Our audience is serious, determined and focused and our graphics should reflect that. Yes Pasadena City College is inviting and friendly, but at the end of the day we are a community of individuals striving to better our opportunities and lives.

Graphics need to be consistent with the Pasadena City College brand. They must follow brand guidelines and use the appropriate colors, typography and style.  Less is more. Get to the point. Keep it clean and concise. Use white space — let your graphics and collateral breath. Be bold. Use background color to highlight and create visual impact.

Graphics should complement, enhance and clarify, not retract and confuse.

When creating graphics and developing the copy of graphics, refer to the Writing Style Guide and to the Brand Guidelines. Refrain from creating offensive graphics or humorous graphics that may not be relevant to all audiences.

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Can I use Cartoons? Characters? 

The answer is... mostly no. There may be instances that cartoons, graphic characters and other stylized artwork may be appropriate, but this must be vetted by Strategic Communications and Marketing.

• One place on the website that you can have a bit more liberty with graphics is within your section’s News and posts. News is a bit more timely and relates to a particular topic or event that might be beyond the confines of PCC. Regardless, graphics should be handled with care and have an intentional purpose.

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Graphics from the Web

Graphics need to be original or have the necessary licensing to be used for Pasadena City College. Do not use images from Google Images or other resources on the web that you do not have rights to.

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If you need graphics or have questions about graphics usage on the website, contact Strategic Communications and Marketing.