Jump to Navigation

Design Guidelines

Home › Web & Identity Guidelines › Design Guidelines

Currently Have a .org or .com Instead of Columbia.edu?

We appreciate that various parts of the University may have found it simpler to develop websites outside the Columbia.edu domain, but important reasons to reconsider this approach range from web security to the critical fact that such sites cannot even be found by those searching the University website. The Office of Communications and Public Affairs and CUIT would be glad to work with you on migrating such sites back within Columbia.edu.

Webpage Design

To accommodate the plethora of mobile devices users may utilize to view your site and to maximize search engine optimization, your site should be designed responsively. You are also encouraged to use templates and color palettes that mirror the look and feel of the University homepage. In lieu of that, there are a few rules to follow.

In the banner:

  • Include the official University homepage hyperlink in the left-hand corner of the rooftop or banner of every webpage (see sample templates). Rooftop text should appear in Arial or a similar font, white (#ffffff) and be 0.7em/8pt/11px in size.
  • Use hex value #174785 (blue), #000000 (black), or #666666 (gray) for the background color in the rooftop.
  • Include a search box in the upper right-hand corner of every webpage.

In the footer:

Other considerations:

  • Logos and identities should be rendered in the official University font, Trajan Pro, and converted to a jpeg or gif. Avoid using Trajan regular as it is narrower and tends to pixelate.
  • Utilize standard CSS web font stacks for content and navigation.
  • Webpages should be scalable; barring that capability, the width of each page should be a minimum of 950 pixels.
  • Test your website on different monitors, operating systems, devices and browsers to ensure consistent rendering across platforms.
  • Consult CUIT and the Office of Disability Services regarding accessibility issues.

University Colors and the University Identity

Columbia Blue is #c4d8e2. Complimentary official University colors are: #002b7f, #75aadb and #0038a8. Other complimentary color palettes are also available.

  • The official University web logo is movable and scalable; however, do not change the aspect ratio or color of the image. For an electronic copy of the official University logo, contact Junie Lee in University Publications ([email protected]).
  • The University identity can be reproduced in black (#000000), white (#ffffff), gray (#999999) and the following blues: #c4d8e2, #002b7f, #75aadb, #A8cee2 and #0038a8.
  • Do not use the crown without the accompanying name of the University.
  • Do not use the University seal or shield as a stand-in for the crown logo or to represent the University as a whole. The seal is for official use only by the trustees.
  • Do not combine multiple logos or visual marks. For example, do not use the official University identity on top of or next to the logo for a school or research center.

For additional advice on designing your website, contact Sheri Whitley at 212-854-8394 or [email protected].