The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) has introduced a refreshed visual identity highlighting its growth and commitment to excellence. This new branding represents a unified approach across the university, its medical branch, and athletics, creating a cohesive image for UAB.
The most significant change in this rebranding is adopting a unified logo across all UAB entities. Previously, different logos represented various branches, but now, one logo will consistently represent the entire university. This approach aligns UAB with the practices of many national universities, enhancing brand recognition and presenting a unified front.
The new logo features a modern, cleaner monogram. The letters are evenly spaced, improving legibility and recognition, especially for those unfamiliar with the university. This simple and modern design reflects UAB’s values and future goals. The monogram can be used alone or with the wordmark, providing flexibility in visually presenting the brand.
UAB has also updated its color palette, reestablishing green and gold as the official colors and moving away from the previous green, white, and gold accents. The new green is darker and richer, while the gold is brighter and available in metallic variations. This new color scheme is designed to be more accessible on digital platforms and expand the range of branded merchandise.
The font used in UAB’s branding has also changed. The new font, Aktiv Grotesk, is a modern sans-serif typeface that improves readability and gives UAB’s communications a contemporary look. This font replaces the previous Avenir and Proxima Nova fonts, providing a more cohesive and accessible feel, especially on digital platforms. The shift to title case in the primary logo, instead of all-uppercase letters, further enhances readability and gives the university’s name a more refined appearance.
UAB Medicine will now share the same primary colors and fonts as the university and athletics, further unifying the brand identity. The UAB Medicine logo will continue representing the university’s work in medical education, research, and clinical care. Detailed guidelines for this new identity will be released before the full launch in January 2025.
UAB’s brand refresh is a strategic evolution of its visual identity. It addresses past brand clarity and consistency challenges and aims to increase regional and national recognition. The unified use of logos, colors, and fonts across all UAB entities strengthens the university’s identity and sets the stage for future growth and success. This new visual identity is designed to resonate with future students, employees, patients, and the broader community while honoring UAB’s mission of education, research, and patient care.
