All social media accounts that represent a UCSF department or unit must abide by UCSF Social Media Policies and Best Practices. Please read them thoroughly before creating any UCSF social media account.

We are currently updating brand standards for social media. Before starting an account, contact [email protected] to (1) ensure another similar account doesn't exist and to (2) get guidance on the best brand expression for your group.

Naming Conventions

The recommendation for profile naming should reflect the name on the logo lock-up. For example, use UCSF Medical Center or UCSF School of Medicine. When character limitations prevent using the full name, abbreviate. Avoid using acronyms as these may be unfamiliar to new audiences.

It is important for all UCSF groups to use “UCSF” when naming social media accounts. Using UCSF in the profile name will improve rankings when people search UCSF in social media.

Avatars

“Avatar” is another name for profile picture. These images appear in multiple small sizes and often share a standard square proportion. Social media avatars will consistently appear with the official page or profile name. The avatar should be the same graphic asset used across all social media platforms you own.

The use of the UCSF logo in social media avatars is reserved for a limited number of official UCSF groups including the master brand, primary clinical entities and schools. The examples below illustrate the range of display sizes for avatars across social media sites.

Cover Photo Imagery

Each sub-brand can choose its own banner/cover photo images for its social media sites. Select a single image or a composite of no more than three images. Images chosen for the cover photo should follow the guidelines in the photography section and any layout considerations should conform to the visual framework section of this site.

The following are examples of how all elements (avatar, naming convention and banner imagery) come together to create a cohesive social media experience consistent across the enterprise.