon College, this is your go-to resource to ensure that the design and delivery of your message are aligned with how the brand should be experienced.

As you explore, you’ll discover easy-to-follow guides and tips on how to apply the brand to your specific application or project. You’ll also fund a collection of already designed, pre-configured and downloadable, approved branding elements ready for implementation in the Brand Toolbox.

For anything not covered in this brand guide, any additional question you might have, or for help with any communications issues you face, please contact the Office of Marketing and Communications at marketing@lyon.edu. To request help with a project, please fill out a marketing request form. 

fill out a marketing request form

The following style guide serves as a quick reference for those producing correspondence, programs, and other texts in print or on the Web. It is based on the Modern Language Association’s Style Guide and The Associated Press (AP) Stylebook. For news releases, the AP guide should be followed.

 

FONT AND ALIGNMENT

• Use Times New Roman, 12 point font for letters and the body of programs and other texts.
• Use the tab key to align information. Do not use the space bar.

 

LINE BREAKS

Hyphenating words

• Do not use the automated hyphenation function of your word processor. Unless space is an important consideration, it is best not to hyphenate.

Breaks between pages

• At the end of a page, do not separate a title or subtitle from the text that follows it. A paragraph at the end of a page should cover at least two lines of print before the break; otherwise begin the paragraph on the next page. (the “widows and orphans” function of your word processor should do this automatically).
• Do not divide the names of persons, dates, and abbreviations. Do not separate titles, initials, and professional and scholastic degrees from the names. If initials are used in place of both a person’s first and middle names, include a space between them but do not divide them over a line. If necessary, you can break the name before the last name. (e.g., Dr. U. R. Wellborn Dr. U. R. / Wellborn but not Dr. U. / R. Wellborn nor Dr. / U. R. Wellborn).
• Do not divide a day of the month from the name of the month (February 10 but not February / 10).

 

ABBREVIATIONS

• When in doubt, spell words out! Include an unfamiliar abbreviation in parentheses after a proper noun before using it on the second reference. (e.g., Board of Church Advocates (BCA))

Personal Names

• Some individuals are known primarily by initials in place of a first and/or middle name. Such initials should be followed by a period and a space. (e.g., Q. A. Black, John D. Rockefeller)

• Use a comma before abbreviations such as Sr. or Jr., but do not use one before II or III. (e.g., Frank Lyon, Sr. but not Homer D. Simpson, III)

• Use a comma after Sr. and Jr. if the sentence continues on past the name. (e.g., Frank Lyon, Sr., gave the College a water cooler; Frank Lyon, Sr.,’s first gift to the College was a water cooler.)

Social and professional titles

• Abbreviate these titles when they precede a name: Mr., Mrs., Dr., and all military titles.
• Spell out other professional titles, including Professor, President, Reverend, and Honorable, when followed immediately by a name. If a title is present with no name, (i.e. the president of the College) then the title should be lowercase. Never use Reverend or Honorable except with a full name, in which case the title should be preceded by the word “the.” For subsequent references use only the last name. (e.g., The Reverend Lotta Words, then Words; The Honorable Bill Walmsley, then Walmsley)
• Do not abbreviate professional titles when standing alone or in apposition to a name. (e.g., George Washington served as president; Dr. Deep Thinker, Assistant Professor of Philosophy)

Academic degrees

• Use abbreviations for the common academic degrees: bachelor of arts (B.A.); bachelor of science (B.S.); master of arts (M.A.); master of fine arts (M.F.A.); master of science (M.S.); doctor of philosophy (Ph.D.); doctor of education (Ed.D.)
• Note that no space is inserted after the periods unless the sentence continues on.
• Use an apostrophe in bachelor's degree, a master's, etc. There is no possessive in Bachelor of Arts or Master of Science
• When used after a name, academic abbreviation is set off by commas: John Snow, Ph.D., spoke.

Class standing

• Do not capitalize a class designation. (e.g., Several freshmen attended the workshop; Many seniors enroll in internships)
• Also note that the singular form of the class standing is always used for adjectives. (e.g., Three freshman team members; Seven senior women)

Geographical names

• In text, always spell out and capitalize the names of countries, states, counties, bodies of water, mountains, and the like. Use two-letter post office abbreviations only when ZIP codes are included in mailing addresses or in tables, figures, and citations. Always spell out United States when using it as a noun. When using it as an adjective, you may abbreviate it to U.S. with no space after the first period.
• Following are state abreviations (postal code abreviation in parentheses) that are used in conjuction with datelines, lists (i.e. diploma or award listings), and party affiliation (i.e. D-Ala, R-Mont)

Ala. (AL)	Md. (MD)	N.D. (ND)
Ariz. (AZ)	Mass. (MA)	Okla. (OK)
Ark. (AR)	Mich. (MI)	Ore. (OR)
Calif. (CA)	Minn. (MN)	Pa. (PA)
Colo. (CO)	Miss. (MS)	R.I. (RI)
Conn. (CT)	Mo. (MO)	S.C. (SC)
Del. (DE)	Mont. (MT)	S.D. (SD)
Fla. (FL)	Neb. (NE)	Tenn. (TN)
Ga. (GA)	Nev. (NV)	Vt. (VT)
Ill. (IL)	N.H. (NH)	Va. (VA)
Ind. (IN)	N.J. (NJ)	Wash. (WA)
Kan. (KS)	N.M. (NM)	W.Va. (WV)
Ky. (KY)	N.Y. (NY)	Wis. (WI)
La. (LA)	N.C. (NC)	Wyo. (WY)

 

 

Do Not Abbreviate Words

• Do not abbreviate words such as association, avenue, department, institute, or street, except in addresses. Use the ampersand (&) only if used by a company in its official name. (e.g., Procter & Gamble; Johnson & Johnson)
• Use the percent sign (%) only in scientific, technical, or statistical copy. If the percentage is less than one, precede the decimal point with a 0. (e.g., President Weatherman is right 99 percent of the time; The cost of living rose 0.6 percent.)

 

CAPITALIZATION

Names

• Proper nouns, or names, are always capitalized. Names of people, buildings, places, associations, and organizations are capitalized. (e.g., Joe Blow; Brown Chapel; Class of ’67; Student Government Association)
• Geographical regions are capitalized; directions and points of the compass are not. (e.g., Leaders of Western Europe studied the stars in the east; Many students go south for spring break; This book traces the development of the South after 1960)
• Names of ethnic and national groups are capitalized. (e.g., Arab Americans; Ming dynasty; Latinos)
• Terms denoting socioeconomic level are not capitalized. (e.g., blue-collar workers; the upper class)

Titles

• A professional title that immediately precedes a personal name is treated as part of the name and should be capitalized. If you use the title by itself or after the personal name, it becomes a generic term and should be lowercase. (e.g., President Chester Arthur announced; the president announced; Dean Ronald McDonald wrote; the dean wrote)
• The same principle applies to other generic terms that are part of place or organization names. (e.g., Department of Fine Arts but, the fine arts department; The Derby Center thereafter, the center; Board of Trustees thereafter, the board or the trustees)
• Exception: Lyon College; subsequently, the College. This is a traditional form of reference employed by an institution within its own literature. However, do not capitalize college when it is used as an adjective.
• Each element of a position title is capitalized, except for articles, prepositions, and conjunctions. Such titles are used in apposition to the name; they do not precede the name. (e.g., Dr. Roman Greco, Associate Professor of Language and Literature; Mrs. Willu Needajob, Director of Career Placement)

Academic Courses and Subjects

• Capitalize the names of specific courses but not of general subjects or fields of study, except for the names of languages. (e.g., She is majoring in Spanish and business; He met the English requirement; He graduated with a B.A. in fine arts; She is registered for International Business Practices.)

Events and Designations of Time

• Capitalize historic periods and events, holidays, and official names of Lyon College events: World War I; Memorial Day; the Industrial Revolution; Homecoming 2010; Groundhog Day; Arkansas Scottish Festival
• Do not capitalize informal terms such as baccalaureate, commencement, fall semester, summer school, or finals week.
• Capitalize days of the week and months, but not the seasons. (e.g., Sunday; April; spring)
• Do not capitalize a.m. or p.m. (Note that no space follows the first period.)

Titles of Works

• Capitalize the first letter of the first and last words (no matter the part of speech) of the title and subtitle and all other words, except articles, conjunctions, prepositions.
• Italicize titles of books, plays, journals, very long poems, long musical compositions, paintings, sculptures, movies, and television and radio programs.
• Enclose in quotation marks titles of shorter works, which may or may not be part of a longer work, such as chapters, short stories, poems, essays, articles, episodes of television programs, short musical compositions, photographs, lectures, papers, and theses.

 

PUNCTUATION

Apostrophe

• Form the possessive of most singular common and proper nouns, including those that end in s, x, or z, by adding an apostrophe and s. This also applies to letters and numerals used as singular nouns, and to abbreviations. (e.g., Charles Dickens’s writing; income tax’s effect; bachelor’s degree; 2010’s election; DVW’s speech)
• Form the possessive of most plural common and proper nouns by adding only an apostrophe. (e.g., dogs’ dinners; the Diazes’ house)
• Form the possessive of the following types of nouns with only an apostrophe:
  • Nouns that name a group or collective entity but are treated as grammatically singular (e.g., politics’ true meaning; the United States’ position)
  • Names that end in an unpronounced s: (e.g., Descartes’ philosophy; Arkansas’ weather)
• Punctuate the year of a graduating class with an apostrophe. (e.g., Class of ’76 Kurt Hummel, ’94)
• In making the plural of figures, do not use an apostrophe. (e.g., the late 1600s)

Comma

• Use a comma before the words “and” and “or” in a series (except in news releases). (e.g., Our flag is red, white, and blue.)
• Place a comma after digits signifying thousands, except when referring to years, page numbers, large serial numbers, house or building numbers, room numbers, ZIP codes, telephone numbers, heat units, or decimal parts of numbers. (e.g., 3,350 students; 4,600 degrees in the year 2001; 3.14159265)
• Place a comma before and after the state following a city. (e.g., The man from Tulsa, Oklahoma, was tall.)
• Always put a comma after the abbreviation (Janice loved her accessories, e.g., shoes, purses, hats, bracelets, and rings.)
• When writing dates, place a comma between the day and the year, and after the year. (e.g., July 4, 1776, was our nation’s birthday.)
• Do not place a comma between the month and the year when no day is mentioned. (e.g., July 1776 was very hot.)

Dash

• If your word processing program doesn’t have a dash, indicate a dash by typing two hyphens with no spacing. MS Word will automatically convert the hyphens to a dash. In no case should you use a single hyphen with spaces on each side to indicate a dash. (e.g., John--quite a conservative--always wore gray. But not John - quite a conservative - always wore gray.)

Ellipses

• Indicate an omission within a quotation with an ellipsis (three periods with spaces before, between, and after them). Since the dots stand for words omitted, they always go inside the quotation marks or block quotation. (e.g., “I . . . tried to do what was best.”)
• If the omission occurs at the end of a complete sentence, put a period in its usual position, followed by the three spaced periods indicating an ellipsis. (e.g., “He was tired at the end of the evening. . . .”)
• If the omission leaves out an entire sentence or more, follow the pattern above and start the second sentence after a space following the fourth period. (e.g., “He was tired at the end of the evening. . . . His wife still wanted to celebrate.”)

Quotation Marks

• Commas and periods are placed inside the closing quotation mark. (e.g., He said, “I am leaving.”)
• Colons and semicolons are placed outside of the closing quotation mark. (e.g., He spoke of his “little cottage in the country”; he might have called it a mansion.)
• The question mark, the dash, and the exclamation point are placed within the quotation mark when they refer to the quoted matter only. (e.g., He asked, “When did you leave?”)
• The question mark, the dash, and the exclamation point are placed outside the quotation mark when they refer to the whole sentence. (e.g., What is the meaning of “the open door”?)
• Use single quotation marks ONLY for quotations printed within other quotations. If several paragraphs are to be quoted, use quotation marks at the beginning of each paragraph, but at the end of the last paragraph only.

 

NUMBERS

•  Use numerals for:

  • All exact numbers above ten, including ordinal numbers such as 101st
  • Statistical and tabular work
  • Decimals
  • Percentages, e.g., 6.5 percent, not 6 ½ percent
  • Latitude and longitude
  • Degrees of temperature
  • Dimensions
  • Measurements and proportions
• Spell out approximate numbers—that is, round numbers in even units. (e.g., Nearly three thousand people attended the inaugural football game.)
• If several numbers occur in a connected group within a sentence, write all numbers, including those under ten and round numbers, in figures. I have requisitioned 16 reams of paper, 120 tablets, and 8 boxes of pencils.
• Always spell out numbers that begin a sentence. Sixteen guests were present.
• However, if the numbers would require more than two words when spelled out, rearrange the wording of the sentence if possible. The exhibit was attended by 4,431 students. Not Four thousand four hundred thirty-one students attended.

Money

• Write all amounts of money in numerals. (e.g., $7; $10.50; $1,321; 20 cents)
• Do not include the decimal point or ciphers in even amounts of dollars that occur in the body of the text. (e.g., $124)
• When amounts under $1 appear in the body of the letter, write the word “cents” after the figures. (e.g., 20 cents)
• Write indefinite sums of money in words. a few million dollars

Time, ages, and pages

• Always separate a.m. and p.m. with periods (not am or pm)
• Do not include the minutes for exact hours. (e.g., 11:30 p.m.; 8 p.m., not 8:00 p.m.)
• Centuries and decades may be expressed in words or numerals. (e.g., the 1900s, not 1900’s; the twentieth century)
• Be sure to exclude number suffixes when writing dates (e.g., June 9, not June 9th)
• Spans of years are written as follows: 1861-65, 2001-08; 1996-2016.
• Similarly, a range of pages is written as follows: pp. 137-49; pp. 137-206.

Fractions

• Ordinarily, spell out a fraction that stands alone. Use figures, however, if the spelled-out form is long and awkward or if the fraction is used in a technical measurement or a computation. (e.g., A two-thirds majority is needed; You should multiply by 3/5)
• Two numbers together. If two numbers form one item, spell out one of them—usually the shorter— expressing the other in figures. (e.g., two 8-room houses; 300 five-page documents)

 

SPELLING AND USAGE TIPS

• After initially identifying Lyon College in a text, in subsequent references, you may use the College (not the college). This capitalization is a traditional form of reference employed by an institution within its own literature. However, do not capitalize college when it is used as an adjective, e.g., the college campus.
• Lyon College or the College are both acceptable ways to refer to Lyon College in text. However, referring to the College as just Lyon is not acceptable and can cause branding issues with outside media and audiences.
• When referencing to clubs or organizations, use it/its and not their/they are.
• Campus buildings and facilities refer to the College Catalog for the full names and descriptions of campus buildings. When referring to the location of events, the full names may be shortened (Brown Chapel, Alphin Building, Derby Center).
• When referring to endowed or honored rooms, use the full name of the room (i.e. Sloan Auditorium, Bevens Music Room, Nucor Auditorium).
• Alumni refers to two or more graduates; alumnus refers to a male graduate; alumna refers to a female graduate; alumnae, refers to two or more female graduates.
• Emeriti refers to two or more retired professors holding emeritus rank; emeritus refers to a male; emerita refers to a female.
• GPA: This abbreviation is acceptable on first reference for “grade point average.”
• Theatre is the spelling used at Lyon College in reference to its theatre department and programming.
• Graduate and officiate are intransitive verbs. That means they cannot have direct objects: Bob graduated from high school. Not Bob graduated high school. The ship’s captain officiated at the wedding. Not The captain officiated the wedding.
• Only: Make sure this modifier is placed next to the word you really intend it to modify: I only run for exercise. (It’s my only form of exercise.) I run only for exercise. (Otherwise, I never, ever run.)
• Among and between: Use “among” only for three or more. Use “between” only when there are just two.
• Amount and number: Use amount only with a singular noun. Use number with plural nouns. the amount of work the number of classes
• As and like: “As” is a conjunction. It should be followed by a clause containing a subject and a verb. “Like” is a preposition. It should be followed by an object to make a prepositional phrase. She sings like a screech owl. Not She sings like a screech owl does. She’s pretty as a picture. (is = understood verb) Not She’s pretty like a picture.
• Each other and one another: “Each other” is used when speaking of two people. “One another” is used when speaking of three or more.
• Unique: This word cannot be compared. Something either is or is not unique. It can’t be almost unique or very unique. One thing cannot be “more unique” than another. Nothing can be “most unique.” If it is one of a kind, it is unique. If it isn’t one of a kind, it isn’t unique.
• Data: This word is the plural of the Latin word “datum.” No one uses “datum” any more, but when “data” is used as the subject of a sentence or clause, the verb must be plural. The data prove that low-income students are most at risk of dropping out. Not The data proves . . .
• Media: This word is also plural. The singular form is “medium.” “Media” must always take plural verbs and pronouns. Television is a medium of communication. The media should try to be accurate with their usage.
• Alright, irregardless, and alot: These are not standard English words. The correct words are “all right,” “regardless,” and “a lot.”
• to/too/two
• your/you’re
• whose/who’s

 

MUSIC

• For all music style guidelines, Lyon College refers to "Writing about Music: A Style Sheet" by D. Kern Holoman.

As a college, we continuously pursue excellence—for our students, for ourselves. The same goes for our brand. Our brand is our single most visible College ambassador—we need it to shine consistently and brightly. That’s why we have a set of Brand Standards.

The Lyon College Brand Standards encompass the College’s Brand Mark, Signatures, Colors, Names, Emblems, and Institutional Marks that identify, represent, and symbolize the College. Many of these elements are registered with the Patent and Trademark Office of the United States and may only be used according to the guidelines provided or by permission of Lyon College’s Office of Marketing and Communications.

Our brand standards are simple and help ensure we’re all pulling in the same direction.

Do not attempt to replicate any brand mark. Get your copy in the Brand Toolbox or email marketing@lyon.edu.

For licensing needs, please email marketing at marketing@lyon.edu.

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Official Institutional Marks

the lyon brand mark

The Lyon Brand Mark is the centerpiece of our visual identity. It acts as a signature, an identifier, and the most visible representative of the College to the world. Everything is designed to flow from it. Every application is designed to align with it. And every piece of communication is strengthened by its consistent use.

Do not try to recreate the wordmark. Use only the official Lyon College Brand Mark as provided in the Brand Toolbox.

The Brand Mark is to be used in all College communications, to audiences both internal and external. It should appear on both the front and back of all printed pieces. It is offered in three color combinations, as seen above. 

 

The college seal

The Lyon College Seal is restricted for use by the Board of Trustees and the Office of the President, with limited exceptions. As the official insignia of the College, the College seal may not be altered in any way. Documents displaying the College seal convey that they are officially sanctioned by the Board of Trustees or the Office of the President.

The seal is not to be used on departmental stationery, interior signage, advertising, or promotion except as authorized by the Board of Trustees or the Office of the President. The College seal may not be used on vehicles or license plates.

Exceptions for use of the seal include jewelry, high-end commemorative gift items, and official academic or College-related materials such as certificates, diplomas, commencement and convocation programs, and select graduation-related items, including announcements and diploma frames. Product exceptions must be approved through the Office of Marketing and Communications and the Office of the President.

Internal requests for use of the seal on College materials must be submitted to the Office of Marketing and Communications for initial review of compliance with Visual Standards, before seeking approval from the President's office.

The Lyon College seal takes the form of a coat of arms—a unique heraldic design on a shield. The coat of arms forms the central element of the full seal which includes the shield, supporters, crest, and motto. The shape of the Lyon College coat of arms is inspired by the Great Seal of the State of Arkansas.

The College’s original motto—Perseverantia Omnia Vincet Deo Volente (Perseverance conquers all, God willing)—and the date of the founding of the College are incorporated into the circular band surrounding the coat of arms.

The Celtic Cross, symbolizing Lyon’s Scottish and Presbyterian traditions, serves as the central element to subdivide the coat of arms into four quadrants and symbolizes Lyon’s religious commitment. The open bible reinforces Lyon’s Christian values. The lion rampant is adapted from the Scottish banner and symbolizes the College’s Scottish Heritage. The lion has always enjoyed a high place in heraldry as the emblem of undying courage, and hence that of a valiant warrior. The rampant lion is also adapted in a similar manner for the Lyon College athletic teams. The pattern of four stars, taken from the center of the Arkansas flag, represents the four flags which have flown over this state, and therefore symbolizes Lyon’s location and original name, Arkansas College. The lamp symbolizes learning and wisdom, and the oak-leaf laurel symbolizes excellence and wisdom.

 

Wordmark

The Wordmark is the most recognizable portion of the Lyon Brand Mark. It may be used on its own for apparel or paired with the Primary Athletic Mark. The wordmark is the best symbol for the front of a uniform. It embodies the bold character of the College. As seen here, it comes in three color combinations. 

 

Primary athletic mark

The Primary Athletic Mark is made up of two parts: the 'L' and a rampant lion. The 'L' is pulled directly from Lyon Brand Mark. The lion rampant is from the college seal. A symbol of bravery and strength, the lion rampant exudes honor and tradition while directly reflecting the history and Scottish heritage of the College. This logo can be used on official documentation, letterhead, and business cards. This logo works best when paired with the Lyon Brand Mark. The Athletic Mark is for use by Athletic and Affinity/Club sports only. 

 

legacy scots mark

The Legacy Scots Mark was used on Athletic uniforms 50 years ago. We welcome back this script mark to the Brand Identity System. This mark can be used for apparel, signage, advertisements, and stationary.
 

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Official Brand Signatures

When communicating on behalf of the College, a specific division, department, or office—often simultaneously—the combination of names can present a challenge. An organized system is important to guide these combinations.

Lyon's Official Brand Signatures provide a simplified hierarchy to enable consistent branding for all entities across campus. All academic divisions/departments, athletic teams, and administrative units will have their pre-configured Official Signature aligned with the Lyon Brand Mark. 

Together, the Brand Mark and the accompanying Signature create a “lockup” that ensures consistency for every entity, every message, across every piece of communication. The easy-to-register-at-a-glance hierarchy works across multiple levels. An Official Brand Signature may be used in place of the Lyon Brand Mark.

Official downloads for divisions, departments, offices, and teams are available in Brand Toolbox and are organized within "Academic," "Administrative," and "Athletic" folders.

If you cannot find your Brand Signature in the Brand Toolbox one may be requested by filling out a marketing request form.

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Official Brand Colors

Primary Pallete

Lyon Navy Pantone #289c CMYK: 96, 84, 48, 63 RGB: 0, 22, 50 Web: #001632 Nike: Navy

Lyon Crimson Pantone: #201c cMYK: 27, 100, 94, 36 RGB: 133, 28, 26 WEB: #851c1a NIKE: CRIMSON

Lyon gold Pantone #116c CMYK: 0, 15, 100, 0 RGB: 255, 207, 01 Web #FFCF01 *accent color only

The goal is to closely match the colors as each would appear on coated paper in each medium—screen printing, embroidery, plastics, clothing, etc. The Office of Marketing and Communications can assist in selecting the proper color. When ordering apparel and accessories from Nike, select Crimson as the garment color. If Crimson does not exist in that product, do not substitute with any other color (e.g., scarlet, cardinal, etc.).  Lyon Gold is not part of the Athletic Color Pallete and should be used only as an accent color. Never place any of the College brand marks on a yellow color block.

Lyon College deliberately selected Navy, Crimson, and Gold as its official colors.

Blue hues are associated with depth and stability—symbolizing trust, loyalty, wisdom, confidence, and intelligence. Blue represents knowledge, power, integrity, and seriousness.

Red hues are associated with energy, strength, power, and determination. In heraldry, red indicates courage, vigor, willpower, leadership, and courage. 

Yellow hues are associated with joy, happiness, intellect, and energy. Yellow produces a warming effect, arouses cheerfulness, and stimulates mental activity. Bright, pure yellow is an attention-getter, which is the reason taxicabs are painted this color. In Celtic heraldry, yellow indicates honor, loyalty, and generosity. Using yellow evokes pleasant, cheerful feelings. 

We must maintain a balance of colors to ensure all the College’s materials are consistent and pleasing to the eye.

 

Color ratios

Lyon College intentionally limits the amount of color to be used per page of document. Lyon Navy should be employed for large coverage areas such as book covers, banners, or folders. Crimson may also be used with the permission of the Marketing and Communications Office. Overuse of Crimson could result in Brand confusion—many in-state schools employe the use of Red hues as their primary color.

When using the official colors together, limit the use of Crimson to 30% per page, and Gold to 10%. Excess amounts of Crimson can result in a very warm, off-putting design and can easily be lost in the stack of other red-themed materials from other institutions within the state. Gold should be used only as an accent to highlight certain elements in a design.

 

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Size and Space Requirements

Give it room

We want our brand to stand out and be noticed. So we don't crowd it. We give it space and allow it to breathe. By allowing sufficient "clear space" around it, we help ensure that our brand is both visible and legible. When displaying brand marks, the following guidelines apply.

Show it respect

We're proud of our brand, so we treat it with respect.

When displaying the brand marks, make sure it's legible, significant, and appropriate for the size of the communication. If the Brand Mark is too small, it loses its impact.

Sample Size of Communication	Minimum Mark Width
3.875" x 8.5"	2.75"
5.5" x 8.5"	3.25"
8.5" x 11"	3.875"
11" x 17"+	5"+

 

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Typography

A consistent approach to typography reinforces the effectiveness of the Lyon College Visual Identity. With consistent use, these typefaces will create a strong and recognizable identity for Lyon College. Need a copy of a typeface? Email marketing@lyon.edu.

 

Bebas Neue Pro

Bebas Neue Pro is an excellent typeface for headlines. This typeface should never be used in paragraph form. Never use an ampersand in this typeface.

 

Montserrat

In limited circumstances, the Montesseratt type family may be used for small blocks of type, such as short paragraphs or headlines.

 

Playfair Display

Playfair Display is a modern serif typeface used primarily on lyon.edu. It can also be used for headlines on printed materials.

Roboto

Roboto is a sans serif type family that is legible in all print materials and especially on screen. Roboto should be used in conjunction with Times New Roman to avoid visual monotony—particularly in type-heavy publications. If, for instance, the body of a document is done in Times New Roman, Roboto should be used for headlines.

 

Times New Roman

Times New Roman is a serif typeface for use in printed documents such as correspondence, programs, offset printed brochures, posters, etc.

Script fonts should be used very sparingly, and only for highly formal, particularly conservative design pieces such as invitations, Christmas cards, very special announcements, and certificates. You must consult with the Office of Marketing and Communications about selecting an appropriate script typeface before any work is done.

For select events and advertising campaigns, other typefaces may be considered. Again, you must consult with the Office of Marketing and Communications prior to beginning the design process.

In general, you should never use more than two different typefaces in a single document.

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Background Contrast

Making sure that the Brand registers and has impact is not just a function of its size or color. The background upon which it’s placed also plays a role. Having enough contrast between the Lyon Brand Mark and the background is important.

On white or light backgrounds, the Lyon Brand Mark should be printed in Navy with Crimson trim.

When a limited color palette prevents this, the Lyon Brand Mark may be printed in black on white or reversed to white on solid color background.

On backgrounds of medium/dark value, you may print in Lyon Crimson with white trim, Lyon Navy with white trim or reverse to white, depending on the contrast. Again, the goal is to make sure the Lyon Brand Mark stands out.

 

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Stationery 

Three versions of the College stationery are available, depending on the department in which you work: Administrative/Academic, President's Office, and Athletics. College letterhead, notecards, envelopes, and business cards are available through the College's printshop. To order some for your department, please email printshop@lyon.edu. Digital versions of college letterhead are available for download in the Brand Toolbox.

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Email Signature

Please use the Lyon Brand Mark, along with your name, title, department, office location, and phone number in your email signature. Some offices may need to include privacy statements. All other information should be avoided. Information Services can help deploy an updated email signature. Email them at support@lyon.edu. 

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Social Media

For department or team owned social media accounts, please use the provided signature as your profile picture. Any other art element could be confused with the College's official brand pages.

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Helpful Do's and Don'ts

Navigating a brand like ours—in all of its applications, across multiple entities, in several different mediums, directed to so many diverse audiences—requires clear, concise guidelines.

We have a unified Brand Identity that represents Lyon to the world. The Lyon Brand Mark is the centerpiece. Everything is designed to flow from it. Every application is designed to align with it. And every piece of communication is strengthened through its consistent use.

As you prepare to communicate on behalf of Lyon, ask yourself: “Is this consistent with the way the brand should be experienced?” If you’re unsure, stop and ask.

In the meantime, here are some helpful “Dos and Don’ts.”

Do...

• DO incorporate the Lyon Brand Mark in all college communications in accordance with the College Brand Standards.
• DO use the Official Brand Colors, being careful to match according to different printing results on different papers or other mediums.
• DO make sure that the Lyon Brand Mark is displayed at a size and positioned in a location that ensures it’s both visible and legible.
• DO download the Lyon Brand Mark pre-configured and ready for implementation from the Brand Toolbox.
• DO download and apply the pre-configured Official Brand Signature that represents your specific division, department, office, team or entity.
• DO follow the guides for proper display of the Lyon Brand Mark on various backgrounds
• DO explore the design color options available to add variety and impact to your communications.

Don't...

• DON’T alter the Lyon Brand Mark in any way.
• DON’T try to recreate any part of any logo or wordmark, as they form a customized registered brand that cannot be duplicated with ordinary type.
• DON’T change the proportions, skew, stretch, rotate, crop, blur, screen back or in any other way distort the appearance of the brand marks.
• DON’T try to incorporate or combine the brand marks or any of its parts with any other mark, symbol or graphic.
• DON’T rotate or render the Lyon Brand Mark or any of the aligned Official Brand Signatures three-dimensionally.
• DON’T add words, images or any other elements to the brand marks beyond those designated in the Official Brand Signatures.
• DON’T modify the size or position relationship of any element within the Official Brand Signatures.
• DON’T alter the Official Brand Colors.
• DON’T hesitate to reach out with any questions or issues. Contact the Office Marketing and Communications (marketing@lyon.edu). We’re glad to help.

Legacy Marks

All new purchases should include the current suite of Lyon Brand Marks. The uses of the following Legacy marks will be completely phased out by July 1, 2022.

The Brand Toolbox is a centralized home of official Lyon College brand elements. It’s organized for easy access to save you time and effort, and make sure that every application is properly aligned with the Lyon College brand. In it, you'll find:

• Lyon College Brand Mark
• Official Brand Signatures
• Lyon Email Signatures
• Social Media Marks
• Lyon electronic letterhead
• Lyon Powerpoint Templates

For Brand elements not provided in the Toolbox or for additional questions regarding the application of the brand, please contact the Office of Marketing and Communications at marketing@lyon.edu.

The Lyon College Office of Strategic Marketing and Communication is a strategic partner aiming to position the College as a nationally-known liberal arts college. We exist to serve the students, faculty, and staff of Lyon College by driving and preserving the continuity of College brands, pushing exposure of the College through multiple media channels, and assisting in the production of College publications.

Lyon’s visual identity reflects the qualities that make the College distinctive, and it conveys the Lyon brand to the world. The promise of academic excellence and development and growth within a caring community—these and other attributes of the College are underscored in a meaningful way for thousands of people around the world when they see the elements of the College’s visual identity and colors. Great colleges extend and protect their distinctive identities as a pragmatic business imperative and a tangible link between administrations, faculties, and students of the past, present, and future.

The Office of Strategic Marketing and Communication is more than happy to assist your department, program, or group with press releases, publicity, web content, document design, and proofreading. Documents that represent Lyon College or any entity within the College must be submitted to the department for approval, including mailers, posters, event programs, catalogs, banners, uniforms, apparrel, etc. This process ensures that the proper logos, fonts, and colors are used. We do not want to control the message of your documents, but we will be proofing for grammar and punctuation.

While everyone’s event, publication, and design need is important, the Marketing and Communication department has to prioritize the allocation of our time and resources; major College events and publications may take priority over those of less immediate impact. Again, this is why it is important to get the necessary info/request to us as soon as you know your needs.

fill out a marketing request form 

 

Creative Services
	Wes Obrigewitsch Senior Design Specialist 870.307.7005 | wes.obrigewitsch@lyon.edu Office located in the Nichols Administration Building
	Erica Godbolt marketing & media Specialist 870.307.7382 | Erica.Godbolt@lyon.edu Office located in the Nichols Administration Building
Communications
	Colton Strader Communications Specialist 870.307.7516 | colton.strader@lyon.edu Office located in the Nichols Administration Building