15-Attachment P - Branding Guidelines.pdf

BRAND

GUIDELINES

TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY

701-26-021Attachment P

TEA Brand Guidelines A brand book establishes rules around the use of an organization’s brand name and logo, in addition to guidelines for fonts, colors, photography and other elements when they are associated with the brand.

Put another way, a brand book helps to maintain consistency in the way a brand looks, feels, and is presented to the world.

This TEA Brand Guidelines establishes guidance on brand identity, voice and tone, key audiences, logo requirements, approved fonts and colors, and other visual guidance. There are two main options for navigating this document to find specific information:

• Click the relevant section in the Table of Contents to jump directly to it.

• Use the “Find” keyboard shortcut (Ctrl-F on a PC, command-F on a Mac) to search for a keyword or phrase anywhere within the document.

Use the TEA Brand Guidelines in conjunction with the TEA Writing Style Guidelines, which includes establishes writing, editing, formatting, and design standards for all content produced on behalf of TEA. The guidance applies to content distributed in any format, including documents, web content, slide presentations, videos, social media, etc.

TEA Brand Guidelines 2 https://tea.texas.gov/about-tea/news-and-multimedia/tea-writing-style-guidelines.pdf

TEA Brand Guidelines 3

Table of Contents

The TEA Brand Guidelines

Who We Are

Our Voice

Key Audiences and Stakeholders

The TEA Logo

Copyright and Trademark Guidance

TEA Color Palette

Fonts

Graphic Elements

Who We Are

TEA Brand Guidelines 4

Who We Are Texas Education Agency (TEA) is committed to student success through leadership, guidance, and support of Texas public and open-enrollment charter schools serving 5.4 million students.

The TEA brand is one of the agency’s most valuable assets. TEA brand attributes reflect a culture of service, continuous learning, and reliance on data to inform oversight of primary and secondary public education across the Lone Star State.

Vision Statement Every child prepared for success in college, a career, or the military.

Mission Statement We work to improve outcomes for all public-school students in the state by providing leadership, guidance, and support to school systems.

Pexels.com http://Pexels.com

Our Voice

TEA Brand Guidelines 5

Our Voice

Matter of Fact Our voice is realistic and straightforward. We always strive to share information in a reliable and objective manner. Facts, not opinions, guide our narratives. As much as possible, we communicate in plain language with words that are simple and relevant, avoiding jargon, figures of speech, and popular culture references.

Determined We are goal oriented, although our voice is not overly optimistic. We realize continuous improvement is always necessary. We live in the real world and recognize the tough but surmountable challenges ahead.

Represents Texas Texas is a big, beautiful, diverse state, and our agency products should reflect that. No one character or person, group of characters or people, or geographic location should be presented favorably or unfavorably in graphics or text.

Grand Prairie ISD

For additional guidance on our voice, use the TEA Writing Style Guidelines.

Strategic Focus

TEA Brand Guidelines 6

• Excite students about the rigors and rewards of being an educator

• Improve the impact of educator prep programs

• Support teachers and principals through on-the-job training

• Build a certification system that supports continuous improvement

• Ensure the integrity of the profession and the safety of all students

• Support the State Board of Education as they develop rigorous standards

• Increase the availability of coherent, aligned curricular resources

• Ensure effective professional supports to educators in the early grades

• Support effective programs, resource allocation, and instructional models

• Provide tools to fully empower parents as the child’s first teacher

• Through the Tri-Agency Commission, identify current and future careers

• Identify pathways that prepare students for career entry

• Incentivize the creation of innovative and rigorous school models

• Provide support for students to choose their desired pathways

• Expand advising practices that improve postsecondary entry and completion

• Maintain a tiered campus performance framework to assist school systems

• Support school boards to govern with a focus on student outcomes

• Develop district capacity to implement school action strategies

Key Audiences and Stakeholders

TEA Brand Guidelines 7

Key Audiences and Stakeholders TEA serves, reaches, and partners with a variety of audiences and stakeholders that play important roles in educating millions of Texas students.

While the tone and messaging may shift for each specific audience and channel, all content should stay true to the voice of the TEA brand and reflect all populations represented in Texas public schools. Always be mindful of potentially sensitive topics, consider a variety of backgrounds and viewpoints, and ensure the content is accessible to all audiences. Refer to the “Awareness and Representation” section of the TEA Writing Style Guidelines for more detailed guidance.

System Leaders Superintendents, central administrative staff, and executive staff run our public and charter school districts with a focus on continuous improvement, equity, and achievement. They rely on TEA for guidance and support. With a view across multiple campuses, system leaders are alert to many district-wide issues such as accountability, readiness, standards, and access to resources (and how to scale them in larger districts). Consider district size and how this may impact end users’ needs or perspectives. Communication aimed at this audience should be supportive, straightforward, detailed, and always mindful of funding with an emphasis on implementation guidance and technical assistance.

Public Officials Legislators, legislative staff, school board members, and other public officials set rules and guidelines at the state and local levels that inform and regulate the work conducted by TEA.

Messaging for this audience should be relatively formal with an emphasis on objectivity, results and progress, research, data reporting, accountability, improved outcomes, and transparency.

Freer ISD

Texas Capitol

TEA Brand Guidelines 8

School Leaders Principals, assistant principals, and deans lead our schools to improve outcomes for all students on a campus. Most of our actions and guidance fall upon them to implement. With their high involvement in day-to-day operations and activities, much of their focus centers around the needs and concerns of students and staff. Keep information straightforward with an emphasis on leadership, growth, and progress. Areas of focused interest include best practices, execution, implementation, fidelity, equity, readiness, standards, and support resources.

Professional Organizations TEA interacts with many associations and groups that enhance our work due to their unique, on-the-ground perspectives and relationships with our audiences. These organizations help TEA communicate important information to their respective members. Top considerations when addressing professional organizations include accountability, equity, feedback, partnership, and strategy.

El Paso ISD

Texas Association of School Administrators (TASA) Conference

TEA Brand Guidelines 9

Educators Educator-facing content should be developed with educator needs and perspectives in mind. Even when communicating with them indirectly through district channels, teachers should feel supported and enabled in their work. Educators value accountability, transparency, and community. Among their top priorities are professional development, high-quality instructional materials, student and family engagement, supports for all learners, and of course, academic outcomes.

Families and Students Students are the heart of our mission and the primary beneficiaries of our work. Their parents, guardians, and other caregivers are among our most valuable partners in increasing student engagement, success, and achievement. Feedback from students and families is critical to improving our resources. Whether communicating directly to them or reaching them through district channels, use plain language that is straightforward, clear, and at an appropriate reading level. Besides academic success and rigor, top areas of concern include access to and quality of materials, technology, and instruction, effective use of resources, community building, equity, and supports for all students.

Comal ISD

Irving ISD

Logo

TEA Brand Guidelines 10

The TEA Logo The TEA logo is the cornerstone of the agency’s visual identity. It should appear on all collateral, publications, digital media, and documents. It includes the logomark, agency name, and trademark symbol.

Colors TEA Blue and TEA Orange appear in the full-color TEA logo, which may be used against a white or light-colored solid background.

Logo Variations Additional versions of the TEA logo are available for specific approved uses:

• All-white version for use against black, dark, or busy backgrounds

• Grayscale version for black-and-white materials

• Initialism-only versions (color, white, and grayscale) when width is less than 75 pixels

Size Requirements To maintain legibility, the TEA logo should always appear at a width of at least ½-inch for print or 38 pixels for digital. Any time the logo appears at 75 pixels or larger, the full name Texas Education Agency must be included within the logo. When scaled smaller, the logo should appear with the TEA initialism only.

To request high resolution or various versions of logos, please fill out the logo request form or email Lisa Gouveia for more information.

Agency name

Grayscale version

All-white version

Registered Trademark symbol

TEA Blue TEA Orange

Texas Education Agency®

38 pixels 75 pixels https://www.jotform.com/form/81796879401168 mailto:Lisa.Gouveia%40tea.texas.gov?subject=TEA%20Logo%20Request mailto:Lisa.Gouveia%40tea.texas.gov?subject=TEA%20Logo%20Request

TEA Brand Guidelines 11

Clear Space The TEA logo should always have adequate clear space (white or negative space bordering it along each edge) to maintain integrity and legibility. No text, images, or design elements should enter the clear space.

The clear space should be equal to one-half of the height at which the logo is presented, and an absolute minimum clear space of one-fourth the height at which the logo is presented.

The State Seal of Texas The state seal is only required for specific government documents. It occasionally appears on TEA documents related to official state business, such as business cards. A license must be obtained before using the state seal for commercial purposes.

1/4X 1/4X

1/4X

1/2X

1/2X 1/2X

1/2X

1/4X

When the logo height is scaled to one inch, maintain at least ½-inch clear space around the perimeter.

https://www.sos.state.tx.us/statdoc/seal.shtml

TEA Brand Guidelines 12

Correct Logo Use

Retain the logo’s proportions

Place the white version of the logo at 100% opacity on a busy, dark, or low-contrast background.

Place the white version of the logo against a gradient background

Use the current version of the TEA logo

Keep the agency trademark symbol with the logo

Maintain the logo’s original design and appearance

Keep the logo in the primary colors (TEA Blue and TEA Orange)

On the cover of a document:

Do:

Put a white bar across the top, with the logo centered or left, and vertically centered. Between the bar and photo, place a 3-point line (TEA Orange). Or offset the logo on a semi-opaque white overlay with the same slant as the logo.

Do not:

• Stretch or skew the logo

• Place the full color logo on a busy, dark, or low-contrast background

• Place the logo against a gradient background

• Use outdated or prior versions of the TEA logo

• Drop the agency trademark symbol from the logo

• Add to or alter the logo in any way

• Edit the logo colors (TEA Blue and TEA Orange)

Incorrect Logo Use

Don’t place the full color logo on a busy cover photo or reduce the white logo’s opacity. The photo can still a white bar or a semi-opaque white overlay.

On the cover of a document:

TEA Brand Guidelines 13

TEA Sub-Brands Some internal TEA divisions or programs have their own sub-brands. These sub-brand logos always should appear in addition to, not in place of, the TEA logo.

When developing a new TEA sub-brand, the logo must consist of primary or secondary colors from the TEA color palette. Use of any other colors must be approved by TEA Communications.

TEA sub-brands are only created for programs meeting specific criteria:

• Supports a TEA strategic priority

• Requires its own website outside of tea.texas.gov

• Has a large external audience

• Is relevant to the education industry

When an internal division does not have its own sub-brand, the office and/or division name can appear in a vertical or horizontal logo lockup with the TEA logo.

The line in the middle is 30% black, 0.5 pt stroke, half the logo letter height away from the logo and from the office text.

The words “Office of” are in Adelle Sans Semibold Italic, then the office or division name is in Adelle Sans Semibold, both in TEA Navy Blue. In the horizontal lockup, the top and bottom of the text align with the top and bottom of the text in the TEA logo.

The vertical format is aligned flush right so it can be used in an email signature.

Sub-Brand Logo Examples http://tea.texas.gov

TEA Brand Guidelines 14

Correct Co-Branding Examples

CHOOSE YOUR OWN

ADVENTURE

ReadySetTeach.org

Your adventure in education can take many different forms. This adventure could be teaching children to read their first words, leading your students to success on the sports field, or commanding an entire school. Learn more today about the many opportunities within education careers.

Get ready at...

This Texas Reading Academies one-pager was created with the Texas Reading Academies and the TEA logo). The sub-brand logo should lead and TEA should be secondary as it is program of the agency.

This poster’s footer was created with GYO and has both logos in the footer. The URL is also highlighted in the footer as well.

Incorrect Co-Branding Examples

This newsletter’s header clusters off brand type for the sub-brand half of another agency’s logo lockup, and an outdated TEA logo that is too small and placed beneath the other two brands.

This presentation slide uses an outdated slide template, a stretched and outdated logo, and off-brand color.

Incorrect Co-Branding Examples half of another agency’s logo lockup, and an outdated TEA logo that is too small and placed beneath the other two brands.

This presentation slide uses an outdated slide template, a

TEA Brand Guidelines 15

Affiliate Logos When TEA partners with an external affiliate, such as a technology vendor, education service center, professional organization or other state government agency, the TEA logo may appear alongside the affiliate logo with specific guidelines.

Affiliate Co-Branding If the affiliate is the principal owner or distributor, the affiliate logo and colors may be dominant throughout the design. TEA branding may appear in a less prominent place, such as a color bar in the footer. The full-color TEA logo is preferred, but the all-white version may be used instead if it better complements the affiliate colors.

TEA and Affiliate Logo Lockups When displaying the TEA logo and the affiliate logo closely together, the affiliate logo must be:

• Positioned in a horizontal-only lockup with the TEA logo on the left

• To the right of the TEA logo (never above or below)

• The same size or slightly smaller than the TEA logo

• Separated from the TEA logo with a 30% black 0.5 pt bar and the required clear space

If an affiliate name needs to appear in conjunction with the TEA logo, but the affiliate does not have its own logo, use TEA fonts and colors for the affiliate name and position it stacked to the right of the TEA logo and gray bar, as shown on page 13.

Logo Lockup Examples

TEA Brand Guidelines 16

The Arc partnership conference is an example of social media mention that includes the partner logo and TEA logo through mention of the partnership/sponsorship.

This poster was created with Texas Health and Human Services as a partner. Both logos appear together prominently in the footer on all collateral.

This flyer has no TEA logo or branding.

This flyer uses correct TEA brand colors, but there is no TEA logo or affiliate logo.

Copyright and Trademark Guidance

TEA Brand Guidelines 17

Copyright and Trademark Guidance

Copyright Guidance At TEA, the use of our work is a serious matter and TEA’s intellectual property must be consistently attributed to TEA. That is why our legal team, in partnership with our Grants, Communications, and the Contracts and Procurement departments decided to share the following guidance on copyright and its placement on all TEA-owned materials.

TEA’s copyright notice should be used on works where it’s necessary to identify TEA as the owner of all collateral. This notice communicates to all who see it that TEA is claiming copyright rights in the material on which the notice appears. Copyright rights include, among others, the ability to reproduce, distribute, publicly perform, modify, and publicly display the work.

For All Agency Products All TEA-owned materials at a minimum should include the Copyright notice below:

Copyright © 2024. Texas Education Agency. All Rights Reserved.

The year (“2021” in the example above) should be the year that the material was first published. If there are multiple years of publication, the Copyright notice can reflect that:

Copyright © 2007-2024. Texas Education Agency. All Rights Reserved.

Year ranges in copyright notices are often used when the publication includes copyrighted works that were first published over a series of years, such as a website or blog, because they are constantly evolving and being updated with new content. The above example assumes that 2007 is the date of the oldest published elements and 2021 is the date of the newest published elements.

This Copyright notice is usually placed at the bottom of materials such as flyers, brochures, handouts, and websites, and typically on at least the first interior page of a publication. This notice at a minimum should be used in the event TEA does not want Texas educators or members of the public to reproduce work without contacting the agency.

Fl ue nc y

Self-Sustained Reading

3 4

5 6

Response Skills

Author’s Purpose and Craft

Multip le Genres

Compositio n

Inquiry and

Research

Phonological awareness

Pr int c oncepts

Morphology

Phonics Ora l L ang ua geBeginning Reading & Writin g

Discussion

Lis tening

Speaking

Vocabulary

Comprehension Skills

Copyright © 2020. Texas Education Agency. All Rights Reserved.

Copyright and Trademark Guidance

TEA Brand Guidelines 18

For Redistributing or Reproducing Agency Products If TEA does want Texas educators or members of the public to be permitted to reproduce the work of the agency, TEA’s Copyright Notice and Use of Terms should be included on material that the agency would like for others to have the option to replicate.

The notice and use terms are as follows:

Copyright © 2024. Texas Education Agency. All Rights Reserved.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, the right to reproduce the copyrighted work is granted to Texas public school districts, Texas charter schools, and Texas education service centers for non-commercial, non-profit educational use within the state of Texas, and to residents of the state of Texas for their own personal, non-commercial, non-profit educational use, and provided further that no dollar amount is charged for such reproduced materials other than to cover the out-of-pocket cost of reproduction and distribution. No other rights, express or implied, are granted hereby.

For more information, please contact copyrights@tea.texas.gov.

Trademark Guidance A trademark accompanied by the R in a circle symbol is a federally registered mark or logo associated with a source of origin, in our case, Texas Education Agency. All TEA trademarks and logos that are federally registered should be displayed with the R in a circle symbol positioned as a superscript added in the upper right corner, outside of the graphic design for a logo or as a superscript after the word, as shown here.

If the trademark is not federally registered, but is a TEA common law mark, it must be accompanied by the superscript TM or SM.

All TEA trademarks and logos should appear as set forth in these guidelines for each use, whether included on web pages, publications, annual reports, etc.

Visit the TEA Trademark Status Chart to view a complete list of the agency’s registered logos and trademarks.

If you are interested in pursuing a trademark for your product or service, please contact Lisa.Gouveia@tea.texas.gov.

Registered Trademark symbol mailto:copyrights%40tea.texas.gov?subject= https://texasedu.sharepoint.com/:b:/r/sites/itea/strategic/sc/Shared%20Documents/Branding%20Guides/Resources/TEA%20Trademark%20Status%20Chart.pdf?csf=1&web=1&e=Uvsi6d mailto:Lisa.Gouveia%40tea.texas.gov?subject=

Color

TEA Brand Guidelines 19

TEA Color Palette The TEA color palette consists of primary, secondary, and accent colors. Within each tier, there is variety and flexibility to choose specific colors to ensure each project is visually welcoming and informative.

Primary Colors Our primary colors are an essential part of our brand and the TEA logo. TEA Blue and TEA Orange represent action, trust, loyalty, dependability, and serenity. They should be the first color choices to reinforce the brand.

Color Tints The color tints of each primary color are best used in complex graphics or illustrations, and to give additional depth to complex designs.

Primary Colors

TEA BLUE

Pantone P-110-8C

#0d6cb9

R: 13 G: 108 B: 185

C: 88 M: 57 Y: 0 K: 0

TEA ORANGE

Pantone P-37-8C

#f16038 Web Alternate: #d93c10

R: 241 G: 96 B: 56

C: 0 M: 77 Y: 86 K: 0

Color Tints

#3d98c7 C: 72 M: 27 Y: 7 K: 0

#257ac0 C: 82 M: 46 Y: 0 K: 0

#0b61ab C: 93 M: 65 Y: 2 K: 0

#0a5694 C: 97 M: 72 Y: 14 K: 2

#f37f5f C: 0 M: 62 Y: 64 K: 0

#f26f4b C: 0 M: 71 Y: 74 K: 0

#d85632 C: 10 M: 80 Y: 91 K: 1

#c04c2c C: 18 M: 82 Y: 96 K: 7

TEA Brand Guidelines 20

TEA Color Palette

Secondary Colors TEA also provides six secondary colors—carefully selected to coordinate and complement the primary colors.

Secondary colors may be used for text.

Dark secondary colors can serve as a background for white text. Light secondary colors can serve as a background for black text.

Secondary Colors

NAVY BLUE

#012169

R: 1 G: 33 B: 105

C: 100 M: 93 Y: 27 K:23

SKY BLUE

#56b7e6

R: 86 G: 183 B: 230

C: 56 M: 10 Y: 0 K: 0

CHARCOAL

#363534

R: 54 G: 54 B: 52

C: 68 M: 61 Y: 63 K: 56

COOL GREY

#5a6267

R: 90 G: 98 B: 103

C: 65 M: 52 Y: 48 K: 21

MEDIUM YELLOW

#ffdd62

R: 255 G: 221 B: 98

C: 1 M:10 Y: 74 K:0

LIGHT BLUE

#e0ecf6

R: 224 G: 236 B: 246

C: 10 M: 3 Y: 1 K: 0

TEA Brand Guidelines 21

TEA Accent Colors

Accent Colors Our TEA accent colors are meant to support the sub-brands and affiliate logos associated with TEA. Using TEA accent colors can help to support and enhance the primary and secondary colors of the brand. Accent colors are often used to add variety and visual interest to the sub-brand’s or affiliate logo’s visual identity, while still maintaining a consistent and cohesive look-and-feel to TEA’s main brand. When chosen carefully and used strategically, accent colors can help to reinforce the brand’s strategic message and make it more memorable and recognizable to its target audience.

Accent Colors

Light Purple #e3d4e8

Light Red #ffe4e0

Pencil Yellow #ecaf33 #ffdd62 #fff5cd

Medium Yellow Light Yellow

Light Grey #e7e3db

TEA Brand Guidelines 22

Compliance All uses of TEA colors must meet Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 minimum accessibility standards (Level AA) for color contrast. WCAG ensures that web content is available for audiences with disabilities. In order to ensure accessibility for all readers, check to see that the color of the background and foreground (text) has sufficient contrast (note:

this does not apply to graphics, patterns, or print materials).

When using TEA primary colors for text, specific guidelines must be followed to ensure readability and accessibility:

• TEA Blue may be used for text of any size against a white background.

• TEA Blue may be used as a background for white text of any size.

• TEA Orange may be used for text that is 18 point (14 point if bold) or larger and against a white background.

• TEA Orange may be used as a background for white text that is 18 point (14 point if bold) or larger.

For more information, visit the Contrast Grid.

https://contrast-grid.eightshapes.com/?version=1.1.0&background-colors=&foreground-colors=%23FFFFFF%2C%20White%0D%0A%23F2F2F2%0D%0A%23DDDDDD%0D%0A%23CCCCCC%0D%0A%23888888%0D%0A%23404040%2C%20Charcoal%0D%0A%23000000%2C%20Black%0D%0A%232F78C5%2C%20Effective%20on%20Extremes%0D%0A%230F60B6%2C%20Effective%20on%20Lights%0D%0A%23398EEA%2C%20Ineffective%0D%0A&es-color-form__tile-size=compact&es-color-form__show-contrast=aaa&es-color-form__show-contrast=aa&es-color-form__show-contrast=aa18&es-color-form__show-contrast=dnp

Fonts

TEA Brand Guidelines 23

Fonts TEA employees can request Help Desk support for installing fonts. All TEA primary and secondary fonts can be activated within any Adobe Creative Cloud application or through Google Fonts except for Aptos, which is a system font only available in Microsoft Office applications. It was designed to replace Calibri (more on that from Microsoft). Many current agency materials in Word and PowerPoint still use Calibiri, which is fine to keep. Since Microsoft will likely phase out Calibri, new Microsoft materials should be created with Aptos instead of Calibri, moving forward.

Primary Font Open Sans Open Sans should be the default font for all TEA communications. If Open Sans is not available, Aptos or Calibri may be used. For digital communications, Arial maybe be substituted sif Open Sans, Aptos, and Calibri are not available.

Open Sans Light - Light Italic Regular - Italic

SemiBold - SemiBold Italic Bold - Bold Italic

ExtraBold - ExtraBold Italic

Download Open Sans via Google Fonts

Backup

Calibri Light - Light Italic

Regular - Italic Bold - Bold Italic

Backup

Arial Narrow - Narrow Italic

Narrow Bold - Narrow Bold Italic Regular - Italic

Bold - Bold Italic Black https://ihelpdesk.tea.texas.gov/hc/en-us/%20categories/115000401168-Communications https://fonts.adobe.com/fonts/open-sans https://fonts.google.com/specimen/Open+Sans?query=open+sans https://insider.microsoft365.com/en-us/blog/office-has-a-new-default-theme https://cutt.ly/skjByrB

Fonts

TEA Brand Guidelines 24

Secondary Fonts Adelle Adelle may be used when a serif font is preferred. If Adelle is not available and a serif font is needed, Roboto Slab can be used.

Adelle Thin - Thin Italic - Light - Light Italic - Regular -

Regular Italic - Semibold - Semibold Italic - Bold - Bold Italic - Extrabold - Extrabold Italic - Heavy -

Heavy Italic - Condensed Thin - Condensed Thin Italic - Condensed Light - Condensed Light Italic -

Condensed Regular - Condensed Regular Italic - Condensed Semibold - Condensed Semibold Italic -

Condensed Bold - Condensed Bold Italic - Condensed Extrabold - Condensed Extrabold Italic -

Condensed Heavy - Condensed Heavy Italic - Ultrathin - Ultrathin Italic

Backup

Roboto Slab ExtraLight - Thin -

Light - Regular - Medium - SemiBold -

Bold - ExtraBold Black

Download Roboto Slab via Google Fonts

Activate Adelle via Adobe Fonts

Poppins Poppins may be used as a secondary font for bold headings. It is also frequently used for early childhood (prekindergarten through grade 2) instructional materials because of its open letter, “a” which is more recognizable to early readers because it corresponds to the shape taught in schools.

Poppins Thin - Thin Italic

ExtraLight - ExtraLight Italic Light - Light Italic Regular - Italic

Medium - Medium Italic

Download Poppins via Google Fonts

No Backup https://fonts.adobe.com/fonts/adelle https://cutt.ly/8kj1PXm https://cutt.ly/hkkx1xD

Graphic Elements

TEA Brand Guidelines 25

Graphic Elements

Icons Icons promote visual interest and play an important role in expressing the TEA brand. External affiliates and vendors may request access to TEA icon library through their appointed TEA program lead.

Use icons to:

• Convey visual emphasis

• Help users navigate content more easily

• Simplify and make sense of recurring patterns

You can use icons from either the TEA icon library or those in Microsoft PowerPoint icon library. If you choose to use the icons from Microsoft PowerPoint, please make sure that the icons use colors from TEA’s color palette.

https://texasedu.sharepoint.com/sites/ext/pic/Icons/Forms/Thumbnails.aspx https://texasedu.sharepoint.com/sites/ext/pic/Icons/Forms/Thumbnails.aspx https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/insert-icons-in-microsoft-office-e2459f17-3996-4795-996e-b9a13486fa79

TEA Brand Guidelines 26

Character Illustrations TEA has two approved character illustrations sets—one informal and one formal—that reflect our brand identity and color palette.

Choose the set that is most appropriate for your specific target audience, message, and tone.

Both sets were designed with a wide range of uses in mind, so either one is suitable for “gray area” situations that fall in between formal and informal.

When to Use Informal Characters The informal characters are relatable, friendly, youthful, and slightly playful with softer features.

Consider this set when:

• Children or adolescents are central to the message/narrative

• Any portion of the content is student facing or may be used in a classroom

• Tone is more approachable, casual, or conversational

• Communicating to educators, students/parents (particularly elementary or middle school), or advocacy groups

• Writing about student-related topics, assessments, classroom instruction, or building a foundation of reading and math

Should you need assistance manipulating specific informal characters, need a specific action or behavior for a certain informal character, or need a specific look for an informal character, please submit a ticket to Communications.

Examples of Informal Characters https://ihelpdesk.tea.texas.gov/hc/en-us/categories/115000401168-Communications

TEA Brand Guidelines 27

When to Use Formal Characters Formal characters have slightly more realistic features to appear more professional, mature, serious, and expressive. Consider this set when:

• Adults or teens are central to the message/narrative

• Reporting data or official business

• Tone is more official or authoritative

• Communicating to elected officials, system leaders, educators, or parents/students in middle school and up

• Writing about professional development, college career and military, legislation, or official TEA district guidance

Should you need assistance manipulating specific formal characters, need a specific action or behavior for a certain formal character, or need a specific look for a formal character, please submit a ticket to Communications.

Examples of Formal Characters

TEA Brand Guidelines 28

Photography Photography captures the heart of TEA and connects people to our work in ways that words alone cannot. Photo selection should reflect all populations represented in Texas public schools.

TEA prefers to use photos of real students, teachers, and staff in real Texas schools instead of stock photography whenever possible. The TEA Photo Library contains more than 2,000 images.

Photographs from the TEA Photo Library should not be altered, if possible. If an image needs any Photoshop correction, please contact the Communications division for approval first.

Contact Lisa Gouveia in Communications for assistance finding the right photography for your needs, adding a photo to the photography library that you have permission to use, or if you need photo release forms (English or Spanish) for your upcoming project. Spring ISD mailto:Gouveia%2C%20Lisa%20%3CLisa.Gouveia%40tea.texas.gov%3E?subject=

Copyright © 2024. Texas Education Agency. All Rights Reserved.

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