Third‑party resources vary—some excel at design, others at management. Identify the skills you need and prioritize them when choosing vendors.
The following list are of vendors that have agreed to and met Duke’s Terms & Conditions:
Category: Digital
Duke’s in-house resources can’t meet every need, so we partner with vendors locally, nationally, and abroad. These guidelines help streamline the process of working with external partners.
PowerPoint Slide Templates
Duke offers a number of branded PowerPoint themes in light and dark variants for you to use to create both internal and external presentations. Additionally, the backgrounds are available for download before for use in other applications as well, such as Prezi, Keynote, etc.
Download All Background Images
Word Templates with Letterhead
Basic Word templates are available for university letterhead. If creating your own, please reference Duke’s branding guidelines when creating your own.
Duke’s Digital Signage program provides campus-wide tools to display dynamic content, emergency alerts, and information feeds on nearly 200 screens across the university.
The service is offered at no charge and administered by the Office of Information Technology (OIT).
Sharing Digital Flyers
Digital flyers can be requested to be added to other department signs by submitting flyers using DukeFlyer.
Content Guidelines for Digital Flyers
In an effort to maintain consistency in message and branding, we have established some basic content guidelines that should be met before displaying content. By following these simple guidelines, your message will look more professional and reach more people.
Branding
Always follow Duke brand guidelines. These standards extend to the use of wordmarks, logos, signature colors, type fonts and other matters that affect Duke’s visual identity.
Simplicity
Keep flyers simple—use under 30 words. They’re only visible for 5–15 seconds, so avoid clutter.
Size
All flyers to be posted on digital signage must be sized at 1920 x 1080 pixels (horizontal) or 1080 x 1920 (vertical).
Color
Consider the colors used in your flyer carefully and maintain consistency with the Duke color palette. Ensure strong contrast between your image background colors and the text colors so that your sign can be easily read when displayed. Be sure to test the colors on the screen output before committing to the final color scheme.
Text
Use Duke-approved fonts with large sizes—at least 40 pt for headlines and 24 pt for body text. Keep object strokes bold; thin lines won’t display well.
These guidelines help Duke communicators apply Duke policies to social media. Questions? Email socialmedia@duke.edu.
Duke Health employees should follow Duke Health-specific standards.
Before You Create a New Account
- Avoid creating new accounts unless absolutely necessary.
- Best practice: Partner with existing major accounts (e.g., @DukeU, schools, departments) and share content there for bigger impact.
- Maintaining an account requires dedicated staff and multiple posts per week .
Units and departments are responsible for ensuring that content posted by, or on behalf of, any unit or department adheres to all Duke University policies and to appropriate laws that govern the public dissemination of information. To that end, units and departments should periodically review the guidelines for social media and consult with the Office of Communications, Marketing, and Public Affairs if they have questions about their implementation:
Key Principles
- Remember you are representing the Duke brand.
- Have a strategy:
- Who is your audience?
- What do you want them to do?
- Is social media the best way to do it?
- Everything is public: Posts live forever and are searchable and shareable.
- Be respectful: Follow Duke values and the Duke Community Standard.
- Be transparent: State your role and goals; correct errors quickly.
- Maintain confidentiality: Never share protected info (FERPA, HIPAA, Duke Confidentiality Policy).
- Moderate actively: Monitor comments for abuse or off-topic content.
- Respect time and property: As stated in Duke’s OIT policies, use Duke resources for Duke business only.
- Set up accounts responsibly:
- Use shared email addresses.
- Track passwords securely (e.g., Duke 1password).
- Ensure continuity if staff changes.
Duke University Comment Moderation Policy
Duke University reserves the right to hide or delete off-topic, vulgar or abusive comments and hate speech. We do not permit comments selling products or promoting commercial ventures. Students should adhere to the Duke Community Standard when posting or commenting on social media. Posted comments and replies do not necessarily reflect the opinions or policies of the university. All content and posts are bound by the individual platform’s terms of service. If you have any concerns about the content posted on Duke University’s social media, please email us at socialmedia@duke.edu. We welcome all of your feedback.
Branding and Graphics
Representing the Duke brand on Social Media
When you post to social networks from an official Duke University account, you are representing the Duke brand. Here are some simple guidelines to help put your best foot forward. If you have specific questions on branding, please contact socialmedia@duke.edu.
- Begin with “Duke” when creating a name for your Facebook Page, Twitter account or other social media presences
- Use of the Duke logo is reserved for Duke’s institutional departments, centers and units
- Where available, departments, schools and units should use their official logos and iconic images to build their profiles
Please follow Duke’s policies and procedures regarding copyright, privacy and sharing of information.
Images for Albums and Sharing
Duke’s Asset Management System (NETID required) is a wonderful collection of thousands of current photos and videos of Duke’s campus, programs, people and more. It is refreshed regularly with community-sourced images as well as new content captured by the University Communications team.
University Social Media Channels
- Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/DukeUniv
- Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/dukeuniversity/
- LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/school/duke-university
- X/Twitter – https://twitter.com/DukeU
- TikTok – https://www.tiktok.com/@dukeu
- Threads – https://www.threads.net/@dukeuniversity
Mobile App Development Resources
Office of Information Technology
If you’re developing an app for Duke University, you can leverage University resources. OIT’s mobile development team provides expertise to help design, test, and launch your app.
Co-lab Studio
The Co-Lab Studio is Duke’s open-access maker space, offering 3D printing, laser cutting, electronics, and other fabrication tools for students, faculty, and staff to design and prototype projects.
It serves as part of Duke’s Innovation Co-Lab, fostering creativity and hands-on learning through digital modeling and fabrication.
External App Development Vendors
We maintain a list of approved app development vendors who other members of staff/faculty have used to develop mobile apps.
List of approved mobile app development vendors – contact mobiledev@oit.duke.edu for details.
Mobile App Directory
Duke University Released Applications
Public iOS applications produced by Duke University are published on Apple’s App Store. Search your iPhone App Store for “Duke University” for the latest applications.
Duke University internal Applications
Other mobile applications, intended for Duke employees/student use are available on Duke’s internal App store: dukeapps.duke.edu for details (NetID/Shiboleth authentication required).
Duke University Student Applications
Student developed applications are made available on the Colab App Store (visit appstore.colab.duke.edu for latest releases.)
Sites are complex digital spaces with evolving digital standards and steep learning curves. It takes multiple teams of people to keep sites running securely and smoothly. Accessibility, security, design, and development are areas that most communicators must have a basic understanding of in order to produce an effective digital product.
Building a site at Duke may seem a little daunting, but the guide below can act as a starting point for building secure, accessible, on-brand sites for your organization.
Domains – What is the url?
Internal
- Third-level domains: (require pproval)
ex. trinity.duke.edu, publicaffairs.duke.edu - Fourth-level domains: labs.trinity.duke.edu, project.chemistry.duke.edu do not require UComms approval and are managed through system administrators
External
- External domains: (require approval and must be purchased by central OIT) ex. dukeblue.org
- Use of Duke’s trademark is governing entity
Web Accessibility – Who can see it?
Everyone. Everyone should be able to access and experience a public site at Duke. Duke’s Web Accessibility Initiative exists to ensure people with a wide range of abilities have equal access to Duke’s web content. It is the central resource for information, guidelines, and Duke’s official web accessibility guidelines.
- WCAG 2.0 Level AA Accessibility
- Federal requirements: Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act
- Americans With Disabilities Act
Web Security – Is it safe?
Security is CRITICAL. If a site is deemed to be a security risk (through a breach or lack of appropriate security or versioning upgrades) the IT Security Office reserves the right to take a site offline until that site is cleared to be restored.
You should be aware of the following security policies and guidelines:
- Data Classification Standard. Duke has defined three classes of information: Sensitive, Restricted and Public.
- Web Governance Policy. Guidance and options for those managing websites at Duke.
- Acceptable Use. Establish and promote the ethical, legal, and secure use of computing and electronic communications for all members of Duke University and its affiliated entities.
Service Level Agreements – How can I keep it up?
–What does maintenance really mean?
Once a site is launched and past its QA period, sites typically move into a “maintenance” phase. Maintenance can refer to the general updates of the site but the most critical component is the upkeep needed to keep the environment (infrastructure) up to date. It is the responsibility of the site owner (department) to ensure that a maintenance agreement is in place. Restated: the platform (Drupal/WordPress), as well as the hosting space, require regular attention and updates to keep them from becoming a security risk.
If you’re working with a vendor: Any work being done through a contract organization – internal or external – requires a minimum service-level agreement of 10 hours per year. Due to the changing nature of the web and the need for version and security upgrades on our preferred platforms, site owners need to identify some portion of their budget and calendar for updates and patching. Without this, sites are subject to vulnerability and attacks. Should a security breach occur, the security office may remove the affected site until it can be confirmed as no longer a risk. IT organizations such as OIT and Duke Health Technology Services (DHTS) cannot be held responsible for sites and actions that they did not create nor participate in.
Web Site Development – How do I make it?
Self-Service: Sites@Duke Express
Sites@Duke Express is a WordPress network that offers a robust set of easy-to-use tools, including Duke themes and Duke-specific plugins. The service also provides the option of a custom domain mapped to your site. There is no charge to users.
Advanced Site Building: Sites@Duke Pro
The Sites@Duke Pro platform is a new Drupal-based solution ideal for schools, departments, institutes, centers, labs, initiatives, programs, and more. It offers flexible site-building options with a professional visual design that meets Duke’s accessibility and branding guidelines. There is a low start-up cost and a monthly maintenance fee that covers all infrastructure, support, and rollout of new features and fixes as they become available.
Custom internal – Duke Web Services and other web development groups across campus
Custom websites can be developed using internal and external resources. (See Working with Vendors) After selecting your development group you will also need to coordinate hosting and domains. (see above and below). Any custom work still has an expectation to meet technical and branding requirements.
Working with External Vendors
Duke’s in-house resources can’t meet every need, so we partner with vendors locally, nationally, and abroad. These guidelines help streamline the process of working with external partners.
Hosting – Where Does it Live?
Providers within Duke
- OIT maintains a centralized web hosting environment that provides virtual servers (VMs) to both OIT-supported services as well as applications and services supported by the departments and schools across Duke University. To meet the needs of a majority of OIT’s VM requests and to provide a consistent offering, a set of standard offerings and processes has been created and details can be found at the following links:
- DHTS
- Public Web Sites: Drupal Content Management Platform (Linux, Apache, MySQL and PHP based).
- Intranet Sites: SharePoint Online (Microsoft 365)
- Contact the DHTS web services group for more information.
- Your school/dept/unit
- External (requires Web Governance Group approval)
- External vendors need to host through Duke
Types of Hosting
- Sites@Duke: free
- Virtual Machine: custom
- Compliance with Duke’s security standards
- Automatic OS updates/upgrade
- Help with Shib and site set up
- Backups and monitoring
- DNS assistance
- External (requires WGG review): really custom
Website Best Practices
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Design responsive and mobile‑first, with progressive enhancement for larger screens.
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Prioritize accessibility for all users, including high‑resolution devices and assistive tech.
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Emphasize UX with clean typography and modern web font systems.
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Deliver clear, structured content – favor depth over click‑bait.
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Provide real‑time, user‑friendly feedback in forms (auto‑tabbing, inline validation).
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Optimize for SEO + generative AI by making content concise, trustworthy, and citation‑ready.
Alert Bar
Syndication technology allows for a web bar to appear automatically on websites across the university to highlight emergency news and other alerts. The alert bar accommodates two levels of information. Level 1 alerts, represented by a red bar, will be used for emergencies and will link to the DukeALERT website for additional information. Level 2 alerts, represented by an orange bar, will be used for important messages such as pending severe weather or a gas leak in a building. Download instructions for adding the DukeALERT bar to your website.
Web Fonts
Web fonts enhance design with crisp, scalable rendering. Limit to 2–3 fonts to avoid slow load times, and follow the University’s brand system for approved fonts.
Beyond SEO: Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) and AI Search Visibility
A website has no value if no one can find it. SEO isn’t just about ranking. It’s about making your content discoverable and trustworthy for both search engines and generative AI. With AI-driven overviews and answer engines shaping how people find information, sites must be structured, clear, and citation‑friendly to surface in these new contexts. Optimizing for traditional search and AI ensures your work reaches audiences wherever they look for answers.
Domain Names
Domain names require approval from Duke Communications, Marketing, and Public Affairs. As a general rule, try to stay away from long, cumbersome spellings or ambiguous acronyms. Use fourth level domains if possible to show associations between units and schools.
Domains obtained by third party organization are the responsibility of the purchaser and should not utilize the Duke brand without permission. Read the Duke Domain Request Policy and follow the link at the bottom of the page to complete the request form.
Analytics
Duke’s preferred platform for measuring web site traffic is Google Analytics. If you are unfamiliar with Google analytics or need help getting started, check out Google’s resources.
Accessibility
Duke sites and applications must accommodate a baseline level of accessibility to ensure our content reaches as many people as possible. Duke aims to meet the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) standards, which are driven by the larger international standards organization for the internet, the W3C. These standards, first published in 2008, are based on 4 key principles: Perceivable, Operable, Understandable and Robust. Within these standards are 3 levels on conformance. A, AA, AAA.
Please visit the Duke Web Accessibility site for more information.
Service Level Agreements
Any work being done through a contract organization – internal or external – requires a minimum service-level agreement of 10 hours per year. Due to the changing nature of the web and the need for version and security upgrades on our preferred platforms, site owners need to identify some portion of their budget and calendar for updates and patching. Without this, sites are subject to vulnerability and attacks. Should a security breach occur, the security office may remove the affected site until it can be confirmed as no longer a risk. IT organizations such as OIT and Duke Health Technology Solutions cannot be held responsible for sites and actions that they did not create nor participate in.
Security
Duke websites present a very viable risk to the university and can provide an avenue of attack against other Duke systems. There is a direct relationship between website compromises and unpatched web environments and associated servers. In an effort to improve the security of all Duke’s websites, the IT Security Office (ITSO), Office of Information Technology (OIT) and Duke Communications, Marketing, and Public Affairs have developed guidance and options for those managing websites at Duke.
Favicons and App Icons
The Garamond “D” makes is a great option to use as the favicon for a website or the home screen icon for your app. Download the full favicon pack or use the icons hosted below.
