In this section...
- Overview
- Core Concepts
- Working with the Media
- Media Development
- UNDP Web Presence
- So You Want to Produce a Publication…
- Special Events
- Public Service Announcements
- Advocating for UNDP
- Social Media
- Public Inquiries
- How to Conduct a Campaign
- Showcasing Partnerships
- Writing for UNDP
- Translations
- Graphic Design and Applying the UNDP Logo
- Photography
- Video and Documentaries
- Procurement for Communications
- Tools
- Best Practices
- Templates/Photos
- Français/Español
Reaching the Outside World
Graphic Design and Applying the UNDP Logo
Strong visual communication should complement all forms of written and spoken communications. Each element of any communications product contributes to making an impression on your audiences. Whether you are putting together a press release or a report, attractive visuals draw attention and reinforce key messages.
Communications research shows that people absorb information in different ways. Some will read a document from start to finish. Others will look mainly at charts and graphs, or will scan headlines and pull-quotes culled from the main text and placed in the margins. A well-produced communications product will skilfully appeal to these different styles, maximizing the number of people who will absorb its messages.
A basic rule for all visual elements: When in doubt, keep it simple. Try
to convey one idea at a time—a photograph with one person, a chart with
one comparison, a page with one graphic element.
Click the links below for:
Every well-designed piece has a few things in common.
-
One thing dominates the page. It could be the headline or the picture, but not both. Something has to dominate. The Human Development Report 2010 is a good example. The illustration is the dominate element on the page. The secondary element is the title.
-
A limited variety of typefaces. Your computer may come with 300-plus typefaces, but that doesn’t mean you have to use all of them. The best designers stick with one, maybe two per piece, plus the logo.
The designer who created the look of the UNDP brand and logo selected the Myriad typeface family and recommended either Times Roman or Caslon as a secondary font. UNDP has purchased the Myriad font license for the entire organization. You can download the Myriad typeface from the UNDP Help Desk: Branding Fonts for Windows. If you need a Macintosh-compatible version, please contact the Communications Products Manager at communications.toolkit@undp.org.
Some rules of thumb for
working with type:Use large bold type for headlines (Myriad bold).
Use a serif font like Times Roman or Caslon for longer documents. The serifs (little ‘feet’) on the letters aid in reading longer texts. No matter how wide the column of text, limit the number of characters per line to about 40. It is hard for the eyes to follow a longer line.
Do not use bold, italic and underline all at once.
Select one form of emphasis, such as bold, and use that. When you emphasize everything, you emphasize nothing.
Easy-to-read text. If the type is too small or condensed, if the columns are too wide or the paragraphs are too long, text becomes too much work to read and people won’t
Break up pages by interspersing short paragraphs with longer, indented paragraphs using bullet points or bold subheads.
-
Use relevant illustrations/photographs. Make your key messages the blueprint for all charts, tables, maps and photographs. Use charts, for example, that elaborate and support the points you are trying to make in the main text. Resist the temptation to insert graphics just because they are interesting or visually attractive; this distracts the reader.
Since borders carry political connotations, maps can be problematic. All maps in publications or exhibits should come from the UN Cartographic Unit, as the most reliable and official source (please contact Vladimir Bessarabov at bessarabov@un.org). They should carry the following disclaimer: “The designations employed and the presentation of material on this map do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of the United Nations or UNDP concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area.” -
White space. Don’t feel compelled to fill every inch of space with copy or pictures. A dense blob of type and pictures can look unattractive and confusing, and will turn readers away. An open, airy design is inviting and friendly.
-
Consistency. Repeat design elements and styles to help navigate a longer document.
-
Proximity. Present elements close together or far apart to suggest a relationship—or lack of one.
-
A well-designed cover. If you are pressed for funds on a longer publication, try at least to have a well-designed cover. The cover is your first—and perhaps only—chance to spark interest in the text inside. Find a design that is new, different, controversial or that otherwise makes it immediately clear to people why they should keep reading.
For more information, and a detailed description of when to use graphic elements such as tables, pie-charts, bar charts, line graphics, diagrams and text boxes, see the HDR Toolkit. For additional information, please contact the Communications Products Manager at communications.toolkit@undp.org.
While UNDP encourages creativity in the design of publications, basic graphic standards help maintain a consistent corporate identity. A complete description of the standards is on the Intranet in English, French and Spanish. Some of the most important include the following:
Applying the UNDP logo. Downloadable UNDP and UN logo files can be accessed on the UNDP intranet in English, French, and Spanish. When using the logo, use an original copy downloaded from the Intranet. The logo should not be altered in any way. The logo should be placed at the top right-hand corner on the front cover of all printed publications: magazines, reports, books, brochures, posters, flyers and exhibit displays, with the exception of the Human Development Report and the Administrator’s Illustrated Annual Report. (In the case of Arabic language publications, the logos should be placed on the upper left corner). See also the UNDP Policy on Logo Use.
The application of the logo also needs careful oversight. There are specific rules for the application, outlined in the UNDP Graphic Standards, with regards to use on stationery items, envelopes, book covers, banners, folders, etc. This publication should be given to graphic designers who are providing services to the organization so as to avoid misapplication.
The following examples demonstrate UNDP logos that have been created incorrectly. Please also see The UNDP Logo: What Not to Do, prepared by the Office of Communications in New York, to see additional examples and explanations on UNDP logo misapplications.
Incorrect use of the UNDP logo. From left to right, top row: do not use a black
border; do not change the colour; do not try to redraw and use a different font;
do not use a white (or any other colour) border. Second row: do not use both
acronyms at the same time; do not distort the image; do not change the
orientation of the logo; do not put the logo inside a circle or any other shape.
UNDP Promotional Items. The Office of Communications has produced promotional items to advance UNDP's brand and messages amongst external and internal audiences. To learn more about these items, and to access art files to produce your own promotional items locally adapted to your Country Office needs, please visit the UNDP promotional materials page on the Communications Intranet. The UNDP Graphic Standards for Design also has a section devoted to UNDP promo items. Finally, the UNDP China office recently produced a promo items catalogue, which contains a listing of items that the office is able to procure locally for the global UNDP network.
Democratic Dialogue - A Handbook
for Practitioners, a UNDP publication published in partnership with the
Canadian International Development Agency, the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance,
and the Organization of American
States.
Partner Logos. When producing a publication with other partners (e.g., UNICEF, UNFPA, government institutions, civil society organizations and private sector entities), all logos should be placed on the same line either at the bottom or at the top of the front cover of the publication. All logos should be visually equal; no one logo should take precedence over the logos of partner organizations. There are no exceptions to this rule.
The cover to the right shows the correct logo application: all four logos are visually equal. To view another example of the correct use of partner logos in a UNDP publication please see the Development and Transition poster produced by the UNDP Bratislava Regional Centre and Achieving the Millennium Development Goals in Africa, Recommendations of the MDG Africa Steering Group to the July 2008 African Union Summit Media Advisory.
Description of UNDP. A standard description of UNDP should appear at the beginning or end of each publication. You can download this in English, French or Spanish.
Date and contact details. The back cover should list the date of the publication and the contact address for copies and information. The date should reflect the time of publication, not the time the publication was researched or written.
