“This is not in Visual Identity!” – probably a sentence you’ve heard either from PRC, a member of your local or even someone else. And hearing this makes you frustrated. “What? Why do I need to use VI? What is this!?” Say no more our friend! Here you can find eight obvious reasons why using Visual Identity is cool and the most awesome thing you can do!

Reason no. 1 | You Can Create Materials Much Faster.

Locals can simply go to the Members Portal, download some template/element, customise it to their own needs and everything is done in no more than 15-30 minutes.

Reason no. 2 | Design Artist or Not, using Visual Identity Can Make You Look Like A Pro.

You don’t have to be an expert in Photoshop, Illustrator or other programmes related to design. You can make your own VI puzzle just by using the Design Elements and following the Visual Identity Manual.

Reason no. 3 | You Contribute to AEGEE’s Identity.

By using the Visual Identity, you strengthen AEGEE’s identity both internally and externally: you and your local play an important role in building its identity. It’s like the code from a website or app; if just one line in the coding is incorrect, it cannot work properly.

Reason no. 4 | Your Mind is The Limit.

Visual Identity doesn’t limit your creativity. “No, ma’am!” It can be creatively adapted to your own ideas. People who are saying the contrary might have not really worked with it yet. So don’t believe the rumours, just give it a chance and you will see what we are talking about. 

Reason no. 5 | You are More “Ready, Set, Go” to Promote Yourself.

Other international youth NGOs and especially famous companies, also have a Visual Identity and follow their own specific manuals. When you see a Coca-Cola poster,
(think of the typical one with no bottle displayed at all) you know it belongs to them, even before noticing the logo. You can check out the visual identity of every big company and you will see that we are not just saying that to impress you.

Reason no. 6 | Cool Locals Who Use The VI are An Endless Source of Inspiration.

The more the locals who use the VI, the more the approaches are different, showing the diversity inside a common path. You can bring your own cool approach to the table and maybe you can inspire others to follow your example, why not? After
all, we can all learn from each other and form an awesome community. Plus, you will help improve the “design templates archive”, to make Reasons no. 1 and no. 2 even more awesome.

Reason no. 7 | You Look More Professional towards University and External Companies.

When your local is going to fundraising meetings, sending e-mails or delivering presentations using the VI, you are using the power of a network of 13,000 members to support your project. Then, you are not just representing your local, but the whole AEGEE network is there helping you out.

Reason no. 8 | You Save Yourself from PRC Setting You in “red” in the VI Check.

Once you adapt your antenna to the VI, you will mostly forget about PRC chasing after you for having an identity that makes you look like a completely different NGO, and most importantly, the red mark will be magically turned in a lovely emerald green. So, quit the rebellion and start using the VI. You can save a lot of time, energy and resources, but also, you can learn a lot from it, whether you are experienced in design or not!

If you need more information or have any doubts, simply contact us at prc@aegee.org.

From PRC with love! #PRChard

Written by Mayri Tiido and Gerardo Garcia Diaz, vice-speaker and speaker, Public Relations Committee

“So you have just arrived home from your last AEGEE event where that guy was telling you about a European level body in AEGEE he was secretary of and was convincing you to join the team based on the common interests you share. Sounds good but maybe you want to learn a little more about this body, so let us turn to Google for a second. Well, this page has AEGEE on it and the name of the body but the last post is from 2012. Are they doing anything then? And if they do, where can you find the information? Ah, giving up, maybe it is not a good idea to join after all…”

Have you ever been surprised by the amount of pages related to AEGEE, or how many of them are outdated or simply abandoned, or how many different appearances these pages have – as if they did not belong to the same organisation?

We have good news for you: all the information you need about AEGEE is in one place now, always updated and following our new Visual Identity: the Members Portal has been launched!

And let’s see the 5 (top) reasons why you should visit the Portal:

1. AEGEE History Line: With AEGEE celebrating its 30th anniversary next year, there is a lot to read about the past to get inspired by the great achievements and to recruit new AEGEE-enthusiasts for your local by telling the true story of how awesome AEGEE is. But forget about a never-ending PDF file: check out the interactive AEGEE history timeline!

2. Get Involved!: You are already a hyperactive member of your local but feel like you would like to challenge yourself a little more by joining one of the Projects or Working Groups? The Get Involved! section contains all updates from all European level bodies in AEGEE from their latest activities to the application process for new team members, presenting a clearly structured system of Committees, Commissions and Working Groups. “We need you!”

3. Downloadable Materials: Under Resources you can find various guidelines that will help you understand AEGEE better, the Strategic Plan to help others understand AEGEE’s work better, and you can also download PR materials for promoting AEGEE in your city! (Compulsory advertisement here: in case you are interested in developing further materials, please contact the Public Relations Committee at prc@aegee.org!)

4. Offers for members: Check out the list of our partners and the various discounts they offer for AEGEE members. Also – do you know what ASRF stands for? It is way of benefitting or contributing to our shared interest of overcoming financial obstacles that would permit some of our members from fully experiencing AEGEE – this is all I can tell here!

5. Events: Being directly connected to Intranet, the Members Portal offers an always updated page about the next AEGEE events that are going to take place. Furthermore, the PRC and the Quality Assurance Committee are working on another platform to have a clear overview of AEGEE events, open calls and finding a way to help the locals with the promotion of their events. Stay tuned!

Convinced? With the endless amount of concentrated information on this page, you should bookmark aegee.org/portal in your browser right now!

And if you would like to submit your suggestions for improving the Members Portal, please fill in the following form!

Last but not least, we would all like to thank Pavel Zbornik – Communications and European Institutions Director of AEGEE-Europe who has dedicated an endless amount of his time creating the Portal and making our lives easier. Thank you, Pavel!

 Written by Réka Salamon, AEGEE-Debrecen/Aachen