WICHITA PUBLIC SCHOOLS | ESTABLISHED 2018

Visual Standards A GUIDE TO WICHITA PUBLIC SCHOOLS VISUAL COMMUNICATION STANDARDS

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CONTENTS Wichita Public Schools – Identity ............................................................................................... 2

Our Identity ............................................................................................................................... 2

Our Tagline ................................................................................................................................ 2

Who We Are ............................................................................................................................... 2

Vision ...................................................................................................................................... 2

Mission .................................................................................................................................... 2

Who We Are – District of Choice ................................................................................................... 2

Who We Are – Students and Staff ................................................................................................. 2

Who We Are – Empowered to Dream, Believe and Achieve ............................................................... 2

Our Brand .................................................................................................................................. 2

WPS Visual Standards Policy ...................................................................................................... 3

Official Business Logo Main Elements ............................................................................................ 3

WPS Signatures – Primary and Secondary Naming Units .................................................................. 4

Clear Space Requirements ......................................................................................................... 4

Minimum Signature Size ............................................................................................................ 4

Misuse of the WPS Logo ............................................................................................................. 4

WPS Signature Brand Colors and Use ......................................................................................... 5

WPS Logo Brand Colors ............................................................................................................... 5

Every Student Future Ready Brand Colors ...................................................................................... 5

Use of WPS Logo on Colored Backgrounds ..................................................................................... 6

Use of WPS Logo on Materials with Photos ..................................................................................... 6

WPS Typography ........................................................................................................................ 7

WPS Graphic Elements ............................................................................................................... 8

Default WPS Graphic Elements ..................................................................................................... 8

WPS Future Ready – Strategic Plan Graphic Elements ...................................................................... 9

WPS Business Stationary ......................................................................................................... 10

WPS Communications Signature Block ..................................................................................... 11

WPS Template Library .............................................................................................................. 12

Template Library Resources ....................................................................................................... 12

Special Requests ...................................................................................................................... 13

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WICHITA PUBLIC SCHOOLS – IDENTITY

Our Identity The official name of our district is USD 259 – Wichita Public Schools. It is acceptable to refer to the

organization as the following: the district, USD 259, Wichita Public Schools and WPS. It is always preferred

to spell out Wichita Public Schools on first reference before shortening it to WPS, with few exceptions (i.e.,

#WPSProud). The brand identity is made up of the combination of names, logos, taglines, graphic

elements, typography and colors.

Our Tagline To succinctly share the district’s overarching Vision and Mission to the public, a tagline – Every Student

Future Ready – may be used. This tagline encompasses our commitment to developing students who are

ready for their individual futures, as well as to contribute to the future of our community.

Who We Are

Vision Wichita Public Schools will be the district of choice in the Wichita region, where all students and staff are

empowered to dream, believe and achieve.

Mission Wichita Public Schools prepares all students to achieve college, career and life readiness through an

innovative and rigorous educational experience.

Who We Are – District of Choice WPS can and will be the district of choice in the Wichita region. By providing and showcasing the many

choices available to students in our district, we will share and live the message that students of every

level of ability will have the opportunity to thrive in our district. When this works at its highest level, we

will be the district that families choose to send their children to; the district that businesses choose to hire

high-quality employees; the district that employees choose to work for.

Who We Are – Students and Staff With more than 50,000 students and about 9,000 employees, both students and staff are vitally important

to the success of our district. They are at the center of every decision we make.

Who We Are – Empowered to Dream, Believe and Achieve We work hard every day to ensure the students and staff at WPS are provided with the resources, tools,

experiences and support necessary to identify their dreams, believe in themselves, know that others

believe in them, and ultimately achieve success. We work hard every day to ensure our students graduate

from high school knowing what they love to do and how that translates to who they want to be. And it

takes staff who are empowered to dream, believe and achieve to create students who are also.

Our Brand A brand is more than the visual identity of an organization. It is our staff, our teachers, our students, our

parents. It is the work we do in and with the community. It is the stories we tell about our successes and

how we address our challenges. It is every interaction with everyone and everything related to the district.

No single person can build up a brand on their own, but every single person can contribute.

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WPS VISUAL STANDARDS POLICY In an effort to develop a strong, highly recognizable and effective visual identity, and to do so through

consistent application of visual standards over time, the only approved marks, logos, logotypes, seals and

symbols are the ones described in this manual. No other versions may be used instead of or as

replacements for these official Wichita Public Schools elements. Logos should always include the

appropriate trademark symbols (®).

New logos, marks and symbols to represent WPS and its internal departments and divisions may not be

introduced unless approved by the WPS Strategic Communications Division. Schools wanting to develop

school logos and marks should work with Strategic Communications for final approval before official

adoption.

Official Business Logo Main Elements

Wichita Public Schools’ signature is the combination of two elements.

WPS Logo: A traditional representation of education, the apple reminds us of our ultimate responsibility

to provide the educational and physical nutrients a child needs to grow. The paper dolls keep children at

the forefront of everything we do.

WPS Logotype: The name of the school district, set in a traditional serif font in a bright color,

acknowledges the need to respect tradition (font) while embracing modern approaches to education

(color).

The signature is the physical combination of the logo and logotype. This combination of elements is

referred to as a lock-up, as it literally locks these components together. They are placed in a specific scale

and relationship to each other that prevents the independent altering of elements.

The primary signature is a square, stacked orientation. It is the approved configuration for most

applications.

WPS logo

WPS logotype

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WPS Signatures – Primary and Secondary Naming Units An orderly system of hierarchy has been developed to accommodate the handling of department/division

names in conjunction with the WPS signature. The examples below illustrate proper arrangement within

this system.

Primary Signature

The words “Wichita Public Schools” always occupy

the primary placement in the signature. There are

no exceptions to this rule.

Secondary Signature

The department or division name (without the

words “department” or “division”) occupies the

secondary naming unit placement. This use of

logo and naming convention is reserved for

use in email signatures and internal

documents where a distinction between

departments is necessary or helpful. All WPS

stationary, business cards, and templates will use

the primary signature in its square or horizontal

format.

Clear Space Requirements At least 0.25” of clear space must be provided between the signature and other graphic elements. The

clear space requirements delineated here must be observed except in rare, pre-approved exceptions.

These are the minimum requirements – you may have more clear space between the signature and other

graphic elements or text.

Minimum Signature Size The minimum size of the WPS signature should not be less than 0.5” in height for print usage. The

minimum size for Web usage should not be less than 100 pixels in height (including clear space

requirement).

Misuse of the WPS Logo The misuse of the WPS logo is strictly prohibited. This includes reshaping, retyping or recoloring the logo.

Strategic Communications

½ inch

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WPS SIGNATURE BRAND COLORS AND USE Color consistency is a very important aspect of maintaining a strong identity for Wichita Public Schools. In

addition to the colors used in the WPS logo, brand colors have been introduced to support the messages

contained in the Every Student Future Ready plan.

WPS Logo Brand Colors

C3, M100, Y70, K12 C77, M0, Y100, K0

R186, G12, B47 R67, G176, B42

HEX #BA0C2F HEX #43B02A

Pantone

200 C

Pantone

361 C

The logo brand colors should be used only in the logo itself and on the district website. Due to ADA

standards of visual accessibility, these colors are not recommended for use in any other situations. The

logo should not be created in other colors or have other color filters applied through Word or PPT options.

Every Student Future Ready Brand Colors These brand colors, developed as part of a minor rebranding in 2016 with Gardner design, modernize our

district color scheme. The three primary colors are Success Blue, College/Career Red and Whole Child

Turquoise. The remaining four colors should be used only in three circumstances: 1) as accent colors in

charts and graphs as provided in district templates; 2) as a fourth primary color when a document or

presentation is specifically about one of the strategic themes that are part of the Every Student Future

Ready plan; 3) when using the graphic element associated with that color/theme.

C86, M29,

Y21,K67

C3, M100,

Y70, K12

C76, M0,

Y38, K0

C0, M32,

Y100, K0

C36, M100,

Y0, K0

C0, M71,

Y100, K3

C77, M0,

Y100, K0

R36, G76, B90 R186, G12, B47 R0, G191, B179 R242, G169, B0 R176, G0, B142 R216, G96, B24 R67, G176, B42

HEX #244C5A HEX #BA0C2F HEX #00BFB3 HEX #F2A900 HEX #B0008E HEX #D86018 HEX #43B02A

Pantone

7477 C

Pantone

200 C

Pantone

3262 C

Pantone

130 C

Pantone

2405 C

Pantone

1595 C

Pantone

361 C

Success College and

Career

Whole Child Staff Families and

Community

Communicate Align

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Use of WPS Logo on Colored Backgrounds The WPS logo may appear on colored backgrounds, including each of the seven colors approved as part of

the strategic plan. In all cases where there is a colored background, the all-white logo should be used.

The all-black logo should be used only when the background is white or extremely light-colored (i.e., a

light gray) when a document will be created and reproduced in black and white.

Use of WPS Logo on Materials with Photos For marketing and collateral material, photos of our students and staff are key to representing our brand.

Make sure the logo is placed in a light or dark zone of the photo or design that creates optimal contrast. It

should never be placed directly on top of a photo or on an area that is visually busy or patterned.

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WPS TYPOGRAPHY The typography of the Wichita Public Schools visual identity system is composed of three core fonts. These

fonts are Cambria, Verdana and Beyond the Mountains. Cambria and Verdana are available on every

computer in the WPS system and are the fonts built into the WPS Word and PPT templates. Beyond the

Mountains is a special font that those with design software have been given access to use. This font

should only be used by the Strategic Communications team or others who have been granted access when

the resulting document will be converted to a PDF before being shared. Any other use of this font will

result in the viewers’ computers converting the font to something that completely changes the look of the

font.

Cambria is the serif font (meaning it has serifs, or small lines attached to the end of a stroke in the letters and symbols). It

will always appear smaller than Verdana when they are the same size, so heading sizes are adjusted accordingly.

Cambria

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 ~ ! @ # $ % ^ & * ( ) _ +

Verdana is the sans serif font (meaning it does not have the small lines at the end of letter strokes). It is

generally the font that should be used in body copy. The exception to this would be in creating books or

other long prose documents where viewers need the ability to read large paragraphs for long periods of

time. In that case, using the serif font will increase readability and should be substituted.

Verdana

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 - = ~ ! @ # $ % ^ & * ( ) _ +

Beyond the Mountains is the script font that should be used only in special circumstances where the default

fonts are not sufficient to create contrast and emphasis in headings. It should never be made bold, as that

renders the font unreadable. It should always be used at a size large enough to be legible. This font is not

available on all computers in the district. If you need access to it, please contact Kayla Pennick for

additional instructions.

Beyond the Mountains

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

a b c d e f g h I j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 ! @ # $ % ^ & * ( ) _ +

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WPS GRAPHIC ELEMENTS

Default WPS Graphic Elements There are two consistent graphic elements that can be used in WPS visual presentations.

Stylized People Background

This visual element can be used as a background for

presentations, newsletters and similar materials. It

should always be a light color. Contact Kayla

Pennick in Strategic Communications

(kpennick@usd259.net or 316-973-4463) for the

graphic and suggestions on ways to use it. You will

see it in use in the district PowerPoint template, the

back of business cards and on the district website.

WPS Wichita Flag

The WPS customized Wichita flag can be used on its own or in conjunction with the #WPSProud campaign

materials. The only customization that should be done to this version of flag is to change the colors to

represent a specific school or department. The icons used in the red diagonals should remain consistent,

along with the district logo in the blue center. (The Wichita flag itself does not have copyright protection

and can be used by any individual however they choose. We recommend being thoughtful about how you

choose to use the flag in other circumstances and whether it may create brand confusion when used in

close proximity to the district-specific version.)

Keeper of the Plains

The Keeper of the Plains is a copyright protected work of art. That means that using a photograph

or reproduction of the Keeper statue in any visual materials may be violating copyright law. If you plan

to create any materials that will be used or shared outside of the classroom that include an

image of the Keeper of the Plains, please contact Suzy Finn at 316-973-4630 or sfinn@usd259.net to

explore options to do so legally. As of 2018, we have an agreement with the artist’s estate to use the

Keeper image in District marketing materials; however, each instance of use requires approval of the

design by the estate holder.

You will, of course, see Keeper-themed materials throughout the city of Wichita at stores, art fairs and

markets. If you see a Keeper reproduction for sale that has something in his hands, then that

artist or maker does not have permission of the copyright holder, and you may want to think twice

about that purchase.

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WPS Future Ready – Strategic Plan Graphic Elements The graphic elements below were created or adapted specifically for the strategic plan. They can be used

in materials not specifically related to the strategic plan; however, use caution when doing so. Our goal is

to create a strong association between the icon, its color and the strategic theme it represents. When you

use the Whole Child lightbulb in document about an issue related to staffing or budget, it muddies the

brand waters. If you are not sure about whether you are using one of the below graphics appropriately,

you may contact Kayla Pennick (kpennick@usd259.net) or Suzy Finn (sfinn@usd259.net) for clarification.

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WPS BUSINESS STATIONARY The new WPS branded Word template does not replace WPS letterhead. For any written

correspondence that should be sent on Wichita Public Schools letterhead, the template pictured below

should continue to be used. The division or school name, address and phone/fax numbers need to be

updated to match your information.

The district’s envelopes, note cards, business cards, and other official stationary have not changed with

the introduction of the WPS strategic plan. Please continue to use those and place orders for replacements

through Document Services as you have in the past.

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WPS COMMUNICATIONS SIGNATURE BLOCK Signature blocks for Wichita Public Schools should be consistent in email communication. The

recommended signature is pictured below. Instructions on how to change your email signature to reflect it

can be found at www.usd259.org/futureready.

The title is not a required element, but is generally recommended when communicating with people who

may not know what role you play in the district ecosystem. Fax number and school or building-specific

website can be included as long as there is a direct url that will take them to your desired location (i.e.,

www.usd259.org/adams). These should be the final two lines in the address block.

You have the option to create a long and a short signature. The long signature should always be used

when sending an initial email to internal and external audiences. The short signature with only your name

and phone number may be used on additional emails within a chain. If you are replying to an initial email

from someone outside the district who you’ve not previously emailed with, it’s recommended to manually

change your signature to the long one for your first reply.

We do not recommend using more than one graphic in an email. This can create unnecessary attachments

being recognized by others’ email servers and dilutes the brand identity. If you have a school-specific

signature block or logo, we respectfully request that you choose the tri-color plan identity signature or

stick with your current signature. We recommend the decision be on a school or department level, not at

the individual level. The tri-color block should never be used on top of background of any color.

We strongly recommend discontinuing the use of any background colors or images in emails.

The words dream, believe and achieve – on their own – should not be added to an existing

email signature without consulting with the Strategic Communications team.

Your name should always be included in the signature

Your division/department/school should always be included

The tri-color brand block should always be included in long signatures

The appropriate phone number should always be included

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WPS TEMPLATE LIBRARY The use of approved templates will give your message a unified and professional appearance. To help you

stay consistent with the WPS brand, we have created a library of templates to help convey WPS’s cohesive

look. We encourage the use of these templates by all employees, especially when the material created will

be used with professional audiences such as professional associations to which you belong, the Board of

Education, area associations and organizations and in-service presentations. While you are welcome to

use the templates for classroom material creation, it is not at all expected.

For questions about or training on how to use the templates, please contact Suzy Finn at

sfinn@usd259.net or 316-973-4630.

Template Library Resources The template library will include, but not be limited to, the following:

Wichita Public Schools logos

Word document template

PowerPoint template

Letterhead template

Goals Poster template

WPS brand graphic elements – stylized people, #WPSProud flag, and strategic theme graphics

For any documents where the goal is to tell the WPS story to an external audience (i.e., recruiting

employees, explaining district choices and opportunities, providing information about high-profile

programs), we recommend the initiating department contact Kayla Pennick to work together to develop

one-off materials or new document templates that adhere to the current brand standards. She can be

reached at 316-973-4463 or kpennick@usd259.net.

The Strategic Communications team is working on building a brand photo library with approved, high-

quality photos that represent the underlying messages of our strategic plan. Once complete, photos will be

available for use by all in the district, and the recommendation will be to use only approved brand photos

in external-facing documents to ensure brand alignment and approval for use by the individual(s)

pictured.

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SPECIAL REQUESTS The WPS Strategic Communications team will be available for additional resource requests and to answer

questions about the visual standards. Please contact Strategic Communications for special requests and

resource help.

For special requests, please have the appropriate information ready before submitting your request. This

information should include: the message you wish to convey, the goal of your message, the timeline for

your campaign, the type of piece you wish to have created, the budget for your campaign, any additional

resources or imagery you wish to have included. Please contact the Strategic Communications team if you

need assistance in developing any or all of the pieces.

Please allow for adequate time for processing and production of your request. A one-month lead time is

preferred for any printed materials; a few weeks is appropriate for digital elements. If you need an

accelerated timeline, be prepared to explain the reasoning for that and how you will be prepared to track

the effectiveness of the materials produced. Special requests should always align with the overarching

mission and vision of Wichita Public Schools. Please note that not all requests will be approved due to

factors including alignment to mission and vision and priority within the queue of design work.