Personality, Voice, and Tone
The Illinois brand has its own distinctive personality, voice, and tone — our strengths and characteristics expressed in human terms.
Brand Personality and Voice
Our brand personality and voice are an extension of our brand pillars: innovation, community, momentum, and discovery. They reflect the character of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and help people understand the heart and soul of the university.
We are approachable.
We are rooted in a sense of belonging, which speaks directly to access, scale, and community. We value respect, fairness, and good stewardship. We believe everyone matters.
We are creative.
We are problem solvers. We value creativity and imagination. We believe a nonlinear path and nonconformity add value.
We are curious.
We value wisdom, expertise, teaching, and knowledge. We want to understand, seek truth, and bring clarity.
Our personality and voice should resonate through everything we communicate, but there’s no need to overdo it. Focus on the aspects that genuinely belong in your communications. Our goal is to infuse and illustrate these ideas in our materials, so our audiences are left with the sense that we are approachable, creative, and curious.
Brand Tone
Our tone is an expression of our brand personality and voice. It influences the conversation we are having with our audience.
- Helpful not condescending.
- Engaging not overbearing.
- Confident not arrogant.
- Driven not aggressive.
Like personality and voice, our tone should be reflected in our materials. Tone can be conveyed through words or visuals. You won’t use every tone above in every message.