THE GRITT BOOK
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For all the people who believe in the Gritt
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CONTENTS Contents
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07 12 Introduction
Telling our Story
08 Who is this book for? 09 What will this book do? 10 How should this book used for?
13 What went into this book? 14 What is positioning? 16 Guidance for Studio Gritt 18 Our Creative Platform 20 Crafting Content
27 36 Our logo
Our Color
28 Primary Usage 30 Limited Usage 32 Size & Clear Space 33 Partnerships & Logos 34 Placement 35 Improper Usage
37 Our Color Palette 38 Primary Color Palette 40 Secondary Color Palettes 46 Using Color
48 50 Our Typography
Our Photography
48 Primary Typefaces 49 Secondary Typefaces
51 Photo-style 52 Who 58 Why 64 How 70 What
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Dear Teammates, A paragraph is a group of words put together to form a group that is usually longer than a sentence. Paragraphs are often made up of several sentences. There are usually between three and eight sentences. Paragraphs can begin with an indentation (about five spaces), or by missing a line out, and then starting again. This makes it easier to see when one paragraph ends and another begins. In most organized forms of writing, such as essays, paragraphs contain a topic sentence . This topic sentence of the paragraph tells the reader what the paragraph will be about. Essays usually have multiple paragraphs that make claims to support a thesis statement, which is the central idea of the essay. Paragraphs may signal when the writer changes topics. Each paragraph may have a number of sentences, depending on the topic. A pilcrow mark (Âś) is sometimes used to show where a paragraph begins. Paragraph Writing: Take a wild guess as to what will you say to describe a paragraph? From whatever you may know so far, many students describe paragraphs as what consists the story, or a set of sentences that are grouped together to form a paragraph or a set of sentences that cover half a page of your story, and so on.
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Principal Designer Studio Gritt
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Although these ideas may look true in many instances, they don’t really define what the idea behind a paragraph is. This is one of those subtle things in English writing that never really gets explained on priority making it one of those commonly used things that are barely understood. Which is why this read is going to be great. paragraph is a number of sentences grouped together and relating to one topic. Or, a group of related sentences that develop a single point. This definition shows that the paragraphs of compositions are not mere arbitrary divisions. The division of a chapter into paragraphs must be made according to the changes of ideas introduced. There is, therefore, no rule as to the length of a paragraph. It may be short or long according to the necessity of the case. A paragraph may consist of a single sentence or of many sentences. In this aspect, the paragraphs of a piece of prose differ from the stanzas of verses of a poem. The stanza of a poem are usually of the same length and pattern but paragraphs are long or short according to the amount of matter to be expressed under each head.
With Love
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INTRODUCTION
Studio Gritt is one of the most courageous Design Studios out there. They stay determined to infuse Life and form into your furniture, spaces, and products.
We have been making spaces more motivating, products more exciting, and lives more comfortable since 2005, and our values of being determined, accountable & practicing the grit to produce excellence every time, have never wavered and never will. No other design studio offers the unique combination of being modern while still holding on the roots, the values and indigenous knowledge like Studio Gritt does. So now with this new rebranding exercise how do we get our message across? What makes Studio Gritt stand out is our intangibles, which run across our people. The determination, the grit, the hunger for excellence and still being humble and empathetic. These are impossible to communicate with only facts and statistics. We need to communicate in a way that engenders excitement, confidence and a desire to participate in our mission.
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This is an exciting time for Studio Gritt. While some see small studios as an obstacle, we recognize and embrace it as an opportunity to be more agile, flexible, and efficient. Though we have never nor will sacrifice being organized, professional and the hard work we’ve been known for. This document is a guide to identify and communicate our unique future and leadership oriented stance, in a way that we collectively contribute to Studio Gritt’s success.
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Who is this book for?
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Anyone at Studio Gritt, who communicates on the studio’s behalf, should find this book a helpful and inspiring resource. Studio Gritt can use this guide as a platform to focus their initiative. Lead communicators can use it to provide examples for the creation of new impactful stories. Writers can use it to draw inspiration when they create stories about the achievements of the studio. Designers can mine the rich veins of typography, color palettes, photography and design elements to give life to their creations.
We all want to tell a compelling, forward-thinking story of Studio Gritt’s experience. While there are many different internal and external audiences, the tools in this book should inspire each of us to take part in the studio’s story, and to collectively and individually benefit from being part of it.
What will this book do?
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BOOK How should this
To Clarify Studio Gritt’s unique qualities, advantages, and capabilities.
To Ensure Key themes are present in all communication.
To Encourage Internal and External advocates for Studio Gritt.
be used?
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What went into this book?
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This book is the result of a strategic process that began with the insights from the books by Simon Sinek, Seth Godin, Marty Neumeier, Dacher Keltner, Edward Bernays, and other giants of branding, marketing, strategy design, and human psychology. It had a broad perception study including a lot of queries, workshops, and unconventional exercises with the client to identify our tribe, to analyze our positioning and to structure our communications. We analyzed the findings and distilled our insights to discover Studio Gritt’s unique place among other design studios, and arrived at a clear positioning and messaging platform. Communications inspired by this platform will amplify awareness and understanding, as they all will be woven with a common thread.
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POSITIONING LEADERS What is
Studio Gritt respects & empowers all
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in the world.
Positioning is how we need to be thought of in the minds of our most important audiences in order to be successful. Positioning should be a differentiated, motivational and sustainable thought. It is not just our definition or how we express it (taglines, messages, etc.), but it should serve as the conceptual core for all that we say and do. It’s about what we want people to feel when they experience studio, and when they walk away with that experience. Studio’s positioning is built upon the attributes and themes on the following pages.
If you have empathy, vision, care and love for not only yourself but also for your tribe then you’re a leader. People can come from different walks of life, but if they influence their tribe with positivity and growth, if they treat their tribe with empathy, love, care, and respect they are leaders for us. We respect and empower these leaders.
Who is it for?
Why do we do it?
What do we do?
Positioning
How do we do it?
Perception
Support for our statement
Studio Gritt fuels perpetual hard work, relentlessness, generating unparalleled ideas and executing them with efficiency, and our social values. We integrate research with innovation, the artistic with scientific, the agility with timelessness & the niche with the raw. With the drive to ask critical questions and embrace new challenges, we are redefining ourselves and the role of a Studio in a changing world. How Positioning applies?
Expression
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Positioning Statement
If every message comes from the same conceptual core and connects to its intended audience in relevant ways, it will reflect an institution whose whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
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Guidance for Studio Gritt
Demonstrate through communications how your work, efforts, ideas, and the studio is reimagining the world.
Support your message with facts rather than leading with facts
Demonstrate how you challenge conventional thinking to shape the future
Be bold & unapologetic
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Keep evolving as your tribe, trends & market will
Consider te themes that best connect with you tribe
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Our Creative Platform The creative platform is an emotional translation of the positioning — condensing all of its important points into a phrase with personality. This platform is where we stand up, to look at our tribe while communicating with them. This is not a tagline or a headline, but a starting point to inspire the look, feel and tone of communications.
How to use it?
TO GUT-CHECK VOICE
Does the tone of what you’re writing capture the spirit of “Always Forward”? Does it sound like the personality of someone who embodies the idea?
TO STAY ON MESSAGE
Move beyond facts whenever possible. By addressing the motivation behind our successes, we can create a more emotional tie with the audience. Always forward is a comparative. Lot’s of design studios have ‘moved’ and are moving, but only Studio Gritt has the depth of talent, relentlessness, and passion to continually impact our community. We move forward, we think forward, we try, we fail, we try again, but we never stop. We never settle for mediocre. We believe in the grit of achieving something meaningful every time. We must constantly reimagine what’s possible and go beyond what anyone has ever done before. This means our attitude should also be relentless that comes with a willingness to challenge conventions.
TO INFLUENCE VISUAL CHOICES
“Always Forward” isn’t just a copy point. The idea can come through in visual executions as well.
These qualities help us to shape the future — which is more than evident in the results, successes, and breakthroughs constantly occurring in our studio.
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Our Strengths
EMPATHY Crafting Content Every brand has a personality. Voice is how that personality is conveyed verbally. Sentence structure, word choice and tone all create a distinct character that can only be Studio Gritt. Here’s how to do it consistently.
These are five key strengths that differentiate Studio Gritt from other Design Studios. If each communication message we develop leverages one or more of these strengths, our creative platform will come to life with depth, breadth and longevity. REMEMBER “Always Forward” is not a tag line; It’s the theme to build your stories on.
You can move forward with Empathy. Demonstrate the impact of Studio’s efforts to improve the lives after understanding the client or the challenge in depth.
DIVERSITY
You can move forward with Diversity. Show the unique ways in which Studio Gritt connects disciplines of Design, projects and people to create new paradigms that can transform the world.
CONVICTION
You can move forward with Conviction. Connect your message to an unwavering belief, cause, or higher calling.
EXCELLENCE
You can move forward with Excellence. Share stories about individual or collective achievements that outshine anything attempted before.
BEING DRIVEN
You can move forward by Being Driven by sharing your design process stories and the most challenging yet fruitful projects to show how you reached the final design, concept, prototypes after so many failed attempts.
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Our tone is not
Our Tone
TRITE SLICK SALES-Y CORPORATE We’re smart. It’s important to always show it
How to use it While our strengths help guide content choices, our tone creates consistency in how that content is delivered. Keep these words in mind when creating communications to maintain a distinct tone of voice and ensure the Studio Gritt’s personality shines through.
We are Authentic
OPEN STRONG INTENSE CURIOUS OPTIMISTIC
‘New and Improved’ has no place here
Always choose words that are simple and direct. Never resort to jargons
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What to Adopt?
Tactic 1: TALK ABOUT THE PROCESS SAMPLE ARTICLE INTRO: “Spending months observing telescopic insights from the research may seem excessive. But at Studio Gritt, it resulted in the discovery of some of the most innovative ideas, unconventional solutions and a step forward towards excellence. Tactic 2: ISSUE A CHALLENGE SAMPLE HEADLINE: “Why aim to only build a house? instead, aim to create a lifestyle?” Tactic 3: MAKE A BOLD STATEMENT SAMPLE PARAGRAPH: “Studio Gritt is not for everyone. It’s for those who are motivated bya deep desire to do what’s right, to preserve, to protect, to create, to express, to lead, to be the very best.” Tactic 4: TAKE THE HIGH ROAD SAMPLE HEADLINE: “Amazing projects. Excellent ideas. Happy clients. All great. The impact our work can have on our society? Much greater.” Tactic 5: DESCRIBE A COMMON MINDSET SAMPLE ADMISSIONS PARAGRAPH: “Your entire life, you’ve pushed beyond what others were capable of. The question at hand now is not what you’ve accomplished, but what you’ll do next. At Studio Gritt, designers and thinkers are not only designing the best solutions for you, but they’re also aiming to build something that inspires, motivates, pushes the boundaries and provides delight to its tribe. What’s your part? Do you not only want the best designed solution for you and for your tribe? Effect social change? Invent an entirely new perception towards what design can do? At Studio Gritt, we’ll do it together.”
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1. MATTER OF FACTS We have a wealth of impressive statistics worth sharing. But it’s just as important to explain the impact and importance of those stats. Instead of leading with a list of statistics (number of Projects, number of clients etc), consider leading with a message about Studio’s unique ability to create impact, or Studio’s unique point of view on a topic or the great efforts a Designer or the studio as a whole has taken to uncover a remarkable solution.
What to Avoid?
2. ENOUGH ABOUT US It’s easy to focus on messaging that touts what we do and how we do it. Find opportunities to pull the audience in by explaining how it benefits them. 3. STRICTLY LITERAL Don’t be literal just because people expect you to be. Find opportunities to interject voice in new places. Forms, Emailers, newsletters, letterheads, emails, invoice and other pieces of typically straightforward communication are often places where people will notice personality the most. 4. THREE. WORD. PHRASES. It can be tempting to add taglines in this format to every small piece of communication, but it should be avoided. They can come across as trite and generic. 5. PUNS BE GONE We are more sophisticated and original than bear puns.
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Our Logo The Studio Gritt’s logo represents us at the very highest level and is vitally important to our brand. It acts as a signature, an identifier and a stamp of quality. It is, and should always be, the most consistent component in our communications. In order to maintain this consistency, a few simple guidelines should be followed.
NOTE The Studio Gritt’s logo should never be recreated or typeset. Only official logo files should be used in communications. The logo as shown here will serve as the Studio’s primary logo and trademark.
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Primary Usage The primary color option for our logo is Gritt Red! It is intended to be used on lighter backgrounds and images in order to maintain legibility.
R- 210 G- 00 B- 35 C- 11 M- 100 Y- 99 K- 03 Pantone- 185
Another acceptable color option is to reverse the logo out to White on darker backgrounds and images.
R- 255 G- 255 B- 255 C- 00 M- 00 Y- 00 K- 00 Pantone- P75-1 U
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Limited Usage Logo can appear in black, for black and white or greysacle scenarios.
R- 0 G- 0 B- 0 C- 75 M- 68 Y- 67 K- 90
Another acceptable color option is to reverse the logo out to White on darker backgrounds and images.
R- 255 G- 255 B- 255 C- 00 M- 00 Y- 00 K- 00 Pantone- P75-1 U
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Size To maintain full legibility, never reproduce the logo at widths smaller than 1 inch (for print) or 175 pixels (for screen). There is no maximum size limit, but use discretion when sizing the logo. It should never be the most dominant element on the page, but instead should live comfortably and clearly as an identifying mark.
Partnerships and logos When Studio Gritt logo appears on a communication piece with another logo —from within the Studio or outside it — the logo requires extended clear space to maintain its integrity, as shown here. No other logo should fall within these parameters.
>1� or 175px
Clear Space To ensure that clear space is maintained around the logo for legibility and prominence, photos, text and graphic elements must follow the guidelines illustrated here.
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Placement The preferred placement for the logo is in the lower segment of communications. Anywhere in the outlined areas shown here is acceptable, although corners are preferred. This way, the logo becomes a grounding element that appears consistently on all pieces. If the bottom zone is unsuitable, it is also acceptable to place the logo anywhere in the horizontal segment at the top within the piece. Again, corners are preferred, but the logo can be centered for more formal communications.
Improper Usage Here are few examples of practices to avoid.
Do not stretch, condense, or change the dimentions of the identity
Do not crop the identity
Do not use colors other than those specified in this document.
Don’t use drop shadows, strokes or other visual effects.
Do not rotate the identity
Do not enclose the logo in any kind of container
Do not add extra elements to the logo
Do not skew or bend the identity in any way.
Acceptable Placement
Preferred Placement
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COLOR our
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Our Color Palette Beyond our logo, color is the most recognizable aspect of our brand identity. Colors were selected that reflect our bold, diverse community and given names that reflect their inspiration. Using color appropriately is one of the easiest ways to make sure our materials reflect a cohesive Studio’s image or visual story.
NOTE When using color builds, always use the color values listed here. They were adjusted for the best reproduction in print and on screen and do not match PantoneÂŽ Color Bridge breakdowns.
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R- 255 G- 255 B- 255 C- 00 M- 00 Y- 00 K- 00 Pantone- P75-1 U
Primary Color Palette Our primary colors, called Grit colors, are Pride Red, Leading White and Aggressive Black . They represent Studio Gritt at the highest level and should be present in all communications. These colors look best as spot inks, and do not reproduce as richly in four-color process. Never use screens or tints of grit colors.
R- 210 G- 00 B- 35 C- 11 M- 100 Y- 99 K- 03 Pantone- 185
R- 0 G- 0 B- 0 C- 75 M- 68 Y- 67 K- 90
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Bose
Secondary Color Palettes #Fa6900 #2a2d40 Pantone 1505 xgc Pantone 19-3920 tcx
Gandhi
#384d59 Pantone 7545 c
#f28749 #f2bb9b #d9a491 #a64833 Pantone 2018 up Pantone p 45-1 u Pantone 2444 cp Pantone p 45-15 c
#4d9b09 Pantone 2277 c
#010712 Pantone black 6c
#13171f Pantone 532 c
#1c1f26 #24262d Pantone 426 xgc Pantone 19-4107 tsx
#961227 Pantone 7622 xgc
Bhagat
#bf2633 #a6242f #d9cead #c0b18f Pantone 1797 c Pantone 1805 xgc Pantone p 23-1 u Pantone p 13 -4 u
#011c26 Pantone 5463 c
Kalam
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#eef0f4 Pantone p 115-1 c
Lincon
Napoleon
#849696 Pantone 1492 u
#7f82a0 Pantone p 10512 u
#1b2b32 #37646f #a3abaf Pantone 7547 cp Pantone 19-4826 Pantone 2162 cp tgp
#e1e7e8 #b22e2f Pantone 126-9 c Pantone 1805 cp
Teresa
#fefffb Pantone p 75-1 u
#232d33 Pantone 433 cp
#17384c #ff972c Pantone 19-4038 Pantone 1495 xgc tcx
#002e40 Pantone 547 xgc
#2a5769 Pantone 2181 c
#ffffff Pantone p 1-1 u
#fabd4a Pantone p 7-8 u
#fa9600 Pantone 1375 c 43
King
#222130 Pantone 532 cp
Ceaser
#464d57 Pantone p 17415c
#d4e8d3 Pantone 9561 c
#fffcfb Pantone p 1-1 u
#ed8917 Pantone 1495 cp
Lenon
#ffffff Pantone p 1-1 u
#aeaeae Pantone 421 c
#e64c66 Pantone 4058 c
#2d3e50 Pantone 2379 c
#112a40 Pantone 296 cp
#a60a0a Pantone 3517 c
#f2f2f2 Pantone p 179-1 c
#1bcda5 Pantone 3262 cp
#bf0615 Pantone 3517 c
#8c0813 Pantone 7427 c
#590212 Pantone 7421 c
#0b0f26 Pantone 276 c
#0f0f1d Pantone 532 c
Schumacher
#962d3e #343642 #979c9c #f2ebc7 Pantone 1807 xgc Pantone 19-4105 Pantone p 174-4 c Pantone p 2-1 c tcx
#348899 Pantone 633 up
Telsa
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#183b59 Pantone p 10816 c
Musk
Cleopatra
#2c3e50 Pantone 533 cp
#d90718 Pantone 2035 c
#fffff Pantone p 1-1 u
#a90800 Pantone 3517 c
#053a59 #a0a6a6 #db8d29 Pantone 7463 cp Pantone p 174-3 c Pantone 2428 c
#7fa644 Pantone 2276 c
#403c35 Pantone 8624 c
Shelley
#e03432 Pantone 179 c
#ecf0f1 Pantone p 1349c
#3498db Pantone 2171 c
#2980b9 Pantone 285 cp
#8dbf41 Pantone 375 up
#8c857b Pantone 4225 c
#fa9600 Pantone p 1-1 u 45
Maurya
#6c6c73 Pantone p 17310 u
Goggins
#025373 Pantone 7701 c
#0396a6 Pantone 3135 up
#a62424 Pantone 7627 c
#f2f2f2 Pantone p 1-1 u
Malala
#d4d867 Pantone 584 u
#d7ae79 #f2f2f0 Pantone p 21-3 c Pantone p 179-1 c
Ali
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#dfd9d9 #f2f2f2 Pantone p 88-1 u Pantone p 179-1 c
#fe9f39 Pantone 137 u
#f05a3c #f2f2f2 Pantone 2028 u Pantone p 179-1 c
#ffffff Pantone p 1-1 c
#ffa343 Pantone 1375 u
#473230 Pantone 497 xgc
#7a736d Pantone 411 up
#f67280 Pantone 2346 u
#c06c84 Pantone p 72-5 c
#6c5b7b Pantone p 10014u
#355c7d Pantone 2187 u
#3e4958 #f4c364 Pantone 2379 xgc Pantone p 10-6 c
Ramsey
#263248 Pantone 2380 c
#7e8aa2 Pantone 2373 cp
#ffffff Pantone p 1-1 c
#ff9800 Pantone 1375 c
Arjun
#ffffff Pantone p 1-1 c
#ccc6c6 Pantone warm gray 2 u
Kahlo
#035474 #9ac00a Pantone 308 xgc Pantone 375 xgc
#070c29 Pantone 276 c
#d60910 #bab5b5 Pantone 2035 c Pantone p 173-1 c
#a5111e Pantone 7621 c
Bhabha
#193352 Pantone 289 cp
#303436 Pantone 4280 cp
#717a7d #f2f2f0 Pantone 4182 u Pantone p 179-1 c
#f8b195 Pantone 2022 xgc
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Formal Lincon Musk
Arjun Malala
Ali
Napoleon
Kalam
Ceasar Gandhi Maurya
Using Color
Bold
Goggins
Subtle
It is important to maintain a sense of hierarchy, balance and harmony when using the Studio Gritt color palette. Our color system is extremely flexible, but exercise restraint. Unique and exciting color palettes can be created from as few as three or four colors in addition to the primary Gritt palette. The following page break down the entire palette to show how color combinations can be used successfully. Each is different but still maintains the character and emotion that is Gritt. It is also important to note that the primary palette plays a role in some sub-palette, even if it’s a minimal one.
Cleopatra
Shelley
Bose
King
Schumacher Che Tesla
Ramsey
Kahlo Teresa Bhabha Lenon Casual
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typography our
When used thoughtfully, typography becomes a powerful brand tool that can add visual meaning to what is communicated. Studio Gritt’s typography communicates clearly and cleanly, and is flexible in a wide range of situations.
Primary Typefaces
Raleway
Montserrat 9 Weights
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 0123456789 !@#$%^&*()_-+=;:’”,<>./? Montserrat Alternatives 10 Weights
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 0123456789 !@#$%^&*()_-+=;:’”,<>./? Roboto
9 Weights
9 Weights
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 0123456789 !@#$%^&*()_-+=;:’”,<>./?
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 0123456789 !@#$%^&*()_-+=;:’”,<>./?
Zilla Slab
Roboto Slab
10 Weights
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 0123456789 !@#$%^&*()_-+=;:’”,<>./? 50
Secondary Typefaces
10 Weights
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 0123456789 !@#$%^&*()_-+=;:’”,<>./? 51
Photo styles Our photography can be very flexible while being used to communicate with our tribe. However, there are 4 major categories in which the photography for Studio Gritt can be divided. These categories only give an umbrella area to fall in. Designers and marketers can take directions from these categories to effectively communicate the studio’s interests. The categories are: Who, Why, How, & What
Who- Is a category where we talk about our tribe and how we impact their lives. This category shows how our studio, our products, our services, and our relentless passion to deliver excellence have positively impacted our tribe.
Why- Why talks about our passions, our principles, and our beliefs. The intangibles, which wakes us every morning, which drives us, which are way more important to us than anything else. Photographs showing the hard work, the discipline, the grit, the resilience and the leadership that one needs to reach excellence will come in this category
How- talks about our processes. It’ll sometimes be going to overlap with our why, any photographs to show the process of reaching the final design, building something from scratch and honest behind the scenes photos will fit in this category.
Photography is a key tool for showing our diverse and dynamic community. Our photography captures Studio Gritt and connects with people in ways that words can’t. What we say describes what we’re doing to challenge convention and shape the future. Our photography shows it.
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What- This category shows our excellence. The one where nobody can beat us, our projects. Photos of our finished spaces, products and projects are the best way to communicate the quality we bring with us.
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1. Who
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2. Why
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3. How
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4. What
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