BRAND STYLE GUIDE
Nothing is as endearing as a handwritten letter scribed by the person who holds your heart spellbound.
The Bra n d Gui d eli nes These guidelines describe the visual and verbal elements that represent Alice & Alberto’s brand identity. This includes logo and elements such as colors, tone, typography, and graphics which are all valuable company assets. Sending a consistent and controlled message of who the brand is is essential to presenting a strong, unified image of the company/business. These guidelines reflect Alice & Alberto’s commitment to quality, consistency, and style. Each of us is responsible for protecting the company’s interests by preventing unauthorized and incorrect use of the brand’s name and marks.
VISION
MISSION
To help people create and restore genuine connections and relationships with the people they care about through letter-writing and to become a unique stationery and writing material distributor in the Philippines and globally that promotes letter-writing as a way of life.
To offer and promote a way of life that encompases the intent to slow down, reconnect with the world, and truly find the understanding that one needs to express one’s true feelings and intentions with care, love, and affection. To provide quality letter writing materials that elevates the experience of writing letters by hand.
TIMELESS GENUINE LOVE PURPOSE TAKING IT SLOW MOMENTS
VALUES & CULTURE We all want to do work we believe in. If everyone is on the same page internally, we are able to foster an environment from which Alice & Alberto is able to effectively communicate the brand outwardly. When we have shared values and a common purpose, creating a consistent brand experience for customers is more effortless.
OUR VOICE One way we write empowering content is by being aware of our voice and our tone. At Alice & Alberto, we’ve walked in our customers’ shoes and we continuously strive to connect with them, not just through visuals, but through language as well.
Using a friendly and a conversational voice, we play with language to bring joy and inspiration as they look at our products. Whether people know what they need or want from us or don’t know the first thing about our brand, every word we say informs, inspires, and encourages.
TONE
VOICE
The brand’s tone is informal, and it’s always more important to be genuine than entertaining. When you’re writing, consider who the reader is and their state of mind. Are they ecstatic over a life event? Are they feeling sentimental over a memory? Are they sad or heartbroken? Once you have an idea of their emotional state, you can adjust your tone accordingly.
All of these means that when we write copy:
The brand’s tone can be casual and friendly and has a bit sense of humor, so feel free to be funny when it’s appropriate and when it comes naturally to you, but please do maintain minimal content. Less is always more. Also, while one of our goals is to sell the brand, we don’t want to set a tone that we’re simply selling or convincing them to choose us but rather a tone that inspires a purpose behind choosing Alice & Alberto.
1. We are genuine and respectful. We understand the world our customers are living in: one muddled by hyperbolic language, upsells, and overpromises. We strip all that away and value authenticity above all. We use a conversational and a friendly voice as we take part in our customer’s journey. Because our products will represent something special in their lives, we want to be a sincere brand that they can trust and be fully genuine with. 2. We are inspirational and emotional. We relate to customers’ challenges and passions and speak to them in a familiar, warm, and accessible way that inspires them to take an action. 3. We are casual and our humor is dry. Our sense of humor is subtle. We’re never condescending or exclusive and we always bring our customers in on the joke.
BR AND VOICE AND LANGUAGE
Elegant minimalism is the main visual style for Alice & Alberto. This design direction is a combination of clean and fluid lines, subtle vintage elements, and light colors intended to divert all focus and support to Alice & Alberto’s various letter-set designs. Minimalism is timeless and is always a breath of fresh air when used in design. This design style is deceptively “easy” and many don’t know that there’s needed effort in putting restraint into designing everything that matters. By using minimalism in Alice & Alberto’s brand design, we express only the most essential and necessary elements of the brand by getting rid of any excessive and unnecessary components and features. This way, we give more focus and attention to the beautiful letter sets which breathe life to the brand.
THE LOGO The logo is one of the key building blocks of Alice & Alberto’s identity -- one of the primary visual element that identifies the brand.
This wordmark or logotype is a font-based logo that focuses on the brand name alone. Since the main building block of a stationery brand is the product itself, the logo was designed to be simple yet classy, easy to use and identify, timeless, and needs less variation over time instead of a logo that takes the attention away from the design details of the products. The logotype used a script font in a handwriting style which is a nod to what the brand sells-- writing letters by hand. This type is individualistic and stands for handmade quality. It also reminds us of the past and evokes romantic feelings of nostalgia.
The logo is much more than just an image; it is a point of recognition for clients and an important foundation for Alice & Alberto’s branding. The main logo comprises of just one element, a logotype. Other variations are developed like a logo mark and a stacked version for flexibility. This logo will be used with intention and purpose by being applied with care according to the guidelines of this book.
LOGO FONT STYLES The script font used for “Alice & Alberto” is characterised by simple fluid strokes with less decorative approach for an elegant/classic look that is not overpowering.
Font psychology: Classic, Romantic, Welcoming, Warm, Soft, Nostalgic
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LOGO VARIATIONS
STACKED, VERTICAL
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LOGO VARIATIONS
LOGO MARK
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LOGO VARIATIONS
STYLIZED
LOGO CLEARSPACE
There should be sufficient clear space or exclusion zone around the logo to let it breathe and prevent its clarity and visual impact from being obstructed. No graphic elements of any kind should invade this zone. To work out the clearspace, use the letter “A” in the logotype as a guide to define the clearspace.
BR AND LOGO
,
66.05mm
LOGO LEGIBILITY
7.993mm Logos often have to be resized and reoriented when
47.015mm
placed across websites, social media, merchandise, printed advertisements and so much more. In today’s digital age, your logo has to be ready for any-
5.69mm
thing. Like any aspect of design, sizing is no exact science, and it requires your best judgement de-
37.48mm
pending on the kind of logo you are working with. That said, here are some best practices to keep in
4.54mm
mind:
25.57mm
1. Your logo should be legible at every size: The goal should be maintaining proportions no matter the
3.095mm
destination.
14.38mm 6.62mm
2. Do not go below the minimum size. 3. Sizing needs to be consistent across various mediums: Your sizing choices across mediums need to be consistent and reflect your brand voice.
MINIMUM SIZES Whenever you use the main logo, it should be used with a minimum height of 3.095mm to maintain visibility and legibility. Minimum main logo size: 3.095mm x 37.48mm Minimum vertical logo size: 6.62mm x 14.38mm
4. Your logo should be effective regardless of how it’s oriented and displayed. Do not use our full logo unless there is ample space to allow for legibility. 5. Brush up on file types: Vector files such as AI or EPS are designed for effective scalability. Having your logo in vector format and using that as a starting point for resizing or reformatting is always a good idea.
The color usage for Alice & Alberto’s logo is simple:
L O G O C O L O R U S A G E: PLAIN BACKGROUNDS
1. Logo should be in its main color format (#646464) when placed over white backgrounds and light-colored backgrounds. 2. When the logo is used on dark-colored backgrounds, use the white color format (#FFFFFF) of the logo. 3. When changing logo colors, only use brand colors indicated on this brand guide and always keep proper contrast between background color and logo color to ensure legibility.
Make sure the logo has appropriate contrast with light and dark im-
L O G O C O L O R U S A G E: IMAGE BACKGROUNDS
age backgrounds. 1. Use the main color format (#646464) on light images backgrounds which do not blend with the color of the logo. 2. Use the alternate white version on dark image backgrounds. 3. If the background image is too complex and it is difficult to read the logo, we strongly recommend to darken or lighten the image, apply blur, or use a different image, or do not use the logo at all.
BLACK& WHITE Black and white logos are monochrome versions of the colored logo. Monochrome is using a single color throughout the whole logo design. It does not contain any other effects, shadows or shades other than the single color selected. USES: 1. Printing special products: Logos are sometimes used in non-conventional ways like laser engravings, embroidery, 3d printing, textile printing. All of these products use special machines that don’t support ordinary colored files. This is where monochrome formats come into play. 2. Scanning and faxing: By using a monochromatic logo, you can reinforce contrast and shades on your black and white documents and make your logo stand out more. 3. Partnerships and collaborations: Usually these partnerships include adding your unique logo design on somebody else’s products, website, etc.. In most cases, a monochrome logo will be asked. Most brands like having monochrome logos so that their page/product does not look cluttered with too many different colors.
INCORRECT USAGE
It is not allowed to alter the structure, color, proportions, elements or the direction of the logo unless specif ied on this guide line book.
A. Do not move elements.
E. Do not add shadows.
B. Do not remove elements.
F. Do not apply outlined shape.
C. Do not stretch or transform.
G. Do not change colors other than the specif ied.
D. Do not add any other elements.
H. Do not apply gradient.
BRAND COLORS Color plays an important role in any brand’s identity system. Alice & Alberto is branded with a clean color palette inspired by light and neutral colors of nature to complement and highlight the unique letter set designs. These neutral colors have a staying power because of their flexibility. They flourish as great companions for vibrant hues and they work as a canvas to which the brand can showcase its amazing works. They also create a cozy atmosphere and bring a sense of sanctuary-- which is basically how we would like the clients to feel whenever they work with the brand.
GRULLO HEX: AD987B R G B: 173 , 152, 123 CMY K: 0, 0.12, 0.29, 0.32 P: 4269CP
GRAN ITE GRAY HE X : 6 3 6 4 6 4 R G B: 9 9 , 1 0 0 , 1 0 0 C MYK : 0 . 0 1 , 0 , 0 , 0 . 6 1 P: P 173-12 C
BRAND COLORS
AXOLOTL HE X : 7 0 7 2 5 9 R G B: 1 1 2 , 1 1 4 , 8 9 C MYK : 0 . 0 2 , 0 , 0 . 2 2 , 0 . 5 5 P: 7763 UP
WH I TE COFFEE HEX : E0DC D5 R GB: 224, 220, 213 C M YK : 0, 0.02, 0.05, 0.12 P: 9081 C
PRINT Pantone Colors are used to print the designs, rather than CMYK. Pantone colors will provide the maximum amount of consistency. In instances where this is not possible, use optimised CMYK values indicated.
DARK VAN ILL A HE X : C 8BC AC R GB: 200, 188, 172 C M YK : 0, 0.06, 0.14, 0.22 P: 406 UP
SCREENS Not all RGB colors render the same online. Therefore it is recommended to use of hexadecimal colors when applying colors to screen.
TINTS & SHADES
BR AND COLORS
Gray is the truly perfect neutral—t he middle ground between black and white. Because of its perceived neutrality, gray has connotations of responsibility, fairness, loyalty, accountability and wisdom.
COLOR PSYCHOLOGY
Green is a very down-to-earth color. It can represent new beginnings and growth and has a balancing and harmonizing ef fect. It denotes balance, nature, spring, and rebirth.
In marketing and branding, color psychology is focused on how colors impact consumers’ impressions of a brand and whether or not they persuade consumers to consider specific brands or make a purchase. Purchasing intent is greatly affected by colors due to their effect on how a brand is perceived; colors influence how customers view the “personality” of the brand.
Taup e/Beige/Nudes are thought of as authentic, natural , organic, modest, and unobtrusive. Hues of taupe and beige have a time lessness and basic lack of “trendiness” that foster a conf idence in the longevity of the shades.
Off-whites are another important sector of the neutrals. They have a subtle, stylishly elegant and classic connotation at tached to them, and have come to suggest environmental re sponsibility. Attributes: Classic, neutral, soft, warm, comforting, good taste, smooth, subtle, natural.
COLOR HIERARCHY It is important to maintain a sense of hierarchy, balance, and harmony when using Alice & Alberto’s color palette. The color system is flexible but restraint should be exercised to remain on-brand.
The dominant color should be white or off-white with the brand colors to be used sparingly, that is, as accent colors only, to avoid overpowering the colors of the photographs.
USAGE PERCENTAGE White Coffee - 60% Grullo - 20% Axolotl - 5% Granite Gray - 5% Dark Vanilla - 10%
BRAND TYPOGRAPHY Typography is so important because it is the art of written communication. Communication is essential for our society, and so it’s important to understand and apply typography well, so as to present text in the best way possible. Fonts/typography, when used consistently, unifies messaging and creates familiarity. The following guidelines will help ensure maximum legibility and reinforcement of Alice & Alberto brand.
Averia Serif Libre is the primary font for Alice & Alberto chosen to promote feelings of class and heritage. Due to its classical nature, this font family carries feelings of trust and respectability, making them perfect for brand identities that revolve around formality with a touch of nostalgia.
PRIMARY TYPEFACE
Averia Serif Libre is created by Dan Sayers and the process is described at iotic.com/averia.
Aa
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0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Averia Serif Libre Regular
Gg
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Averia Serif Libre Italic
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Averia Serif Libre Bold Italic
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Averia Serif Libre Bold
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Averia Serif Libre Light Italic
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
MAIN FORMAT Standard Color: #636464 (or darker) Tracking: 75 Leading: 14 pt
LICENSES These fonts are licensed under Open Font License. You can use them freely in your products & projects - print or digital, commercial or otherwise.
DOWNLOAD Available for free download on Google Fonts.
Roboto, a sans serif font, is the secondary font for Alice & Alberto chosen for its simplicity and straightforwardness. The absence of decorative elements makes it the best pair to balance out the handwritten theme and the stylized serif font.
SECONDARY TYPEFACE
Aa
Roboto has a dual nature. It has a mechanical skeleton and the forms are largely geometric. At the same time, the font features friendly and open curves. While some grotesks distort their letterforms to force a rigid rhythm, Roboto doesn’t compromise, allowing letters to be settled into their natural width. This makes for a more natural reading rhythm more commonly found in humanist and serif types.
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0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Roboto Regular
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Roboto Italic
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Roboto Medium Italic
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Roboto Medium
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Roboto Medium Italic
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
MAIN FORMAT Standard Color: #636464 (or darker) Tracking: 0 Leading: 14 pt
LICENSES These fonts are licensed under Open Font License. You can use them freely in your products & projects - print or digital, commercial or otherwise.
DOWNLOAD Available for free download on Google Fonts.
Avenir is a geometric sans-serif typeface designed by Adrian Frutiger in 1987 and released in 1988 by Linotype GmbH.
SECONDARY TYPEFACE
Avenir has a more digitized appearance than earlier sans-serifs, and is probably on e of the most versatile typefaces for clear and legible body text. This typeface creates contrast to the brand’s font hier archy and should be used sparingly-- only when there is a need for more legibility and contrast.
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0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Avenir Book
TYPOGRAPHIC HIERARCHY This refers to presenting the content in a way that visually conveys where to look, and in what sequence. The styling and placement of the typefaces should guide the viewer through the content in order of importance. The type scale shown in this guideline includes a range of contrasting styles that support the needs of our products and their content. It contains reusable categories of text, each with an intended application and meaning. HEADLINES OR HEADINGS are the largest text on the screen, reserved for short, important text or numerals. SUBTITLES OR SUBHEADINGS are smaller than headlines. They are typically reserved for medium-emphasis text that is shorter in length. Serif or sans serif typefaces work well for subtitles. BODY TEXT comes in ranges 1-2, and it’s typically used for long-form writing as it works well for small text sizes. For longer sections of text, a serif or sans serif typeface is recommended. CAPTION AND OVERLINE TEXT are the smallest font sizes. They are used sparingly to annotate imagery or to introduce a headline. BUTTON TEXT is a call to action used by different types of buttons (such as text, outlined and contained buttons) and in tabs, dialogs, and cards.
H E A D I NG S 48pt
REGULAR / ITALIC Tracking: 200
36pt
BOLD / BOLD ITALIC Tracking: 200
30pt
BOLD / BOLD ITALIC Tracking: 100, 1 space between each letter
HEADING / HEADING HEADING / HEADING H E A D I N G / H E A D I N G 24pt
REGULAR / ITALIC Tracking: 100, 1 space between each letter
H E A D I N G / H E A D I N G TYPOGR APHIC HIER ARCHY
S U B H E A D I NG S
24pt REGULAR / ITALIC Tracking: 75
SUB H EA DI NG / S UBHEA DI NG 18pt
REGULAR / ITALIC Tracking: 75
SUB H EA DI NG / S U B HEA DING
14pt
REGULAR / ITALIC Tracking: 75
SUB H EA DI NG / S UBHEA DI NG
11pt
REGULAR / ITALIC Tracking: 75
SUBHEA DING / S UBHEA DI NG
TYPOGR APHIC HIER ARCHY
BODY TEXT
BUTTON TEXT
14pt REGULAR / ITALIC Tracking: 75
10pt REGULAR / ITALIC Tracking: 75 LARGE BUTTON TEXT
This is a body text. Always use sentence case.
12pt
REGULAR / ITALIC Tracking: 75
8pt
This is a body text. Always use sentence case.
10pt REGULAR / ITALIC Tracking: 75 This is a body text. Always use sentence case.
REGULAR / ITALIC Tracking: 75
SMALL BUTTON TEXT
CAPTION / OVERLINE
6pt
REGULAR / ITALIC Tracking: 75
AV E R I A S E R I F L I BR E : This is a caption. THIS IS AN OVERLINE. R O B OTO : This is a caption. THIS IS AN OVERLINE.
8pt
REGULAR / ITALIC Tracking: 75
This is a body text. Always use sentence case.
TYPOGR APHIC HIER ARCHY
B R A N D G R A P H IC S This is an important tool that enhances how we can communicate with our customers. It drives advertising and attracts potential customers in a way that is not only effective but alluring. Graphics give us a face and visual presentation that goes handin-hand with our written words and it also plays a significant role in the decision-making process.
Main graphical elements for Alice & Alberto are simple letter-writing elements that add contrast and life to negative spaces. These graphics, should be use sparingly to avoid diverting attention away from the letter-writing sets designs.
ICONOGRAPHY Icons are traditionally small graphic elements that are used to provide information at a glance. Icons are great for simplifying communication and sending messages to our audience. Icons can break up text, be used as buttons or categorize steps to easily educate them.
The icons for Alice & Alberto are represented by short texts to simplify communication and remain true to the brand’s minimalist nature. This style is not just neat and straightforward but also provide flexibility since they are highly-customizable.
BR AND GR APHICS
BRAND IMAGERY &PHOTOGRAPHY Alice & Alberto seeks to maintain an authentic, ambient, and relaxing feel throughout their imagery. The goal is to achieve an experiential vibe. Something that would appeal to human senses and emotions. We will not just show off the concept of a certain letter writing set but we’ll also show off the lifestyle and the values our customers lead or aspire to in our imagery (taking a moment, taking it slow) and use it throughout all brand channels for consistency. Images and videos are the ambassadors of our brand that nurture prospects closer to conversion.
PRODUCT PHOTOGRAPHY Alice & Alberto will adapt a combination of usage inspiration, lifestyle, and textural (for close ups) for the product photography style. Use of natural light is recommended to achieve a more natural feel. Studio photography should be strategic as we don’t want the product to look too templated. Flooding the product with artificial lighting must be avoided too. Soft lighting is encouraged.
“How wonderful it is to be able to write someone a letter! To feel like conveying your thoughts to a person, to sit at your desk and pick up a pen, to put your thoughts into words like this is truly marvelous.”
SOCIAL MEDIA APPLICATIONS Even though different social media channels have different personalities, our profile is one section that we need to keep consistent across all channels. This consistency helps improve Alice & Alberto’s brand recognition, and it also builds our followers’ trust. TONE AND VOICE Present a consistent style of communication across all social media platforms. Apply the brand’s tone and voice through every copy written. GRAPHICS / CONTENT Ensure that the brand style indicated on this guideline book is strictly followed. Consistent use of colors, fonts, and graphics across our social media channels will strengthen brand awareness and recognition. BRAND IDENTITY The photos will ultimately define the identity of Alice & Alberto so ensure constant posting of your works.
OTHER BRAND APPLICATIONS
It’s remembering to stay still. It’s remembering to love. It’s writing letters for the heart.
A L I C E & A L B E R T O A ll r ight s r es er ved. 2021