WUSA {Brand Guidelines}
A strong brand is clear, unique and has a personality just like the audience it appeals to. Our branding guide provides WUSA staff, student-run services, and student members with an understanding of how to portray WUSA’s purpose, goals, and values most effectively in the content they create.
The WUSA Brand Guidelines will show us how to approach writing and graphic design for WUSA by outlining design and communication specifications that need to be followed to allow us to provide a consistent look and feel in our communications with students
Our Brand
Purpose
The Relationship between WUSA and Waterloo students is crucial. We are committed to improving the lives of Waterloo undergraduates both in and outside the classroom, empowering them to be part of the change they want to see while working on their behalf to build a stronger campus community.
We aim to bring Waterloo undergrads
Our Story
Our work aims to improve Waterloo undergrad student life.
WUSA serves as a collective student voice advocating for a better Waterloo experience. We offer student-run services, and special events to make our members’ time at Waterloo the best it can be.
We advocate for improved accessibility, safety, and wellbeing on campus representing Waterloo undergraduates as we build relationships with all levels of government, oversee hundreds of clubs, and offer transportation, social and financial support programs.
Audience
Our audience is simple but complex. We target Waterloo undergraduate students looking for help, entertainment, or involvement in student life.
There are 37,000 undergrads who are passionate about a wide variety of interests, come from vastly diverse backgrounds and have vastly different life experiences at Waterloo. Our goal is to keep a diverse set of personas in mind as we create touchpoints and messaging for our diverse, intelligent, and dynamic audience.
WUSA Pillars
Advocacy
Act as the collective voice for students, working with all levels of government
Governance
Our compass, run by students for students
Entertainment
Provide experiences that create lasting memories
Services
Facilitates services and support not offered by the University
For students, by students
Our Tone
We are students helping students, and that’s how we want to be portrayed. We are clear and concise and avoid using jargon because we’re not corporate.
As students, we are fun and lighthearted but maintain a respectable voice while emitting sense of competence and responsibility.
WUSA is direct, strong, and positive and that should be reflected in how we write and talk.
Does your writing sound:
To get you into that mindset, imagine you are a fourth-year student welcoming a close friend to campus for their first year at Waterloo. How would you talk to your friend who is just starting university What info would you share and how would you share it?
Keep this in mind when creating content.
We are always trying to find new ways to connect with student members and be more accessible. Use questions to evoke conversation in your copy.
Be transparent by avoiding over censoring negative or less-flattering comments or insights. Acknowledging weakness can help build trust and portray openness and honesty that will make our content and brand more trustworthy to our audience. That includes avoiding exaggerations. We want to make our content sound exciting and fun but not at the expense of being honest.