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Brand

guidelines

Contents

1.0 Logo

2.0 Color palette

3.0 Typography

4.0 Visual language

5.0 Illustration

6.0 Photography

7.0 Design examples

8.0 Brand heart

Intro

Our brand is where our story takes shape.


The ELM brand is more than just a logo. It’s an idea or perception that lives in the hearts and minds of people. It's the reputation, quality, personality, experience, message, and unique attributes of our company. It’s the intersection of what we say about ourselves, how we act, what people think of us, and why we’re different from our competitors. It’s authentic. It inspires and makes the ELM's contribution and values easy to understand.


By having a strong, unified brand we shape our audience perception and cultivate a personal connection through the stories we tell.

1.0

Logo

1.1 Primary logo

1.2 Secondary logo

1.3 Clear space

1.4 Don'ts

Download Logopack

1.1

Primary logo


The primary versions of the ELM wordmark come in Ninja black or Snow white depending on the background color and should be considered as the first option whenever the logo is used.


Base image: Positive version

Hover image: Reverse version

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1.2

Secondary logo


Although the Ninja and Snow versions of the logo are a great go-to, feel free to use any of our brand colors if you're feeling adventurous. Color variations are an easy way to add diversity to our communication.

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1.3

Clear space


A minimum area of clear space must always surround the ELM logo. This area allows it to stand out by ensuring that any copy or other visual elements are kept clear from the logo.


Clear space is defined by the height of the letter E.

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1.4

Don'ts


The success of the brand depends on the ELM logo maintaining a consistent appearance in all communications. In order to preserve the integrity of the logo, the following examples illustrate how it should not be used.

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2.0

Color palette

2.1 Color palette

2.2 Proportions

2.3 Contrast

Download Color Palette

Our color palette is a crucial element of our visual identity. Our colors help to create a differentiated and recognizable brand presence across all mediums. The following is a break down of our palette and how to use it.

Ninja

  • HEX #14142B

  • RGB 20, 20, 43

  • CMYK 53, 53, 0, 83

Snow

  • HEX #FFFFFF

  • RGB 255, 255, 255

  • CMYK 0, 0, 0, 0

Cloud

  • HEX #F4F4F4

  • RGB 244, 244, 244

  • CMYK 0, 0, 0, 4

Ash

  • HEX #CAC8C9

  • RGB 202, 200, 201

  • CMYK 0, 1, 0, 21

Flamingo

  • HEX #FF8689

  • RGB 255, 134, 137

  • CMYK 0, 47, 46, 0

Shrimp

  • HEX #F4B9AF

  • RGB 244, 185, 175

  • CMYK 0, 24, 28, 4

Robin

  • HEX #B7D6D8

  • RGB 183, 214, 216

  • CMYK 15, 1, 0, 15

Citrus

  • HEX #FFC961

  • RGB 255, 201, 97

  • CMYK 0, 21, 62, 0

2.2

Proportions


The ELM color palette is different across different applications but overall is consistent in how it is used. Here is an approximate breakdown of the intended color usage.


FLAMINGO

Primary brand color


NINJA

Secondary


SNOW

Secondary


ASH

Secondary


CLOUD

Secondary


SHRIMP

Accent


ROBIN

Accent


CITRUS

Accent

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2.3

Contrast


The first and most important rule when using ELM's color palette is simple. Have fun with it. However, when working with text, remember to maximize your color contrasts.


Here are a few examples of possible color pairings.

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3.0

Typography

3.1 DM Sans

3.2 Hierarchy

3.3 Type Treatments

3.1

DM Sans

Download DM Sans

Our typography system uses various weights of DM Sans. DM Sans is a low-contrast geometric sans serif design and is a free-to-download, free-to-use typeface.

dmm

3.2

Hierarchy


HEADLINE


Medium, Sentence Case

100 pt Size, 100 pt Leading

-25 pt Tracking


SUBHEAD


Medium, Sentence Case

50 pt Size, 60 pt Leading

-25 pt Tracking


BODY


Regular, Sentence Case

24 pt Size, 35 pt Leading

0 pt Tracking


EYEBROW


Bold, All Caps

24 pt Size, 35 pt Leading

50 pt Tracking

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3.3

Type treatments

Here are a few ways to bring more pizzazz to your headlines.

Left aligned


Left aligned text is a simple way to create consistency across different assets and formats.

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Duotone


Duotone is an easy way to focus on what's most important. Simply use one of our accent colors in parts of your headlines.

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Underline


An another easy way to bring attention to your headlines is to underline one or few a words. Remember to match the width of your line width the font's stem size.

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4.0

Visual language

4.1 Blocks

4.2 Shapes

4.3 Doodles

4.4 Scribbles

4.5 Recipe

4.6 Examples

Download Visual Blocks

Elm's visual language is a combination of simple and organic shapes. It is an easy and quick way to create beautiful and consistent visuals that will solidy brand recognition.

4.1

Blocks


Blocks are the bigger elements in our toolbox. They can be used as the foundation to your composition.

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4.2

Shapes


Shapes are smaller than blocks.

Keep them away from the edges of your artboard.

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4.3

Doodles


Doodles are slightly smaller than shapes. Consider pairing them with a shape.

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4.4

Scribbles


Scribbles can be placed freely. Consider using them in a contrasting tone such as Ninja when using thinner lines.

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4.5

Recipe


Here's how to assemble these visual elements in your design:


→ Pick 3 blocks

→ Pick 1 shape

→ Pick 1 doodle

→ Pick 1 scribble

→ Voilà

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4.6

Examples


A few examples of assembled elements.

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5.0

Illustration

Our illustration style is fun, whimsical, and focused on people. Outlines are thin and used sparingly and shapes are filled with organic patterns.

Illustration Library


elmillustrations

5.1

Icons


Each of our services and solutions has a specific icon associated with them. Make sure to use the correct icons when describing our offerings.

Icon Library
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6.0

Photography

6.1 Do's

6.2 Don'ts

6.3 Masks

Find Images

ELM's photography should feel authentic and inspirational, with people playing a central role. Follow these guidelines when sourcing photography.

6.1

Do


→ Highlight real people and emotions

→ Focus on a single subject

→ Be inclusive

→ Favor natural tones and lighting

→ Use high-resolution images


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6.2

Do not


→ Choose photos that feel staged

→ Choose generic subjects such as buildings or landscapes

→ Use heavily saturated or contrasted photos

→ Use colorizing or dramatic filters

→ Use busy or cluttered images


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6.3

Masks


When appropriate, you can mask an image using one of our shapes.


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7.0

Design examples

Download More Templates

Let's recap. When combining our logo, color palette, typeface, visual language, and photography guidelines, this is what the ELM brand should look like.

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8.0

Brand heart

8.1 Our purpose

8.2  Our vision

8.3  Our mission

8.3 Our values

8.5 Brand heart statement

Our Brand Heart influences everything ELM does, from how we present ourselves to the world to how we treat our customers and employees. In this simple guide, we’ll show you how to articulate our Brand Heart (aka purpose, vision, mission, and values) so you can build a brand that’s aligned to your core beliefs.

8.1

Our purpose

Our purpose is to support organizations in establishing a strong culture of learning. 

We believe that when people work together with a shared commitment to growing through learning, they are unstoppable. 

8.2

Our vision

For the planet

Organizations succeed when they commit to continuous learning. 


For teams and individuals, learning is essential to success, yet this is often missed by organizations. The desire to learn is curious, humble and wise. It’s an acknowledgement that we don’t know everything. While technology can enhance our pursuit of new knowledge, we’re ultimately learning from other people. So, we envision a future where people come together and form stronger bonds, exchange ideas and feel excited to continue learning at any age.

For the organization

To build a sustainable company of rowers. 


We are creating a team of people who are passionate about learning and growing. No one is along for the ride, and anyone who drills a hole in the boat is thrown overboard. We’re all rewarded for putting in hard work.

8.3

Our mission


We create meaningful learning experiences to build community within an organization. 


Our learning programs get measurable results because we combine neurolearning™ principles, design thinking, and compelling storytelling.

8.3

Our values

→ Put people first


From the lifelong learners we serve to the dedicated team who makes our work possible — people are not only important to our mission, they're our guiding focus. Our technology is robust and flourishing, but it pales in comparison to the power of the human brain. So we strive to nourish and stimulate minds and hearts by creating platforms and spaces for people to share the ideas, form the bonds, and create the solutions that make us stronger.

→ Never stop learning


Not learning is tantamount to not breathing. In other words, it's not an option. Knowledge is a mountain with no summit, so we embrace the journey upwards. There is always more to learn, so we are inspired by the fact that as much as we know today, we can discover even more tomorrow.

→ Be Self-Starters


Self-starters are the stars here. We don't wait to be told what to do or sit idle until our inbox gets full. We keep our ears to the ground and our eyes on the prize, remaining vigilant and alert for problems to solve and opportunities to pursue.

→ Innovate Through Creativity


Innovation is putting muscle on the muse. True innovation (not the cliche others brag about but rarely deliver) is taking an inspired idea and transforming it into a workable reality. Creativity is how you develop that idea in the first place. And it doesn't happen by sitting around waiting for an "a-ha" moment. It takes diligence, patience, and practice, guided by the belief that the end result will be worth it.

8.5

Brand heart statement

What we believe

Organizations succeed when they commit to continuous learning.


For teams and individuals, learning is essential to success, yet can often be undervalued by organizations. The desire to learn is curious, humble and wise. It’s an acknowledgement that we don’t know everything. While technology can enhance our pursuit of new knowledge, we’re ultimately learning from other people. So, we envision a future where people come together and form stronger bonds, exchange ideas and feel excited to continue learning at any age. 

Why we exist

Our purpose is to support organizations in establishing a strong culture of learning.


We believe that when people work together with a shared commitment to growing through learning, they are unstoppable. 

How we’re achieving our vision

We create meaningful learning experiences to build community within an organization.


Our learning programs get measurable results because we combine neurolearning™ principles, design thinking, and compelling storytelling.

Who we are as people

We’re self-starting creative innovators who put people first and never stop learning.


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