What is Our Voice?
Just as our design uses a distinctive look and feel that sets our brand apart, the words we use – the copy we create, the story we tell – must be distinctly our own.
Guiding Principles
Capturing the unique UC Irvine voice is critical to the success of every communication. Creating consistency in tone across every written or spoken communication is an important responsibility that rests with each of us. We speak for UC Irvine.
Make It Accessible
While UC Irvine is home to many kinds of specialized knowledge, each with its own distinctive vocabulary, in our general communications, we should speak in an articulate way that is accessible to a general audience. Avoid jargon or technical language. Steer clear of overused buzzwords. Aim to sound intelligent but never stuffy or pretentious. Most importantly, keep your audience in mind and always craft your language to connect with them and foster understanding.
Keep It Conversational
While you may aim for an academic writing style in professional publications, when we write for a general audience, a conversational tone is key. Keep sentences short. Don’t use more words than necessary. Keep the tone active, not passive. Ask yourself, “Would this sound natural if I said it in conversation?” If not, simplify what you have to say.
Be Inspiring
A sense of optimism is central to our brand. The ingenuity and pioneering spirit that we embody should inform every communication. Underlying everything we say is a simple message: Anything that we can envision and imagine, we can accomplish.
Try to Tell a Story
It’s almost always easier to relate to a narrative of some kind, as opposed to an abstract idea. So where possible, show, don’t tell. Be specific and concrete. Bring a person, team, department or unit to life by sharing their achievement. Give specifics, add details for color, and try to paint a meaningful picture that people can relate to.
Illustrate Our Impact
Our brand is all about “Illuminating the differences that make a difference.” There are a multitude of ways to do this – through a story, a quote, a fact, an allusion. Our goal is to engage our viewers and readers in moments that surprise them with something they didn’t expect – a new way of seeing the world.
Key Messaging
| Audience | Tone | Examples |
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| Students |
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| Faculty |
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| Alumni |
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| Donors |
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| Community |
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General Rules
First, Second and Subsequent References: “UC Irvine” is preferred in all textual references to the university, though “University of California, Irvine” may be suitable for certain target audiences.
Headlines and Headings: Headlines and headings in correspondences, publications, websites, etc., are often subject to spacing constraints and, thus, require significant flexibility in their application. Please use “UC Irvine” in headlines and headings. Other words, such as “campus” or “university,” may be appropriate to avoid redundancy.
Titles and Names: Since the family of “UC Irvine” and “University of California, Irvine” wordmarks are preferred in most graphical applications, and since “UC Irvine” is the preferred first textual reference to the university, the names of titles and/or programs should follow suit. Exclusions are campus entities branded with UCI, such as UCI Health. Everything else should be UC Irvine.
Text vs. Graphics: The “UC Irvine” and “University of California, Irvine” wordmarks should only be used as graphic elements (as provided in official artwork available on the campus’s Graphic Identity Standards website), and should not be replicated in textual forms.
For references to other universities, see the UC Irvine Editorial Style Guide entry for college and university names. For wordmark guidance, see the Wordmark System page.
Common Uses
UCI: Do not use UCI any longer, unless is it for a branded name (e.g. UCI Health)
University of California, Irvine: Preferred as a first reference for non-local or unfamiliar audiences.