Graphic Elements

The BGSU brand has a set of graphic elements that create a unique look and make us recognizable. These elements can be dialed up or down individually depending on the audience, to add a richness and depth to compositions and create visual interest.

Glow

The glow element can help you add text on top of slim contrast images. The glow is developed to be use sparingly, to make text more legible. The color of the glow can be our lighter colors of our supplemental color options or a tone of the color to better blend in the design.

The edges of the glow should be soft enough to not notice where it ends.

How to create custom Gradient Meshes
  1. Create a white rectangle in Illustrator
  2. Select the Gradient Mesh tool (U)
  3. Click a number points in the rectangle to create the mesh
  4. Select different points and add primary and secondary colors (typically warm tones)
  5. Adjust the point placement and bezier handles to create dynamic and interesting shapes
  6. To create a transparent background, select the white points around the shape and set their opacity to 0%
  7. Copy and paste the gradient mesh into Photoshop as a Smart Object
  8. Apply Filter  Noise, start with 5% and adjust based on the scale of the gradient mesh to match the noise in the existing set of gradients.

Radius on images and shapes

Adding a .25 for print, 12 px for digital, to images or shapes matches the tag element. It shouldn’t  be over used and can be used with square images and shapes. When overlaying elements, both hard and curved edges can be used.

Tags

Tags are a highly flexible visual element that can serve a number of purposes. They can be used as labels for content, create emphasis, or as a wayfinding device. In digital applications they can used as a filter, button, displaying selected options and the corresponding content. Tags are a great way to incorporate secondary colors but should not be overused. On digital applications, tags should include some type of interactive state for a user and are best for hyperlinked buttons.

Brackets

Brackets should be used for quotes, subhead, and to accentuate key information. Double quotes should be used for quotes and highlighting information, and single quotes can be used for larger text including headlines and secondary callouts. Brackets should be used sparingly and not more than 1-2 in a piece.

Arrows

Arrows will be used to highlight content and draw attention to key information.Arrows should look lightweight and the arrow point should match the angle of our other shapes. Arrows should be used sparingly.

Updated: 08/10/2025 09:35PM