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(Brand guidelines) // Education

Harvard brand
guidelines

Harvard’s logo, colors, fonts, voice, and dos and don’ts, from the Brand Skill Rainbrand built from harvard.edu.

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About Harvard

Harvard is a research university rooted in teaching, scholarship, and public service. Its identity brings together a long academic history, a broad university community, and a commitment to advancing knowledge.

Use the Harvard shield or Harvard University wordmark for university-wide identity. Keep the VERITAS shield artwork intact and use a background that preserves its border and book details.

Use the white wordmark on a dark or Crimson surface. Keep school, office and athletics marks within their own contexts.

Harvard colors

  • Harvard Crimson

    Shield and university accent

    HEX
    RGB

  • Near black

    Dark surfaces

    HEX
    RGB

  • White

    Wordmark and contrast

    HEX
    RGB

  • Light gray

    Supporting neutral

    HEX
    RGB

Harvard fonts

  • GT America

    H1 · 700, Body · 400, Primary controls · 500

  • Canela Deck

    Display headings · 400

Font names only. The Brand Skill download doesn’t include font files.

Harvard’s voice

Harvard’s voice is scholarly, welcoming, and grounded in public purpose. It connects academic rigor to human possibility, speaks to learners across life stages, and gives research and history a clear social context.

Write with clarity and substance. Make complex topics accessible without making the work sound casual or promotional. When describing Harvard, connect its people, scholarship, and history to the broader world.

  • “Learning at Harvard can happen for every type of learner, at any phase of life”
  • “Those who join our community—to learn, research, teach, work, and grow—join nearly four centuries of students and scholars in the pursuit of truth, knowledge, and a better world”
  • “We believe in the value of knowledge, the power of teaching and research, and the ways that what we do here can benefit society”

Dos and don’ts

Do

  • Use Harvard’s own identity artwork and keep office-specific identity within its context.
  • Use Crimson as a clear accent within a restrained palette.
  • Pair the display serif with GT America to give content both character and readability.
  • Write in an informed, inclusive voice that welcomes learners and connects scholarship with public benefit.
  • Choose photography that shows real people, learning, research, campus places, and the university’s collections.

Don’t

  • Don’t substitute a unit’s identity for the Harvard University mark.
  • Don’t let secondary colors overpower Crimson and the restrained neutral palette.
  • Don’t make scholarly topics sound inaccessible or detached from people and society.
  • Don’t treat every Harvard story as a campus landmark story; show the university’s people, ideas, and breadth of work as well.

Harvard imagery

88 images from harvard.edu, in 5 files of the Brand Skill. Each file starts with its guidance, then shows the images it refers to.

Imagery campus and places

19 images

Harvard imagery often centers on recognizable campus places, architecture, gardens, libraries, and the visitor experience. Balance historic brick and established landscapes with active, contemporary spaces. Show places as lived-in settings for learning, discovery, and community—not merely as empty monuments.

  • Three large crimson banners hang between white Corinthian columns of a brick academic building, each featuring the Harvard University shield with the Latin…
  • A man in a dark green button-down shirt gestures with both hands while explaining a concept to three female students in a busy science laboratory.
  • A person with dark curly hair, seen from behind in a black puffer jacket, stands on steps while addressing a large, diverse group of tourists on a paved path.
  • A carved wooden Harvard crest featuring the Latin motto "VE RI TAS" serves as the focal point, framed by a gothic arch.
  • An interior shot of the Moise Y.
  • A woman with dark hair tied back jogs along a grassy bank, wearing a maroon sweatshirt, black leggings, and wireless earbuds while holding a smartphone.
  • A white church steeple towers over a snow-covered academic quad, framed by tall, bare trees with branches lightly dusted in white.
  • A dramatic low-angle interior shot looking up through a sharp, triangular glass atrium at a clear blue sky and leafless winter trees.
  • A wide-angle, sepia-toned architectural sketch depicts a bird's-eye view of a sprawling urban development along a river.
  • Massive gray Doric columns and a classical pediment dominate this vertical photograph of a university building, framed by the soft-focus leaves of an autumn…
  • A woman sits barefoot on a sun-dappled lawn, leaning against a large tree trunk while working on a silver laptop.
  • A maroon and gold sign reading "HARVARD UNIVERSITY DIVISION OF CONTINUING EDUCATION" stands in the foreground of this outdoor photograph.
  • A wide-angle photograph captures a bustling, grand library hall where students sit at long wooden tables equipped with brass desk lamps.
  • A wide-angle, low-angle photograph captures the dramatic, multi-level atrium of a modern architectural space featuring white zigzagging staircases and high…
  • A diverse group of tourists follows a guide along a paved path in a grassy park surrounded by tall, leafy trees and historic white brick campus buildings.
  • A dark bronze statue of John Harvard seated in a chair is positioned against a light grey granite building with four large rectangular windows.
  • A wide-angle photo captures four visitors from behind as they view a dense gallery wall covered in dozens of small, framed black-and-white portrait sketches.
  • A diverse group of adults stands in a grassy park clearing, listening intently to a man in a tan utility vest and baseball cap who gestures as he speaks.
  • A silhouette of a person stands before a vibrant, large-scale digital art installation featuring a vertical gradient of purple, red, and yellow.

Imagery people and learning

3 images

Show a varied university community in genuine settings: conversation, teaching, study, work, and shared experiences. Use documentary-feeling moments and natural interactions to convey belonging and intellectual life.

  • A middle-aged man with glasses in a blue button-down shirt gesticulates while leading a seminar in a bright classroom.
  • A dense crowd of diverse graduates in black gowns and mortarboards processes through an outdoor commencement ceremony at Harvard University.
  • A close-up photograph features an older man wearing a 'U.S.

Imagery history and collections

30 images

Harvard’s history and collections can be told through archival photographs, portraits, documents, artifacts, and visual records of campus life. Preserve the historical character of these materials; use them to illuminate specific people, events, and perspectives rather than as generic decoration.

  • A square-framed, sepia-toned vintage portrait of a man in traditional Chinese Qing-era attire.
  • An older East Asian woman with short grey hair and glasses sits in a classroom-like setting, gesturing with both hands open as if explaining a concept.
  • A sepia-toned vintage portrait features a young East Asian man with a prominent, well-groomed handlebar mustache looking slightly away from the camera.
  • A close-up portrait of a South Asian woman with black hair and a warm smile, framed by vibrant yellow flowers in the foreground and a lush, sunlit garden…
  • A grainy, black-and-white portrait of a young East Asian man with a neat side-parted hairstyle looking off-camera with a slight, curious smile.
  • A vintage black and white studio portrait focuses on the serene face of an elderly Asian woman.
  • A grainy, black-and-white newspaper-style photograph features an elderly woman wearing a dark graduation cap and gown.
  • A grainy black-and-white candid photograph captures a row of people seated together in a formal indoor setting, likely a lecture or meeting.
  • A grainy, sepia-toned vintage photograph shows a woman in a light-colored blazer sitting at a large, complex mechanical device.
  • A close-up portrait shows an older woman with a grey bob and rectangular glasses, smiling warmly while seated in a high-backed armchair.
  • A close-up, vintage-style photograph captures an older woman with short dark hair in profile, smiling softly as she looks toward a window.
  • A vintage black-and-white candid photo features five Black women standing together in a tiered group pose indoors.
  • A grainy, black-and-white archival photograph captures a group of women in a vintage laboratory or study room, likely the Harvard Computers.
  • A group of ten young women in 1940s-style professional attire pose for a black-and-white group portrait on stone outdoor steps.
  • A sepia-toned vintage portrait features a young man with curly hair and a mustache, dressed in a formal suit and patterned tie.
  • A full-length vintage sepia-toned photograph of a young woman standing against a plain, light background.
  • A grainy black-and-white archival photograph of Chaim Weizmann speaking at a podium.
  • A low-angle photograph features four diverse adults smiling in front of a wood-paneled wall, centered beneath a large framed portrait of an elderly Black…
  • A formal sepia-toned studio portrait of a Black man with a mustache, gazing slightly off-camera with a neutral, dignified expression.
  • A grain-textured, square candid photograph captures a Black woman beaming with pride during a graduation ceremony.
  • A realistic oil painting features a Black man with a mustache in a formal gray overcoat and high-collared shirt, posing with one hand on his hip.
  • A close-up, black and white portrait of Carter G.
  • A close-up, high-angle photograph features a cast metal relief map with a weathered, dark bronze finish.
  • An oil painting of an Indigenous man with long dark hair, wearing a black Puritan-style robe with a stiff white collar.
  • A man with short dark hair stands in a dense field of tall, dry reeds, looking off to the side with a calm, neutral expression.
  • A close-up photograph of a computer screen showing a Zoom-style video conference grid featuring several diverse participants.
  • An impressionist oil painting of a coastal cove features jagged, multi-colored cliffs in shades of white, ochre, and deep red.
  • A medium headshot of a smiling, middle-aged man with salt-and-pepper hair, wearing a tan blazer over a blue and white checkered button-down shirt.
  • A group of approximately twenty Indigenous people, primarily elders, pose for a outdoor portrait in front of a traditional adobe building with a large wooden…
  • A square, dark grey stone commemorative plaque is mounted onto a red brick wall, with a soft shadow cast to its right.

Imagery leadership and research

35 images

Leadership and research imagery should feel direct and human. Use candid interaction, engaged expression, and authentic academic or civic settings. Research topics can move from portraits and campus moments to visual subjects such as climate, democracy, technology, and health.

  • A side-by-side composite of two professional headshots.
  • A close-up photograph features a middle-aged man with a salt-and-pepper beard and round glasses, speaking mid-conversation with an engaging expression.
  • A close-up photographic portrait of a middle-aged man with a salt-and-pepper beard and thin round spectacles, offering a gentle smile.
  • A medium shot of a middle-aged man with short salt-and-pepper hair, smiling warmly while standing on outdoor brick stairs.
  • A close-up portrait of a smiling middle-aged man with short dark hair, wearing a navy blue blazer, a white button-down shirt, and a red patterned tie.
  • A low-angle shot looks up at an ornate black wrought-iron gate featuring the Harvard shield with the text "VERITAS" and a decorative "H." Yellow spring…
  • A split-screen composition featuring two corporate headshots of smiling men in business attire.
  • Ornate Corinthian columns and stone friezes anchor this architectural photograph of a brick academic building.
  • A medium portrait of a smiling middle-aged man with a salt-and-pepper beard and round glasses, standing with his hands in his pockets.
  • A dark bronze statue of John Harvard sits in profile, heavily silhouetted in the foreground against a bright university quad.
  • A cheerful young Black man in a blue Christ's Hospital windbreaker takes a selfie with an older man wearing round glasses, a red tie, and a black coat.
  • A man in a red Harvard pullover shakes hands with an older man carrying a cardboard box on a tree-lined campus walkway.
  • A beaming man with glasses and a grey beard stands in the center of a basketball court, framed by two Harvard women’s basketball players in white and crimson…
  • A man with glasses and a salt-and-pepper beard smiles warmly while holding his hands over his heart during a graduation ceremony.
  • A bespectacled man in a dark suit and light teal tie leans forward to warmly shake hands with an elderly woman wearing a traditional red patterned vest and…
  • A man in a grey suit and round glasses shakes hands with a smiling young man in an olive-drab U.S.
  • A joyful group of academics celebrates on a stage, centered on a bearded man in a black doctoral gown with his arms raised in triumph while holding a small…
  • A professor with a salt-and-pepper beard and round glasses shakes hands with a smiling graduate in black regalia and sunglasses.
  • A group of five smiling people pose together outdoors in front of a red brick university building.
  • A man in a suit and glasses sits in a wooden armchair on a blue patterned rug, gesturing during a talk in a dark, wood-paneled hall.
  • A man with glasses and a beard delivers a speech from a tall mahogany-colored wooden podium under warm stage lighting.
  • A low-angle full shot captures a smiling man in a blue suit and patterned red tie walking alongside a woman in a magenta cardigan and navy dress.
  • A wide outdoor photograph captures a graduation or convocation ceremony from the perspective of a large, seated audience.
  • A man with a grey-flecked beard and glasses stands behind a dark, ornate wooden lectern while delivering a speech in a room with warm wood paneling.
  • An older, bespectacled man with a grey beard and a red tie stands at the center of a candid group conversation during a professional event.
  • This conceptual aerial photograph reveals a vast, lush green forest with a clearing shaped precisely like a world map.
  • A continuous roll of white sticker paper unfurls across a plain white surface, displaying a series of oval stickers.
  • A close-up photograph of a server room hallway featuring black hardware racks with glowing teal and purple LED internal lights.
  • An elderly couple is captured from behind, walking arm-in-arm down a narrow dirt path between lush foliage and a rustic wooden fence.
  • A bespectacled man with a grey beard delivers a speech from an ornate, dark wood lectern against a wood-paneled wall.
  • A wide-angle photograph captures a speaker at a podium in a grand, wood-paneled hall with intricate gothic arches and shields.
  • A low-angle, medium shot depicts a middle-aged man with glasses and a grey beard speaking from a wooden podium during an outdoor event.
  • A man in a black academic gown waves with a smile while walking through a sunny university campus during a graduation ceremony.
  • A man with spectacles and a salt-and-pepper beard waves a raised hand from behind a dark wood podium.
  • A bearded man with glasses and a gray suit gestures emphatically while speaking from a dark wood podium in a formal hall.

Digital design

1 image

The captured Harvard website uses a dark interface with light text, a white accent, and a flat treatment without shadows. Keep this styling scoped to digital work; it is a website mode, distinct from the core brand palette.

The site’s component styling uses simple, lightly rounded buttons and cards. Primary and secondary buttons are outlined or filled with clear text contrast; links are visibly underlined. Preserve a strong type hierarchy and generous spacing.

  • An elevated aerial view captures a dense urban university campus during autumn, highlighted by two prominent circular glass-and-brick buildings.

Download Harvard’s Brand Skill

A Brand Skill is a folder of brand guidance written for agents. Give it to Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor or another agent and ask it to follow Harvard’s guidelines. It starts at SKILL.md, which points to the right file for each task.

It has the guidance, 88 images and the logos. The font files belong to President and Fellows of Harvard College, so they’re left out.

Download the Brand SkillZIP, 8.9 MB

harvard-brand-skill/

├ SKILL.md

├ README.md

├ references/

│ ├ dos-and-donts.md

│ ├ colors.md

│ ├ logo-and-identity.md

│ ├ typography.md

│ ├ voice.md

│ ├ imagery-campus-and-places.md

│ ├ imagery-people-and-learning.md

│ ├ imagery-history-and-collections.md

│ ├ imagery-leadership-and-research.md

│ └ digital-design.md

└ assets/

├ images/

└ logos/

Rainbrand’s Brand Agent built this Brand Skill from harvard.edu on 3 Nov 2026. It isn’t Harvard’s official guide. Reviewed by Siddharth Borderwala, Founding Engineer at Rainbrand.

Harvard and its logos are trademarks of President and Fellows of Harvard College. Rainbrand isn’t affiliated with or endorsed by President and Fellows of Harvard College.

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