AI Brand Library

This resource helps SDSU faculty and staff craft clear, consistent and compelling communications with SDSU’s AI tools. It offers prompt examples and creative guidance, all aligned with SDSU’s identity. Generative AI should support, not replace, professional judgment, research and review, as detailed in SDSU’s GenAI guidelines.

AI Brand Use Cases

Prompts for Writing

Prompts for Visuals

GenAI Guidelines

shot of a poster at sdsu

Aligning AI with the SDSU Brand

To ensure every output reflects SDSU’s values and tone, use this quick-reference guide:

Brand Tone in Communications

  • Ask AI to review brand.sdsu.edu for brand guidelines. For better output, also upload the Brand Guidelines PDF and the Brand Messaging Guide PDF.

  • Include brand tone descriptors. "Use a confident, inclusive, student-centered, clear and grounded tone."

  • Specify the audience and intent. Clearly state who the message is for (e.g., prospective parent, SDSU Engineering student) and what the communication needs to accomplish (e.g., inform, invite, guide).

  • Set boundaries for tone and content. Indicate what to avoid such as vague motivational language, generic claims or jargon to maintain the authenticity of SDSU’s voice.

  • Check for bias and stereotypes. Ensure content reflects SDSU’s inclusive values and avoids reinforcing assumptions about identity or background.
2 girls smiling holding a coffee

Strengthening Human-Centered Communications

At SDSU, we use technology thoughtfully to support our communications while staying true to our student-centered, community-focused voice. When using AI tools, content should still feel authentic, human and aligned with SDSU’s values. Keep the following guidance in mind:

Punctuation and Style

  • Favor natural sentence structures using commas and periods.
  • Limit the use of em dashes (—), semicolons, ellipses (…) and overly complex sentence breaks.
  • Aim for easy-to-follow writing that mirrors how we speak and connect with our audiences.

Tone, Language and Patterns

  • Center students, faculty and staff and other communities and also the university's missions and strategic priorities.
  • Avoid overly formal, mechanical phrases such as “In today’s ever-evolving landscape…” or “Unlock limitless potential...”
  • Use direct and specific language that reflects SDSU’s vibrant and student-first spirit.
  • Avoid "over enthusiastic" intros like “We are thrilled to announce...” unless genuine excitement is warranted and supported by context.

Visual Elements

  • If using emojis in social posts, limit to one or two maximum. Use them intentionally to enhance clarity or tone, never to replace thoughtful language or professionalism.

Content Patterns

  • Vary sentence openings to avoid repetitive structures like “Discover... Explore... Unlock...”
  • Strive for specificity over generalities. 

Data Security and Privacy

When using GenAI tools, it is critical to protect personal, confidential and proprietary information. Do not upload sensitive data, including student records, research under embargo or personal identifiers, into any AI system. If you are unsure whether information is appropriate to input into an AI tool, consult StratComm at [email protected] before proceeding.