Marketing & Communications

Log in to the Photo Library using SSO. This will be right underneath the Virginia Tech logo in red lettering with a key. Note: we recommend exploring and experimenting with searches and search terms to find what you are looking for and to locate a manageable number of images.

For a simple search, try adding your search word or words to the search bar at the top of the page.

You can also click on “Advanced search.” This will open a new window.

On the “Advanced search” page, you can use the first field box near the top labeled “All fields” to type in what you are looking for. You can try something general like “sketching” or “studio” or something more specific like the name of an event or faculty member.

To find photos for a specific program or school, use one of the tags below these bullet points and type the letters into the “Keywords – Other” field.

• AAD - College of Architecture, Arts, and Design (overall college events)
• AHRM - Apparel, Housing, and Resource Management
• ARCH - Architecture
• ART - Art and Art History
• CINE - Cinema
• DES - School of Design
• IDS - Industrial Design
• ITDS - Interior Design
• LAR - Landscape Architecture
• MUS - Music
• SOPA - School of Performing Arts
• SOVA - School of Visual Arts
• TA - Theatre Arts

You can also try checking the keywords for photo style and event, but these terms may not be consistent across the university. The date ranges can be helpful if you know when the photos were taken.

Note: We would not recommend checking the box beside the college name unless you want ONLY images taken by Evan Musgrave or other college staff. This would eliminate many great photos taken by university photographers.

Once you have filled in the relevant fields, click on “View [number] matching results.” This will tell you how many results match your search criteria and you’ll see the results page(s). If you look at the top right corner, you’ll see how many pages there are.

If you see a photo that interests you, click on it to go to a larger version and to see the details. This is also a good way to identify options to help you with future searches like keywords that are in the caption, photo style, date, etc.

If you just want to scroll through all the photos, click on the first one and use the arrows in the upper right where it says “View all results” to go forward or backward.

There are two ways to download a photo. The first is to click on the photo of interest and then go to the top right corner to download the original photo (this will be a large file) or a smaller web version. The other option (and a way to download multiple photos) is to select the box at the top left of each photo you want, hit the “Actions” button (in the top center of the page above the photos) and select the “Download” option. Read the terms and conditions, select “I accept the terms,” and click the “Proceed” button. You can then select your download size and click the “Download” button. Then click on your messages box in the top right. You will get a new message when your download is ready; click on the new message. Then click on “Link” to start downloading.

Questions or having trouble? Contact Evan Musgrave, visual content creator, at emusgrave95@vt.edu.

Email or talk with Kris Timney, AAD director of marketing and communications, at ktimney@vt.edu for help in determining the right person, resource, or next step for your project or idea.

If you have a question specific to communications efforts in your academic unit, please contact one of the following:

• School of Architecture: Andrew Durfee, administrative and communications coordinator, at andrewd98@vt.edu
• School of Design: Gabby Brown, administrative and communications coordinator, at gabbybrown@vt.edu
• School of Performing Arts: Emily Baker, marketing audience and development specialist, at emilyrb@vt.edu
• School of Visual Arts: Emily Baker, marketing audience and development specialist, at emilyrb@vt.edu

Probably not. Our goal is to reach and engage audiences beyond the college, and a traditional Virginia Tech news story is not always the most effective way to do that. We are taking a visual-first approach and increasingly using formats such as photography, video, social media, and other digital content to tell AAD stories.

We reserve news stories for content with significant impact, broad audience interest, and strong storytelling potential. Submit the AAD Content Idea Form and tell us what’s happening and why it matters. We’ll consider your audience and goals and determine the format and communications channels that can have the greatest impact and potential to reach your audience.

The more notice, the better. Submit most requests at least 10 business days in advance. More complex projects involving photography, video, interviews, or multiple people may require one to two months of advance notice. More notice is always better!

Start by submitting the AAD Content Idea Form at least 10 business days before your event. Tell us what’s happening and who you want to reach, and we’ll follow up to gather additional information for promotion. If you’re serious about promotion, give us a month.

Start with the AAD Content Idea Form. Ideally, we want public events on the Virginia Tech events site so they can reach audiences across the university and beyond. Events listed there may also receive additional visibility through the Virginia Tech daily email.

Submit the AAD Content Idea Form. We’ll consider your audience and goals, along with timing, strategic value, storytelling potential, and available resources, to determine whether social media or another communications channel is the best fit. Some content may be better suited for a school’s social media, where it can more directly reach audiences interested in that discipline or program.

If you have a web update for a school website, please contact one of the following:

• School of Architecture: Andrew Durfee, administrative and communications coordinator, at andrewd98@vt.edu
• School of Design: Gabby Brown, administrative and communications coordinator, at gabbybrown@vt.edu
• School of Performing Arts: Emily Baker, marketing audience and development specialist, at emilyrb@vt.edu
• School of Visual Arts: Bri O’Neal, assistant professor of practice and director of Limestone Creative, at bponeal@vt.edu

Start with the Virginia Tech Marketing and Communications Photo Library. Faculty and staff can log in with SSO to search for and download college and university photography. See the “Find photos for projects” section above for login info, search tips, and instructions.

Photography and video require advance planning and depend on the needs of the project and available resources. Submit the AAD Content Idea Form as early as possible so we can consider your request. More complex projects may require one to two months of advance notice.

Visit the Virginia Tech Brand Center. You’ll find official college, school, and program lockups, along with brand guidelines, fonts, and the university PowerPoint template. See the “Access brand resources” section above for specific links.

Start with the communications contact for your school; they may be able to help:

• School of Architecture: Andrew Durfee, administrative and communications coordinator, at andrewd98@vt.edu
• School of Design: Gabby Brown, administrative and communications coordinator, at gabbybrown@vt.edu
• School of Performing Arts: Emily Baker, marketing audience and development specialist, at emilyrb@vt.edu
• School of Visual Arts: Emily Baker, marketing audience and development specialist, at emilyrb@vt.edu

If you have other questions or if it’s not a school project, email Kris Timney, AAD director of marketing and communications, at ktimney@vt.edu.

Virginia Tech has requirements for branded merchandise and licensed vendors. Visit the licensing resources linked under the “Merch and swag” box above for information about vendors, ordering promotional products, common questions, and who to contact for help.

First, ask whether a new account is really needed. Successful social media accounts require a clear purpose, a defined audience, a steady stream of content, and someone who can manage them over time. Without a plan to sustain them, new accounts can quickly become inactive or outdated.

Before creating an account, talk with Marissa Logan, the college’s digital marketing and communications manager, at mtlogan@vt.edu, about your goals and whether your content could be shared through an existing account.

If a new account makes sense, start with Virginia Tech’s social media resources linked under the “Access brand resources” section above. You’ll find information about requesting a new account, branding and style requirements, best practices, the university social media directory, and additional resources.

If a reporter contacts you to discuss your work or an area of expertise, please contact Kris Timney, AAD director of marketing and communications, at ktimney@vt.edu, as well as the Virginia Tech media relations team at mediarelations@vt.edu. The media relations team can provide interview tips for a short-notice opportunity or arrange more in-depth media training. Ideally, we’ll want to share the interview or story with our audiences when published.

Media interviews can be great opportunities, but you don’t have to say “yes” immediately. If you have questions or concerns about a reporter, interview request, or potentially sensitive or controversial topic, contact the college communications director and university media relations team before responding.

If a reporter contacts you about a major incident or issue involving Virginia Tech rather than your individual work or expertise, do not respond on behalf of the university. Refer the reporter to the appropriate university spokesperson. Kris Timney or the Virginia Tech Media Relations team can help connect them with the right person.