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IECC Color & Style Guidelines
Colors and consistent styling play a crucial role in maintaining IECC's brand identity. Following these guidelines ensures that all communications feel professional, cohesive, and recognizable while allowing each college to maintain its distinct presence.
Note: For additional resources related to our brand colors and style elements, please visit our complete branding resources page. For information on typography and logo usage, please see our dedicated Typography and Logo Usage pages.
Our Colors
Colors shape how people perceive and connect with our brand. At IECC, our colors create a unified identity while allowing each college to maintain its distinct presence. Following our color guidelines reinforces IECC's reputation, making materials visually appealing and accessible.
IECC Teal: A Unifying and Versatile Neutral
IECC teal was selected as a neutral color that complements and contrasts with each college's primary colors. This shade ensures a unified brand identity while letting each college stand out. It serves as a versatile backdrop that enhances, rather than competes with, institutional individuality.
Used consistently, IECC teal provides stability and connection across all communications. Whether in digital media, print materials, or signage, it reinforces the strength of the IECC system.
Why Color Consistency Matters
- Recognizability: Correct colors ensure instant association with IECC and its colleges.
- Professionalism: A consistent palette reflects quality and attention to detail.
- Visual Harmony: IECC teal balances designs while allowing college colors to stand out.
- Accessibility: Proper contrast improves readability and inclusivity.
- Emotional Connection: Colors evoke trust and strengthen engagement with IECC.
Primary Color Palette
Secondary Colors & Accents
In addition to our primary colors, these secondary and accent colors provide flexibility and visual interest across IECC communications.
Color Applications
Consistent application of our color palette strengthens brand recognition and reinforces the IECC identity. Here are guidelines for applying colors effectively across various media and materials.
Color Combinations & Hierarchy
Strategic color pairings create visual hierarchy and improve readability while maintaining brand consistency. When combining colors, ensure sufficient contrast for accessibility.
with White Text
Excellent contrast for important headings and call-to-action elements.
with IECC Teal Text
Clean, professional look for main content areas and secondary headings.
with Black Text
Subtle differentiation for supporting information and sidebar content.
Gradient
Dynamic visual interest for banners, dividers, and decorative elements.
Style Elements
Beyond colors, consistent style elements help create a cohesive IECC brand experience. These visual cues tie our communications together while allowing for creativity and distinctiveness.
Shape & Line Elements
IECC's visual identity incorporates clean lines, geometric shapes, and thoughtful use of white space to create a modern, professional appearance.
Clean, horizontal lines at varying lengths create visual hierarchy and section breaks. Use college colors or IECC teal.
Simple shapes like squares, circles, and triangles can be used as design accents or content containers.
Use subtle color blocks with vertical borders to organize content and create visual structure.
Use consistent card styles with subtle shadows and borders to contain related content.
Design Principles
These principles guide our visual approach across all materials, ensuring a consistent and professional brand experience.
DO: Embrace White Space
Allow for generous margins and padding between elements. This creates a clean, professional appearance and improves readability. Avoid cluttered designs with too many competing elements.
DO: Maintain Consistent Alignment
Use consistent alignment (left, center, or right) within documents to create order and structure. Create clear reading paths through logical alignment of text and visual elements.
DO: Create Visual Hierarchy
Guide the viewer's eye through your design by establishing clear hierarchy using size, weight, color, and placement. Important elements should stand out visually from supporting content.
DON'T: Mix Too Many Styles
Avoid using too many different styles, colors, or graphic elements in a single design. This creates visual confusion and weakens the impact of your message.
DON'T: Sacrifice Readability for Style
Never compromise legibility for aesthetic choices. Text should always be easily readable against its background with appropriate sizing and contrast.
Digital vs. Print Considerations
While our brand colors remain consistent across all media, there are important considerations when applying them:
- Digital Applications: Use RGB and HEX color values for websites, social media, and digital presentations. Ensure colors are web-safe and maintain appropriate contrast for accessibility.
- Print Applications: Use PANTONE and CMYK color values for all printed materials. Be aware that colors may appear slightly different across various print methods and paper stocks.
- Environmental Applications: For signage, merchandise, and physical spaces, use PANTONE color matching to ensure consistency with surrounding elements.
Color Accessibility
Creating accessible materials is essential to ensuring our communications are inclusive for all audiences, including those with visual impairments. Color choices play a significant role in accessibility.
Contrast Guidelines
To meet Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), maintain appropriate contrast ratios between text and background colors:
- Standard Text: Minimum contrast ratio of 4.5:1
- Large Text: Minimum contrast ratio of 3:1
- Graphical Elements: Minimum contrast ratio of 3:1 between adjacent colors
(Passes WCAG AAA)
Excellent contrast ratio of 5.6:1, suitable for all text sizes.
(Passes WCAG AAA)
Excellent contrast ratio of 5.6:1, suitable for all text sizes.
(Passes WCAG AAA)
Excellent contrast ratio of 7.2:1, suitable for all text sizes.
(Passes WCAG AAA)
Excellent contrast ratio of 14.6:1, suitable for all text sizes.
Beyond Color
Remember that color should never be the only means of conveying information. Always use additional indicators such as:
- Text labels to accompany color-coded information
- Patterns or textures to differentiate between areas in charts and graphs
- Icons or symbols to reinforce messages communicated with color
This ensures that people with color blindness or other visual impairments can still access all information.
College-Specific Applications
Each college within IECC should prominently feature its primary color while incorporating IECC teal as a unifying element. This approach maintains individual college identity while reinforcing the IECC brand.
Branded Material
Yellow primary with teal accents.
Branded Material
Green primary with teal accents.
Branded Material
Navy primary with teal accents.
Branded Material
Red primary with teal accents.
Color Application Guidelines
- Primary Usage: IECC Teal should be used for main institutional elements and as an accent color across all colleges.
- College Identity: Each college should prominently use its designated primary color for college-specific materials.
- Contrast: Ensure text is readable by maintaining proper contrast between text and background colors.
- Consistency: Use colors at their proper values without altering transparency or adding effects.
- Digital Color: For digital applications, use the RGB and HEX values to maintain color accuracy.
- Print Color: For printed materials, use the PANTONE and CMYK values to ensure consistency.