For Harvard Medical School administrative units, logos exist with both horizontal and vertical orientations. Note that both versions have locked up the department’s name, the Harvard name, and the HMS shield. To request your unit’s branding, please reach out to design@hms.harvard.edu. Please keep in mind that branding does not exist for all units within HMS. In some cases, units may be directed to use the branding of the office or department within which they reside.

  • Academic and Administrative Unit Logos

    Horizontal Logo Lock-up Example

     

    Horizontal HMS logo locked up with Office name

     

    Vertical Logo Lock-up Example

     

    Vertical HMS logo locked up with Office name

  • Business Card for Administrative Leadership and Staff

    Business cards created for Harvard Medical School have special dedicated areas for information. Only the HMS primary logo is used for all business cards. Department or office locked up logos are not used on the business card and should not be used on official HMS business cards. Instead, the name of the office or department should be featured between the person’s title and office address. Underneath the logo features the person’s name, title, office address and office phone number. The reverse side has three options available for you to choose from: red HMS Griffin, outlined HMS Griffin and blank.

    Speak to your department or office administrator about how to order business cards through HCOM Marketplace.

    Business card example with an HMS office name locked up with HMS logo

  • Academic and Administrative Office Signatures

    Guidance for email signatures is separate from the guidance below and can be found here.

    Listing your information should appear as follows: 
    Name, degrees [optional], Sub-office or unit [if relevant], Primary office or unit, Harvard Medical School 

    Example:  

    Jane Smith, MD, Office of Scholarly Engagement, Program in Medical Education, Harvard Medical School 

    When stacking for visual presentation:  

    Jane Smith, MD 
    Office of Scholarly Engagement 
    Program in Medical Education 
    Harvard Medical School 

  • Academic and Administrative SWAG

    Standard branding arrangements for office SWAG:

    For an overview of the SWAG approval process, please see the Harvard Trademark Program guide. If you are using an HMS-approved logo, you may begin at step two by writing to useofname@hms.harvard.edu with a mock-up obtained from one of the vendors licensed by the University identified in the document under “Step Four. Select a Licensed Vendor" on the page linked above.

    Please ascertain if the University-licensed vendor placing approved the HMS logo/wordmark on garments and fabrics can do so accurately by using only HMS-supplied files from our design team. It is unacceptable for vendors to attempt to re-interpret HMS typography or the HMS shield with their own files or design equipment.

    The ability of vendors to utilize the vertical or horizontal orientation of HMS office and unit trademarks when ordering SWAG will depend largely on the size and surface material of the item. The challenge associated with rendering these marks is typically two-fold: the complexity of the HMS shield necessitates a certain minimum size depending on whether the mark is being embroidered or screen printed, and certain items only have set spaces on which something can be printed or embroidered. In the tote bag example below, the vertically oriented version of the mark is the only option that would likely be usable by a vendor. In other scenarios, there may be room to choose between horizontal and vertical orientations. 

    Example of a tote bag with HMS Office of Communications and External Relations branding embroidered on itExample of a white t-shirt with the HMS logo lock up horizontally with Office of Communications and External Relations

     

    Secondary arrangements for office SWAG:

    The most frequent difficulty is encountered when ordering fleeces, which often necessitate the use of an alternate structure given the limitations identified above. Before resorting to the default structure available to all units at the bottom of this section, one option is to use the HMS primary logo in the embroiderable space on the chest, and then identify the unit (e.g., “Office of Communications and External Relations”) on the opposite chest or upper sleeve.

    Example of fleece with split office text on the shoulder from the HMS primary logo

     

     

    Default arrangements for office SWAG:

    If rendering HMS logo/wordmark faithfully is impossible given limitations of embroidery machines or other transfer applications, the solution below is the only alternative approved by HMS. If your order requires this structure, please contact the design team to obtain the proper graphic file prior to requesting the mock-up and submitting for approval. This serves to prevent vendors and other organizations from creating styled wordmarks or logos that could be seen as official identities for the school.  

     

    Image of a fleece jacket with the HMS logo lock up on the right hand side

  • Use-of-Name and Logo Creation Guidance for Events

    Events should name and identify hosts, sponsors, and speakers (if appropriate) clearly. An event may only be identified as “co-hosted” when there is a equal division of administrative/organizational responsibilities and cost sharing between or among units.

    Events seeking to use official HMS branding should display the mark of the department, office, or unit hosting or co-hosting the event. The primary HMS logo should only be used for an institutionally-sponsored HMS-wide event.

    Unique marks or graphics created for a specific event (i.e., branding outside of official HMS marks) should be accompanied by text identifying the name of that event without the use of the University, School, or unit name.The University, School, or unit name may appear in a space that is significantly separated from the unique mark or graphic. For example, a department holding an annual outing may create tote bags bearing an original mark for the event and label it “2025 Annual Outing” on one side, and on the opposite side of the tote, identify the unit (e.g., “Harvard Medical School, Office of Communications and External Relations”).

    If there is a desire to use the unit name, or elements of HMS branding, in the graphic or word mark being created, then please contact Use of Name with a CC to Design. Please allow sufficient time for the design team to process your request.