Stakeholders
Extended Learning, Sauder Continuing Business Studies, Sauder School of Business, Faculty of Land and Food Systems, Faculty of Forestry, Irving K. Barber Faculty of Science
Timing
Launched Fall 2022
Summary
Digital certificates/badges offered by UBC faculties and Extended Learning required the creation of a hierarchical visual identity system. There is much recognition, credibility and equity in the UBC brand, and faculties benefit by leveraging a consistent look and feel in their digital certificates/badges. Concurrently, the design system and family of templates allows for flexibility for faculties
The Strategy
Clear and consistent use of brand identity elements in all digital certificates/badges enables UBC to maintain, build, and reinforce its strong brand recognition and reputation. Conversely, a fragmented approach risks diluting UBC’s brand and creating confusion. As such, UBC Brand & Marketing lead a working group to define and developing a design hierarchy, graphic elements, and artwork for an institutional digital certificates/badges visual identity system.
The working group’s work suggestions, along with outcomes from the brand working group discussion, served as a starting point for the design system. The system provides strong UBC and faculty branding throughout, while also providing visual distinction between UBC non-credit credentials and UBC badges.
UBC Non-credit Credentials, which are assessed in accordance with the University’s academic policies, have the strongest UBC and faculty branding and boldest appearance. UBC Badges, which denote other learning achievements within faculty oversight and standards, also carry university and faculty branding.
The system is scalable and permits all faculties to adapt it as their micro-credential programs come online. Specifically, faculty colours and unique identifiers have been included and incorporated.
The Solution
The visual identity system includes the UBC logo, signatures, typography, colours, and other identifiers that provides a shared language to communicate the qualities and attributes of the achievement. As a whole, UBC digital certificates/badges convey the credibility, trust, authenticity and quality embodied by the UBC institutional brand.
The Results
To date (February 2024) we have created 117 digital badges for 9 faculties on both campuses. Sauder has created 40 badges using our design template.