SSH Brand Guidelines

These guidelines apply to all SSH communications produced by SSH staff, volunteer leaders and committees, and external vendors and design partners. For members of SSH’s global community across 63 countries, the principles documented here apply regardless of language or region. Questions about brand application should be directed to Curtis Kitchen, Director of Marketing, at ckitchen@ssih.org.

SSH’s Brand Voice

Authoritative, not institutional.

SSH is the global leader in healthcare simulation. Speak with confidence. Avoid hedging language and bureaucratic phrasing. State things plainly.

Human, not clinical.

Write for a person, not a position. Connect programs to human outcomes. Use “you” and “we.”

Warm, not casual.

SSH is a community as much as it is an organization. Our voice is genuinely warm — not breezy or flippant.

Forward, not self-congratulatory.

Frame accomplishments in terms of what they enable. Point toward what’s possible.

All SSH communications must use correct healthcare simulation terminology consistent with the SSH Healthcare Simulation Dictionary at ssih.org/healthcare-simulation-dictionary.

SSH Color System

Primary Palette

SSH Dark Blue #005589 Pantone 7692 C White text: 7.90:1 ✓ AAA
SSH Light Blue #A9C2E5 Pantone 2717 C Decorative/backgrounds only White text: 1.82:1 ✕ Never use

Secondary Palette

Orange #F7680E Pantone 1585 C
Red #ED1C24
Teal #4BACC6
Medium Blue #384EA2
Yellow #FCC206
Dark Gray #595959

Pantone equivalents for secondary colors are not listed in the current brand standards. Cross-reference the SSH Brand Guidelines PDF for complete Pantone specifications.

Accessibility Reference

WCAG 2.1 Contrast Ratios — SSH Brand Palette
Text on BackgroundRatioNormal Text (AA)Large Text (AA)
White on SSH Dark Blue7.90:1PassPass
SSH Dark Blue on White7.90:1PassPass
Black on SSH Light Blue11.54:1PassPass
SSH Dark Blue on Light Blue4.34:1FailPass
White on SSH Light Blue1.82:1Fail — Never useFail
White on Medium Blue7.54:1PassPass
Black on Yellow12.89:1PassPass

IMSH 2027 — In Concert

These colors are part of the IMSH 2027 “In Concert” event brand and are used only in IMSH 2027 communications. They are not part of the SSH primary palette. Yellow (#FDE2A3) and Lilac (#B6B9EA) are decorative only — neither is safe for text on a white background.

Blue #304AAE White text ✓
Purple #464BA3 White text ✓
Dark Purple #2C2E69 White text ✓
Teal #278A9F White text ✓
Light Teal #5CB9BB Dark text ✓
Pink #C4448B White text ✓
Plum #65266D White text ✓
Orange #FF5867 Dark text ✓
Yellow #FDE2A3 Decorative only — not for text on white
Lilac #B6B9EA Decorative only — not for text on white

SSH Typography

Web & Digital Fonts

Source Sans 3 — Body & Interface

Web body copy, navigation, UI elements, captions. Download from Google Fonts

Light 300 The Society for Simulation in Healthcare
Regular 400 The Society for Simulation in Healthcare
Semibold 600 The Society for Simulation in Healthcare
Bold 700 The Society for Simulation in Healthcare

Big Shoulders Display — Headings & Display

Display and heading text only. Minimum 28px digital / 18pt print. Download from Google Fonts

Bold 700 SSH Brand Guidelines
ExtraBold 800 SSH Brand Guidelines
Black 900 SSH Brand Guidelines

Web Font Embed Code (for Zurka / Drupal)

@import url('https://fonts.googleapis.com/css2?family=Big+Shoulders+Display:wght@700;800;900&family=Source+Sans+3:wght@300;400;600;700&display=swap');

Email & Document Fonts

For all email and document communications, use system fonts. Use one typeface per communication — never mix within a single email or document.

SSH System Font Hierarchy
FontStatusUse
ArialPrimaryAll SSH email communications (Constant Contact). Default for all documents.
CalibriAlternativeDocument body copy when Arial is unavailable.
VerdanaAlternativeDocument body copy when Arial and Calibri are unavailable.

Email max width: 600px. CTA buttons: SSH Dark Blue (#005589) with white text. Subject lines: 40–50 characters, leading with the most important information. Preheader text is never left blank.

IMSH 2027 Event Fonts (event use only)

DM Serif Display and Outfit are the display and body typefaces for IMSH 2027 “In Concert” communications. They are not part of the SSH global typography system and must not be used outside of IMSH 2027 branded materials.

DM Serif Display — IMSH 2027 Display

Display and heading text for IMSH 2027 only. Fallback: Noto Serif. Download from Google Fonts

Regular 400 IMSH 2027 — In Concert
Italic 400 IMSH 2027 — In Concert

Outfit — IMSH 2027 Body

Body copy for IMSH 2027 materials. Download from Google Fonts

Regular 400 International Meeting on Simulation in Healthcare
Semibold 600 International Meeting on Simulation in Healthcare
Bold 700 International Meeting on Simulation in Healthcare

IMSH 2027 Font Embed Code (page template only — do not add to global stylesheet)

@import url('https://fonts.googleapis.com/css2?family=DM+Serif+Display:ital@0;1&family=Outfit:wght@400;600;700&display=swap');

Logo Fonts

These typefaces are embedded in SSH brand marks. They are not available for general use in SSH communications.

SSH Logo Typeface Reference
TypefaceApplied toAvailable for general use
Futura MediumSSH primary markNo
Myriad Pro SemiboldSSH certification marks (CHSE, CHSE-A, CHSOS, CHSOS-A)No
Akzidenz-Grotesk Pro MediumIMSH markNo
DM Serif DisplayIMSH 2027 event onlyEvent materials only — see above
OutfitIMSH 2027 event onlyEvent materials only — see above

SSH Brand Family

SSH uses a branded house architecture. The SSH primary mark is the parent brand. All program marks, credentialing marks, and event marks connect back to it — sharing the same color palette, typography standards, voice, and accessibility requirements.

SSH Accreditation represents SSH’s program accreditation system — the standards, review process, and recognition that simulation programs earn when they meet SSH’s criteria for excellence. SSH Accredited Program is the mark issued to institutions that have achieved that recognition, licensed for their use while accreditation is current.

SSH Certification is the umbrella mark for SSH’s credentialing programs (CHSE, CHSE-A, CHSOS, CHSOS-A). Each credential mark represents a distinct level of professional achievement recognized globally.

Sub-brands are scoped to their context. No sub-brand mark replaces the SSH primary mark when representing the organization as a whole. When in doubt, use the SSH primary mark.

All logo and asset files are available from the SSH Director of Marketing. See the contact section below.

Questions & Asset Requests

All brand questions, logo file requests, template access, vendor onboarding, usage permissions, and compliance concerns are handled by the SSH Director of Marketing. When submitting a request, include: the specific asset or guidance needed, your intended use, the required format, and your deadline. Allow a minimum of three business days for routine requests.

Curtis Kitchen, CAE
Director of Marketing
Society for Simulation in Healthcare
ckitchen@ssih.org
ssih.org

Request Brand Assets