MAY 2019 BRAND STYLE GUIDE
J+L HOME GROUP BRAND STYLE GUIDE
WELCOME TO J+L HOME GROUP
FRESH TAKE ON HOME BUYING + SELLING
The Jon Bowling and Laura Faz Team continue to evolve. After bringing on new team members and elevating our offerings to match the ever-changing needs of the real estate landscape, we have taken the necessary time to reflect. In early 2019 we crafted a new brand that best tells the story of who we are and how we want the world to view us.
We are a specialized realtor team in Cincinnati designed to guide clients through the home buying and selling process in a new way. We craft a narrative that will resonate with buyers and guide them on the journey. We embrace the latest technology and bridge the gap between sales and marketing to connect with buyers on a deeper level to find each home’s next caring owners.
We are a modern realtor team that offers the latest home buying and selling understanding and techniques with an empathetic personal touch. We care deeply about our clients and take pride in giving them the best possible dream home transition experience. As the world of real estate gets larger online and off, we take great pride in staying high touch and personalized. There is no better time than now to welcome you to the all-new J+L Home Group. We appreciate your respect and collaboration to maintain our identity in an intentional and consistent manner to truly capture the essence of our brand.
OUR PILLARS New Thinking. We’re known for our creative approach and fresh perspective. We use the latest techniques, technologies, and stories to buy and sell homes. Performance. Our specialized team has 30+ years of experience and provides precision, excellence and trust to buy and sell homes more effectively. Personal Touch. We take a genuine interest in the dream home transition of our clients. We ensure they are comfortable and well informed to build lifelong relationships
2
OUR PERSONALITY The character traits below represent the human nature and values of our brand. It is how we consistently behave through all experiences so the people we touch feel comfortable and familiar with us. Competent. We are confident and capable. We are forward-thinking and go beyond what most offer. Trustworthy. We are honest and accurate. Our reputation is built on trust. Thoughtful. We act with care and empathy. We know the power of a personal touch. Passionate. We live and breathe real estate. We take great pride in what we do. Polished. We are put-together and sophisticated. Our work is organized and well planned.
TABLE OF CONTENTS 4-5 6 7 8 9
Logo Design Primary Logo Variation Logos Logo Spacing + Size Restrictions
10-11 12 13
Typography Primary Fonts Font Usage
14-15 16 17
Color System Color Palette Primary Logo Color Genres
18-19 20 21
Illustrations Iconography Patterns
22-23 24 25
Photography Photographic Style Photographic Background + Framing
26-27 28 29 30 31
Applications Signage Merchandise Keynote Presentation Social Media Marketing
3
LOGO DESIGN
01 logo is the touchstone ourbrand brandand andaavaluable valuable asset asset OurOur logo is the touchstone ofofour to help people recognize andremember rememberus. us.Maintaining Maintaining its to help people recognize and integrity integrityand andconsistency consistencyisisessential. essential.
1. Primary | 2. Variation Logos || 3. Logo Spacing + Size | 4. Restrictions 1. Primary Logo Logo | 2. Tano Concept Logos
55
J+L HOME GROUP BRAND STYLE GUIDE
PRIMARY LOGO Say hello to the new J+L Home Group! Fresh, polished and full of possibilities, the new logo speaks to the fact that while we may be keeping up with the times, we are staying true to our values and standards. The serif font helps to symbolize our professional commitment to sincerity and a personal touch. Using the plus sign to communicate collaboration and commitment to the relationship, the symbol also creates an H for Home between the J and L. The rectangle mimics the outline of a home while giving the mark a modern and structured look. And the colors offer a fresh and sophisticated vibe to stand apart from the more common highly saturated colors of real estate.
ONE COLOR
ONE COLOR REVERSED
VARIATION LOGOS
Just as we do, our logo offers flexibility and can adapt to different environments and audiences. While the primary logo should be used as often as possible, we are prepared with alternatives to ensure our logo is legible and compatible within various spaces. We offer these three logo variations as secondary marks. They are to be used when the primary logo is not a good fit. The J+L alone is to be used in small spaces like a social media avatar unless it is being used as a graphic element.
7
J+L HOME GROUP BRAND STYLE GUIDE
LOGO SPACING + SIZE Our logo embodies our brand. It is the brand summed up in one neat little package. Therefore, the logo must stay intact at all times to be perfectly legible and without obstructions. The clear space around the logo is the empty space that should always remain untouched by other typography and graphics. The logo needs to be a hero easily standing out when used. Use the length of the plus sign (in J+L) to measure the minimum amount of clear space allowed on each side of the logo. To preserve legibility the locked up logo should never be scaled smaller than 1.5� horizontally. If there is a space smaller than this where a logo is needed use the J+L icon.
Whenever you use the logo, it should be surrounded with clear space to ensure its visibility.
1.5� If you use the logo icon as a single object, it also needs clear space all around.
RESTRICTIONS Our logo is very important to us and we have put a lot of thought and love into designing it just right. We ask that designers and users respect the thought and craftsmanship that has gone into the logo by keeping it in its pure form and within the rules as outlined in this guide. Don’t rotate or distort the logo in any way - that includes adding unnecessary and unattractive text decorations like drop shadows or outlines. Here are a few examples of some ways you should never consider using the logo.
DON’T rotate the logo
DON’T crop elements
DON’T outline elements
DON’T stretch the logo
DON’T add effects
DON’T change colors
DON’T use on similar colors
DON’T interrupt with graphic
9
TYPOGRAPHY
02 Typography is 95% of design - it’s a driving force in all forms of communication art.
1. Primary Fonts | 2. Font Usage
11
J+L HOME GROUP BRAND STYLE GUIDE
PRIMARY FONTS
BASKERVILLE- SEMI
Typography is a powerful brand tool when used consistently. J+L Home Group logo utilizes one typeface family called Baskerville. The first is Baskerville- Semi(bold), a bolder typeface that is used for headings in print, posters, billboards and web applications. This typeface is always used in all caps.
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 12345678910
The second is Baskerville (regular), the thinner typeface in the family used for a sub-headline when needed. This too should always be used in all caps. The final is Myriad Pro, a slightly thinner version of the header type but also a san-serif so it is more legible for larger bodies of copy like this paragraph. It can be used in upper and lower case.
BASKERVILLE ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 12345678910
MYRIAD PRO ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 12345678910
FONT USAGE Baskerville-Semi is only to be used for prominent headlines and should never be smaller than 15 point size. Kerning or character spacing should be set to auto. And line spacing between the headline and the subhead should always be 42 point.
J+L HOME GROUP A FRESH TAKE ON HOME BUYING + SELLING
Baskerville (regular) can also be used for headlines or subheading and should never be smaller than 15 point. Kerning or character spacing should be set to auto. And line spacing between the headline and the subhead should always be 34 point. Myriad Pro is for body copy only and should never be smaller than 8 point. Kerning or character spacing should be set to auto. And line spacing between the headline and the subhead should always be 12 point. To the left, we have demonstrated how to use header + body fonts together.
13
COLOR SYSTEM
03 Color influences behavior and decision making and can impact the way people perceive our brand in ways that aren’t always apparent, such as how certain hues can evoke feelings of joy, warmth and trust.
1. Color Palette
15
J+L HOME GROUP BRAND STYLE GUIDE
COLOR PALETTE Color is an integral part of brand identity. Consistent use of the color palette will not only reinforce the cohesiveness of the brand, but color also serves a psychological purpose by communicating a certain feeling to our audience. Our color palette does not have set primary colors, as any combination can be used together at any time. This palette communicates our modern, personalized, and fresh approach. C20 M12 Y13 K0 R202 G210 B212 HEX #cad2d4 C67 M50 Y57 K29 R81 G93 B89 HEX #515d59 C22 M39 Y100 K2 R199 G151 B44 HEX #c7972c C89 M56 Y67 K63 R3 G49 B46 HEX #03312e C4 M3 Y12 K0 R244 G241 B224 HEX #f4f1e0
PRIMARY LOGO COLOR GENRES We want to make sure that our J+L Home Group can find a home on any surface. For this reason, we offer different color genres that include a single color, one color (black), and one color reversed (white). These are demonstrated on page six.
Along with these, we do give one more option to logo color variations. The plus sign may be swapped with dark grey HEX #515d59 if the logo needs to be used on a light colored background that may be too similar in color to the light grey and impair visibility.
17
ILLUSTRATIONS
04 Illustration is a powerful brand cue that can reinforce primary messages and make the complex simple in our communications.
1. Iconography | 2. Patterns
19
J+L HOME GROUP BRAND STYLE GUIDE
ICONOGRAPHY The icons are pictograms displayed on-screen or print layout to help navigate through content. Icons are hand-drawn and outlined in with a single color. The icons should never have multiple colors but any single color in the palette may be interchanged or be used on like-colored backgrounds. Use on white colored backgrounds when possible. For social highlights, it is preferred to use the two tones of grey to outline the icons and as a full-color background.
PATTERNS To fully create the J+L Home Group identity; the brand uses a combination of handcrafted patterns and icons that support the principles already established by the logo, color, typography, and photography. The main idea is creating elements that support the competent, trustworthy, thoughtful, passionate, and polished brand personality. Each of our patterns has structured “wallpaper-like� textures that overlap to show that we are always combining each of the strengths to deliver our customers the best quality of work possible. The eucalyptus leaves represent prosperity and nurturing and bring the fresh approach story to life. To keep designs unique but still consistent with the brand identity, the leaves and color blocks of patterns can be pulled out and used on their own as we have done throughout the guide with the color block top and side frames, as well as the leaves in page separating titles. Never redraw or use similar style leaves, these have been hand drawn and will serve as an individual, and recognizable stamp to the brand.
21
PHOTOGRAPHY
05 Our visual system uses photography to convey our brand personality and establish a meaningful emotional connection with the people it touches.
1. Photographic Style | 2. Photographic Background
23
J+L HOME GROUP BRAND STYLE GUIDE
PHOTOGRAPHIC STYLE The photographic style of J+L Home Group mirrors the sense of freshness, energy and welcoming that the brand embodies. To ensure our images represent our brand and, in turn, engage viewers and help them feel part of the experience, make sure the photographs: • Utilize bright lighting with extra exposure • Capture authentic moments of enjoyment • People should be shown at ease and content rather than posed, staged or overly cheerful • Viewers should feel as if they were in the photographs themselves • Present natural environments. Allow little imperfections - not overly manicured
PHOTOGRAPHIC BACKGROUND + FRAMING Photos can be used as a whole rectangle or square image or cutout for a creative more custom feel. An overlay pattern can be used behind a photo or the header background can be used on top of a photo. Either way, these photos should primarily be full color for better visibility and relatability.
25
APPLICATIONS
06 Our brand can be brought to life in various applications. From digital presentations to merchandise and signage, the same brand style guidelines apply.
1. Signage | 2. Merchandise | 3. Keynote Presentation | 4. Social Media Marketing
27
J+L HOME GROUP BRAND STYLE GUIDE
SIGNAGE Most signage should be used on white or very light colored backgrounds so that the full-color logo can be used. Patterns are always encouraged to be used to draw attention and set you apart from competing realtors.
MERCHANDISE Merchandise should be products that are relevant to the J+L Home Group. And could include folders, business cards, letterheads, notebooks, phone cases, thumb drive, laptop sleeve, etc.
29
J+L HOME GROUP BRAND STYLE GUIDE
KEYNOTE PRESENTATION The keynote presentation is a comprehensive example of how to use the brand identity together in a cohesive and consistent way. Use this as a model for best use of photography, icons, patterns, and fonts.
jlhomegroup
SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING
J+L Home Group Real Estate A Cincinnati Re/Max Preferred real estate team with a fresh take on home buying and selling www.jlhomegroup.com Cincinnati
STAGING
FRESH IDEAS
SOLD
CLIENT LOVE
SPRING ‘19
OUR HOMES
This Instagram layout demonstrates how to bring in hand-crafted and structured elements such as patterns and icons along with small amounts of text to captivate the viewer. Again photography should feel as much part of the customized brand as the digitally created images. Keep this consistency by taking opportunities to take photography with brand colors in mind.
N E W B LO G P O S T
TRENDS IN HOMES
TOP 5 S TA G I N G M I S TA K E S + T I P S
O N T H E B LO G
31
J+L HOME GROUP | MADE BY ELLIE BRANDS | © 2019