The Starvard brand
Starvard.
One seal, two colors, and a promise: the identity of the free university, kept simple enough for anyone to use well.
The logo
The Seal. Our whole crest, in one circle.
The Starvard seal is the logo. An open book, a star, and a laurel, in navy and gold. It works at the size of a coin and the size of a banner, and it never needs a lockup, a tagline, or help.
Seal on Ivory
Seal on Midnight
Clear space: keep a margin around the seal equal to the height of the star. Minimum size: 24 pixels; below that, use the gold period alone. Downloads: take the real files, never a screenshot.
Never stretch or squash it.
Never recolor it. Navy and gold only.
Never tilt it. The university stands up straight.
Never add shadows or effects.
The colors
Navy and gold. And room to breathe.
Two colors do the work: a deep academic navy and an honest gold. Everything else is paper, ink, and air. Tap any swatch to copy its hex.
The type
Two voices. One modern, one ancient.
Aa
The University Voice: system sans
Headlines and interface, set tight (tracking −3 on display sizes), black or slate. The first sentence is ink; the second is gray. That contrast is the Starvard rhythm.
Aa
The Masters Voice: Georgia serif
Reserved for the Masters Library and anything carved in stone: names, dates, quotations from the greats. If Socrates is speaking, he speaks in serif.
The image system
Warm 3D still lifes. Never clip art.
Starvard pictures are rendered like beautiful objects in a museum of kindness: one clear subject cluster, a soft ivory ground, golden light, a gentle shadow, no text. The nine subjects of the university, one per school:
And one painting above all: the campus at golden hour, ivory halls under navy roofs, which opens the homepage and anchors the brand.
The voice
Plain, kind, and allergic to hype.
113 classes. Zero dollars.
Say the real number, then the price. The price is always zero.
Education is a kindness. So we give it away.
The mission, in one breath. Use it whole or not at all.
Class is in session. It always is.
The sign-off. Warm, confident, and true around the clock.
Voice rules: short sentences. Real numbers. No exclamation inflation. Never imply a degree we do not grant. Never a pop-up, a countdown, or a guilt trip. If Khan Academy would not say it with a donation wall in front, we do not say it at all.