Compelling visuals capture people’s attention and build recognition for NSU’s brand. There are several components that can and should be used, where appropriate, to tie together visual communications such as ads, magazines, brochures, and the like.

The Mako Fin

Sometimes, just a hint of shark is enough. The mako fin can be used when you don’t have the room for the full shark, or when you want a more playful element. The fin can be a bridging element to connect two sections of a page, or as a visual way to lead the viewer’s eye from a headline to a compelling payoff. It can also be used to draw attention to the NSU logo within a piece of advertising or collateral.

The mako fin should never intrude on the visually important areas of a photograph or illustration. It should only appear in one color using one of the primary NSU brand colors. Since the fin is designed to match the shape and curvature of an actual mako, do not skew, distort or rotate the fin in any way.

When using the fin in a design, it's important that the bottom of the fin always be connected to another element, seeming as if a full shark is peeking through. The fin should never be floating on its own in a final design piece.

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Shark Tooth Mandala

The mandala is a scalable vector pattern that can be used as a background or for visual separation within communications. Use the mandala sparingly, and pay attention to contrast issues when using text over this background.

Boundary Box (Rule)

There may be times where using a boundary box (called a rule by designers) can effectively be used to add emphasis or pull a design together. It may enclose text or the entire perimeter of a page. However, at NSU we are always breaking through and thinking out of the box, so we subtly represent that by never showing a completely enclosed boundary box. The rule should be broken in at least one place.

When using the mako shark as a visual element, it is typically the item that breaks out of the box. Sometimes it’s the mako fin that breaks the rule. Remember, however, that enough of the box must remain so that the reader can easily identify it as a box. This adjacent example illustrates how it’s done.

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