Everything needed to implement the new brand is all in the York University Brand Toobox.
Packed with useful information, the Toolbox will act as a guide to how best leverage the new brand, as well as how to reflect and reinforce it in all communications going forward.
The many diversified elements are presented in a way so that community members can communicate to the outside world with one clear voice that articulates all that York has to offer. The new Toolbox will 
help the University to stand out in a crowded world of postsecondary choices – but only if everyone works together.
“Our hope is that the Brand Toolbox serves as a key resource to help everyone be consistent in communicating about about what makes us unique and what students, staff and faculty expect from a York U experience. The ultimate goal is to break through the public consciousness,” says Robin Edmison, associate director of Marketing & Creative Services in the Division of Communications & Public Affairs. “The website will evolve with the needs of the York community and will be updated, added to where appropriate and kept current.”
It’s important that York portray a unified and vibrant personality that current and future students, parents, faculty, staff, administrators and donors can identify with and be proud of. The Toolbox is where it all starts.
To enter the Toolbox, click on the red Brand Toolbox button on the right side navigation panel of the Communications & Public Affairs Division website. It will direct you to log in through your Passport York account.
Once in, you can start exploring. The first thing you’ll notice is a video – Refreshing the York Brand – which explains how the brand came about, why it’s necessary and who was involved. The Toolbox is designed to help plan communications with the brand in mind.
On the left panel is a list of links to everything that is needed to implement the brand, from the Brand Guide, Graphic Standards and Web Standards to Writing Style and Resources.
The Brand Guide gives the logic behind the change, the brand’s personality, its essence and values. Wonder what the four words are that define York’s personality and voice? Have a search through the Toolbox. Looking for talking points, check out Audience Messages under the Brand Guide, where you can also find out how to be brand ambassador, whether you’re a staff or faculty member, a student or alumni.
Under Graphic Standards is where you’ll find the visual design standards, more about York letterhead, along with both high- and low-resolution logos, including a social media icon. Graphic standards help York to communicate a consistent visual image.
Web Standards provides guides and guidelines for website style, accessibility and production, as well as social media guidelines.
Looking for pictures? Check out the burgeoning York Image Collection under Resources, along with photo and video taking guidelines and consent forms. There you’ll also find useful templates in full colour and black & white for certificates, e-mail signatures, faxes, letterhead stationery, memos, PowerPoint presentations – both standard and widescreen – HTML websites, video intros and extros and more.
The York University Brand Toobox is full of necessary, interesting and important information that will help breathe life into York’s new Brand. And it’s all in one convenient, easy to access place.