BRAND BOOK BRAND IDENTITY AND VISUAL GUIDELINES
2 Brand Identity and Visual Guidelines
These guidelines describe elements that together represent the Valid8 brand and visual identity
3 Brand Identity and Visual Guidelines TABLE OF CONTENT
Introduction
4
Brand Identity
6
Logotype
8
Typography
14
Color Palette
18
4 Brand Identity and Visual Guidelines
INTRODUCTION Open letter from Francis Tao
5 Brand Identity and Visual Guidelines
This brand refresh project took place for Valid8 during their 15-year
the field. These differentiators are so unlike the rest of the industry, and come
anniversary as a company. After engaging in market research, learning
so naturally to them, it makes for a brand that is truly different.
about the recurring pain points of their industry, and hearing from customers about why they chose Valid8, it became clear they had something special. In a business world filled with faceless giants who care little about their customer’s experience (and customers who care even less about them), Valid8 is positioned to be the lone breath of fresh air in a testing industry that is ripe for disruption. To simply say that Valid8 is “the little guy with better customer service” doesn’t quite capture the full picture. Mobile and IoT industries are not only growing in size but also in complexity. Companies are racing to differentiate
This branding process also gave Valid8 an opportunity to clarify the company’s positioning in the field: what they do better than anyone else, what their toughest challenges have been -- and it has helped answer the question, “What is most important to our supporters?”
In short, it became an opportunity to crystalize, then verbalize, what makes Valid8 so special. To arrive at this conclusion, we engaged staff, leaders, customers and partners in intimate discussions and interviews.
themselves by creating unique products and services that have never existed before, which means they need to test things that have never existed before.
The visual identity portion of this brand book is designed to reflect this
Increasingly, they need flexible testing solutions that are also affordable to
brand identity, and also take into consideration Valid8’s primary target
keep up with their quick iterations and changing needs.
audiences. My hope is that this accomplishment will serve to empower the Valid8 team and equip them with the right tools to beautifully and powerfully
Frustration in the industry is mounting, as the “big guys” continue charging
communicate their story.
exorbitant prices for inflexible and bundled testing solutions. Adding to the frustration is their unwillingness to work with customers and assist with integrating the tools to their needs. As one Valid8 customer put it, if you even
It was an honor to be a part of this effort.
ask about special requirements, they’ll laugh at you. Gratefully, Valid8 offers flexibility. Instead of giant oppressive packages with unnecessary features, Valid8 customizes solutions to needs. They allow users to pay only for what they need, with the quickest path to success. Their customers say their willingness to work side by side with clients to ensure
Francis Tao
their unique testing needs are met stands out in stark contrast to the rest of
Principal, Francis Tao Marketing
That's
Different For decades, the Evil Incumbent Empire has ruled the testing galaxy with bloated, overpriced tools. Sales Troopers imposed their rigid technology and customer service clones on all engineering inhabitants -- all except a few. Pursued by the Empire’s sinister agents, the Valid8 Team race to bring their plans for flexible and affordable testing to their people -- plans that can restore freedom to the galaxy.
WHY ARE WE DIFFERENT?
We are different because of our commitment to flexibility, genuine desire to serve the customer well, and dedication to solving their problems in the simplest way.
Brand Identity
6. OUR PRODUCT RESEARCH COMES FROM SERVING CUSTOMERS Most testing giants don’t want to get into the trenches with their clients, to walk with them hand in hand through their unique needs -- we do. Our custom work provides unique insight and understanding that results in lean, useful products. Our products are the result of engineers focused on the customer, not engineers focused on building boxes.
1. FLEXIBLE Our technology is built to be flexible. Our tools can be virtual.
7. PAY ONLY FOR WHAT YOU NEED
Functionality is added and removed with ease, making it scalable.
We change the game by allowing customers to customize their bundle, and pay only for what they need. This empowers the testing world to scale
2. WE’LL BE THERE FOR YOU
incrementally, afford multiple units, and be more agile.
If you’re having trouble, we won’t abandon you. If something breaks, we’ll be there for you. Our support earns loyalty.
8. SIMPLE TO USE Most QA engineers don’t fully understand this stuff. They want a tool that
3. WE’LL WORK WITH YOU
is intuitive to use so they can finish their task as quickly as possible. Our
Even if you don’t have all the documentation and know-how, even if you
software applications run on the same protocol engine platform and are
require integrations to meet your needs, we’ll work with you to move the
designed for one simple UI across all applications.
ball forward.
9. WE HAVE GENUINE INTEREST IN YOUR PROBLEM 4. OUR ENGINEERS ARE ACCESSIBLE
Valid8’s engineers are close to the customer, and close to their problems.
Our engineers don’t hide behind sales reps, our engineers are on the
Engineers are naturally inquisitive when it comes to problems. We have
front lines.
a genuine interest that stems from curiosity, and helping people flows naturally from that curiosity.
5. WE PUT QA ENGINEERS FIRST We care about your forgotten QA engineer, testing against an impossible
10. FUN TEAM, SERIOUS TOOL
deadline late into the night. Helping engineers solve their pains, making
We believe you can have fun and bring a bit of joy to your clients, while
their work simpler, cheaper, even more fun -- this is what drives us.
still providing a seriously reliable tool.
8 Brand Identity and Visual Guidelines
LOGOTYPE Logo Introduction Logo Variations Logo Architecture Application on Backgrounds Examples of Usage
9 Brand Identity and Visual Guidelines LOGOTYPE
Logo Introduction
The Valid8 logo is comprised of three elements: V-checkmark element, name, and “.com�
V-element
top-level domain appendix. The V-checkmark element communicates validation in the company name, but also expresses the energy and fire of a brand that's different. In a subtle way, the V-checkmark is a nod to action, an aggressive change in direction that stands out. The three brand logo colors are white, crimson, and midnight blue, a contrast and palette combination that communicates two sides of Valid8: the crimson a fiery, passionate, different character, and the midnight blue a solid, calming, and reliable foundation. The balance being that Valid8 challenges the status quo, while still being reliable and professional.
Name
Appendix
10 Brand Identity and Visual Guidelines LOGOTYPE
Logo Variations - Clear Space -
Primary Logo Primary logo should be used in the majority of cases and when the tagline is represented as a separate text element.
Logo Minimum Width
Primary Logo
for PRINT = 0.8 in for WEB = 100 px
Logo + Tagline The combination of the logo with tagline should be used in cases when the tagline is not
- Clear Space -
represented separately. Icon The icon can be used if the size is very small, for
Logo Minimum Width
Logo + Tagline
for PRINT = 1.2 in for WEB = 150 px
example as a favicon or on a pen. The V-symbol can be used separately as a checkmark icon. Clear Space It is important to keep the logo clear of any - Clear Space -
other graphical elements on borders intruding its space. To regulate this, a clear space has been established around the logo. Minimal Width
Icon Minimum Width
Icon
for PRINT = 0.25 in for WEB = 16 px
Guidelines for minimum width ensure the logo's visibility and impact.
The V-symbol can be used separately as a custom Valid8 checkmark.
11 Brand Identity and Visual Guidelines LOGOTYPE
Logo Architecture 28x
3x
The logo and icon elements have a fixed
3x
3x
3x
relationship that should never be altered in any way.
9x
The slogan can be used as a separate text
4x
element disconnected from the overall logo the slogan in a different font size or orientation logo block (see examples on page 13).
3x
3x
block; this gives the user the flexibility to use without affecting the size and proportion of the
4x
28x
3x
3x
3x
3x
12x
3x
3x 3x
2x
3x
9x
2x
2x
2x
9x 2x
2x 2x
2x
7x
4x
12 Brand Identity and Visual Guidelines LOGOTYPE
Application on Backgrounds
I. Primary logo version
II. White logo version
On white backgrounds
On other corporate colors & dark photos
The Valid8 logo can be used on the following backgrounds with these two versions: I. Use the primary logo in combination with white or corporate gainsboro backgrounds. II. For other corporate colors in a background or on dark photography, white versions of the logo should be used.
On Gainsboro backgrounds
13 Brand Identity and Visual Guidelines LOGOTYPE
Examples of Usage
14 Brand Identity and Visual Guidelines
TYPOGRAPHY Corporate Typeface Recommended Typeface for Programming Examples of Usage
15 Brand Identity and Visual Guidelines TYPOGRAPHY
Corporate Typeface
Raleway
Recommended Typeface for Programming
Anonymous Pro
Raleway Extra Bold Use for: tag line, main heading
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 0123456789
Anonymous Pro Bold
Raleway Bold Use for: sub-heading, heading, category
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 0123456789
Anonymous Pro Bold Italic
Raleway Regular Use for: body copy
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 0123456789
Anonymous Pro Regular
Raleway Italic Use for: caption, comments
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 0123456789
Anonymous Pro Italic
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 0123456789 ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 0123456789 ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 0123456789 ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 0123456789
16 Brand Identity and Visual Guidelines TYPOGRAPHY
Example of usage
Tagline Raleway Extra Bold Size 46pt
Subheading Raleway Bold Size 12pt
Website Address Raleway Extra Bold Case: All Caps Size: 8pt Tracking: 60
Flexible. Affordable. That's Different. Valid8 is a network testing company with 15 years of proven results. We do things differently.
VALID8.COM
17 Brand Identity and Visual Guidelines TYPOGRAPHY
Date Raleway Italic Size: 8pt
Example of usage
Posted on June 28, 2016
Category Raleway Extra Bold Case: All Caps Size: 8pt Tracking: 60
OUR FEATURED RELEASE
Heading Raleway Bold Size: 34pt
Short case stories from customers
Body Copy Raleway Regular Size: 10pt Leading: 16pt
For us we needed to be able to attach multiple devices in a cost effective way. I didn't want to be spending a lot of money and time and effort learning or setting up the entire eNodeB and core network when really all I needed was IP connectivity. It was reasonably clear in the material I could get and pay for what I needed, and not pay and spend time on a bunch of other stuff. It's allowed us to have more units -- we already purchased a second unit. Here, we build wireless networks, so I thought maybe I should start purchasing internal gear and spend time and effort versus cost in dollars, but with Valid8 we don't have to -that's why it's made sense for me. Internal equipment is fairly expensive.
18 Brand Identity and Visual Guidelines
COLOR PALETTE COLOR PLAYS AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN VISUAL
Valid8 visual identity has five official colors:
IDENTITY.
1. Crimson (primary color for accents)
Consistent use of colors will contribute to a cohesive and harmonious look across all brand communications.
2. Midnight Blue (primary content color) 3. Light Slate Grey (secondary content color) 4. Gainsboro (secondary background color) 5. White (primary background color) These colors will become a recognizable combination for Valid8. Usage This color palette should be used for all internal and external brand communications.
19 Brand Identity and Visual Guidelines
PANTONE
Crimson
Primary Color for Accents
CMYK RGB HTML
PANTONE
Midnight Blue
Primary Content Color
CMYK RGB HTML
PANTONE
Light Slate Grey
Secondary Content Color
CMYK RGB HTML
PANTONE
Gainsboro
White
Secondary Background Color
Primary Background Color
CMYK RGB
180 C3 M93 Y84 K12 R206 G48 B49 #CE3031
7546 C71 M43 Y23 K63 R35 G61 B81 #233D51
7544 C34 M14 Y11 K32 R118 G140 B152 #768C98
COOL GRAY 1 C4 M2 Y4 K8 R222 G224 B222
HTML
#DEE0DE
CMYK
C0 M0 Y0 K0
RGB HTML
R255 G255 B255 #FFFFFF
VALID8.COM