NoSignal: Brand Ethos & Visual Guidelines by sabinaotelea

Brand ethos and visual guidelines

Who are we?

NoSignal was founded in 2020 by Sabina Otelea, a film enthusiast turned graphic designer, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Growing up surrounded by the stories of the big screen, Sabina wanted to bring back ‘going to the movies’ to a world heavily rooted in the use of streaming platforms. By creating a non profit brand that represented her appreciation for cinema and her wish to engage with the causes she believed in through cinema, Sabina wished to create a tight-knit community of people that shared her passion for films and her desire to create change through this medium. NoSignal was defined as Sabina’s passion project, a labor of love that connected her and so many people with the scope of independent cinema and all of the opportunities

that come with being part of a community of people that share the same drive and passion for the things they believe in. And our team hopes that this community will only keep growing as our organisation keeps expanding over time, alongside our team’s ambitions and plans for future projects. By supporting our brand, you are helping to keep your favourite local cinemas open, restore the theatres that are historical venues threatened with closing, offer children from disadvantaged groups the opportunity to see films in movie theatres, supporting independent filmmakers, and, ultimately, helping our team of dedicated volunteers and creatives to explore their passions and channel their drive into a project that seeks to create change and bring people to the movies.

BRAND VALUES Overarching goals and core concepts Encouraging people to go to cinemas as opposed to using streaming platforms

Providing a community for cinema lovers, which will operate on multiple online platforms

Supporting young, aspiring independent filmmakers

Fundraising for the restoration of old film theaters

Creating events centered around the community aspect of the brand

Offering disadvantaged children the opportunity to view films in cinemas

LOGOTYPE DESIGN The meaning and proper use of text-based assets

Our logotype is incredibly important to us as a brand, as we believe it is the foundation upon which we developed (and will continue developing) our tone of voice and the nuance of the discourse created with our audience. Since our brand is all about raising awareness and integrating our community within our creative process as much as possible, we want to imbed the same sense of awareness into the ways in which we present our brand, which is why the way our logotype and all of our assets are used is of utmost importance to us. Our logotype represents the premise of our brand and should therefore be used correctly and with care. The safety zone (described on the right) should be respected at all times, alongside the inner

proportions of the logotype structure and type specifications defined on the page on the right. When used in writing, the name of the brand will be stylised as ‘NoSignal’. When it comes to attaching the logotype to one of our brand extensions (which will be described later in this document), the NoSignal logotype will be used. When used at sizes which are smaller than the defined minimun size, the NoSignal logotype should always be accompanied by the logo icon, which is our main visual asset. The logotype should always be presented with the safety area around it, even when it is used in conjunction with NoSignal’s strapline.

The NoSignal logotype has been initially designed following the following specifications:

Aktiv Grotesk Black, 100 pt, -25 tracking (‘NO’) Aktiv Grotesk Medium, 100 pt, -25 tracking (‘SIGNAL’) Garamond Premier Pro Medium Caption, 42 pt, -10 tracking (‘Just the silver screen.’) (the kerning between NO and Signal is -200)

Logotype safety zone, based on the indigo highlighted rectangle within the logotype structure.

Logotype with strapline configuration - the safety zone applies to this scheme, with the space between the logotype and the strapline defined by the width of the letter ‘i’ within the logotype

LOGO x ICON DESIGN The meaning and proper use of graphic assets

Our icon is NoSignal’s most important visual asset: it is a visual representation of everything the brand believes in, the core concepts behind the conceptualisation of our brand and the story we are trying to tell through our practice. While the logo was created to resemble a cinema screen, with the vertical rectangle standing in for the cinema door, or a door towards the unknown, each layer of the logo structure has a different meaning, representing a new step in our audience’s understanding of the brand. The proportions defined on the right should be respected at all times, both when using the icon or complete type and icon structure. The space views of the logo should be referenced when creating animations/motion graphics.

v. Create iv. Belong iii. Connect

ii. Escape i. Learn

Logo safety zone, based on the pink highlighted rectangle within the logo structure.

Logotype safety zone (for when the logotype is attached to the icon), based on the blue highlighted rectangle within the logo structure.

Logo (space) - side view i. view from the right ii. view from the left i.

ii.

CORRECT SIZING A guide to dimensions

We have designed our visual assets with the intention of them being functional on as many platforms as possible. While NoSignal operates mainly online, we intend on implementing our brand into physical spaces as well as providing our audience with multiple merchandise options, so being mindful of the sizing of the multitude of visual assets used is important for creating continuity and cohesion across all platforms, and for maintaining the integrity of the NoSignal brand. The dimensions defined on the right should be respected at all times, across all platforms and mediums of communication used by the brand. The dimensions should be applied to all visual assets presented, regardless of the colour specifications.

The dimensions on the right have been defined specifically for print use, but can also be applied to on-screen or UX/UI use. Contrast checks should regularly be conducted when using our assets, in these dimensions, with our defined colour palette. Regular updates and improvements should be integrated into the design routine of our brand, in order to improve readability and make our brand as accessible and inclusive as it can be.

Minimum size for logotype: 30x5 mm

Minimum size for logotype and strapline: 30x9 mm

Flavicon size: 16x16 px

Icon minimum size: 15x15 mm

Minimum size for full logo (emblem): 30x30mm

COLOUR USAGE Specifications, colour systems and usage

The colours defined on the right constitute the NoSignal colour palette, and are a major component our our visual assets library. These specific colours have been chosen to reinforce the NoSignal brand values and the concept behind our icon, as a result of extensive visual, design and cultural research. The ‘NoSignal Spectrum’ performs effectively across multuple colour systems, the primary ones used being Pantone, RGB and CMYK. The specifications for the ‘NoSignal Spectrum’ have been defined on the right, with the addition of hex codes, for ease of reference and use. The colour palette should always be used in the order presented, with one colour assigned to its specific rectangle, in order to maintain the continuity of the NoSignal brand.

v. Create iv. Belong iii. Connect

ii. Escape i. Learn

R=208 G=000 B=112 Pantone 226 C R=016 G=006 B=159

C=013 M=100 Y=016 K=002 #d00070 C=100 M=091 Y=011 K=002

R=225 G=224 B=000 Pantone 396 C R=016 G=024 B=032

Pantone Blue 072 C #10069f

Pantone Black 6 C

R=000 G=188 B=225

R=208 G=211 B=212

Pantone 3545 C R=000 G=157 B=133 Pantone 2402 C

C=071 M=000 Y=010 K=000 #00bce1 C=080 M=012 Y=056 K=001 #009d85

Pantone 427 C

C=019 M=000 Y=093 K=000 #e1e000 C=093 M=077 Y=056 K=078 #101820 C=022 M=014 Y=016 K=000 #d0d3d4

IMAGE TREATMENT Creative direction of photography and visuals

We work closely with our design team to create the best possible image for NoSignal, and that entails being careful about creating and curating our visual elements. We choose the best possible images to represent out brand and our message, and we choose them based on their visual quality, as well as their communication performance alongside our graphic design elements. Images should reflect the brand’s core values and overarching goals curated in the first section of this document, and must create a discourse between the subject of the image and the typography. We are fond of both colour and black & white, both digital and film, but the images have to be vibrant and textural, whilst not detracting the viewer from the NoSignal brand.

The internal proportions of the logo structures as well as the safety areas for all graphic design assets should be respected at all times. Each image-logo combination will be checked for contrast and legibility. Each asset will be chosen depending on the quality of the image

(background colour, textures, nature of the subject portrayed) in order to create visual assets that are as inclusive as possible. All offensive images (whether intended or not) will automatically be discredited, and messages of an offensive nature are strictly forbidden.

ASSET OPTIONS Additional uses of NoSignal’s visuals

One of NoSignal’s most important aims is to establish a strong visual and cultural aesthetic while still remaining open to new possibilities of visual exploration and creative development. In order to do that, we have decided that we want to provide as much flexibility as possible in terms of the ways in which the logo is used across merchandise options and platforms, while simultaneously conforming to some guides. As is has been presented on the covers of this document, we have developed a ‘sliced’ version of the logo that will allow us to use it as a purely decorative element. The NoSignal icon will only be ‘sliced’ in this way, and can only be used when the logotype is placed in close proximity to it, to preserve the NoSignal identity.

We have developed an experimental approach to our design process and we want to include as many of our experiments into the final product. So, we have developed the ‘NoSignal Spectral Gradient’, based on our clearly defined colour palette. This gradient can be used behind our logo icon, to give it more texture and to allude to classic film techniques such as technicolor. When in use, the original safety areas of the icon should be respected on the sides that have not been sliced. This process can also be undertaken when working with the previously defined icon-logotype configuration.

‘Sliced’ logo configurations - to be used as decorative elements when creating brand outcomes. Can also be used with the grey logo/iconlogotype configuration available.

The ‘NoSignal Spectral Gradient’ - 100% opacity

The ‘NoSignal Spectral Gradient’ - 20% opacity, correct use

The ‘NoSignal Spectral Gradient’ - 20% opacity, black background, correct and preferred use. Desired chrome effect described on the right. Chrome effect specifications (using Photoshop): Field blur: 499 x2 Uniform noise: 13% Opacity over background: 20%

TYPE ELEMENTS Specs for the typographical elements used

The way our documents and communication channels are formatted and curated is incredibly important to us as a brand, as it defines out tone of voice and creates a sense of familiarity with our audience. These typographical specifications should be used at all times, across all media channels, documents and platforms. Any official changes to the type system developed will be added to this document. The diagram on the right, defining the specifications for all type elements used by NoSignal should be implemented across all platforms and publications. This diagram should be consulted for future reference. Since we are targeting a passionate, and above all, youthful demographic, we chose typefaces and layout

structures that reflect that, while making it easier for our team to communicate with them through multiple means. The typefaces presented have been chosen based on their legibility qualities, as well as for their modern, robust letterforms, and should be used with care and in line with the guidelines presented on the right.

TITLE LINE TITLE LINE Subtitle line subtitle line Subtitle line subtitle line This is an example of a quote. Nothing to see here. Carry on reading. Garamond Premier Pro Caption, -10 tracking

(Disclaimer: all type sizes vary from document to document, depending on readability properties and document type)

NoSignal was founded in 2020 by Sabina Otelea, a film enthusiast turned graphic designer, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Growing up surrounded by the stories of the big screen, Sabina wanted to bring back ‘going to the movies’ to a world heavily rooted in the use of streaming platforms. By creating a non profit brand that represented her appreciation for cinema and her wish to engage with the causes she believed in through cinema, Sabina wished to create a tightknit community of people that shared her passion for films and her desire to create change through this medium. NoSignal was defined as Sabina’s passion project, a labor of love that connected her and so many people with the scope of independent cinema and all of the opportunities

Aktiv Grotesk Black, -40 tracking

Aktiv Grotesk Medium, -20 tracking

Aktiv Grotesk Regular, -40 tracking

OCR B Std, -200 tracking (to be used for all numerals)

INCORRECT USAGE Examples that violate the guidelines’ direction

i. Do not make the two words in the logotype different colours. ii. Do not apply colours outside of the NoSignal colour library to our assets. iii. Do not stretch or distort our logotype in any way. iv. Do not widen/tighten the gap between the two words that make the logotype. v. Do not change the size of individual words within the logotype - always respect the inner proportions of the logotype structure. vi. Do not make the strapline a different colour from the logotype. vii. Do not change the placement of the strapline within the logotype structure.

viii. Do not apply one uniform colour to the icon, unless it is the specified black or grey. ix. Do not change the order of the colours in the icon. x. Do not use colours outside of the NoSignal colour library for the icon. xi. Do not render the icon as black and white. xii. Do not make the type elements a different colour to the icon. xiii. Do not distort the icon.

vi.

xiii. xii.

ii. vii. iii.

iv.

viii.

ix.

xi.

SUB-BRAND INTEGRATION A guide to creating cohesion across all platforms

The aims for NoSignal have been to create a non-profit organisation that is as comprehensive and inclusive as possible, and that has entailed developing several extentions alongside the ‘parent’ brand. Those have been defined as the NoBoxOffice subscription service, NowShowing magazine and NoWaste notice and policy. the design for the logotypes of these extentions use the same specifications as the main logotype of NoSignal. All sub-brand elements should always use the samje stylings as the NoSignal main assets. Alterations to those stylings should be added to the guidelines as changes or developments are made. The same in-writing styling will be used for all extensions attached to NoSignal, for continuity’s sake.

All of the brand applications within the NoSignal brand and the extensions attached to NoSignal should conform to the same guides and regulations defined within this document. For the NoBoxOffice and NowShowing logotypes, while the styling is the same, the leading had been adjusted to fit each communication medium (the leading for NowShowing is slightly bigger to improve legibility, since it is a print publication). Outcomes which present different stylings and specifications will automatically be rejected, as they could potentially jeopardize the aesthetic which NoSignal, as a brand, wishes to cultivate. Examples of successful brand applications and outcomes have been provided within the following pages of this document.

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Just the silver screen.

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a guide to viewing films locally and engaging with your film community.

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NOBOX OFFICE

Just the silver screen.

NOBOX OFFICE

NOW SHOWING

THIS BOX WAS MADE POSSIBLE WITH THE HELP OF:

Sabina Otelea Sabina Otelea Sabina Otelea Sabina Otelea Sabina Otelea Sabina Otelea

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ASSET LIBRARY NoSignal’s collection of files, all in one place

When joining the NoSignal design team, you will automatically be provided with an Adobe CC Library, which is shared throughout all of the members of the design team, for ease of collaboration. The only person entitled to change the assets and files within the library (alongside their names, order, and specifications) is the head of the design team. Please do not make changes to the library unless with express permission from the head of the design team. The asset library is regularly updated to keep up with the brand’s evolution, but it is important that these changes are consistent and in line with the defined NoSignal brand guidelines. Sections for each type of visual asset have been created in advance.

Now, the NoSignal library is yours. Use it well. (Distribution of any and all files is strictly forbidden unless otherwise stated. Our team has worked very hard on it, and that would just be a bit rude). Once you have been handed the NoSignal library, you are officially part of our design team. Welcome, and we hope you enjoy our time with us!