THE PURPOSE This is a guide to ensure consistent branding and visual identity of 10X studios. Viewer discretion is advised.
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Our Logo
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Our Typefaces
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Our Colors
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Graphic Elements
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Calls to Action
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Platform Voices
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OUR LOGO We made it. You didn’t. Don’t touch it. (Read: #SeriouslyDontTouch)
01 Primary Logo 10XStudios_Logo_DenimPrimary
This logo is to be used for all printed and digital collateral, using Grey700 and Denim500 colors.
02 Grey900 Logo 10XStudios_Grey900
This logo is to be used as a substitute of the Primary when there is a need for high contrast or for greyscale output.
03 Secondary Logo 10XStudios_DenimWhite
This logo is to be used for all printed and digital collateral where Denim & Grey is not suitable. MAXIMUM contrast is the goal, always.
04 All White Logo 10XStudios_WhiteHorizontal This logo is to be used as a substitute of the secondary when there is a need for high contrast against dark or other colored backgrounds. 05 Vertical Lockup
Vertical versions are to be used when a layout needs more space or if the horizontal lockup appears to be too cluttered. Use the appropriate color accordingly.
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The remaining variations of the logo should be used in situations similar to their counterparts. Example: The Mint500 version of the logo can be used in the same way as the Vertical White lockup.
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DO’s & DON’Ts When using the 10X Studios logo, avoid garrish effects! Only YOU can prevent forest fires...and odd-looking logo fails. Andrew Grant said “You never get a second chance to make a first impression.” ... and RuPaul said, “Don’t fuck it up!”
01 Space Around the Logo
Always leave space around the logo so that it can breathe. If placed near a corner, ensure spacing is equal on both edges.
02 Patterned Backgrounds
If using a patterned background, the pattern must NOT compete in saturation or contrast levels. Basically, if it looks questionable, you probably shouldn’t do it.
03 Solid Backgrounds
Any combination of logo options may be used, so long as they are high-contrast.
04 Warning!
Do NOT use the Grey logos on dark backgrounds, especially not on a Dark Pattern.
05 Rotation? Nope! NEVER rotate the logo.
06 Special Effects
Never use special effects such as Glow, Bevel & Emboss, etc. with the logo.
06a Dropshadows? You Better Not!
Dropshadows are never to be used with the 10X Studios logo. This is separate from using shadows on other surfaces, as the logo should never appear to be a separate layer of the stack of materials as opposed to being a part of the material.
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If you question whether it looks good feel like you might need to check with these guidelines... then you guessed it! It’s wrong!
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OUR TYPEFACES These fonts are used for both print & digital work. We think they look pretty nice when used properly. Should the question come up: “Does this look okay?” then it may need to be simplified by using fewer variations of the type-family.
Source Sans Pro The Source Sans Pro type family is our primary font. It helps communicate a techy, clean vibe while giving a sense of intelligence. It’s a contemporary font with great personality when used in its BOLD ALL-CAPS or SMALL-CAPS format. Use Source Sans Pro for all headlines, subheadings, or call-out text.
Aa ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnoprstuvwxyz (.,:;?!@#$%^&*)0123456789
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Source Sans Pro Light When using this font, tracking remains loose and clean. This font style should be used in combination with Bold All-Caps when creating headlines. Other uses include small amounts of copy, such as a two-sentence body of text. Never use All-Caps style for large amounts of copy; we want to establish a type-heirarchy don’t we?
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Source Sans Pro Bold When using this font, you MUST use a Tight letter spacing in PowerPoint, or -40 tracking in other design programs. This font style should rarely be used outside of headlines, especially when paired with the Light version. Avoid using too many cases of Bold on the same page and never set entire sentences with it. Think of it as a catch phrase: using it too often gets very obnoxious, very fast.
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnoprstuvwxyz (.,:;?!@#$%^&*)0123456789
Dear Joe 4 The DearJoe4 typeface is a handwritten font, designed by JoeBob Graphics in the Netherlands. This typeface is used for accenting specific words or phrases as needed. Use it well or not at all.
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OUR COLORS We are defined by our colors: 10X Studios is intelligent, bold, and disruptive. We embrace Material Design with the order it brings, but we simplify it by removing a few levels of the swatches. We like to think Mies Van Der Rohe was correct; Less is more.
Using the Colors Correctly The color palette is based on Material Design color theory; there are specific tints & shades available from each primary 500 Level color. We simplified it by only allowing a 50, 500, and 900 level for each color. Pops of Mint & Amber Mint or Amber should primarily appear in either a call-out, a graphic element, or the 10X in 10X Studios. Keep in mind, the 10X Studios logo can only appear in the 500 Level colors, and never the other variations. Occasional use in body copy can definitely help to give it life, but let’s avoid looking like a garrishly designed picture for final designs, okay? Using Colors in Text Avoid using 100% black when possible, unless needed for absolute distinction. Stick to Grey900 as often as possible, with Grey500 or Grey700 as an alternate text color. All text must always have maximum legibility, so if there is ever a question of whether something looks legible or not then it probably is not legible enough.
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Yeah We Know It was definitely intended. #winning
Designer’s Cheat Sheet Converting hex-codes is the dregs
50 LEVEL
500 LEVEL
900 LLEVEL
#6F8EA3
#v80ADB7
#F9F5C7
#BEEFED
111 142 163
128 173 183
249 245 199
190 239 237
60 36 27 1
52 20 24 0
3 1 27 0
23 0 9 0
#003056
#015770
#F1CF3B
#47D8BE
0 48 86
1 87 112
241 207 59
71 216 190
100 84 39 34
94 58 39 19
6 15 89 0
59 0 36 0
#08263A
#083944
#D39D26
#26AA91
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8 57 68
211 157 38
38 170 145
96 77 50 56
93 64 54 48
18 38 100 1
76 8 54 0
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GRAPHIC ELEMENTS With a wide variety of corner, top, and bottom elements available for design, use your best judgement when applying them. Always select the color that feels right without distracting from the primary message of the composition. It’s perfectly okay to not use one at all.
Dividers We use Soft Breaks to divide content areas. They consist of a dotted line that is between 1pt and 3pt wide. You may lower their opacity in segments of 20% but never lower than 40% since anything less would not need a divider.
1pt
2pt
3pt
3pt
100% Size
80%
3pt
3pt
60% 40% Opacity
We use Hard Breaks to divide major content or quadrants in our decks. It helps to show a separation of information. Grey700 or 900 solid lines do the heavy lifting for us. They may cross as needed.
1pt
2pt
1pt
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Other Graphic Elements A visual marking that is consistent with all 10X Studios content? The abstract element that can appear in any of the brand colors and on any side/angle. We refer to them as the corner, top, and lower element. These can be enlarged, shrunken, tilted, or mirrored in order to achieve the desired effect. Just make sure they always have maximum contrast (or at least compliment the composition in general).
Elevation & Shadows Want to use drop shadows? Sure! Apply them to large objects, but NEVER on the logo or the corner/top/lower elements. Just keep it clean and never set above 75% opacity.
Textures & Patterns The primary texture, used to accent flat backgrounds when needed, is Rice Paper. Other variations will be released in the future. Patterns must always be light; no more than 50% opacity so as not to compete with the composition.
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CALLS TO ACTION Each piece of content has a specific look that works in harmony with all other 10X Studios advertising. We like visual rhythm across the board, so it’s important to include an easy-to-identify call to action.
Calls To Action Consistency is key with a strong CTA; we take them seriously. To identify the brand appropriately, we follow specific rules to ensure that every piece meets the expectation of the brand as a whole. Social Media Ads All paid ads have a strong call to action, whether it’s a Sign Up button or a Like Ad. All designs should fall within the 20% Facebook rule while still capturing our brand elements. Keep additional colors to a minimum so our primary color palette is apparent.
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All CTA’s must drive the viewer to some form of sales tool, whether it be Facebook or the website.
Newsletter Newsletters utilize a centered, singlecolumn approach with MailChimp. The header should always include a clickable set of icons which link to the 10X Studios website, blog, Facebook page, and LinkedIn. The overall appearance should be clean & on-brand with appropriate Fonts & Hexcode colors. Focus on driving traffic to our website and/or Facebook page.
Social Media Posts All social media content (other than culture & brand awareness) should have a strong CTA that drives traffic to the 10X Studios website, blog, or Facebook pages. Directly from 10X Studios social channels managers: We’re fun people who know their stuff, so that’s what we try to get across. I want to be a social media news go-to for our target audience. (And be seen as a really great place to work!)
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PLATFORM VOICES Think of us as coaches and teachers who help educate people on the power of social media to drive business. We share best practices, metrics, and winning strategies to build trust and relationships. Speak to the reader as a person; not a company.
Facebook A place where news and culture collide. Blogs, videos, culture all in one place.
A look at what it’s like to work at 10X.
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Linkedin A professional spin on our articles; you won’t see any pictures of Beer O’clock here.
Twitter The go-to for the latest news with our own personal spin for extra flavor.
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March 2016 www.engage10x.com facebook.com/engage10x