Brand Guide
Grow empowers businesses to become data-driven and accelerate growth with easy-to-use, custom data dashboards. With Grow, enterprise-quality data insights are attainable for any business.
Table of Contents
Color
29
From the CEO
1
Be the Brand
3
Color palette
31
Focus on the Why
5
Gradient
32
Core Values
7
Logo
33
Catch the Ferry
9
Logo Placement
37
Wash the Windows
10
Violations
39
Solve the Problem
11
Spacing
40
Make the Oer
12
Brand Pillars & Voice
13
Photos
42
Authentic & Reliable
15
Banners & Backgrounds
55
Constructive & Creative
17
Ads
57
Enthusiastic & Dedicated
19
Brand Apparel
59
Visual Identity
21
Typography
23
Fonts
25
Heirarchy
26
Imagery
41
From the CEO
As CEO of my last company, Logica, I felt crushing pressure to perform and lead my team. Then, we learned to rally our team around the data and metrics that truly mattered. The result was transformational, and our growth accelerated dramatically. That transformational experience is what we’re providing customers with Grow—we’re helping them unlock their potential by delivering the easiest, most powerful tool to access and use data, so teams can unite around the metrics that matter most. This brand book outlines guiding principles that inform the way we tell our story visually, verbally, and behaviorally. We want our customers to rely on Grow to help them win, and we accomplish that by consistently delivering a Grow brand experience that is worthy of recommendation. We’re committed to building a great company and a great brand at Grow. Thank you for the meaningful contributions you’re making to our brand and to our business. - Rob
2
Be the Brand
Our brand is more than just an idea on paper. It’s more than our logo, our tagline, or our swag. Our brand is the embodiment of our company. The Grow brand encompasses all of the experiences and expectations people associate with us. These experiences start inside the company, with all of us. This book will help you understand our brand, what it stands for, and how to express it, so you can be an eective ambassador of the Grow brand.
4
Focus on the Why
People don’t buy what we do. They buy why we do it. So why do we design and deliver simple but powerful dashboards? Because we believe companies have the power to transform the way they do business—from how they lead their teams to how they make day-to-day decisions—by focusing on the right metrics. People who use Grow want to unleash their potential.
Why
We believe companies have the power to transform the
How
We design powerful, easy-to-use software, and teach
What
way they do business by focusing on the right metrics.
users how to get the most out of their data.
Our business intelligence dashboards provide customers the easiest way to unify their data and get customized business insights.
6
Core Values
The Grow core values underlie our work, how we interact with each other, and which strategies we employ to fulfill our mission. They are the practices we use (or should be using) every day in everything we do.
8
Catch the Ferry Catch the ferry means we’re scrappy, resourceful, and do more with less—it’s part of our DNA. During Grow’s product-market fit (a.k.a. broke) phase, Rob, Jake Young, and Jason had a trade show in Seattle. With limited revenue and few clients, they loaded the huge trade show box in the back of Rob’s truck and drove the whole way. After fourteen hours on the road, they arrived in town to find nearly every nearby hotel completely booked. The best option left was a hotel located an hour away … by ferry. It was rough, but they got up at 4 a.m. in order to catch the ferry to make it to the conference on time.
Wash the Windows Wash the windows means there is no “not my job�; when we recognize a need, we take initiative to take care of it. In 2016, a rogue sprinkler head blighted our mountain view with hard water stains. After overhearing complaints about the dirty windows, Linda ran home during lunch to get supplies and then went to work until the windows were absolutely pristine. No one asked her to do it. She just saw what needed to be done and did it.
10
Solve the Problem Solve the problem means we exist to serve and solve problems for our customers— even if those problems aren’t precisely in our job descriptions. One of our customers sent Ryan Voorhis an email late at night asking for help with his kid’s homework assignment: Ryan, My son is doing a science project and since he is in sixth grade, he is just doing the color comparison of an acidic solution when a base is added. But I am unable to determine how to graph it. Can you please provide your expertise? Sorry to trouble you, but I am stumped how to plot it when we actually did not measure the pH value of the water. Arun Sekaran, PMP Millenium Medical Corp. Chief Executive Officer
Ryan pulled out his computer, asked some questions, did some research, and responded with chart examples and an explanation of how they worked, even though it was late and Grow is not a homework helpline. But we are professional problem solvers who care about our customers, so he did it anyways.
Make the Offer Make the offer means we believe in taking action, not “analysis paralysis”— done trumps perfect every time. We have confidence that things will work out, and we know how to stay flexible. We were down to two final candidates: Both were phenomenal and had unique strengths. It was a decision we discussed for days. Finally, Alan said, “Here’s my advice: Just make the offer.” Meaning, it doesn’t matter. Just start moving and the right decision will make itself known. (And by the way, our offer to Candidate A was turned down. But it was okay, because we already had equally outstanding Candidate B as well. See? The right decision revealed itself.)
12
Brand Pillars & Voice
“When you write like everyone else, you’re saying, ‘Our products are like everyone else’s.’” – Jason Fried
Our brand voice is our personality. It’s the words, phrases, and characteristics unique to our brand that set us apart. Grow’s voice and tone permeate all interactions between our audience and brand—for better or worse. As such, a consistent Grow voice is essential. The following principles and guidelines will help your communications stay in line with the Grow brand identity.
14
Authentic & Reliable We are about people, not pretense. We are warm, relatable, and human as we interact with our audience. We empathize with their problems, and we seek to earn and retain their trust. Supporting Characteristics: Warm, Relatable, Empathetic, Trustworthy, Respectful
HOW TO: Be Friendly, Not Best Friends Relationships take time to develop; speak to your audience with authentic warmth, not false intimacy. Be human—after all, you’re communicating with other humans. Demonstrate that you care. Speak Their Language Know what motivates your audience, and what perspective or background knowledge they bring to the table. Take cues from them and meet them where they are. Communicate clearly and warmly, so your audience feels guided, supported, and confident. Be Consistent Consistency is key to a cohesive brand identity because it creates a seamless journey from marketing to sales to product use, which fosters trust and good vibes with our audiences. Be Fresh, Not Hipster-Fresh Our voice is fresh but grounded, and never too serious or too hip. Or, borrowing the words of OpenTable, “Speak from the perspective of being a modern company with a long-standing commitment to an industry it has deep knowledge about.”
16
Constructive & Creative We’re builders who want to help our audience succeed. Our team possesses a wealth of knowledge and expertise that we are eager to use and share. Supporting Characteristics: Useful, Smart, Accurate, Expert, Generous, Builders, Innovators, Problem Solvers
HOW TO: Seek First to Understand First, understand the specific needs, questions, or concerns of your audience. Tailor your words to them. Then to Be Understood Above all, strive for clarity. Use language that is simple yet smart, clear, and conversational. Use technical language only where necessary and appropriate. Avoid being indirect, vague, or verbose. Be Generous and Eager to Help Consciously seek to make every interaction the best it can be. Anticipate needs before they arise, and be generous with what you know. Teach Them to Fish Don’t patronize or coddle. Instead, empower our audience with the knowledge they need to do things on their own. When you do take the reins, explain your processes and invite questions so they can learn from you.
18
Enthusiastic & Dedicated We passionately believe in the pursuit of potential. We are confident, encouraging, and committed, without taking ourselves too seriously. Supporting Characteristics: Confident, Passionate, Committed, Encouraging, Believers, Engaging, Interesting, Upbeat
HOW TO: Be Positive Focus on what is possible with Grow—emphasize the benefit for the customer as much as possible. Don’t be a threatening harbinger of doom and gloom. With customers, always try to frame things in the affirmative. Be Engaging Assuming that your content is already both clear and concise, make it interesting. Use active voice, rather than passive. Have a smart sense of humor, but always take context into consideration. Make the Customer the Hero Don’t just drily list features—showcase how they benefit and empower the customer. Teach and encourage them, so they have the opportunity to shine. Be Mindful of the Medium Always consider the platform for each piece of content, its strengths and weaknesses. Ensure that your message is appropriate for the situation, particularly where humor is concerned.
20
Visual Identity
Purpose of the Guide This guide is for any person creating written or visual content in behalf of Grow, to help our team present a cohesive and consistent brand identity to our audience, and thereby foster trust and good vibes.
22
Typography
Typography is a key component in communicating the Grow brand and maintaining a consistent brand identity across platforms and touchpoints. Our primary typeface is Gotham, a strong, contemporary font that evokes Grow’s forward-thinking approach to solving problems, and dedication to simplicity. We use Gotham Light, Book, and Medium weights. Light is our standard weight, used for headers, body copy, etc. Book weight is used for links and bold emphasis, while Medium weight provides an additional level of emphasis, if needed.
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Fonts Gotham Light
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 1234567890
Gotham Book
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 1234567890
Gotham Medium
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 1234567890
Hierarchy
Headline 1 Headline 2
Gotham Light, 44px, #141519 height: 2px, length: 100px, Surf to Tidal
Gotham Light, 32 px, #88898f
Description
Gotham Light, 18 px, #141519
Body
Gotham Light, 14 px, #141519
Link
Gotham Book, 18 px, #27b5e1
Button
Button
Gotham Book, 18 px, #27b5e1 5px radius, 2px border
Use the following equation to find the correct line height: [ font-size * 1.618 = line-height ]
26
Headline 1 Description ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur adism. Aenean commodo ex a quam sagittis at. Button
Headline 2 Body lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Maecenas blandit neque neque. Praesent eu ornare erat. Integer ex arcu, iaculis non massa non, tempus porttitor purus. Fusce ac molestie felis. Nunc et nibh facilisis, semper nunc vitae, sagittis odio. Maecenas aliquam, lectus quis tempor placerat, est sapien aliquet leo. Donec eleifend lobortis sollicitudin. Donec ut tortor auctor, cursus sem at, dapibus dui. Etiam maximus imperdiet quam non eleifend. Nunc eu massa tempor, fermentum velit ac, varius odio. Pellentesque habitant morbi tristique senectus et netus et malesuada fames ac turpis egestas.
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Color
Tidal
Surf
PANTONE+ / 638 U RGB / 39 181 225 CMYK / 69 7 4 0 HEX / 27B5E1
RGB / 0 137 239 CMYK / 77 41 0 0 HEX / 0089E5
PANTONE+ / 7479 U* RGB / 40 235 119 CMYK / 62 0 78 0
RGB / 31 170 100 CMYK / 79 6 83 0
HEX / 28EB77
HEX / 1FAA64
Slate
PANTONE+ / 5395 U RGB / 65 67 77 CMYK / 72 65 51 39 HEX / 41434D
RGB / 20 21 25 CMYK / 76 69 63 79 HEX / 141519
Nimbus
PANTONE P / 179-1 U RGB / 241 242 242 CMYK / 4 2 3 0 HEX / F9F9F9
RGB / 136 137 143 CMYK / 49 41 36 3 HEX / 88898F
30
Color Palette The color palette is fresh, bold, and clean. When using color, Tidal should be used most of the time, with Surf used only sparingly. They are supported by a neutral foundation of grays and white. Each color in the palette is paired with a darker shade to provide
Neutral
Neutral
Secondary
Primary
options for monochromatic use.
Gradient This gradient can be used in multiple forms of media but is inherently used with the Grow logomark. Surf must always reside at the top of the gradient.
Angle to be -75° or 15° to the left of the top point
32
Logo
The Grow logo portrays simplicity and harmony. It is stable and rigid to convey confidence, yet remains organic and fluid to connect the concept of growth through a symbolic rendition of a graph, a core aspect of Grow. It is pure, spontaneous, and forward-thinking, allowing itself to be utilized and easily identified. It is clean, memorable, and deep with meaning. The logo is an invaluable asset of the company and its visual identity. It is a guarantee of quality that unites all of our communications. Please respect the logo, treat it properly, and follow the guidelines that have been thoughtfully created.
34
Horizontal lockup
Vertical lockup
Icon
Wordmark
When choosing an icon and wordmark style, consider the background, and select the option that is the most readable. Primarily, use the gradient icon along with the dark or light wordmark that provides the most contrast with the background. An exception should be made, however, for solid white backgrounds: In this case, use the dark icon and wordmark for a bolder look. If every style of the logo is diďŹƒcult to read, reconsider your background image, or add an overlay to increase contrast.
Dark icon and wordmark Use on white or busy light background
Gradient icon with light wordmark Use on dark, simple background
Gradient icon with dark wordmark Use on light, simple background
Light icon and wordmark Use on dark background
36
Logo Placement When choosing which logo orientation to use, always consider space constraints, page position, and prominence. To the extent possible, use the orientation that best fills the available space while retaining the integrity of the logo. Always use the vertical lockup for square spaces.
For example, we use the horizontal lockup on the navigation bar of grow.com because it allows the logo to remain prominent within the height constraints of the bar.
For headers or footers, use the vertical lockup, unless height is constrained below 40 px, in which case the horizontal lockup can be used. If width is also constrained below 40 px, use the icon alone, with a minimum width of 16px. (Total minimum width including whitespace = 32px.) Avoid placing the logo in the bottom left corner of a page. When the logo is overlaid on images, or on a slide presentation, the vertical lockup should be used in the bottom right corner, with a minimum width of 100 px. Remember to take required whitespace into account. When the logo is centered in the middle of a space, use the vertical lockup. Never place text blocks to the left of the logo, regardless of logo orientation.
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Violations Do not change the Grow logo. Presentation of the logo deserves special attention. Here are examples of improper uses of the Grow logo.
GROW Incorrect gradient
Stroke
Font change
Rotated
Skewed
Stretched
Icon position change
Dropshadow
Unapproved color
Spacing x When combining the logo with other graphic elements, give it room to breathe. The empty space around the logo should be at least half the width of the icon. To maintain the visual impact and integrity of the logo, minimum width is 16 pixels.
16px
x x
40
Imagery
Photos Photographs should feel unstaged and lively, with a style that is slightly artistic while maintaining the clean, fresh aesthetic that encompasses all elements of the Grow brand. The imagery we use falls into three primary categories: Product, Lifestyle, and Landscape. Product images are very minimal, drawing the focus to the Grow app. The styling is sleek and modern. Always use a white background when the product is shown alone. Light dashboards are preferred, although dark dashboards can be used sparingly. Lifestyle images depict candid interactions with natural lighting. The backgrounds are minimalistic, never busy. People are often shown using technology. Landscape images are often used for backgrounds, and typically feature mountains, water, beaches, and greenery. These images are subtly compelling and adventuresome, with understated (but never gloomy) colors. Outdoor lifestyle photos featuring people may be used, and should spark a sense of aspiration.
42
Product Photo
Product Photo
44
Why this image fails:
Do this instead:
Background is plain and dark
Choose light backgrounds to maintain the clean, inviting feel of Grow Use dark dashboards sparingly
Why this image fails:
Do this instead:
This image uses an old dashboard
Always stay up-to-date with the current design of Grow
46
Lifestyle Photo
Lifestyle Photo
48
Why this image fails:
Do this instead:
Subjects are too posed, not candid
Capture subjects in media res (“in the midst of things”)—interacting or conversing with one another
Gestures and expressions are unnatural (and cheesy)
Why this image fails:
Do this instead:
Too posed and unnatural, especially the hands
Pick naturally posed and interacting subjects (how often do you stare and smile at your computer?)
Subject is overly styled—overdone hair, makeup, clothing
Select subjects that look like normal people, not styled stock models 50
Landscape Photo
Landscape Photo
52
Why this image fails:
Do this instead:
Silly poses just aren’t our vibe
Use active outdoors photos, but ensure the image’s focus is appropriate
Draws too much attention to the subject’s shirtlessness
Avoid funny pictures—if you’re unsure, consult marketing
Why this image fails:
Do this instead:
Image is too busy and lacks organic lines
Avoid cityscapes Choose images of nature or people under natural light 54
Banners & Backgrounds When using images for banners or backgrounds, blur the image if it’s too sharp or distracting, then overlay with #B2B2B2 at 40%-70% opacity.
Overlay: #B2B2B2 40%-70% opacity
When you need a simple banner, use the gradient (see page 32) with appropriate colors and at the correct angle. Add a white, vertical logo to add branding to the banner.
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56
Ads Show the product as much as possible when creating ads. Keep the advertisement clean and simple while displaying our product’s features.
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58
Brand Apparel
60