We’re confident and bold in our vision. We’re passionate and compassionate. We’re boundless, tenacious, a community of innovative achievers. At the College of the Environment, we have the audacity to delve deeper into the workings of our Earth. We are intensely curious and share a sense of wonder.


The UW Environment brand voice and personality are based on the guidelines outlined in the UW brand guide.

Voice

Our voice should reflect that we are:

  • Innovative and tenacious: We talk about opportunity first, challenge second. Our eye is on the prize.
  • Boundless and visionary: We fuel big ideas and ask even bigger questions. We talk about the advantage of our scale (breadth/depth), not the scale itself.
  • Confident and bold: Impacts are happening now. We aren’t afraid to position ourselves as a model for change.
  • Inclusive: Earth’s challenges span the globe. We craft stories to reflect the diversity of people who affect — and are affected by — our mission, which in turn makes it possible for audiences from different communities to access, relate to and engage with our work.
  • Compassionate: We work in service to humankind. Our stories are profoundly human. We can do this together.
  • Curious: We all share a sense of wonder, despite different perspectives, including that some of us work in fundamental/discovery science and some work in applied science.

Tone

Our tone should reflect that we are:

  • Conversational and inviting: Audiences should feel like they can be part of the story you’re telling.
  • Informative and easy to understand: We’re a resource for science that you don’t need a degree to understand.
  • Trustworthy and relatable: Our experts know their stuff. They aren’t operating in an ivory tower, rather they meet audiences where they are.
  • Plainspoken and concise: We use culturally relevant metaphors, stories and everyday comparisons, instead of jargon and acronyms.
  • Personable and warm: We love telling stories, and we love the people who hear them.

Show, don’t tell: Writing should incorporate narrative when possible, to help readers “see” what you’re describing. First-person stories, videos and photos builds readers’ personal investment in our mission.

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