branding matters
blur Group Identity Guidelines
blur Group Identity Guidelines
PURPOSE
This brand manual was created to help you communicate and implement blur Group brand. We believe that when you use these guidelines, blur Group becomes stronger. These branding guidelines will help us to communicate one consistent blur Group identity that is recognizable wherever you may be and that accurately symbolizes the values of blur Group. blur Group is excited as we look to create a consistent look and feel for our organization worldwide. It’s a growing, global brand that we want the world to recognize through colour, content identity and behaviour.
1. logo // Logo introduction //logo positioning
ABOUT
//protecting the logo
blur Group’s exchanges enable tens of thousands of businesses worldwide to buy, sell, collaborate and pay for projects online. They’re disrupting markets all over the world as business discovers the new way to source, procure and manage services: for creative, for IT, for most business requirements.
//house style
Since formally launching in 2010, expert communities of creatives, agencies, IT professionals and firms globally have connected with business buyers via our managed, cloud-based trading platform. Buyers discover a far broader set of suppliers and cut the cost of service delivery, shortening project cycles and reducing internal costs. Suppliers are carefully vetted so that customers get the best quality and experience as they source services using this new model. blur Group now runs exchanges for creative and business services: corporate design, marketing, content, innovation, art and technology, with legal and accounting launching soon. Their collective impact is growing. To date, the total value of projects submitted to blur exchanges is over $14 million – with more than 60 projects submitted every month.
//logo colour //typography //dos&don’ts
blur Group Identity Guidelines
blur Group Identity Guidelines
1.1. Logo Introduction
The logo is the most visible element of our identity - universal signature across all blur Group communications. It’s a guarantee of quality for our experts and customers.
Because the logo is such a recognisable and highly visible brand asset, it is vital that it is always applied consistently wherever it appears.
Black&White
blur Group Identity Guidelines
blur Group Identity Guidelines
1.2. Logo Positioning
The logo is mostly inclined 13 degrees with the main point in the botton left corner. Most of the time, it is inside the header bar in the website or if the position is in a header, the logo will go inside this one.
1.3. Protecting the Logo
To protect the clarity and visual integrity of the logo, it has an exclusion zone. It must always appear legibly on a clear background.
When the logo appears inclined, the angle should be the same as the picture.
Special case exceptions can be considered by contacting: marta@blurgroup.com
blur Group Identity Guidelines
blur Group Identity Guidelines
1.3. Logo-symbol
Most of the times the logo is accompanied with the word “Group”. This one should go over the logo 2mm between the letter “u” and “r”.
1.4 House Guidelines
01. Lower case b for blur Group, followed by upper case Group,
Designs, Marketing, Media, Technology, Legal, Accounting.
02. Never “The” blur Group, even at the beginning of a sentence.
Similarly, overwrite the automatic capitalisation of blur at the start of a sentence.
03. Numbers are formatted with commas. Eg. “Over 2,000”. Not “Over
2000”.
04. Trademark Global Services Exchange when first used. You can
refer to “the Exchange” after the initial reference.
05. The expert crowds are made up of experts, agencies and firms
(or service providers). Never freelancers. Expert can be used with a particular discipline - eg our PR experts.
06. blur Group has customers not clients. 07. The currency of the Exchange is the dollar. 08. The Exchange deals with briefs and pitches. There are no
proposals, contests or competitions. Customers brief for projects, not for people.
blur Group Identity Guidelines
blur Group Identity Guidelines
1.5. Colour
Each “blur” branded business has its own specific logo, differentiated through the descriptive words after “blur’.
Black, white and silver are the colours which we use, being an essential part of our brand identity and heritage.
Written Style
Combined with the same colours as the background makes a contrast between the colours. Eg. Black over white or white over silver.
In body text all business names should always appear in Helvetica Black Regular font (not bold, italics, outline nor underlined). The word “blur Group” in lower case followed (with a space) by another word, only the initial letter of which is capitalised. Minimum Size
The logo should always be visible.
PANTONE Black
R: 0 G:0 B:0
C: 75 M: 68 Y:67 K:90
PANTONE White
PANTONE 446C
R: 255 G:255 B:255
R: 63 G:63 B:63
C: 0 M:0 Y:0 K:0
C: 68 M: 61 Y: 60 K: 48
blur Group Identity Guidelines
blur Group Identity Guidelines
1.5.1. Businesses Colours
The logo colour is flexible, but clarity is always maintained by the use of contrasting colours. The following fundamental rules will help you achieve optimum definition.
Designss
Technology
Marketing
Accounting
Media
Legals
Innovatrs
To achieve good definition the logo bar dashboard must contrast with any background colour. Likewise the words over the logo must contrast with the colour of the logo. To maintain visual integrity, the colour of the name of the department and the colour of the logo is the same.
blur Group Identity Guidelines
blur Group Identity Guidelines
1.7. Dos & Don’ts
1.6. Typography
blur Group’s typeface is Gudea. It is at the heart of the blur Group identity and is the foundation for all blur Group branding. Clean, distinctive and legible, it is available in a variety of weights to express both contemporary and classical qualities. Helvetica is used, only and exclusively, for the titles over the logo as Group and all the businesses titles over the logo: Designs, Innovatrs, Marketing, Legals, Content, Technology and Accounting. For documentation the preferred font is Gudea.
Helvetica & Gudea
Treatment of the trading names The following illustration demonstrates incorrect renderings of “blur Group” trading names using the logo and Helvetica font. Whilst it does not cover every possible scenario, you will formulate a good idea of what is acceptable and what is not.
blur Group Identity Guidelines
blur Group Identity Guidelines
2.1. Website
2. applications // website // stationery // photography //press //iconography //presentation template
Every “blur Group� branded business is online. And most receive sales activity is through this channel. The design of the web pages is critical. The layout has to deliver information in a clear, consistent and concise way. The header is one of the more important things on the website. Each header into the business brands will be with the colour corresponding to each brand. The structure has to encourage purchase. For example... Header
logo
centre of information
footer
blur Group Identity Guidelines
blur Group Identity Guidelines
2.2. Stationery
For the stationery, the logo will be inclined or straight, according to the type of stationery. Sometimes the logo will be white over black background. Always illustrated, good quality and clearly. When it’s neccesary, the logo will be accompanied with the next sentence: “The Global Services Exchange”.
Last revised: September 2012
blur Group Identity Guidelines
blur Group Identity Guidelines
2.3. Photography and Press
The following are hi-resolution images of Philip Letts, blur Group Founder and CEO. To use these pictures please contact: marta@blurgroup.com
p
Grou
Business Cards. Last revised 2012
Posters. Last revised 2012
blur Group Identity Guidelines
blur Group Identity Guidelines
2.5. Illustrations and Iconography
To insert the logo into the press pictures, photography, advertising photos...this should be on the top right corner.
Press Photos. Last revised 2012
blur Group’s icon set is used to portray the many activities, experts and customers on the Exchange from the start of the brief journey to the completion of the project. If you are describing any of these elements and want a graphic representation use these icons and not any alternatives (eg clipart, flickr photos etc).
blur Group Identity Guidelines
blur Group Identity Guidelines
2.4. Illustrations and Iconography
2.4. Illustrations and Iconography
S Expert
Brief
Business
Affiliates
blur Trading
Read the FAQ;s
Cloud
Apps
Fast Turnaround
blur DNA
abc
0110
Innovatrs
Technology
Content
Partner pack
31 Events
Marketing
Designs
Need Design?
Submit a Brief
Notifications
Home
Great value
Resources
NEW Project
@
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0
Accounting
Legals
Services
Project Kick Off
New Account
Pitch
$
$
Payment Complete
Payment Status
011001010
Need Technology?
Partners
abc
Need Content?
Need Innovation?
Need Marketing?
Conference
Tools
Store
S Videos
Downloads
www
Website
Project Review
Philip Letts
Project Status
Barbara Spurrier
Select best pitch
Investor
Mobile
Angel Investor
blur Group Identity Guidelines
2.5. Presentation Template
For any presentations you are making about blur Group and the Global Services Exchange use this template and formatting and ensure you have the correct fonts (Freeroad and Gudea) installed.
The Global Services Exchange blurgroup.com
Freeroad &Gudea