branding guide-NEW

Central Rivers Area Education Agency Visual Standards Guide

01CENTRAL RIVERSAREAEDUCATIONAGENCY 02 Brand Identity 03 Logo Usage TABLE OF CONTENTS 06 Color Palette Standards 09 Typography Palette Standards 10 Correspondence Templates Central Rivers Area Education Agency Visual Standards Guide

02our identityThe Central Rivers Area Education Agency (AEA) mission frames its identity for all audiences. Thevisual and written communications are designed to evoke the essence of our mission and vision tomeet the needs of all.These style guidelines for written and visual communication set standards for clarity, accuracy andconsistency and establish a platform for creating dynamic messages that advance our mission.This style guide can’t address every situation specifically. When questions arise or clarification isneeded, please contact Beth Strike, Central Rivers AEA Director of Creative Services at 319-273-8222.core brand elementsThe Central Rivers AEA brand is made up of core elements—the name, logo, and colors—that worktogether to communicate the intended brand vision and personality to employees, our educationalpartners, and the public at large. It is important that these core elements remain consistent throughoutall communication to create unity. CENTRAL RIVERS AREAEDUCATIONAGENCYCENTRAL RIVERSAREAEDUCATIONAGENCYlogoA logo is the visual representation of a brand and is meant to capture and evoke the overall brand essence. Tocreate a solid brand image, it is important that the logo be used consistently across all communication materials.Refer to the Logo Usage section for detailed usage guidelines (pages 3-5).colorColor can carry a great deal of emotion and serves as a key element in the overall brand image. It sets the tone ofthe brand and helps tie various communication pieces together. It is important to utilize color in a thoughtful andconsistent manner. Guidelines for color usage can be found in the Color Palette Standards section (pages 6-8).typographyConsistent use of brand typography helps establish a unique Central Rivers AEA “look” that greatly increasesrecognizability and memorability of the brand. Type guidelines can be found in the Typographic Palette Standardssection (pages 9). Central Rivers Area Education Agency Visual Standards Guide

03size and space requirementsIn order to ensure the appropriate visibility, prominence and strength of the Central Rivers AEA logo, anarea of isolation and a minimum size have been determined. These guidelines apply to both print anddigital usage, as well as any other instance the logo may be used.area of isolation .375”A minimum space requirement around the logo is required to .375” .375”ensure prominence of the mark and to prevent interferencefrom other elements in a design. This space is defined as the CENTRAL RIVERSarea of isolation and is indicated by .375 in the figure to theright. .375 is equal to the height shown. AREAEDUCATIONAGENCYminimum isolation .375”A distance of .375 should be maintained between the CentralRivers AEA logo and all other design elements, including:images, typography, photos, graphics, rules, and thesubstrate or page edge.prefered isolationThe area of isolation is a minimum space recommendation.Increase the area of isolation whenever possible. 1”minimum size requirements .876”To maintain recognizability, the Central Rivers AEA vertical CENTRAL RIVERSlogo must not be made smaller than 1” wide by .876” highand the horizontal logo must not be made smaller than 2” AREAEDUCATIONAGENCYwide by .5” high. This is the minimum size and should beused larger in every possible instance. 2” .5” CENTRAL RIVERS AREAEDUCATIONAGENCY Central Rivers Area Education Agency Visual Standards Guide

04print logo color variationsBecause not all display mediums and modes of reproduction have the same color requirements,multiple color options have been developed for the Central Rivers AEA logo. It is important to use thecorrect logo for the given situation so as to remain consistent with the overall brand. For example,when placing the logo on the web, make sure to use the digital version of the logo. The approved coloroptions, listed below, include the necessary specifications for 4-color (the primary color combination)and grayscale. These options should accommodate most situations and are the only approved colorvariations. Deviation from these options is not allowed as it will weaken the overall brand image. CENTRAL RIVERS 4-COLOR AREAEDUCATIONAGENCY PANTONE® 302 C PANTONE® 375 C CENTRAL RIVERS PANTONE® Cool Gray 11 C AREAEDUCATIONAGENCY PANTONE® 1375 C This is the primary color combination that should be used on all communication materials whenever possible. CENTRAL RIVERS GRAYSCALE AREAEDUCATIONAGENCY BLACK 100% BLACK 80% SHADE CENTRAL RIVERS BLACK 30% SHADE AREAEDUCATIONAGENCY CENTRAL RIVERS 1-COLOR (FLAT) AREAEDUCATIONAGENCY PANTONE® 302 C CENTRAL RIVERS AREAEDUCATIONAGENCY Central Rivers Area Education Agency Visual Standards Guide

05incorrect logo usageTo maintain the integrity of the Central Rivers AEA brand, it is essential that the logo be usedconsistently and correctly. Correct usage will ensure that the brand stakeholders and public at largeexperience a clear representation of the brand through all communication materials. This pageillustrates some of the common incorrect, non-approved logo variations.CENTRAL RIVERSAREAEDUCATIONAGENCY CENTRAL RIVERS CENTRAL RIVERS AREAEDUCATIONAGENCY AREAEDUCATIONAGENCY DO NOT DO NOT DO NOTRearrange elements of the logo. Alter the proportions of the logo. Incorporate unapproved colors or fonts. DO NOT CENTRAL RIVERS CENTRAL RIVERSA R E A E D U C AT I O N A G E N C YDistort the logo in any way. AREAEDUCATIONAGENCY DO NOT Rotate or use the logo on an angle. DO NOT Breach the area of isolation. CENTRAL RIVERS AREAEDUCATIONAGENCY DO NOT DO NOT Use a low-resolution Use the logo type independently.or pixellated version of the logo. Central Rivers Area Education Agency Visual Standards Guide

06primary brand colorsTo ensure the consistency of the visual identity, a color palette has been established for all print(Pantone® Matching System and CMYK values) and web (RGB values) applications. The correct useof the Central Rivers AEA color palette is essential to the success of the brand’s recognition. Below is alist of the approve colors for the Central Rivers AEA brand.302 C PANTONE® 302 C [C100 M84 Y36 K39] [R15 G45 B82] This is one of the essential colors in conveying the essence of the Central Rivers AEA identity and should be used as a primary color in most communication materials.375 C PANTONE® 375 C [C40 M0 Y100 K0] [R149 G214 B0] This is one of the essential colors in conveying the essence of the Central Rivers AEA identity and should be used as a primary color in most communication materials.1375 C PANTONE® 1375 C [C0 M45 Y96 K0] [R255 G158 B22] This is one of the essential colors in conveying the essence of the Central Rivers AEA identity and should be used as a primary color in most communication materials. Cool PANTONE® Cool Gray 11 C [C65 M57 Y52 K29] [R85 G86 B90]Gray 11 C Used in the Central Rivers AEA logo and to add variety to the background color, large headers, subheads, and graphic elements. Central Rivers Area Education Agency Visual Standards Guide

07secondary brand colorsThe following list is the secondary brand colors for the Central Rivers AEA. These colors should beused to add variety to the overall Central Rivers AEA brand but not as part of the logo.5405 C PANTONE® 5405 C [C73 M47 Y33 K7] [R80 G116 B138] Use to add variety to the background color, large headers, subheads, and graphic elements.576 C PANTONE® 576 C [C57 M22 Y92 K4] [R122 G156 B73] Use to add variety to the background color, large headers, subheads, and graphic elements.7571 C PANTONE® 7571 C [C18 M56 Y97 K3] [R203 G125 B48] Use to add variety to the background color, large headers, subheads, and graphic elements. Cool PANTONE® Cool Gray 1 C [C13 M11 Y12 K0] [R219 G217 B214]Gray 1 C Use to add variety to the background color, large headers, subheads, and graphic elements. Central Rivers Area Education Agency Visual Standards Guide

08web-safe brand colorsBelow is a list of the approved web-safe colors for the Central Rivers AEA. PANTONE® 302 C [R15 G45 B82] HEX #0f2c52 Use for web only.302 C PANTONE® 375 C [R149 G214 B0] HEX #94d500 Use for web only.375 C PANTONE® Cool Gray 11 C [R85 G86 B90]HEX #555559 Use for web only. CoolGray 11 C PANTONE® 1375 C [R255 G158 B22] HEX #ff9e15 Use for web only.1375 C Central Rivers Area Education Agency Visual Standards Guide

9print typographic standardsConsistent use of brand typography helps establish a unique Central Rivers AEA “look” that greatlyincreases recognizability and memorability of the brand. Two typographic families have been selectedfor the Central Rivers AEA brand: Abadi MT Condensed and Arial Narrow. Abadi MT Condensed andArial Narrow should be used for headlines, subheads, and other display text. It can also be used forbody text, captions, and can be used to add variety to subheads or display text. Design decisionsregarding color selection, type size, leading, kerning, and other formatting issues should follow thecommunication materials already produced.Abadi MT Condensed Arial NarrowExtra Bold Regularabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ0123456789 0123456789Abadi MT CondensedLight Arial Narrowabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz BoldABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz0123456789 ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ 0123456789 Arial Narrow Italic abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ 0123456789 Arial Narrow Bold Italic abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ 0123456789how to use fonts and colorsfontsUse Abadi MT Condensed Extra Bold and Arial Narrow when possible.When you want to use a Serif font, use Times or Garamond.Do not use “cute” or decorative fonts like Chalkboard, Papyrus or calligraphy orha ndwriting fonts for brochures, newsletters, calendars or email signatures.You may use decorative fonts for flyers or materials for extracurricular activities.colorsUse the primary brand colors for most accent colors and use secondary brand colors to add interest. Central Rivers Area Education Agency Visual Standards Guide

10email signatureBelow is an example of how to use the Central Rivers AEA email signature. All guidelines andrecommendations (size requirements, area of isolation, logo, usage, etc.) established for the CentralRivers AEA brand to remain consistent. John Doe 11 pt Arial Narrow Bold Title Goes Here 11 pt Arial Narrow Italic CENTRAL RIVERS 11 pt Arial Narrow Regular and Italic AREAEDUCATIONAGENCY 11 pt Arial Narrow Regular 123.456.7890 Office 123.456.7890 Cell 123.456.7890 toll-free 123.456.7890 FAX [email protected] www.centralriversaea.org Central Rivers Area Education Agency Visual Standards Guide

11letterhead and business cardsIn order to maintain the brand standard, it is crucial that brand fonts, colors, and other elements beused consistently across all printed correspondence. A letterhead template has been developedthat sets the formatting style for margins, fonts, colors, line spacing, and other brand elements thatshould be used when developing a printed document. An example of the letterhead and the businesscard is pictured below with the editable area, indicated in gray. This template should be used for allcorrespondence intended to be printed on the Central Rivers AEA branded letterhead and businesscards. All materials should be printed on bright white paper. 70# text paper is to be used when printingthe letterhead. 80# cover paper is to be used when printing the business cards. Times is only to beused in the body copy of the letterhead. This is to ensure consistency as everyone has access to thisfont.To order letterhead and business cards, please contact your department secretary.CENTRAL RIVERS AREA EDUCATION AGENCY Department of Human Resources 1521 Technology Pkwy / Cedar Falls, IA 50613 1-800-542-8375 / 319-273-8200 .5” Times - 12pt Front 1” 1” JOHN DOE www.centralriversaea.org Central Rivers Area Education Agency Title Goes Here 123/456-7891 [email protected] Back Central Rivers AEA provides innovative leadership, services and support to empower our educational partners. 1” Connect with us: www.centralriversaea.org Visual Standards Guide

12envelopeIn order to maintain the brand standard, it is crucial that brand fonts, colors, and other elements beused consistently across all printed correspondence. An envelope template has been developed thatsets the formatting style for margins, fonts, colors, line spacing, and other brand elements that shouldbe used when developing a printed document. An example of this template is pictured below with theeditable area, indicated in gray. This template should be used for all correspondence intended to beprinted on the Central Rivers AEA branded envelope. Times is only to be used in the address copy ofthe envelope. This is to ensure consistency as everyone has access to the Times font.To order envelopes, please contact your department secretary. CEDAR FALLS OFFICE 2” Times 1521 Technology Pkwy 12pt/ lead 17pt Cedar Falls, IA 50613 Mr. Scott Helms 2655 86th StreetCENTRAL RIVERS Urbandale, Iowa 50322AREAEDUCATIONAGENCY 4.75” Central Rivers Area Education Agency Visual Standards Guide