Messaging

Mission

To educate its students and cultivate their capacity for lifelong learning, to foster independent and original research, and to bring the benefits of discovery to the world.

Brand Pillars

Research. World. Excellence. Community.

Those are the words we heard most often when we spoke with faculty, staff, students, alumni, and trustees to develop our logo system in 2013 and were reiterated again when we spoke to constituents in 2022. That’s why the Johns Hopkins identity looks the way it does—with the book representing knowledge and discovery, the globe symbolizing our worldwide reach, and the crest of Lord Baltimore indicating our connection to our community.

Driven by Research

We believe curiosity inspires innovation. That is why year after year we’ve put more money into research than any other U.S. academic institution.

Knowledge for the World

The fabric of our university is woven together from people across the globe and we use that collective knowledge to address our world’s most complex challenges for betterment of our society.

Dedicated to Excellence

At Johns Hopkins, you can explore ideas that interest you, find people who inspire and challenge you, and make discoveries that change your life—and the world.

Commitment to Community

We understand that the continued flourishing of our university depends on the success and vitality of our city. As the city’s largest private employer, we recognize that we have a profound role to play in our shared community.

Naming Guidelines

When naming programs, events, initiatives, and campaigns keep the following best practices in mind:

• Use straightforward keywords and avoid jargon. Remember, clearly articulating what your event is or does is the most important factor when selecting a name. Creativity can be added in the execution of promoting that name (ex. Lighting of the Quads).
   
• Don’t merge words. Where there are legacy programs that do this (ex. HopkinsLocal) it is not recommended as doing so creates additional accessibility and readability hurdles to navigate.
• Only use Hopkins or JHU in the name if it’s enterprisewide (ex. Hopkins Votes is a campaign that spans all of Hopkins). Since most programs and campaigns will be presented in close proximity to the Johns Hopkins name and logo, it becomes redundant to also include “Hopkins” or “JHU” in the program title.
• Solve at scale. If your program is nested within another department or initiative, consider how those names will be used in context. For example, if you are seeking to name a program that is part of a larger campaign, make sure that introducing the additional name supports your goal without creating more confusion for your audience.
• Avoid acronyms. While tempting to consider, acronyms increase the time it takes someone to read and understand the message. Acronyms can have many meanings depending on the context (ex. “RAT” has been used to refer to Research Administration Training and the Risk Assessment Team). Additionally, acronyms introduce challenges when translating to global audiences.

View specific guidance for student organizations and club sports.