BPS BRAND STRATEGY

The BPS Communications Division aims to amplify the work of the district visually with clarity, equity and intention. We share the Communications Memo which helps to guide BPS departments, staff and divisions on how to approach communications, content and media relations.

When we talk about BPS, we either say Boston Public Schools or BPS. As we talk about departments, we always capitalize offices and divisions (i.e., The Office of Human Capital, The Office of Capital Planning). The Communications Division advises on branding for a variety of projects ranging from fliers to campaigns.

We are committed to advancing racial equity. This means that we work to make sure that all of our work is translated into the 10 major languages; English, Arabic, Cape Verdean Creole, Chinese, French, Haitian Creole, Portuguese, Somali, Spanish, and Vietnamese.

This commitment informs our approach to newsletters, social media and photography. We want to showcase inclusion and the rich diversity of our school community. We also want to ensure that our images, posts and words showcase the positive story of our district. BPS students sign a media release form at the beginning of the school year that gives permission for them to be featured on camera and on digital streams.  The Communications Division contacts the School Leaders to confirm releases on file for major events or press stories.

The BPS Communications Division works with subject matter experts to ensure that we have the information we need on background so that we can position the district to do the work that is needed to provide a high quality public school education experience for families and students across the district.

COLORS

Our colors define our brand; They are bright, bold, and confident. The BPS main color palette consists of a royal blue “jumping boy” followed by navy blue text, with supporting tones and accents when necessary. CMYK is used when printing, while RGB and HEX codes are to be used digitally.

Main Colors

Primary Blue - Hex: #286eb7 | RGB: 40, 110, 183 | HSB: 211, 78, 72 | CMYK: 78, 39, 0, 28

Secondary Blue - Hex: #203967 | RGB: 32, 57, 103 | HSB: 219, 69, 40 | CMYK: 68, 44, 0, 59

Accent Colors

Accent Orange - Hex: #D43900 | RGB: 212, 57, 0 | HSB: 16, 100, 83 | CMYK: 0, 73, 100, 16

Accent Yellow - Hex: #e99a4f | RGB: 233, 154, 79 | HSB: 29, 66, 91 | CMYK: 0, 33, 66, 8

Accent Blue - Hex: #bde0ec | RGB: 189, 224, 236 | HSB: 195, 20, 93 | CMYK: 19, 5, 0, 7

Green New Deal - Hex: #a5cc8b | RGB: 165, 204, 139 | HSB: 96, 32, 80 | CMYK: 19, 0, 31, 19

Contrast and Accessibility

Our color specs are being updated not only for visual and user-friendly trends but also to meet the ADA requirements. The charts below show the accessible color pairs that meet a contrast ratio of 4:5:1 ratio of 4:5:1

LOGO

Our BPS Logo is a jumping child. The symbol is active and alive which is how we view our students across the district. Boston was the birthplace for public education and the work we are endeavoring to do here is transformative and meant to empower and inspire hope. We only use the simple child with the Boston Public Schools typography. We no longer use the Boston Public Schools logo with the Focus on Children as we decided not to use it as of 2017. 

Any use of the Boston Public Schools logo on promotional materials not created and/or approved by the Boston Public Schools is not allowed without permission from the Boston Public Schools Communications Office.

TYPOGRAPHY

Our typography specs are being updated not only for visual and user-friendly trends but also to meet the ADA requirements.

Typeface for Print

Our main typefaces are Avenir and Avenir Next. These font families come in a wide range of weights for all purposes. Typefaces like Chalkduster and  Bradley Hand are secondary or decorative fonts to be used sparingly. Headlines should be prominent and limited to a small number of words. Body copy should be large enough to be legible with sufficient white space. Typestyles for content should be applied throughout the layout.

Headline Font

Body Font

Typeface For Online

We use Google web fonts for online typefaces. The advantage of using a web font from a delivery service like Google Fonts increases the percentage of success when the content is displayed across multiple types of devices and browsers. Montserrat (for headers) and Poppins (for body text) are font families that also come with a wide range of weights.

Headline Font

This is FREE and available as a  Montserrat - Google Font

Body Font

This is FREE and available as Poppins - Google Font

Sample:

Editorial Standards

We want to make sure communication is clear and concise at all times.
This editorial guide has the purpose of helping the Boston Public Schools (BPS) offices, departments, and schools maintain a consistent and effective identity in the communications and publications they produce.

Boston Public Schools

The formal name is the Boston Public Schools; however, BPS is acceptable on first reference. If the acronym is used in the first reference, it must be spelled out in the second reference. The Boston Public Schools may also be referred to as “the district” (not capitalized) in subsequent references.

Offices and Departments

Capitalize the word “office” or “department” in the name of an office or department (e.g., the Office of Academic Services, the Office of Human Resources, the Special Education Department).

Photography

Photography is a dynamic tool. It can be used to make information easier to understand or can be used to make a document more interesting and visually appealing. The photographs taken and utilized should convey the diversity, activities, and values of the district. Photographs should show natural, real-life people and activities. They should evoke positive emotions, atmosphere, and engage the audience while maintaining relevance to the content they support. Avoid using photographs with complex elements behind text, as they can often make reading difficult. In addition, be sure your photographs retain the proper dimensions if scaling to a smaller or larger size.

Use of Student Images

Students must have a current media release with their individual schools on file in order to publish a photograph of the student where the student is identifiable. If you have any questions on whether a student has a signed media release, please contact the school.

EMPLOYEE TOOLKIT

Theme/templates

You may choose either of the two templates below. Click on the link, and then choose 'file' and then 'make a copy' to save it to your Google Drive.