flux brandbook by VANMOKUM

Who we are

We are flux速 We love designer furniture. We also love things that are simple, sustainable and flexible. Our furniture combines all of these things, and even comes in easy-to-carry packages. Handy.

This is a guide to the basic elements that make up flux. Have a read; it will help you get to know us a little better.

03 How it started 05 Our logo 09 Our typeface 13 Our colours 15 Photography 23 Video 25 Our voice 27 Fairs and stores

It all started back in 2008, when Douwe and Tom met at university in the Netherlands.

A lowly graduation project was the start of what would become our signature flux chair. Several years and design awards later, the team has outgrown its humble beginnings, and is now busily designing the latest additions to our everexpanding range in its office in the centre of Amsterdam. Clients and retailers worldwide are keen to work with flux, too. Hurrah!

So what are we all about? If we could describe ourselves in a few short words, this is what they’d be:

Flexible Unexpected Fun Design

We believe great products should come without restrictions. When and where people use them is up to them to decide.

At flux we’re always in for something new, something unexpected, something that makes you stop and think.

We know we’re not achieving world peace here. We just like designing cool products. And, with any luck, other people will like using them, too.

We believe that beautiful, ingenious design should be available for everyone. At flux we love to use our designing skills to make that happen.

Our logo means a lot to us, and we like to treat it nicely. Please donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t abuse our logo it canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t fight back.

01 Simple logo This logo is to be used for all printed collateral including all printed publications, advertising, billboards, posters, flyers and product packaging. It is also to be used for physical representations like cut-outs and embossings.

02 Dynamic logo This logo is to be used for screen work, including websites, banners and presentations. Be sure to use the latest version, as weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve made it 17% nicer than the previous one.

This logo is also available in a light version. Please use this version on dark backgrounds.

速

Do’s and don’ts You wouldn’t wear one blue and one orange sock. Take a moment to think about how you apply the flux logo. We’re not a rules and regulations kind of company. That said, here are some examples of what’s cool and what’s not when it comes to our logo.

01 Space around the logo Always leave the logo some space to breathe. Use white or neutral backgrounds.

03 Red alert! Do not use the logo on ugly colours.

02 Contrast If it’s unavoidable to use the flux logo on a dark background, use the white version.

04 Not cool Do not use the white logo on backgrounds that are too light or too busy.

05 Not right Do not rotate the logo.

06 Not outstanding Do not add embellishments like drop-shadows, outer-glows etc. to the logo.

Our typeface. Print. The Museo Sans typeface family is our preferred font, and we like to use it wherever possible. Museo Sans is a nice, simple font, good for anything from headlines to body copy.

Museo Sans 100 Body Copy (12 - 26pt) CMYK 0/0/0/60

Aa ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghjklmnopqrstuvwxyz (.,:;?!â&#x201A;Ź$&@*) 0123456789

Museo Sans 500 Headlines (12 - 26pt) PMS 717 C

Aa ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghjklmnopqrstuvwxyz (.,:;?!€$&@*) 0123456789

Our typeface. Online. For websites and such, we like to use an online-friendly font that everyone can view happily from their PC or Mac.

Source Sans Pro Light Body Copy (12px) HEX #666666

Aa ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghjklmnopqrstuvwxyz (.,:;?!â&#x201A;Ź$&@*) 0123456789

Source Sans Pro Regular Headlines (12 - 20px) HEX #DC6928

Aa ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghjklmnopqrstuvwxyz (.,:;?!€$&@*) 0123456789

Our colours are what give us our personality. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re designy, fun, flexible and spontaneous.

Primary logo colours, depending on background.

Flux Blue

Flux Light

PMS 3135 C CMYK 80/31/30/3 RGB 40/137/159 HEX #28899F

RAL 9016 CMYK 0/0/0/5 RGB 241/241/241 HEX #F2F2F2

Primary colours for strapline and headers

Body text colour. Black and white logo colour

Flux Dark

Flux Orange

Flux Text

PMS 432 C CMYK 78/64/53/44 RGB 51/62/72 HEX #333D47

PMS 717 C CMYK 10/71/98/1 RGB 220/105/40 HEX #DC6928

Cool gray 9 C CMYK 0/0/0/60 RGB 130/130/130 HEX #666666

Our photography is like a first impression. There are no second chances to get it right.

Clearly our photography needs to reflect how spectacular our products are. But that goes not just for the images of the products themselves, but also for the photos of real-life situations you might find them in. Our shots should be about us (remembering our keywords: designy, fun, flexible and unexpected) but they should also reflect and appeal to our audiences. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s like dressing up or toning down an outfit: jeans and a shirt are all very well, but you can always dress them up to impress the in-laws.

We consider three key audiences: Consumers, Designers and Companies Consumers These are the designloving city dwellers who need our products in their lives. Or, more accurately, in their houses and gardens. We want these people to feel an emotional connection with our brand, so our photography needs to be about real people in real situations. We want to give our potential customers a warm, fuzzy feeling inside.

Designers Key to design projects for houses and offices, designers are the trendsetters when it comes to making spaces work. They want stylish, flexible furniture that’s easy to put to use. They want to see examples of flux furniture in different spaces, so they can get a feel for what works. For that, we need to give them the “interiors magazine” shots.

Companies Companies are looking for ways to stand out from the crowd. They want to show their customers and employees what their brand is really about. They use flux furniture as their canvas and customise it with prints and embossing. We need to show them shots of how our products look when they’re all dressed up.

Consumers

Designers

Companies

Our videos are our real outlet: the place where we let our hair down, go crazy and get creative.

Where our photos need to conform in some way or another, our videos are about going all-out to grab people’s attention. We like it when others shoot films about flux, too. So knock yourself out. Just remember these two simple rules:

Grab attention Make something fun, something creative, something that reflects the fact that our products fold nicely. And just FYI, our chairs fold so nicely, we’ve even fitted 121 of them in a mini.

Personal goodwill It doesn’t need to be too polished, either. Just a dollop of quirkiness with a dash of humour and a lick of cute, and you’ve got the recipe to make people smile when they watch it. On the plus side: it doesn’t have to cost the earth this way, either.

When we talk, our voice is human. We’re approachable. We talk to people like individuals.

And it doesn’t matter if they’re “consumers”, “designers” or “companies”. We at flux are at least two of those, and we don’t want to be talked down to or sucked up to. We want the straight facts in a nice, simple way, whether we’re writing marketing copy, internal emails or posting on social media. The best test is still ‘Would my mother understand this?’ If not, try again. Let’s clarify with an example:

flux chair The original flux chair is a practical folding chair, made from durable polypropylene. Within 10 seconds you fold the flux chair of a envelope to a modern design chair for both indoor and outdoor use. The supersolid construction, tested to 160kg by TNO / TUV, makes it even more practical too.

flux chair Use it in the garden, the balcony or around the house. Or get a whole bunch and inject some instant style into your event. The origami inspired flux chair does it all. And it comes in an easy-to-carry package. Handy.

Our tone of voice is:

Straightforward honest, clear. Natural approachable, open-minded. Playful positive, witty. And we still have words we like and words we donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t like.

Practical Multi-functional Engineering Polypropylene Folding chair Durable

Handy Versatile Clever Easy (on the eyes) Flexible Tough Stylish

Fairs and stores are where the plan comes together. Just remember to keep a focus on the products and keep it simple. It goes without saying, but we’ll put it out there anyway: make sure the flux logo is always visible. There, we’ve said it. We’d prefer a physical, 3D version, but a print or sticker of the logo will do too. A few simple guidelines should complete the picture:

01 Aim high This goes mainly for the stand itself: height means impact. People see you coming. In stores, the product should sit at least at eye level – hanging on a wall (folded or unfolded), for example, or sitting on a raised platform. 02 Set the mood Depending on the audience, it can help to use one of our images to create the right atmosphere. Keep it simple – nothing too shouty. Remember: focus on the product. 03 Show the design One of the plus points of flux products compared to other furniture is that it can do stuff. So show it off – demonstrate how clever the whole folding idea is. Show people how it’s done – either on the spot or in a video. 04 Have a seat The most important feature in furniture: is it comfy to sit in or lean on? Let people find out for themselves how comfortable and stable our products are.

05 Tech specs are secondary Once more with feeling: focus on the product. You can explain background information or technical specifications to people, or they can find them in brochures or on the website, if they’re interested. 06 Quantity ≠ quality Focus on the product? Good. Focus on too many products? Bad. Don’t overdo it. Too many products gets confusing and doesn’t help the value of each product individually. 07 Keep it fresh Our first stands were too dark. Very designy, of course, but way too dark. The flux brand is fresh and dynamic – not a funeral company.

example: Broom chair by Emeco

A different view. The flux brand book can also be viewed online. Please visit fluxfurniture.com/brand (password: iloveflux)