Our colours are an important part of who we are. Used wisely and creatively, they have a positive impact, help people to recognise us and make our content more effective.
Five blues make up our primary colour palette. Just like us, blue inspires creativity as well as having a calming, steadying effect. It's also associated with trust and respect.
Whenever we use colour, blue should always be there. And not just a little bit there – 80% of our colour in any design should come from this palette.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/79szu5XMf_L-vx2KO3VKpmwN0jwaaaYYOhYBKMLPIXOWsfPw_J49TAb3SmLg3pnuDvZoJSk4PhoW_LD6P-Afrr0bTQmprUGOkPRmsbOeXnpZhiPI7Jf-cptnW3D6Pqpv9UBfslw
You can use our blues as one flat colour or blend them to create a gradient. Gradients can help to create depth in our designs. They’re also an important part of helping people recognise us as the University of Nottingham.
Avoid combining gradients with too many other design elements and, as with all colour usage, make sure they're accessible.
[Insert image examples of blue gradients in the wild]
Our secondary colours are accents. They add zing and make our designs sing. They should be used sparingly, and not all at once. Secondary colours can make up a maximum of 20% of the overall colour. You can also use tints of these colours in tables and charts to help with legibility.
Some colours in our secondary palette correspond with a particular faculty.
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/3DbLW9MwGFZJLsu6o0fUk6zdNGwcLtgT_8WKyRvA0I6jXn9QR41ZqNJEgtLBVNJEH4cgZiacpi_JwOhKvGPnD7eHpvctU_5CXA17Qm8amtO5SbR9u8fduY0RdunRqrFCDo6xosw
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/ZyeQAqUgro2LRMJWnIuUgC1qVnC8mgF4HLtJAsTU4bAa-LMMas8XCd5CI7ySABc0UtyiKcOo921dT2HDQ8o5R6AH14rBvEbFlYSNiXnicKBf7AVhnAo0XB1yYwa31-ZtvGAE6FE
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/SAsPF7ThvOBHgSHPwc7PHCV6_tCRTaqeRlYYJtuw7Sq4-PpNUHlbA7L39ywqB7owjSVZLSlssXWlJVEg_P_7xXTkhe_zmvzQ0J0xXB2ns0iby8Mhn7LPP8wif7sg4j4ukpEuHBQ
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/PXgDa6Yb-KWRKHe5YyZBfbbs_KBis60Mx7hztnil89CRivjZ8jV7c7TUQKNd0HmZTfC-C3IoSuS_XkUrMELt0GY2Ka6r2-txgf6Q5CrmbMAnUNi4QeaFrpGBi1dinLUj9ROF5Xs
Download our Adobe Swatch Exchange (.ase) file to save our colours into the swatches in Adobe programs, such as InDesign or Illustrator.