Driven to Discover Wind-Down

The University of Minnesota is known as a place of discovery, innovation, and transformation. There’s a deep affinity for Driven to Discover —  it’s helped shape our reputation for curiosity, ambition, innovation, and research excellence. And while it has served us well, we’re at a key inflection point in higher education and in our culture at large, and the brand needs to reflect and respond meaningfully. 

As we look ahead, we’ll begin introducing a new brand internally this spring, with an external rollout starting in August. Your voice and active support will be key as we navigate the transition together.

What you should do now

Here’s what units and communicators can do now to align with this transition:

• Remove references to Driven to Discover in written content, letterhead, websites, email headers, and materials.
• Stop using logos that include the Driven to Discover tagline. Use the updated logos now available on the University Marketing Communications website.
• Take inventory of your unit’s most visible materials (websites, key publications, signage) and prioritize which to update first.
• Work with your MarComm lead to plan for broader updates once new brand assets launch in Spring 2026.Current Updates

What's happened so far

We’re rolling out incremental changes as part of this wind-down period:

• Google Docs: Templates across all five campuses have been updated with simplified maroon and gold designs, baseline heading styles, and no Driven to Discover tagline.
• Primary Marks: Wordmarks and Block M files have been refreshed with updated spacing, file structure, and removal of Driven to Discover.
• Websites: Folwell headers were updated on October 22. Units with customized Drupal sites or non-Drupal platforms will need to update manually or with vendor support. Updated header assets are available on the UMAC website.
• Email: Templates were updated on October 30. These changes not only removed Driven to Discover but also fixed numerous accessibility issues. Please make sure you are following the most up-to-date version. Ben Peck from University Marketing Communications presented to Accessibility Ambassadors on how to send emails in Marketing Cloud using the new template. You can watch this presentation on the Office for Digital Accessibility Event Recordings page.
• Digital Signage: Remove Driven to Discover immediately.
• Physical Signage: Do not produce new signage with Driven to Discover. Begin inventorying existing signage and plan for phased replacement in 2026.
• Google Slides/PowerPoint Presentation: New Google Slides Template and PowerPoint Template are now available with 22 layout options. Please remember to check your files prior to sharing to ensure they’ve maintained compliance. 

This transition is the first step toward an exciting new chapter for the University’s brand. Thank you for helping us move forward together — with clarity, consistency, and shared purpose.