Design & Media Brand Guide

Page 1

@hartlepoolfe

Hartlepool College of Further Education

DESIGN & MEDIA

A GENERAL OVERVIEW OF HARTLEPOOL COLLEGE’S CORPORATE IDENTITY AND GUIDELINES FOR ITS USE IN PUBLIC FACING MATERIALS


Guidelines for Use

Hartlepool College Design and Media Identity

Contents 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33

Introduction / Media Matters HCFE Marketing: Who is Responsible? / Hartlepool College’s Creative Ethic The College Logo: A Brief History The College Logo: The “Luminary” Luminary Basic Forms / Proportions (Aspect Ratio) / Type Elements Colours / RGB Colour Matching Cross College Use: Colour Scheme / Minimum Size Cross College Use: Reversed / Single Colour Specific Area Use: Limited Colour Unacceptable Use Authorisation to use the Luminary / Obtaining the Luminary / Distributing the Luminary Corporate Font - Swiss 721 Family / Swiss 721 Exceptions Other Fonts - Headline Use Only Acceptable Replacement Font / Font Sizes: Rules of Thumb / Text Alignment A Flexible Design Style (the “look”) Standard Document Sizes College Stationery / Business Cards / Safeguarding & Business Cards Paper Stocks - Selection & Supply Compromises to the Corporate Identity HCFE Sub Brands / Unauthorised Sub Brands Commercial/Partnership Sub Brands Additional Logos/Accreditations Digital Media / The College Website / Integrated Third Party Resources Self-Produced Videos / Photos / Email Signatures / Powerpoint Presentations PC Desktops & Screensavers / In-Film Graphics & Disc Menus / Vehicle Liveries Signage (External) / Signage (Internal, Permanent) Signage (Internal, Temporary) / Signage (Internal, Digital) Third-Party Posters within Rooms / Flags / Uniforms / Staff Badges & Lanyards Photography / Stock Photography / Self-Produced Photography & Safeguarding

Appendices 35 37 38 38 39 40

Appendix 1: Alignment and Monitoring of Artwork Elements Appendix 2: Image Selection and Use Appendix 3: Headlines and Text Appendix 4: Marking or Correcting Hard Copy Appendix 5: Things to Watch or Avoid Appendix 6: Submitting or Supplying Graphics, Images and Text to Marketing for use in documents or presentations


Hartlepool College of Further Education

Welcome to this guide a notice to HCFE staff Hartlepool College naturally encourages all staff be involved in promoting courses and activities, both in print and online. However, any materials which do so must conform to a distinct public-facing visual identity - this is our brand, the core of which is our logo. Like all established brands and logos the College’s is widespread, coherent, recognisable and carries with it an external expectation that anything produced using it must therefore officially represent the organisation and the standards by which we are judged and inspected. Maintaining visual consistency and a professional design quality is vital to building public and partner trust in our brand, and by extension our image and reputation. This is a complex area with many factors that require careful consideration and attention. Materials published with all good will can inadvertently send the wrong message if they are of an inappropriate or inconsistent look, do not meet set quality standards, or do not conform to advertising or safeguarding legislation. The College has in place a carefully structured Marketing Plan for strategic promotion and public relations, backed by qualified and experienced creative specialists who carefully craft the materials used to implement it. The Marketing team, which includes an in-house Design and Media team, has primary responsibility for this role, and is also tasked by the Principalship with checking and approving all other publicity materials before they are released for use. This is why anything pertaining to any College courses, activities, students or resources that will be encountered by members of the public, partner organisations and other external parties should never be published (in print or electronically) without having been submitted to Marketing in the first instance. There are no exceptions to this. Similarly, no member of staff may approach the press or media directly with a College-related story, as this may undermine our ability to maximise its potential and reach, or conflict with existing plans and campaigns. These measures ensure that both the look and content of materials meet our strategic objectives, expected quality standards and conform to all legal restrictions. It is vital that staff do not simply produce and distribute their own materials without seeking and gaining approval. Any that are contradictory to our strategic message or too visually disconnected from our established branding may have a real and detrimental effect on how people and organisations perceive us, and could in extreme circumstances leave us open to litigation. The Marketing and Design Team are here to help staff, and are happy to receive any requests, suggestions and ideas. In fact, many of the materials we produce are instigated by staff. Contact details can be found on the back of this document. 3


Guidelines for Use

Hartlepool College Design and Media Identity

Introduction Hartlepool College of Further Education has existed, in various forms and locations, for well over a century. During the 1960s it found a permanent home on Stockton Street when a modern, purpose-built facility was constructed to meet the demands of the era. As this new College was created to serve both Hartlepool and also the surrounding region, Stockton Street was a perfect choice because of its central location, and excellent access to road and rail public transport. The College’s programmes, facilities and support mechanisms have consistently evolved in response to changes in technology, working practices, skills needs and economic/social trends, ensuring that we have always met the varying and changing needs of businesses, partners, staff and of course students. Expansion into areas such as apprenticeships, employer engagement, international opportunities and higher education, amongst many others, has enabled us to refine, grow and enhance our remit considerably. In 2011 a brand new Hartlepool College was opened on the site of the old, once again custom-designed to meet the challenges of a changing society, culture and marketplace. Right: the College main campus on Stockton Street gained an exemplary reputation and record for service from the 1960s through to its decommissioning in 2011.

Media Matters Like all successful and established businesses, the College uses a consistent and professional visual image when promoting itself. This aids in garnering trust and reflects quality and attention to detail. Up until the mid 1990s the College’s promotional materials were largely restricted to press advertising, posters, leaflets and a prospectus, with occasional radio campaigns. Today, while “traditional” formats continue to be vital elements in our marketing strategy, digital media, social media and streaming video have broadened the ways in which we can present ourselves to prospective students and partners. For example, web-based technologies allow access to promotional materials and College information without any geographical or timescale boundaries. Digital video, audio and photography allow these specialised forms of media to be created and used without the considerable financial and time commitments that once restricted them. Even printed matter can now be designed, produced, edited and output with maximum flexibility and costeffectiveness thanks to desktop-based artworking and digital printing processes. Hartlepool College of Further Education takes full advantage of all the tools and means at its disposal for the delivery of its message and image. The further and higher education sectors are highly competitive, and very often people who form our core target areas are design and media literate. With these factors in mind it is vital that the College uses a consistent and coherent design approach across all materials it produces.

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Hartlepool College of Further Education

HCFE Marketing: who is responsible? Put simply, we all are. Every person who works at the College reflects and represents it, and all contribute to our public reputation and profile through the standards they implement. The same is true of any materials put out by the College, and responsibility for these is assigned to the Marketing team, which answers directly to Executive. Marketing is the specific in-house team responsible for maintaining the integrity of the College’s image, the quality of its materials and the organisation and expansion of promotional activities. Marketing works across all areas of the College, both academic and support. It is this team’s role to provide the Principalship, support staff and individual Schools with materials that are effective, relevant, creative, aesthetically attractive and consistently applied. This is achieved through an approved style of design and imagery, which is known as a “corporate identity”. The Hartlepool College of Further Education corporate identity is outlined in this document, and, while highly flexible, must be adhered to at all times.

Hartlepool College’s Creative Ethic Hartlepool College of Further Education’s corporate identity aims to present the College truthfully, and to reflect our mission statement of “Excellence in Further and Higher Education”. Our design is aimed at appearing modern, clean and stylish, primarily to present us as an organisation that is professional, dedicated and forward-thinking. Information needs to be presented clearly, and supported by imagery that is attractive, aspirational and features as many bona-fide students and resources as possible. Above all, we believe information and concepts should never be “dumbed down” or made patronising on the misguided assumption that our target audiences may not otherwise understand them. Contemporary people (and young people especially) are very able to understand non-literal concepts and interpret and digest visual communication in an informed and intelligent manner due to modern society’s high exposure to media and design. Ultimately, the College aims to present itself as stylish, mature and sophisticated, but the identity is flexible enough to portray a distinctly fun and social side when appropriate.

Our design is aimed at appearing modern, clean and stylish; to present us as an organisation that is professional, dedicated, forward-thinking, and diverse but unified. One that works to the highest standards, with a broad scope but also complete attention to detail.

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Guidelines for Use

Hartlepool College Design and Media Identity

The College Logo: A Brief History The official mark of the College is its logo. It is the primary visual means of identifying the organisation. The College logo has evolved over the decades, as this brief reflection shows. Fig. 1 The first College logo (Mid-1960s to mid-1980s) was a stylised “CFE”. Interestingly, the word Hartlepool was originally at the rear of the name, as can be seen here. Fig. 2 The “Chevron” logo in use for the majority of the “old” College’s operational life was originated in the 1980s, when HC and FE were applied onto a wireframe 3D cube in CAD software (when such technology was still novel). Fig. 3 In the late 1980s this was refined into a more graphic form. The basic “icon” would remain in use until 2011, although text and colour would vary - note that at this stage the diamond is yellow and it is the background that is burgundy, and that only the word “Hartlepool” is given prominence. Fig. 4 In the mid-1990s an experiment was made to reverse the logo into a box, although at this stage the burgundy colour was locked down as the primary College colour. This was the first version to give the words “Hartlepool” and “College” equal emphasis, although Further and Education were of equal size too.

Fig. 1

Fig. 2

Fig. 3

Fig. 4

Fig. 5

Fig. 6

Fig. 5 Between 1995 and 1999 the icon was centred above the text, and horizontal lines were added as a framing device. Fig. 6 In use from 1999 to 2011, this last version of the logo was the longest standing incarnation, with the icon positioned beside the text. This allowed the logo to be used at smaller sizes without text becoming unreadable, and to fit into a greater variety of positions on pages, vehicles, adverts etc.

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Hartlepool College of Further Education

College Logo: The “Luminary” As the new College building was being constructed throughout 2010 the decision was taken to also refresh the logo as the “Chevron” version approached the quarter-century mark. The update was intended to bring it into line with the clean and modern appearance of the building, and be brighter, more colourful, and more flexible to the many facets of our facilities and resources. In addition, the new visual identity needed to reflect the innovative and inspirational quality of our organisation. Given the College’s philosophy of learners being at the centre of every aspect of our operation, it made perfect sense to organise a competition open to the College’s design students, who responded to this challenge with great vigour and creative verve. A brief was set and the numerous entries were judged by members of the Executive team and the College’s Creative Director. The standard of those submitted was excellent. After much deliberation the winning logo was one created by Krisit Indi (known as “Dto”, pronounced “Doh”), a second year student on the National Diploma in Art and Design.

Hartlepool College of Further Education

The Luminary made its first ever appearance to the audience of the College’s Celebration of Achievement in November 2010, when it was morphed from the old logo during one of the videos made for the evening, prompting a spontaneous round of applause from surprised but delighted staff. It made its first official public appearance on April 26th 2011, when a billboard carrying the new brand appeared on Powlett Road, marking its official introduction. Below: Krisit Indi, designer of the Luminary and at the time a student on the National Diploma in Art & Design

The judging panel was impressed by Dto’s balance of refinement, elegance, adaptability and modernity. A multi-layered solution that is all at once simple and complex, it was described as a celestial body in the form of a sun or a burst of energy - the origin of a new dawn, which signified Hartlepool College’s eminence and stature as a leading light in education and the fresh era that the new building heralds. The old logo was often somewhat flatly referred to as just that - “the logo”. However, as Dto’s new logo was symbolic of such a major milestone in the College’s history, it was felt that it was worthy of a name that would epitomise all of the qualities it both contained and represented. The name chosen was Luminary, derived from the astronomical terminology for the two brightest objects in the sky, the Sun and the Moon - a fine and further representation of the College’s unending cycle in the pursuit of excellence. Once selected, Dto’s sketch of the logo was handed to Marketing for development, artworking and implementation, the result of which is this document.

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Guidelines for Use

Hartlepool College Design and Media Identity

Luminary Basic Forms Unlike the older College logo, which could appear either as a logotype or an icon alone, the Luminary features its typographic element as an integral part and must where possible be used in full “logotype” form (Fig. 1). However in some rare approved circumstances, for example limitations of space, sub-branding, some clothing, badges or specialised materials such as third-party forms, a special version using only the HCFE acronym (Fig. 2) or with no text at all (Fig. 3) can be applied by special Executive sanction only.

Hartlepool College of Further Education

Fig. 1 - Luminary Primary Use (Logotype)

HCFE

HCFE

Figs. 2 & 3 - Luminary Exceptional Use (Logo) both of these are very rarely used.

Proportions (Aspect Ratio) The Luminary primary configuration has an aspect ratio of 23:12 - 23 parts long to 12 high. This simplifies to around 1.92 to 1, meaning that its length should always be approximately just under double that of its height.

12 (1)

Hartlepool College of Further Education

23 (1.92)

Type Elements The Luminary’s typographic components are rendered in the font Swiss 721 Light, and are pre-proportioned and sized to integrate precisely with the graphic elements. The Luminary will always be supplied from Marketing with its typographic components precisely positioned and scaled, and these should never be removed, changed or obscured.

Swiss 721 Light: ABCDabcd1234?@£%

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Hartlepool College of Further Education

Colours The Luminary has been designed to utilise a number of colour schemes, dependent on requirement and association. Seven colours are attached to the Luminary, formed of six primary hues and one neutral (plus black and white). These colours are:

Red

Gold

Purple

Green

Magenta

Blue

60% Grey

R = 226 G=0 B = 26

R = 248 G = 179 B = 52

R = 101 G = 38 B = 103

R=0 G = 150 B = 97

R = 226 G=0 B = 122

R=0 G = 100 B = 173

R = 135 G = 136 B = 138

RGB Value (Red Green Blue, for use on computer screens i.e... within PowerPoint)

C=0 M = 100 Y = 100 K=0

C=0 M = 35 Y = 85 K=0

C = 69 M = 97 Y = 22 K = 12

C = 96 M=0 Y = 76 K=0

C=0 M = 100 Y=0 K=0

C = 100 M = 55 Y=0 K=0

C=0 M=0 Y=0 K = 60

CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, blacK for four colour process printing)

#e2001a

#f8b334

#652667

#009661

#e2007a

#0075be

#87888a

Hexadecimal (website colour reference)

485 C 032 U

142 C 123 U

260 C 2593 U

340 C 334 U

226 C Rubine Red U

300 C 300 U

877 C Cool Grey 9 U

Pantone System (pre-mixed inks for spot colour - “C” for coated [gloss] papers, “U” for uncoated [absorbent] papers)

Black and white components use standard printer specifications and/or knock-out. In some cases black may require a double overprint. In special circumstances such as the use of signmakers’ adhesive vinyl etc., the most approximate match will be used. PLEASE NOTE: professional printing processes use colour management systems to ensure the accurate reproduction of colour. However, be aware that variations in make and model of computer monitors, projectors, copiers and inkjet/laser printers can result in up to a 25% variation in the way the colour appears.

RGB Colour Matching: To match elements (for example text, lines or shapes) within a Microsoft Office document or PowerPoint presentation to any of the specific colours used in the Luminary, simply click the small triangular arrow to the immediate right of the colour tool (in the example shown at right, the text tool). Choose “More Colors” (the software is Americanised) and a dialogue box will appear in the middle of the screen. Under the tab marked “Custom” is an option to numerically enter the RGB value. This allows for complete fidelity with the Luminary colours.

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Guidelines for Use

Hartlepool College Design and Media Identity

Cross-College Use: Colour Scheme The main cross-College variant of the Luminary utilises full colour with black primary and 60% grey (as a tint of black) secondary text, in the configuration as shown below. It is best used on a white field (background). All unmarked components are 100% black. Purple Green

Gold

Magenta Red

Blue

Hartlepool College of Further Education 60% Grey Blue

Minimum Size The Luminary cannot be used below a print size of 35mm wide (shown below). If used below this size the text component can be rendered unreadable.

Hartlepool College of Further Education

Hartlepool College of Further Education

35mm

10

17.5mm


Hartlepool College of Further Education

Cross-College Use: Reversed Logo The Luminary can be reversed to work on a black or dark background. In this instance all colours remain the same, and all black and grey components become white. Note that this is best used on a black background, as to do so on other colours may lead to parts of the Luminary losing clarity.

Hartlepool College of Further Education

Cross-College Use: Single Colour Where a single colour only is available due to limitations of printing, the Luminary can be used in pure black or white-only forms (i.e. mass-duplicated forms, QAPPS, situation vacant adverts etc.) This variation is only permissible when there is no other option. In all other instances the Luminary should be used in an appropriate colour form.

Hartlepool College of Further Education

Hartlepool College of Further Education

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Guidelines for Use

Hartlepool College Design and Media Identity

Specific Area Use: Limited Colour The Luminary can be assigned to specific areas within the organisation or special circumstances such as decorations (i.e. small banner flags), and when so assigned can be used in limited colour variation, for example Remembrance Day (when the red variation is used to match poppies). In such instances, use is dependent on the material or circumstances involved. Please consult Marketing for guidance.

Hartlepool College

Hartlepool College

Hartlepool College

Hartlepool College

Hartlepool College

Hartlepool College

Hartlepool College

Hartlepool College

Hartlepool College

Hartlepool College

Hartlepool College

Hartlepool College

of Further Education

of Further Education

of Further Education

of Further Education

of Further Education

of Further Education

12

of Further Education

of Further Education

of Further Education

of Further Education

of Further Education

of Further Education


Hartlepool College of Further Education

Unacceptable Use The Luminary is the official and approved logo of Hartlepool College, and under no circumstances should it be used in any of the ways shown below. Below are unacceptable Luminary uses:

Keeping it Right. The Luminary is designed to work best on the right-hand side of a page or presentation. On most occasions it will be towards the top too.

Hartlepool College of Further Education

Horizontal or vertical stretching; Keyline box added

Hartlepool College of Further Education

Hartlepool College

Hartlepool College

of Further Education

Text elements misproportioned; text elements misaligned; secondary text removed

Hartlepool College of Further Education

Hartlepool College of Further Education

Unauthorised colours; unauthorised font; low resolution version (i.e. extracted from website and scaled)

Hartlepool College of Further Education

Hartlepool College of Further Education

“Squeezed� into small shape or overlapping boundary; placed directly over image that overwhelms logo

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Guidelines for Use

Hartlepool College Design and Media Identity

Authorisation to use the Luminary Any appearance of the Luminary must be authorised, as its use implies that any document carrying it has been officially sanctioned by the organisation. Any internal use (i.e. staff to staff or staff to student documents) must feature the Luminary and not any older versions of the logo (as shown on Page 6), and to the guidelines featured throughout this document. Any external use of the Luminary must be approved before publication. Students, except in exceptional authorised instances, are not allowed to use the Luminary on any work.

Obtaining the Luminary Digital copies of all varieties of the Luminary can be obtained from Marketing and Media in Raster (non-scaleable) and Vector (fully scaleable) formats. Permission from Executive or the Head of Marketing must be confirmed before any file will be supplied. Do not approach any of the Design Team directly, they cannot give you a copy without such clearance. Formats available are: .jpg (Joint Photographic Experts Group: raster, for general use such as Office, PowerPoint) .tif (Tagged Image Format: raster, for high resolution print) .eps (Encapsulated PostScript: vector, for professional print) .ai (Adobe Illustrator: vector, for large signage, screenprint etc.) .pdf (Adobe Portable Document Format, for emailing) Other formats for specialised use can be rendered on request.

Distributing the Luminary On occasion third parties may request the Luminary (for example for supplements, technical features, advertorials etc.) Usually such requests come directly to Marketing, but sometimes individual members of staff are approached. If this is the case, before any file is delivered or transmitted it is vital that Marketing be contacted and given full details of the request so that it can be evaluated and correct usage of the Luminary can be ensured. Under no circumstances is the Luminary to be sent to any external person or organisation without Marketing’s knowledge and consent. If permission is obtained, a link to this guide should accompany the file.

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Hartlepool College of Further Education

Primary Corporate Font - Swiss721 Family

Obtaining and Installing the Swiss 721 Font Family

The College has adopted a set font style for consistency and clarity of written information. Swiss 721 is a sans-serif typeface adapted from the font Helvetica, which originated in Switzerland in the 1950s (hence the name) as an attempt to design a typeface which could be incredibly clear and legible, but also elegant and attractive.

Copies of the Swiss 721 font family in TrueType format (for general PC use and fully scaleable) can be supplied by Marketing.

Swiss is also outwardly very similar to Arial (also derived from the font Helvetica), but the latter font has slightly different proportions and shaping and should not be assumed to be the same as Swiss 721. Swiss 721 family members used within the HCFE corporate identity are:

Swiss 721 Thin (default HCFE headline font #1) Swiss 721 Thin Italic Swiss 721 Light (default HCFE body copy font) Swiss 721 Light Swiss 721 BT Swiss 721 BT Bold (default HCFE headline font #2) Swiss 721 BT Italic Swiss 721 BT Bold Italic Swiss 721 Black Swiss 721 Black Italic Swiss 721 Light Condensed Swiss 721 Condensed Swiss 721 Black Condensed (default HCFE headline font #3) Swiss 721 Light Extended Swiss 721 Extended Swiss 721 Black Extended

Once the files have been acquired, simply close all applications, and copy the supplied .ttf files to the folder C:/WINDOWS/ Fonts (assuming that your hard drive is the default labelling of C). Windows will automatically be able to read them, and the font will read as installed in software such as Word.

Swiss721 Family Exceptions The Swiss 721 Font Family is large, but the College’s identity makes use of only a limited selection as outlined above. No other variations are permitted under any circumstances in the interests of clarity and coherence. Primarily, these are Outline or Rounded variations.

Swiss 721 Outline Example - not to be used Swiss 721 Rounded Example - not to be used

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Guidelines for Use

Hartlepool College Design and Media Identity

Other Fonts - for headline use only Aside from Swiss 721, other Swiss Fonts are available, such as Swiss 911, 921 and 924. These are similar in form but have subtle unique characteristics and can be used for headings only when a narrower option is required (for example, due to lack of space). This narrow profile at smaller sizes means they are not suitable for body copy.

Swiss 911 Example Swiss 921 Example Swiss 924 Example Another font available to which this applies is Oswald, used mostly for social media and the College website. While similar in feel to Swiss CN, it is not suitable for body copy due to the way letters work together at smaller sizes, which can have an impact on legibility.

Oswald examples: Extra Light, Light, Medium, Bold, Heavy Finally, specialised fonts that can be aimed at specific target demographics can be used, depending on circumstances and ONLY with approval from marketing. Selection of an inappropriate font can change the emotional context of a poster or graphic considerably, potentially undermining its message and impact. While there is technically no limit to headline fonts used, Marketing do reserve the right to reject choices not considered right for the message that is being communicated. Example fonts could be:

A “digital� font for things that need to appear technical - i.e. Agency FB

A cursive font to represent elegance - i.e. Monotype Corsiva A formal font to represent quality and trust - i.e. Trajan Pro To reiterate, the use of ANY non-standard font depends purely on circumstances and is ONLY allowable with direct approval from Marketing.

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Hartlepool College of Further Education

Acceptable Replacement Font If a replacement font is needed to be used because Swiss is unavailable (for example, it is not installed on a computer off-site on which a Powerpoint may be used), Arial is permissible due to its relatively close appearance.

Arial is an acceptable substitute for Swiss 721 BT. Times New Roman, Verdana, Comic Sans etc., are not.

Font Sizes: Rules of Thumb The size of text used varies from document to document. Font sizes are measured in points (pt), an archaic scale that has its origins in the age of early moveable metal type. The vertical space between lines of text is called “leading”, from the practice of using uniformly sized thin bars of lead to manually space lines out from one another. Most design software still refers to this vertical spacing as leading, as the term is common amongst creative professionals. However, to accommodate those from other backgrounds, MS Office products more logically call it “line spacing”. The most comfortable size for balancing the legibility of the text with the ability to fit more than just a couple of paragraphs on an average A4 page is 9pt text, with 12pt leading to avoid paragraphs appearing too densely packed (this equates to roughly one and a half line spaces in MS Office products).

Text Alignment Most College written material uses a layout called “Ranged Left - Ragged Right”, where the left margin of the copy is aligned while the text is allowed to fit as it falls on the right margin. Many MS Office and similar products simply call this “Left Alignment”. Some specialised instances, such as advertising materials, use “Ranged Right - Ragged Left”, or “Right Alignment” - this paragraph is an example of it. A single edge alignment (either left or right) allows the spacing between letters and words to be uniform and even, which aids those with visual impairments and reading challenges and is recommended by specialists in that area. For this reason “Justified” text should be avoided at all costs - that is, both left and right margins are aligned. When it is used, paragraphs can appear neater as blocks on the page, but also prove more difficult to read (and become illegible to those with certain forms of reading impairment) as, to compensate for the right-side alignment, the spacing between letters and words becomes uneven and inconsistent - see the paragraph below, and note how much more difficult and longer it is to read comfortably. When justified text is used, that is both left and right margins are aligned, paragraphs become neater but can prove more difficult to read as to compensate the spacing between letters and words becomes uneven.

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Guidelines for Use

Hartlepool College Design and Media Identity

A Flexible Design Style (“the look”) Life of Riley The multi-coloured strip seen at the top of most documents and between sections on inner pages is nicknamed “the Riley Bar”, as it was inspired by the OpArt pictures of Bridget Riley, the artist showcased on the College’s second floor north wing. It takes its six colours from those used in the Luminary, and is representative of the College’s diverse areas working together as one unified whole.

With obvious exceptions such as some forms, payslips, clothes etc., where third party software, production considerations or security protocols make concessions necessary, all College materials are designed to conform to an approved style of visual identity. This “look” is intended to ensure that all materials not only instantly identify themselves as belonging to the College, but that they also work as part of a wider “set”. Differing document/media formats and demographically/strategically targeted campaigns means that the style has to be flexible enough to accommodate their individual creative demands, but at a fundamental level remaining visually consistent. While layouts and headline typography can be flexible to the needs of the individual job, enough elements from the master identity and its attendant rules must be in place to ensure that it does not appear completely disconnected from the College’s identity (which may undermine public trust and recognition). Basically, there is much room to adapt, but not to go crazy! To this end Design and Media have a set of adaptable templates, as well as being able to generate additional, bespoke work where necessary (though still based on established guidelines). The selection of materials on this spread shows how the identity can be used flexibly and have room to evolve, but still maintain coherence as a whole.

A Work in Progress The College’s prospectus is one of its main tools in recruitment and to provide potential students with the information they need. The design frequently evolves based on the form of current campaigns, as can be seen here in the 2015 and 2106 covers. The 2015 cover matched materials produced at that time, such as pull-up stands, while in 2016 it was adapted to use elements from the College’s website redesign. However, both maintain the use of colour, font and the “Be The Next” sub-brand, and also share the same balance rules in their respective compositions.

BE THE NEXT

#

BE THE NEXT

#

FULL-TIME OPPORTUNITIES

@hartlepoolfe

@hartlepoolfe

hartlepoolfe.ac.uk

FULL-TIME OPPORTUNITIES

Flexible to individual needs

@hcfeengineering #bethenext

Hartlepool College of Further Education

Hartlepool College’s Newsletter for Partners 2016 Hartlepool College’s Newsletter for Partners and Employers& Employers S P R I N G 2 0 1Spring 5

All change in the world of

Apprenticeships NATIONAL APPRENTICESHIP WEEK 14 - 18 March Hartlepool College is the biggest provider of Apprenticeships in the local area and the seventh best in the entire country, and as always we’re going to be marking National Apprenticeship Week with a huge Open Event. However, the Government have recently made some major changes to how they work - find out more on page 2.

SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING:

PROGRAMMES

IN AEROSPACE AUTOMOTIVE MANUFACTURING RESEARCH CONTROL APPLIED MATERIALS DIGITAL & OTHERS

RESS

at

STOPt mPore about Find ou eship changes ts en Apprentic ess Forum Ev our Busin ry rd Februa Tues 238-9am bruary Fe th Wed 24 -6:30pm 5:30 ver See back

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Contact our Business Team for more information or to arrange a visit: Hartlepool College Business Services Stockton Street, Hartlepool TS24 7NT 01429 292888 business@hartlepoolfe.ac.uk

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These two examples show how core elements of the Corporate Identity are used within a flexible approach to layout based on the requirements of the individual job. For example, both clearly use the same font and are capped with the “Riley Bar”. However the logos, while both in the same relative position, utilise different sizes based on a need to balance with the quantity of graphic elements around them. The Engineering brochure has less elements as its content is focused on one area, while the Business magazine is much busier as the cover needs to present a larger and broader range of information. The magazine also uses a bespoke masthead to give it a distinct brand of its own within the College identity framework.

Also in this issue

PRINCIPAL’S BLOG - HOW FE CAN HELP YOUR BUSINESS page 3 PARTNERSHIPS IN ACTION page 4 WORLD CHAMPION BOXER JOINS TEAMHCFE page 5 HCFE HELPS FLOOD VICTIMS page 5 COMMERCIAL TRAINING & CONFERENCE FACILITIES page 7

Did you know...?

...Hartlepool College is the seventh best Apprenticeship provider in the entire country, and the biggest in the area ...is in the top 10% of all colleges for adult education ...has a 90% satisfaction rate for Higher Education courses


Hartlepool College of Further Education

@hartlepoolfe #HCFERespect

Hartlepool College

@hartlepoolfe #HCFERespect

Hartlepool College

of Further Education

Hartlepool College

of Further Education

of Further Education

That crafty vape in the toilets WILL cost you more than you think...

RESPECT

SAFEGUARDING FOR

EMPLOYERS

“INSPIRATIONS”

IDEAS FOR THE SHARING OF EQUALITY, DIVERSITY & SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

A GUIDE FOR KEEPING EMPLOYED LEARNERS SAFE

HISTORY CURRENT AFFAIRS SOCIETY CULTURE HUMANITY MORALITY RIGHTS BELIEFS

£250

100%

100%

...is how much the College is charged by the Fire Brigade for every false alarm they have to come out to.

...of people who have set off fire alarms by vaping in the building have been identified by crossreferencing CCTV recordings and fire sensor logs.

...of those people have been disciplined, had their parents/ families informed AND have had to pay the £250 charge.

The use of Electronic Cigarettes is not allowed in the College building. People who try it ARE ALWAYS caught.

www.hartlepoolfe.ac.uk/student-support to find out more

WHEN IT COMES TO

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THE POTENTIAL THE DIFFERENCE THE OPPORTUNITIES

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BY SEEING OUR TEAM:

For further information or to arrange a meeting please contact our dedicated Apprenticeship Team on 01429 404073, e-mailing apprenticeships@ hartlepoolfe.ac.uk or visiting www.hartlepoolfe.ac.uk/apprenticeships

Hartlepool College of Further Education

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Diverse Uniformity! Pen - model: Senator Dart economy, 138mm. 18 colours available, black and purple examples rendered. Print area is restricted to a single colour (white) in a 35 x 20mm box so we cannot add anything else or makeat logo bigger unless we upgrade to adocuments more expensive While first glance these various andoption. promotional materials might seem dissimilar in many ways, they all utilise the core of the Corporate Identity, but are varied based on targeted demographics and use. Each has been conceptualised to reflect the message that needs to be delivered through colour, type and imagery, and all adhere to the rules of proportion and balance inherent in professional graphic design and communication.

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Guidelines for Use

Hartlepool College Design and Media Identity

Standard Document Sizes The College most commonly uses the international standard ISO 216 (or “A”) paper sizes for its printed documents. Originating in Germany in 1922 and adopted in the UK in the 1960s, the A Size system is metric, and allows for consistency with commercially available paper supplies, envelopes, printing technology and standard postal/direct mail sizes.

Right: ISO 216 “A” sizes laid out for quick reference. The overall boundary of this image is A1, which is double A2.

Officially graded a

GOOD

We’re in the TOP 20% of English colleges for overall performance, the TOP 10% for Adult Courses and the 7th BEST provider of Apprenticeships in the country

College

Highest rated in Hartlepool

Hartlepool College of Further Education

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The most common sizes used by Hartlepool College are:

“Front Line” publications (i.e. Prospectuses) and special documents: Square (210mm x 210mm) and A4 (297mm x 210mm) Landscape

Reports and Newsletters / Small Posters @hartlepoolfe #hcfe 01429 295000 www.hartlepoolfe.ac.uk

A4 (297mm x 210mm), portrait format - both bleeding edge (where the printing goes over the edges of the paper, as in external print) and inset 10mm (for internal print, where copiers need a “handling buffer” of white at all edges as it passes through the copier).

Leaflets and Flyers Search for genuine HCFE success stories

#bethenext

SEE WHAT AN APPRENTICESHIP CAN DO FOR YOU

hartlepoolfe.ac.uk/apprenticeships

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Above: Some materials use bespoke sizes, such as pull-up stands and bus adverts. These require specialised artworking knowledge.

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A5 (210mm x 148mm), portrait and landscape formats - both bleeding edge (external print) and inset 10mm (internal print). Includes Saddle Fold documents (A4 folded to A5). DL (210mm x 99mm, or 1/3rd A4), portrait and landscape formats - portrait and landscape formats - see page 19. Includes Concertina (A4 folded twice to DL).

Intermediate Posters A3 (420mm x 297mm), portrait and landscape formats - both bleeding edge (external print) and inset 10mm (internal print) - see page 19.

Business Cards (see opposite) 85mm x 55mm Additional sizes and shapes (i.e. A2, A1, A0 Large Format Printouts, Billboards, Gussetted/ Walleted Folders, Adshels, Folding Stands etc.) are used when necessary, pending approval and financial viability.


Hartlepool College of Further Education

College Stationery Letterhead, compliments slips and business cards are produced centrally through Marketing to strict parameters set at Executive level. The use of these is a direct and official representation of the College, so permission for access is required. The letterhead especially MUST NOT be used or adapted without permission.

Business Cards Hartlepool College Business Cards use the standard business card dimensions of 85mm x 55mm, and are formatted in a landscape shape. Cards are allocated primarily to members of staff who need to make regular contact with employers, businesses or partners, or who have recruitment within their specific remit. The cards are printed single-sided. The white area should never be defaced, and if notes are required to be made they should be done so on the reverse. Cards should be carried in a protective case or card holder if possible to ensure that they are in mint condition when presented.

Hartlepool College of Further Education

Sample, at actual size (85mm x 55mm) Michael Casey BEng Hons FD Eng Cert Ed Head of School - Engineering email: mcasey@hartlepoolfe.ac.uk | tel: 01429 404076 Stockton Street, Hartlepool TS24 7NT

Cards should be distributed prudently to avoid wastage and unnecessary reprint costs. If a staff member’s request for a card or a reprint is approved, be aware that there may be a delay in delivery as they are produced externally in batches. Under no circumstances should self-produced business cards be used.

Safeguarding & Business Cards To conform to the College’s safeguarding policy, unless approved by Executive all business cards should carry only College-provided numbers, and not the number of a home address or personal mobile even if it is more convenient to do so. This could compromise data protection. Staff must request and demonstrate the reasoning, advantages and safety measures of such a dispensation before any request will be approved.

21


Guidelines for Use

Hartlepool College Design and Media Identity

Paper Stocks - Selection & Supply The College as a general rule uses white paper and card stock on all publications.

External Print All documents printed externally are produced on professional-standard stock with a wove (smooth) texture. Generally the paper is opaque and of a sufficient weight to avoid “showthrough” (where print on one side of a page can be seen on the other due to translucency). HCFE materials generally use stock ranging from 125 g/m² to 300 g/m² (paper thickness is measured in grammes per square metre, referred to as g/m², GSM or Grammage - the higher the number, the thicker the stock). Paper varies in finish between matt, gloss and silk stocks, depending on application. Frontline documents such as prospectuses often have a varnish seal applied to their covers to resist fingermarks. Paper selection and specification on external work is co-ordinated exclusively by Marketing. All exceptions to the general rule of “wove, white” must be endorsed at Executive level, and are generally in relation to special materials such as invites, certificates etc. For example, some materials use textured (laid) stock or “brilliant white” (non-chemically bleached) for specific impact. College materials are, where possible, printed on stocks that conform with our environmental policy with regards to chemical and recycled content.

News Media

Above: An example of dot gain, and how clarity and brightness of print is different on low-absorbency art stock (left) and high-absorbency newsprint (right).

Newspapers generally use very low grade “newsprint” stock, which is very fibrous in nature and off-white in colour. This can lead to images and text experiencing “dot gain”, where the liquid ink seeps into the fibres and blurs and darkens rather than forming a sharp, clean image in the surface. To compensate, small text and low-contrast images are especially vulnerable, and should be avoided when press ads are artworked.

Internal Print Internal print is operated primarily through the College’s network of user-account operated local printers in Staff Centres and some learning rooms, for low-run general output and drafting. Paper for internal use is of the best available office grade available within a reasonable budget (paper prices fluctuate, and can be very expensive). Generally, officegrade paper is white and 80g/m², which is relatively thin and thus may suffer from “showthrough” and dot-gain (in the latter case when used with liquid inkjet technology, but not laser-print which uses electrostatic/heat-adhered dry powders). Print work for use in the promotion and marketing of courses should be printed on white stock only. Coloured stocks are restricted to certain forms, handouts, learning materials, tickets etc. All materials duplicated or used on College premises must comply with relevant copyright legislation and College QAPPs and be correctly authorised.

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Hartlepool College of Further Education

Compromises to the Corporate Identity Logo: There are no exceptions to the correct use of the College logo EVER, and it must appear on ALL public-facing promotion or publicity materials where the College is involved. Special Projects and Dispensations: On occasion the primary College identity can be subordinated to a different design style, for example if a particular project is a partnership where the College does not wish to give the appearance of dominance (such as the Hartlepool Business Awards), or if it is for an event of a special nature. Such instances are decided at Executive level and implemented by Marketing. Limitations of Practicality: By necessity, the College corporate design style cannot always be implemented in full on all materials. For practical reasons exemptions include: Lanyards: The logo cannot be scaled small enough to fit, and so is omitted in favour of the text and primary colours. Staff Badges: Badges have a slight variation to the standard identity due to limitations within the layout software used by the encoding/manufacturing machinery. QAPPS and Internal Forms: These have to be able to contain often complex layouts, and so the logo is kept discrete to allow maximum functionality. Pay Slips, Post Franking and Envelopes: These use special machinery and/or pre-printed materials for production, which limits what can be done in terms of layout or design. Clothing: where the identity is converted to silk-screen or embroidery, compromises may have to be made to colours etc. Embroidery especially sometimes means a reduction in sharpness, or limits what can practically be reproduced. Third-Party IT and web-based media: some of the digital resources used by HCFE limit the amount of options for layout and text, and as such the corporate identity must be compromised by practical necessity. Left: Clothing is a good example of how the College identity must sometimes be adapted by practical concerns. For example, text is sometimes enlarged as it needs to be above a certain size to be embroidered, while lanyards use only the “Riley Bar�, as the logo would be too small to render on the limited space available.

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Guidelines for Use

Hartlepool College Design and Media Identity

HCFE Sub Brands The College sometimes gives special projects or teams their own sub-brand identity to allow them to work as an entity within the College but with their own distinct purpose and agenda (some examples are shown below). A separate brand can aid in awareness and trust, and support targeted marketing. This measure is always approved at Executive level based on the advice of Marketing, and involves the creation of a logo and colour scheme specific to the project/resource/team being promoted. However, the main College logo and contacts details must always be included somewhere on the publication, and within the accepted framework outlined by this document, so that viewers are clearly aware of the College’s ownership or stake, and that the overall appearance of materials does not contradict or undermine the design ethic the College employs.

Unauthorised Sub Brands On occasion members of staff have created their own “sub-brands” or logos to identify a particular course or scheme. This is fine, provided the sub-brand is approved at Executive level first, and also it may require “tidying” by the Design team. Under no circumstances should unauthorised sub-logos should be used. Please contact the Marketing Manager in the first instance.

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Hartlepool College of Further Education

Stand-alone Commercial Sub Brands The College sometimes gives commercial and partnership endeavours their own brand identity to aid in public awareness and targeted marketing. These can work independently of the College main brand, though usually with a stylistic link of some sort, and will normally apply to areas where a unique identity is beneficial to the operation of the facet. Sub-brands are used following their own set of aesthetic conditions and proportions, again determined at Executive level and implemented through Marketing. The sub-brands should not be applied to anything without express consent. The main external sub-brands employed by Hartlepool College are:

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The Flagship Restaurant logo is based on one of the shards of the Luminary, duplicated into its six component colours and rotated and scaled to represent the field of coloured flags located at the College’s main entrance. The Flagship logo is optimised for use on a black background on menus, signage, front of house uniforms etc. A reversed version for Chef’s White’s only and a white-only version for condiments are also in use.

The Luminary is the generic name given to the College’s Health and Beauty facilities located on the first floor. This logo is based directly on the Luminary logo by logical association, but broken into white and gold on a black background (with a mono version for special use). The logo can be used with or without the secondary slogan “Health. Life. Style.” This slogan was selected as it plays on the three primary areas within the remit of the Centre.

Coffee Rapport is located in the main entrance atrium of the College, and was originally operated as a franchise with Café Rappor, based on Hartlepool Marina. As such the logo utilises elements from Rappor’s then brand, in combination with the College’s own to create an identity that reflected both partners but carries its own distinct style. The primary use is in reverse, but a version set on white is available for paraphernalia such as napkins.

25


Guidelines for Use

Hartlepool College Design and Media Identity

Additional Logos / Accreditations The College is sometimes entitled (or even required) to use additional logos within its publications, for example accreditations it has gained and partnerships it has forged (see below for a small selection). Additional logos frequently come with brand-use guidelines as laid down by their respective owners, which Marketing ensure are strictly adhered to.

It is vital, both out of professional courtesy and often for legal reasons, that all additional logos are used only with proper permission and validation, and never altered in any way. Misusing a logo, or using one without permission, could harm the College’s reputation and standing with partners or connected agencies. If usage standards do apply from the originator of the logo, they must be adhered to precisely. The College will be legally liable for any misuse, which may at best result in a reprimand and the requirement of withdrawing and redesigning affected materials (which may occur time and cost consequences) and at worst the College could find itself under litigation. Before using any logo or accreditation consult with Marketing. Permission to use a logo must be presented with evidence that can be filed, for example a covering letter from the originator.

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Hartlepool College of Further Education

Digital Media The College makes full use of digital media in the form of a dedicated web presence, third party resources such as Blackboard and YouTube, social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter, and as aids to teaching and business in the form of PowerPoint presentations, productivity tools and promotional films. The specialised nature of these media and limitations in the layout options on occasion means that the College identity must sometimes be compromised or adapted. Given that these forms of media can be very user-focused and easy to create and update, all materials intended to placed online in any form must be properly approved and conform to the College design identity as closely as possible.

The College Website The College website is solely the responsibility of Marketing, steered by Executive via a website action team. Suggestions, material for inclusion or any required updates must in the first instance be submitted to Marketing via Shaun Hope. Please do not approach the Design team directly. Once approved, alterations will be made as quickly as possible.

Integrated Third Party Resources HCFE online makes fully integrated use of third party web-based resources for a number of purposes, centrally updated by Marketing. These include: A Virtual Learning Environment which allows staff and students to communicate, share resources and organise their interaction and calendars. This resource requires a unique valid user account to be set up. URL: www.blackboard.hartlepoolfe.ac.uk Hartlepool College has an established Channel which contains dozens of High Quality videos about life and courses at the College. URL: www.youtube.com/HartlepoolCollege Our flickr page has galleries of images relating to life and events at Hartlepool College, which are updated regularly. URL: www.flickr.com/HartlepoolFE The latest HCFE information is posted in real-time on Facebook, the world’s leading social networking site. URL: www.facebook.com/hartlepoolfe The College is developing a network of contacts and opportunities via this business networking site. URL: http://www.linkedin.com/company/492327 The College also uses the micro-blogging site Twitter for the purposes of information and marketing. URL: www.twitter.com/hartlepoolfe

27


Guidelines for Use

Hartlepool College Design and Media Identity

Self-Produced Videos / Photos Most modern smartphones can record video and take pictures, with fast links to popular social media sites. However, while the College does encourage staff to use and share social media, NO VIDEO OR IMAGERY of the College or anybody within is to be posted to any site without express permission of the persons involved. There are specific and legal reasons for this, as some of our students are under protected status and it is an offence (and possibly endangers them) if they appear online. For more information or refer to QAPP 2.4.1 on the use of the Internet and Email by staff.

Email Signatures & Email Style Email signatures are uniformly presented, and automatically generated by Facilities when a staff email account is used. The default settings and appearance of emails should not be altered (i.e. adding backgrounds, changing fonts, adding clip-art etc.) Only standard HCFE email templates and signatures should be used, as these often carry specific marketing and promotional messages. Email templates from third parties (such as ones themed around holidays such as Christmas etc.) can not only give the wrong professional impression but cause security issues such as virus attack and increase the chances of your email being picked out as junk by spam filters.

PowerPoint Presentations PowerPoint is a common tool used by staff in the delivery of courses and strategic or training presentations. A standard PowerPoint template (in 16:9 aspect ratio, fig. 1) has been designed to reflect the College identity and our current Ofsted grade (the logo is used in strict compliance with Ofsted rules and must not be obscured). Various sub-layouts are contained within the template for a variety of uses, and the austere layout maximises clarity of information in comparison to the often cluttered and overly busy layouts of the pre-supplied templates included in the package itself. Copies of the template are available from Marketing and Media Services. Older templates (fig 2) may still be found in use, but their use is discouraged as they conform to the older, obsolete 4:3 standard.

Fig. 1 - Current template (with graphic sidebar, optional), 16:9 aspect ratio

28

Fig. 2 - Older template, 4:3 aspect ratio NO LONGER TO BE USED


Hartlepool College of Further Education

PC Desktops & Screensavers The College does not determine the Desktop image of individual user workstations, allowing staff to choose their own - although it is required that images be appropriate and inoffensive.

In-Film Graphics and BluRay Menus Promotional film and disc production, duplication and distribution are specialised roles coordinated and undertaken by Marketing, as they conform to a very specific set of visual and legal rules. Staff who wish to use or commission a film or disc should contact the Marketing Manager in the first instance. Marketing is only able to work with streaming HD and BluRay, as DVD is now regarded as obsolete and DVD authoring software has been discontinued.

Vehicle Liveries / Adornments Vehicle liveries are another specialised circumstance, co-ordinated by Marketing and Facilities. Any damage to a livery or vehicle paintwork should be reported immediately so that it can be repaired. No unauthorised stickers or graphics should be placed anywhere on any vehicle, either internally or externally.

29


Guidelines for Use

Hartlepool College Design and Media Identity

Signage (External) College External signage is a permanent fixture, co-ordinated through Marketing & Media and Facilities. If any damage or, in the case of illuminated signs, electrical failure is spotted, please report it immediately so that it can be rectified. External signage messages need to conform to legal guidelines and the signs themselves need be constructed of materials and attached in such a way that they are able to resist weather and comply with safety legislation. Unauthorised external signage should never be used under any circumstances.

Excellence in Further and Higher Education

Hartlepool College of Further Education

Equality Act 2010 In compliance with its Statutory Duty Hartlepool College of Further Education makes clear the fact that it is wholly unacceptable for anyone to discriminate, victimise or harass another person on the grounds of: Age Disability Gender Reassignment Pregnancy & Maternity Race Marriage & Civil Partnership Religion or Belief Sex Sexual Orientation

Excellence in Further and Higher Education

Hartlepool College of Further Education

Car Park Times & Information Hours of Operation Monday 07.00 to 21.30 Tuesday 07.00 to 21.30 Wednesday 07.00 to 21.30 Thursday 07.00 to 21.30 Friday 07.00 to 17.30

Such action will not be tolerated and may result in civil action.

Please note that barriers are locked promptly at the closing times shown. Vehicles still in the Car Park will not be able to exit.

If you see any form of discrimination or harrassment, please inform Customer Services or a member of staff immediately

Hartlepool College accepts no responsibility for any loss or damage to any vehicle or contents while parked on these premises. Please ensure that all valuables are removed from sight and that vehicles are secured. Tickets can be redeemed at the machine in the Atrium opposite Reception. Redeemed tickets are valid 10 minuTEs Only. Do not redeem your ticket until you are ready to leave.

Signage (Internal, Permanent) College internal signage conforms to a set style within the corporate identity, and has been designed to be attractive, clear and user-friendly. No changes or alterations should be made to any sign without authorisation from Marketing. If any vandalism or damage is noticed, please report it immediately so that it can be rectified. Permanent internal signage takes three primary forms: Top: Individual room plates, which conform to a set style and consistent positioning (height, orientation and distance from door, where practicable) from room to room; Lower left: An orientation board made of acrylic and “stood off” from the wall on metal pegs. Lower right: Acrylic “street names” - signs above access ways into each section of the building, again stood off from the wall on metal pegs.

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Hartlepool College of Further Education

Signage (Internal, Temporary) In the event of temporary signs being needed (i.e. a change of room or to highlight an event etc.), an approved HCFE template must be used correctly and permission sought before application any surface. Permanent signs must never be obscured by a temporary sign, and any temporary signage must be affixed by a means that will not damage a surface finish or leave a mark. Please consult Facilities for acceptable methods and materials. It is the responsibility of the member of staff who put up the sign to remove it, at the end of the day if highlight a short term change or on the date it expires if promoting an event. The style of the template must be adhered to. Text should be ranged to the right (fig 1), as shown, and centred within the space. Do not allow the text to “float� randomly (fig 2). Some temporary signs have been found to contain spelling and grammar errors in the past. To avoid a repeat of this all temporary signage must be checked and authorised by Marketing before being placed. Even if a sign is required at short notice there can be no exceptions to this.

Fig. 1 - Right; text is aligned correctly to the right (down from the logo), and centred vertically

Fig. 2 - Wrong; text is placed randomly in the white area, and is aligned to the left

Signage (Internal, Digital) The College is fitted with digital information display screens in key locations, which can present a variety of media including split screen video and imagery feeds. The content of these screens is co-ordinated by Marketing and implemented by Facilities, and adheres to a number of style templates based on the College identity but partially defined by the limitations of the operating system running the feeds. As well as acting as general information systems, they can also be used to promote specific events and activities. Please contact the Marketing Manager to discuss.

31


Guidelines for Use

Hartlepool College Design and Media Identity

Third-Party Posters within Rooms The College’s general policy is that the placing of posters is fine in any teaching or social spaces, but these are preferred to be within designated boards and frames. All information posters should be positioned carefully and neatly, perpendicular to the wall, and be in good condition. Methods of fixing that will damage or leave permanent marking on wall finishes or glass surfaces must be avoided at all costs.

Flags The College uses International Flag Standard sizes. The flags will typically feature the Luminary and College colours, as well as international flags from relevant countries and British flags for key events and holidays such as Remembrance Day. On occasion, flags representing stakeholders, partners or visitors will be flown, and staff can submit suggestions for flags for consideration via Marketing.

Uniforms Some members of staff and students are issued uniform clothing (including Personal Protective Equipment). Uniforms should not be altered or personalised, nor any graphic or identity components obscured or removed. Older uniform items with the previous logo should never be worn.

Staff Badges & Lanyards All staff are issued with a photo-ID badge for the purpose of identification as part of our Safeguarding policy. Each badge is also a keycard to open approved magnetic locks within the College (not all badges open certain locks). The badge comes with a protective plastic holder and a College lanyard in a complementary style. For clear identification as College staff from a distance, this lanyard must not be changed for any other lanyard (i.e from any other organisation you may deal with who have issued you with ID on visits, such as the Council or NHS). Each badge is custom-made, and should not be defaced or amended in any way. If the badge is damaged or lost, Facilities must be informed immediately so the individual lock code can be deactivated (all uses are logged, so it if is misused it will show on a record). It is vital, and a legal requirement, that staff must wear their badges in a manner that is clearly visible at all times.

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Hartlepool College of Further Education

Photography College documents and publications, wherever possible, use photographs of bonafide College students, staff and facilities. Marketing & Media are responsible for the majority of photography. The College favours a naturalistic style of photography, emphasising people in positive and genuine scenarios and avoiding scenes that appear staged. To organise photography, contact the Marketing Manager to arrange a briefing meeting with Gary Kester, the College’s primary photographer. This is important as some photography requires specialised lighting or has safety or privacy issues that need to be addressed beforehand. Please note that several days notice is required for all photography. If events are outside of normal hours or located off-site then requests must be made as early as possible to ensure cover can be provided.

Stock Photography The College occasionally uses images from stock libraries, for example of places or scenarios where it is not practical to take our own pictures. When stock photography is used it must conform to the following criteria: a/ be from a source the College is legally entitled to use, i.e. CDROM or online resources that have been properly purchased or arranged; b/ of sufficient resolution and clarity - some images found on websites are at “preview” resolution, but have found their way into documents where they appear “pixellated”. Please ensure that print resolution copies are used.

Self-produced Photography / Safeguarding Staff who take photographs during visits, residentials etc., where a College photographer cannot be present, can submit images for use in marketing materials, but are requested to keep in mind the following (see also Appendix 2): a/ ensure that you have proper permission from the venue where you are taking pictures, and also from any students. From a safeguarding perspective, if you intend to submit your images to Marketing then ensure that students are aware of this. Note anyone who would not like their image used for publicity/social media, even if they do not object to having their picture taken as a memento. If this is the case then it may be that you need to take two similar shots, one as a souvenir with any objectors included, and one with them out of shot for HCFE marketing use. b/ remember to take documentary photos of activities in progress, as well as “posed groups”. c/ take as many pictures as possible, including multiple shots of the same scenarios, as this maximises the chance of usable images being taken; d/ use the highest quality setting available on the camera. Modern compact cameras and smartphones are of excellent quality, but often feature settings that reduce image filesizes to allow more images to be stored on internal memory or upload faster to social media. However, this will also reduce quality, and may render pictures unusable as they could be below the minimum requirement for print. If you would like assistance with your camera, make an appointment with Marketing.

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Guidelines for Use

Hartlepool College Design and Media Identity

Appendices Appendix 1: Alignment and Monitoring of Artwork Elements Appendix 2: Image Selection and Use Appendix 3: Headlines and Text Appendix 4: Marking or Correcting Hard Copy Appendix 5: Things to Watch or Avoid Appendix 6: Submitting or Supplying Graphics, Images and Text to Marketing and Media for use in documents or presentations

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Hartlepool College of Further Education

Appendix 1 Alignment and Monitoring of Artwork Elements All templates and artwork will by default have all elements that need to be aligned correctly for balance and neatness of layout. In many instances elements will need to be moved, rearranged or augmented. It is also possible that elements can be accidentally moved by stray mouse clicks. To prevent this, once an object is correctly positioned and arranged it can be locked using the menu Object > Lock Position. Objects can also be unlocked from this menus should further changes be needed. Adobe products feature very powerful alingment and distribution tools, to ensure that elements line up accurately with one another, or can be spaced evenly, as shown below: Adobe’s alignment and distribution tools as they appear in Illustrator, InDesign and Premiere Pro’s captioning tools. They can be used by selecting all elements you wish to align or distribute and applying the tool required.

The HCFE corporate identity has been designed so that elements conform to a grid: a template of lines and boundaries that will not be visible when published but act as a guide for the designer artworking the job. Grids and Guides can generally be accessed from the View menu of CS packages, and should be set to have assists such as Smart Guides and Snap to Guides active, so that elements “lock” into place or visually indicate when they align. Artworkers should also toggle between Normal and Preview modes from Screen View so that they can continually check how a document is looking without the distraction of the Guides, as in this example:

Example A: InDesign artwork in progress in Normal mode, with Guides and the Grid established in the document set-up visible so that the spatial relationship between elements can be monitored and adjusted accordingly. Additional guides can be created by dragging them from the rulers at the top and left edges. If Snap To and Smart Guides are activated, elements should align automatically when they are moved close to one another.

Example B: the same layout in Preview Mode, which allows the designer to see the page as the final audience will, and better evaluate its aesthetic and communicative qualities.

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Guidelines for Use

Hartlepool College Design and Media Identity

Using a combination of design experience and the tools highlighted on the previous page, care should be taken to ensure that elements do align correctly, such as the examples highlighted in red below. It is worth bearing in mind that nothing within the College identity has been placed at random, and all elements will bear a relationship to others within the layout. Example A: The “Riley Bar”, text and Luminary have been aligned at their left and right edges. The elements within Example C are also aligned to these. Example B: The images touch at the exact centre of the page, and the headline has been scaled slightly to align with this. This will not always be possible if headlines are too long or short, but if this kind of alignment can be accommodated with only minor scaling to the font sized necessary artistic judgement should be used.

A

Example C: Continuing the verticals established by example A, this ensures that the entire layout works cohesively. The Riley Bar horizontal is also 100% aligned to the top of the coloured block, with no overlap or underbite.

Summary: Check element alignments regularly, and use zoom and preview tools to ensure that everything is correct. Artistic judgement is also vital to ensure all elements work and fit together.

B

C The zoom feature of the design tools should also be extensively used, as artwork when viewed from a greater zoom out (for example to see the full page or spread) may given false information about elements due to limitations in screen resolutions. For example:

From a wider view, the headline “Equipped for the Job” appears to align perfectly with the grid column (Fig. 1). However, a closer zoom reveals it to be misaligned (Fig. 2) due to the screen misrepresenting the elements as pixels redrawn to compensate for the scale change. Remedial alignment can be accurately executed while zoomed to this degree (Fig. 3).

Fig. 2

Fig. 1

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Fig. 3


Hartlepool College of Further Education

Appendix 2 Image Selection and Use If your document or presentation requires imagery, Design and Media Services have a wide selection of HCFE images and legally sanctioned stock photography, and will be happy to advise and supply pictures. If time is available and approval given, bespoke photography can also be supplied. We can improve photographs with poor exposure or unwanted elements digitally to a degree (but these depend on the original image and we cannot guarantee results), but properly taken shots can eliminate a lot of remedial work. Care is needed in sourcing imagery yourself. If using the internet (tools such as Google Image Search), be aware of copyright, especially if your presentation/document will be seen in the public domain. The College is allowed a certain educational dispensation for teaching resources, but this does not cover the use of materials for commercial gain. Also be aware that images for websites are often compressed to lower qualities, and may appear fragmented or pixellated. Never scale an image up, as this can also make it appear degraded. When using an image, ensure that it is of sufficient quality in terms of both pixel count and photographic content. Please consult Design and Media if advice is needed.

Summary: Take care when selecting and choosing images, and ensure that copyright law is adhered to.

Unacceptable Photo 1 Reason: the subjects have been taken in silhouette, and their faces are barely visible. When taking a picture, ensure that lighting is adequate. This may involve moving people to accommodate this. If this can be done, do not be afraid to do so.

Unacceptable Photo 2 Reason: the shot has been lined up quickly, and the automated exposure meter in the camera has misread the shot from the white wall, over-exposing and thus bleaching the majority of it. When lining up a shot, carefully frame the part of you would like to highlight, to ensure that auto-focus and auto-exposure are accurate.

Unacceptable Photo 3 Reason: the shot itself isn’t bad, apart from the people on the edges almost disappearing. However, the photographer has left a lot of negative space above the group’s heads, which unbalances it and changes its focal point greatly. This image would appear better cropped to the red line.

Unacceptable Photo 4 Reason: this image has been sourced from the internet, and was a “thumbnail” - a small, low resolution image used within web layouts. It has been expanded to fit the frame on this page, but has “pixellated” due to its low quality. In addition, it has been cropped in a landscape manner wrong for a portrait image.

Unacceptable Photo 5 Reason: It has been taken from a distance to the subject with people in the foreground, so the focal point is indistinct. Also, as a flash has been used the subject (a band on the stage) has been obscured into deep shadow while the camera prioritises the people in the foreground.

Unacceptable Photo 6 Reason: The photograph has been taken using autofocus, and the camera has detected a stray branch in the foreground and prioritised that. Note that “deep focus” photography (where the shot highlights one plane of the shot and blurs the others) is sometimes a legitimate aesthetic form, but in this case the subject is obscured in favour of a trivial detail.

Unacceptable Photo 7 Reason: The shot has been taken while the photographer is moving, and has severe motion blur. Again, this can be a legitimate technique, but normally for action shots only.

Unacceptable Photo 8 Reason: Aside from the subject being too distant, out of focus and framed badly, the horizon is skewed. Note that of these examples, only shot 3 could be corrected. The rest would have to be rejected.

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Guidelines for Use

Hartlepool College Design and Media Identity

Appendix 3 Headllines and Text All College printed documents use non-indented paragraphs separated by a full line space. All documents must be spell-checked and proof-read - it is amazing how many mistakes can slip through a “quick scan”, especially in places where you would think no typos would occur such as headlines (did you spot the deliberate one at the top of this column?) The College encourages a clear, clean approach to writing. Short sentences that are to the point (or “front loaded”) are preferable to long, run-on sentences that extend almost to full paragraphs. When used, longer sentences should be correctly punctuated. A good tip for writing is to speak aloud any line you write, which will determine where natural pauses should appear. If you cannot say a line comfortably in a single breath, it is too long. All “text” speak and email shorthand are forbidden in official communications and materials, except for Social Networking entries through the staff responsible.

Appendix 4 Marking or Correcting Hard Copy Summary: Spellchecker is an important tool, but can Americanize* words so don’t rely too much on it and check copy by eye. If possible, have a colleague check too.

* should read: text is too tight

Jobs can be accomplished much more quickly if significant amounts of body text are provided to Marketing pre-typed. While all of the Marketing Team are competent typists, they are not touch typists and their time is needed performing the tasks in which the specialise. Re-keying from hand-written originals or hard-copies takes extra time, which can affect delivery deadlines and divert creative staff from tasks which are a more effective use of their time and skills. Text is best supplied directly as plain text with no embellishments (.txt format, what is known as ASCII) or in MS Word format. MS Word text should be set as plain Arial or Times New Roman. Be aware that when MS Word text is converted to the specialised artworking software Marketing uses, formatting such as colour, bold, italic or underlining may disappear, so it is vital that you include a hard copy of your document too, with any such words highlighted with a highlighter pen for cross-referencing.

*

*

Marketing

Alterations to existing documents submitted by Markting for checking and proofing should be clearly marked up in RED ink only, with an asterisk in the margin directly opposite the correction as shown here. It is much easier to miss alterations that are written in black or dark blue amongst body copy, and that do not feature some way of drawing attention to their presence outside of the text itself. If the txt is two tite to mark in a change directly, an arrow can be used leading to the margin.

could be STET

Any occasion where an alteration was made but later reversed should be marked with the word STET (Latin: let it stand). If the page cannot be marked on directly (for example, the image area has no white space or is on gloss stock that resists pen ink), affix corrections directly where needed with Post-Its or on a separate sheet with exact location details.

*Yes, that’s deliberate

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Hartlepool College of Further Education

Appendix 7 Things to Watch or Avoid By and large the correct generation and implementation of College printed and publicity materiel is dictated by this guide. Most jobs will be created by the Design Team directly using industry-standard creative software but, given the varied design and publishing tools at the disposal of many members of staff and the necessity of certain materials being selfproduced, we ask that in such cases some simple guidelines be followed to ensure quality and consistency. Cartoonish Clip Art is to be avoided. We mean always. Really, we mean ALWAYS! Bad clip art can appear amateurish and actively undermine any message. Icons are permissible if appropriate to the content and stylish or subtle in form. Non-standard fonts, especially “fancy” fonts, are not to be used except in exceptional, approved circumstances. Microsoft Word Art (especially 3D Word Art) is to be avoided completely. Legibility is paramount. Text where the contrast is too high, too low or on opposing colours is to be avoided, especially in PowerPoints. For example:

Red Text is hard to see on Green Yellow Text is hard to see on White Dark Text is hard to see on Black

Above left: Acceptable clip-art icon; Above Right: Unacceptable clip-art cartoon; Below: Word Art. And that word is “No”.

Mr Nafcartoon says: “I have no business promoting HCFE, especially with this sort of font too!”

Or being positioned somewhere random or the page or screen, and having tipos, just becuase I’m in a hurry!

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Guidelines for Use

Hartlepool College Design and Media Identity

Appendix 8 Submitting or Supplying Graphics, Images and Text to Marketing and Media for use in documents or presentations If you need to supply a graphic, logo or image to Marketing and Media, we can work with most common formats such as .jpg, .tif, .png etc. There are some specific circumstances in which we cannot accept or work with supplied images. These are: Microsoft Office Embedded Graphics: As many people work with MS Word, Excel or Powerpoint, they will use these packages out of familiarity. However, if a graphic or image is inserted into a Word file etc., it is re-encoded and compressed in a manner which renders it unusable to the specialist design software Marketing use for artworking. Under no circumstances show images ever be embedded in a Word, Powerpoint or Excel file before delivery - we need the raw original image file. Low Resolution: Any graphic supplied to Marketing and Media muse be of a sufficient resolution and size for print use - this normally equates to 300 pixels per inch (ppi), and a minimum of the size it is intended to be used at (for example, if a logo is needed at 4cm long, the graphic supplied should be at least 4cm, so that it does not have to be scaled up which can cause pixelation). Unendorsed: If a logo or picture is supplied, all permission and copyright clearance must be sorted beforehand. Marketing will not chase copyright holders, the responsibility is with the person submitting the image. If proof is required and cannot be given, we cannot use them. This is especially important for accreditations or endorsing body logos. Tables: Complex table data is to be avoided unless absolutely necessary as it is difficult to convert into the design software we use and must be re-typed. If table data is received then a job may take considerably more time to complete due to the manual conversion this requires. Non-ASCII Text: If you are supplying text for inclusion, the best format is a plain Word file with no font, alignment or colour settings added. These can carry over when the text is imported into InDesign, meaning that time-consuming remedial work is required. Unsupported or Locked-Out File Formats: Excel and Powerpoint files are also to be avoided for the same reason. We cannot open or convert most MS Publisher or CorelDraw files, although we can try (and sometimes some elements can be extracted successfully depending on version and platform). MS Word is a far safer option. Adobe PDFs. If PDFs are supplied for the extraction of elements, they must be UNLOCKED and have no security enabled. Please be aware that while elements such as text and some images can be copied out, PDF files are generally read-only and cannot be amended except by the original author.

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Hartlepool College of Further Education

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Excellence in Further and Higher Education

Primary point of contact: SHAUN HOPE Head of Marketing & Student Recruitment / Marketing Manager Tel: 01429 404199 Email: shope@hartlepoolfe.ac.uk

Creative Team: GARY KESTER Creative Director / Design Manager Tel: 01429 404020 Email: gkester@hartlepoolfe.ac.uk

BRIAN BARNES Web and Social Media Co-ordinator Tel: 01429 404232 Email: bbarnes@hartlepoolfe.ac.uk ANDREW WALTON Design & Marketing Co-ordinator Tel: 01429 404146 Email: awalton@hartlepoolfe.ac.uk

Hartlepool College of Further Education Stockton Street, Hartlepool, County Durham TS24 7NT 01429 295000 enquiries@hartlepoolfe.ac.uk


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