The essence is Discover Joy.

Valpo shapes servant leaders who find joy in the success of others. The platform line is Grounded, we radiate.

Logos sit on primary colors only.

Full color is the default. One-color brown when the flame lacks contrast. Gold only on brown or dark fields. Never on teal, magenta, orange, or light blue.

The crest never stands alone.

The shield can. The athletics logo is for athletics only. Outside the Midwest, lead with Valparaiso University, not Valpo.

Co-brands are colleges and departments.

Not majors, minors, or programs. Use the official files. No stretch, shadow, recolor, or new marks.

Two headline patterns do most of the work.

Grounded in [value], we radiate [outcome]. Or simply: Radiate [quality]. Then stop. The light metaphor gets tired fast.

Four typefaces, and only those.

Span for headlines. DM Sans for almost everything else. Sweet Sans Pro for tiny tracked labels. Sharpie only when the tone is informal.

Every gradient includes brown or gold.

Do not pour the whole primary palette into one gradient. Do not invent off-brand stops.

Prestige is a different palette.

Metallic brown and gold, plus teal and light blue, for the president’s office and high-dollar donor work. It has its own logo.