branding guide 12 pages

Central Rivers Area Education Agency Visual Standards Guide

01 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

02 our identity The Central Rivers Area Education Agency (AEA) mission frames its identity for all audiences. The visual and written communications are designed to evoke the essence of our mission and vision to meet the needs of all. These style guidelines for written and visual communication set standards for clarity, accuracy and consistency 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 is needed, please contact Beth Strike, Central Rivers AEA Director of Creative Services at 319-273-8222. core brand elements The Central Rivers AEA brand is made up of core elements—the name, logo, and colors—that work together to communicate the intended brand vision and personality to employees, our educational partners, and the public at large. It is important that these core elements remain consistent throughout all communication to create unity. logo A logo is the visual representation of a brand and is meant to capture and evoke the overall brand essence. To create 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). color Color can carry a great deal of emotion and serves as a key element in the overall brand image. It sets the tone of the brand and helps tie various communication pieces together. It is important to utilize color in a thoughtful and consistent manner. Guidelines for color usage can be found in the Color Palette Standards section (pages 6-8). typography Consistent use of brand typography helps establish a unique Central Rivers AEA “look” that greatly increases recognizability and memorability of the brand. Type guidelines can be found in the Typographic Palette Standards section (pages 9). Central Rivers Area Education Agency Visual Standards Guide

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

04 print logo color variations Because 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 the correct 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 color options, 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 color variations. Deviation from these options is not allowed as it will weaken the overall brand image. 4-COLOR PANTONE® 2757 C PANTONE® 375 C PANTONE® Cool Gray 11 C PANTONE® 1375 C This is the primary color combination that should be used on all communication materials whenever possible. CENTRAL RIVERS GRAYSCALE AREA EDUCATION AGENCY BLACK 100% CENTRAL RIVERS BLACK 80% SHADE AREA EDUCATION AGENCY BLACK 30% SHADE CENTRAL RIVERS 1-COLOR (FLAT) AREA EDUCATION AGENCY PANTONE® 2757 C CENTRAL RIVERS AREA EDUCATION AGENCY Central Rivers Area Education Agency Visual Standards Guide

05 incorrect logo usage To maintain the integrity of the Central Rivers AEA brand, it is essential that the logo be used consistently and correctly. Correct usage will ensure that the brand stakeholders and public at large experience a clear representation of the brand through all communication materials. This page illustrates some of the common incorrect, non-approved logo variations. CENTRAL RIVERS AREAEDUCATIONAGENCY CENTRAL RIVERS CENTRAL RIVERS AREAEDUCATIONAGENCY AREAEDUCATIONAGENCY DO NOT DO NOT DO NOT Rearrange 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 Y Distort 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

06 primary brand colors To 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 use of the Central Rivers AEA color palette is essential to the success of the brand’s recognition. Below is a list of the approve colors for the Central Rivers AEA brand. 2757 C PANTONE® 2757 C [C100 M92 Y31 K31] [R0 G31 B96] 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 [C47 M0 Y100 K0] [R147 G213 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 B24] 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 Gray PANTONE® Cool Gray 11 C [C66 M57 Y51 K29] [R84 G86 B90] 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

07 secondary brand colors The following list is the secondary brand colors for the Central Rivers AEA. These colors should be used to add variety to the overall Central Rivers AEA brand but not as part of the logo. 5405 C PANTONE® 5405 C [C74 M47 Y33 K7] [R78 G115 B138] Use to add variety to the background color, large headers, subheads, and graphic elements. 576 C PANTONE® 576 C [C58 M22 Y91 K4] [R120 G156 B74] Use to add variety to the background color, large headers, subheads, and graphic elements. 7571 C PANTONE® 7571 C [C18 M56 Y96 K3] [R201 G125 B49] Use to add variety to the background color, large headers, subheads, and graphic elements. Cool Gray PANTONE® Cool Gray 1 C [C14 M11 Y12 K0] [R217 G216 B214] 1C Use to add variety to the background color, large headers, subheads, and graphic elements. Central Rivers Area Education Agency Visual Standards Guide

08 web-safe brand colors Below is a list of the approved web-safe colors for the Central Rivers AEA. PANTONE® 2757 C [R4 G30 B65] HEX #001e5f Use for web only. 2757 C PANTONE® 375 C [R164 G213 B93] HEX #94d500 Use for web only. 375 C Cool Gray PANTONE® Cool Gray 11 C [R85 G87 B85] HEX #666366 11 C Use for web only. 1375 C PANTONE® 1375 C [R255 G131 B0] HEX #fa9e0d Use for web only. PANTONE® 5405 C [R78 G115 B138] HEX #45637a Use for web only. 5405 C PANTONE® 576 C [R120 G156 B74] HEX #638f38 Use for web only. 576 C PANTONE® 7571 C [R201 G125 B49] HEX #c68627 Use for web only. 7571 C Cool Gray PANTONE® Cool Gray 1 C [R217 G216 B214] HEX #e2e1dd 1C Use for web only. Central Rivers Area Education Agency Visual Standards Guide

09 print typographic standards Consistent use of brand typography helps establish a unique Central Rivers AEA “look” that greatly increases recognizability and memorability of the brand. Two typographic families have been selected for the Central Rivers AEA brand: Abadi MT Condensed and Arial Narrow. Abadi MT Condensed and Arial Narrow should be used for headlines, subheads, and other display text. It can also be used for body text, captions, and can be used to add variety to subheads or display text. Design decisions regarding color selection, type size, leading, kerning, and other formatting issues should follow the communication materials already produced. Abadi MT Condensed Arial Narrow Extra Bold Regular abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ 0123456789 0123456789 Abadi MT Condensed Light Arial Narrow abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz Bold ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 0123456789 ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ 0123456789 Arial Narrow Italic abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ 0123456789 Arial Narrow Bold Italic abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ 0123456789 how to use fonts and colors fonts Use 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 or ha ndwriting fonts for brochures, newsletters, calendars or email signatures. You may use decorative fonts for flyers or materials for extracurricular activities. colors Use the primary brand colors for most accent colors and use secondary brand colors to add interest. Central Rivers Area Education Agency Visual Standards Guide

10 letterhead and business cards In order to maintain the brand standard, it is crucial that brand fonts, colors, and other elements be used consistently across all printed correspondence. A letterhead template has been developed that sets the formatting style for margins, fonts, colors, line spacing, and other brand elements that should be used when developing a printed document. An example of the letterhead and the business card is pictured below with the editable area, indicated in gray. This template should be used for all correspondence intended to be printed on the Central Rivers AEA branded letterhead and business cards. All materials should be printed on bright white paper. 70# text paper is to be used when printing the letterhead. 80# cover paper is to be used when printing the business cards. Times is only to be used in the body copy of the letterhead. This is to ensure consistency as everyone has access to this font. To order letterhead and business cards, please contact your department secretary. .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

11 envelope In order to maintain the brand standard, it is crucial that brand fonts, colors, and other elements be used consistently across all printed correspondence. An envelope template has been developed that sets the formatting style for margins, fonts, colors, line spacing, and other brand elements that should be used when developing a printed document. An example of this template is pictured below with the editable area, indicated in gray. This template should be used for all correspondence intended to be printed on the Central Rivers AEA branded envelope. Times is only to be used in the address copy of the 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 Street CENTRAL RIVERS Urbandale, Iowa 50322 AREAEDUCATIONAGENCY 4.75” email signature Below is an example of how to use the Central Rivers AEA email signature. All guidelines and recommendations (size requirements, area of isolation, logo, usage, etc.) established for the Central Rivers AEA brand to remain consistent. John Doe 11 pt Arial Narrow Bold Title Goes Here 11 pt Arial Narrow Italic 123.456.7890 Office 11 pt Arial Narrow Regular and Italic 123.456.7890 Cell 123.456.7890 toll-free 11 pt Arial Narrow Regular 123.456.7890 FAX Visual Standards Guide [email protected] www.centralriversaea.org Central Rivers Area Education Agency