TheLadders. brand guidelines

Transcription

1 TheLadders brand guidelines

2 purpose of this guide This guide is for TheLadders internal team and any of TheLadders trusted vendors. It establishes clear guidelines to help TheLadders teams execute creative so that TheLadders brand remains consistent and TheLadders is recognized as strong company that it is. For questions about these guidelines, please contact: Todd Hoza Creative Director Bill Beard Associate Creative Director, Copy

3 why we do what we do TheLadders has been committed to finding the right person for the right job and helping people make smart career moves since With a unique suite of personalized products and services, this comprehensive job-matching service helps job seekers connect with employers and recruiters more effectively and efficiently. Given its heritage as the leader in the $100K+ job search, TheLadders is dedicated to the science behind the job search and optimally positioned to help all career-driven professionals in finding their next career opportunities. Value props for Consumers: See jobs and recruiters matched to your goals Confidentially connect to 16,500+ employers and recruiters Be found in employer-run searches Partner with certified career advisors and professional resume writers Get career advice for every step of the job search Value props for employers and recruiters: Connections: one-click communication with job seekers FitFinder: we find the best-fitting candidates for you Search: access our database of talented professionals Pipeline: reach out with our social recruitment platform Passport: our free solution for finding the right fit fast

4 brand voice Conversational and friendly, while still carrying the weight of a trusted advisor. TheLadders brand voice is always positive and confident, offering determination, support, and hope. Always remember: Never lose your sense of humanity. Don t write for users, write for people. Be straightforward when you need customers to take action. Everyone s busy. They ll appreciate brevity and clarity. Be serious when discussing serious topics. Layoffs aren t funny. It s okay to be witty, but use it wisely. A good joke can go a really long way in either direction. Put you first and us second. Our services exist because the customer has needs. Not the other way around. It all leads to...your career is our job

5 brand traits We represent: Quality Knowledge Educated Innovative Our personality is: Confident Approachable Personable Trustworthy Professional, but not uptight When you re with us, you feel: Confident Empowered Prepared Reassured Cared For By association with us, you are: A recognized professional An individual that can impact an organization A person of status A member of a powerful network Our mood is: Upbeat and positive, but not pandering Serious when we need to be Witty, but never sarcastic or flippant

6 brand positioning TheLadders is a job-matching service that helps create meaningful, confidential connections between salaried professionals and employers and recruiters. Consumer: TheLadders is a job-matching service for career-driven professionals looking to take the next step in their careers. Enterprise: TheLadders is a job-matching solution for employers and recruiters looking for career-driven professionals for their salaried positions. COPY EXAMPLE TheLadders is a job-matching service for salaried professionals. COPY EXAMPLE TheLadders matches career-driven professionals with the jobs that are right for them. COPY EXAMPLE TheLadders matches employers and recruiters with the right professionals for their salaried positions. COPY EXAMPLE We match you with the career-driven professionals you want to meet. COPY EXAMPLE We match you with the right job for your next career move.

7 brand differentiator Internally and externally, historically, we have identified ourselves as a company that works with a very specific type of job: $100K+ jobs. Our differentiator is now defined as a job-matching service connecting professionals with the jobs, recruiters, employers and career-service professionals that can help them reach the next stage of their careers. We emphasize a career-focused mindset in the tagline and feature it prominently in our communications. TheLadders is the only job-matching service for career-driven professionals. Other networking services, like LinkedIn, are only about your existing network: who you already know. TheLadders connects professionals with employers and recruiters they should know, who have jobs that are right for them. We connect professionals to the right jobs, recruiters and career services to help them move forward in their careers. TheLadders believes: in focus over quantity in the power of technology and people to advance careers career networking means meeting the people you need to know NOT the ones you already know every job seeker is unique and we can help them stand out

8 correct nomenclature Job Seekers are: Career-driven professionals Career-focused professionals Salaried professionals Professional(s) Professional community Candidate(s) (mostly when job seeker enters the application/interview process or on Enterprise) Talent (mostly when referring to recruiters looking for candidates) Candidates/Professionals looking to make a career move Not: Job seekers (With exception of non-customer facing materials like PR and Internal communications) Jobs are: Salaried jobs Jobs for professionals Jobs for career-driven professionals Professional jobs Salaried positions Open positions $40K+ jobs (only when specifically talking about minimum salary requirements) Not: Jobs (With exception of non-customer facing materials like PR and Internal communications)

9 TheLadders tagline TheLadders developed a new tagline to support business growth for next months. It had to be: ownable i.e. relevant, unique and not associated with other brands; apply to all members (does not disappoint Basics) and supports all products; descriptive for those who do not know us; and still invigorate our Enterprise side of our business. TheLadders logo and tagline lock up Additionally, TheLadders needed a tagline that displayed our brand voice of you first and us second. Hence Your career is our job was born All Cap version of TheLadders tagline Tagline guidelines The tagline should be displayed with TheLadders logo in the approved lock-up. In text, the tagline should be displayed Your career is our job. Please note the ( ) should be present at the end of the line, and there is no. at the end of the line. Upper/lower case version of TheLadders tagline Your career is our job

10 TheLadders logo Logo Placement and Alignment TheLadders logo s placement can shift depending on the layout s balance. There are three approved placements: right; centered; and left. TheLadders logo s structural box should be aligned at least 20 pixels (.25 ) away from the edge. TheLadders logo is like a fine wine it has matured and improved over time. Right-side placement The preferred TheLadders logo to use is the hanging version with the tagline. The hanging logo helps separate our brand and illustrates our brand s strength by positioning itself at the top. The logo and the Anchor line should bleed off the top and side edges of your layout (Bleed versions of the logo are available here). 20 PIXELS It s permissible to remove the Anchor line of the logo when TheLadders logo is only thing element in the layout. The tagline should be used for most communications. If a layout has too many elements, removing the tagline is permissible. Please keep in mind readability of the tagline when placing the logo there are blue and white versions of the tagline. Logo Elements Anchor Line Structural Box Climbing Line Left-side placement 20 PIXELS Tagline Centered placement Logo Size and Spacing/Bordering Requirements The smallest TheLadders logo can be is 50 pixels (.625 ) in height. If the tagline is not present, the structural box can be no smaller than 35 pixel (.5 ). To make sure TheLadders logo has enough space to be clearly read, a 35 pixel (.5 ) border should be maintained around the logo s structural box and tagline. If the tagline is not present, a 35 pixel (.5 ) border should be maintained around just the structural box. Logo Minimum Size Requirements 35 PIXELS 50 PIXELS Spacing/Bordering Requirements 35 PIXELS.5 Maximum and Minimum Proportions TheLadders logo should be sized appropriately for every communication. It should never be more than 50% of the layout s width, or never smaller than 25% of the layout s width. Maximum Logo Proportion to Layout Width Minimum Logo Proportion to Layout Width.5 35 PIXELS 50% percent of the layout width 25% percent of the layout width

11 TheLadders logo Hanging logo without tagline Approved TheLadders Logo Variations BW Hanging logo without tagline To download the following logos, please click here Hanging logo with tagline Hanging logo with Consumer Basic Membership Tag Hanging logo with K/O tagline Hanging logo with Consumer Premium Membership Tag BW Hanging logo with tagline Hanging logo with Consumer Signature Membership Tag BW Hanging logo with K/O tagline Logo with tagline BW Logo with tagline Logo without tagline BW Logo without tagline

12 sub-brand logos & naming Consumer Membership Logos Consumer Services Logo Consistent usage of TheLadders logo is very important for the brand. The same goes for all of TheLadders sub-brands. As we build and develop distinct and progressive products and features, we need to build off of TheLadders brand at the same time. That is why all new product and features start with TheLadders name. The first instance of a product name or feature in written text should display TheLadders [Product]. This will protect our sub-brands and TheLadders from initiators. When developing our sub-brand logos, we decided to use a visual abbreviation of TheLadders logo. This iconic symbol of the climbing line unifying the two sides of our business helps display TheLadders without adding to many elements. To download the following logos, please click here Enterprise License Logos Logo Size and Spacing/Bordering Requirements The smallest TheLadders product & feature logos can be is 20 pixels (.25 ) in height. To make sure TheLadders product & feature logos have enough space to be clearly read, a 35 pixel (.5 ) border should be maintained around logo. Spacing/Bordering Requirements 35 PIXELS.5 Logo Minimum Size Requirements Enterprise Feature Logos 20 PIXELS.5 35 PIXELS Maximum and Minimum Proportions TheLadders product & feature logos should be sized appropriately for every communication. The logos vary in size so to be safe the logos should not be smaller than 20% of the layout width. Minimum Logo Proportion to Layout Width 20% percent of the layout width

13 colors Main color palette TheLadders color scheme as predominantly been a variety of blues. To help add more visual interest and variety, the design team has added some new colors to the mix. Blue will still be the base color of our brand #0A2F5A C100/M85/Y40/K30 #2370A9 C85/M50/Y0/K0 #99CA3E C45/M0/Y100/K0 identity, and the addition of a vibrant green and fresh orange will bring a friendly and positive feel to all TheLadders. Secondary color palette Color guidelines for digital Body Text: # Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. #1B415A C75/M40/Y0/K50 # C10/M0/Y0/K80 #598CAE C70/M35/Y15/K0 #9D9D9D C5/M0/Y0/K50 #F7941D C0/M50/Y100/K0 #B00000 C20/M100/Y100/K15 # C70/M20/Y100/K5 #FFCB05 C0/M20/Y100/K0 Caption Text: #9D9D9D Caption copy Links: #2370A9 Click here to see a link Gradient palette Alerts: #B00000 Danger! Danger! Will Robinson! #000E22 C90/M50/Y0/K70 #1B415A C75/M40/Y0/K50 #598CAE C70/M35/Y0/K10 #B7CDE0 C20/M5/Y0/K9 # C70/M20/Y100/K5 #99CA3E C45/M0/Y100/K0

14 fonts Trade Gothic Trade is our main font because of how well it goes with TheLadders logo. It is not a HTML-friendly font, so it is used for offline materials or as a graphic in our online properties. Light is used for both headlines and body copy. Bold No.2 is used for headlines and call-to-actions. Condensed No.18 is only used for call-outs and logos. A tight kern is preferred. Light Light Oblique Bold No.2 Condensed No.18 Droid Serif Droid is a font we recently added to our designs. It displays a friendly/personal tone that helps add warmth to our messages. Being the only Serif font, it also adds a visual mix to our very Sans-heavy font library. Regular Italic Arial Arial is the main HTML font throughout TheLadders.com Regular Italic Bold Lucida Sans Lucinda is HTML font that the team recently added to help add a friendly/personal tone. In the All transition we are using Lucinda in all communications and slowly adding it to TheLadders.com Regular Italic Bold

15 backgrounds & textures An eye-pleasing piece of art or warm nostalgic texture can awaken the senses and attract a user enticing them to pay attention and learn more. TheLadders has a complex message to tell. We re more than a job board or a simple web site. TheLadders is a multi-dimensional brand with products and features designed to care about the human spirit. All of TheLadders communications should reflect this mission by using the approved art and texture. To download the following backgrounds and textures, please click here Stripped Blue Background Blue Splatter Texture Paper Texture Splatter Texture

16 typography guidelines Non-creative: Why did you make that big and that small and why is that blue and that is white and why is it on the left and that on the right? Things to think about when designing: 1. Is the concept you re designing using a headline and visual that work together? If Yes, then make sure your headline design doesn t overpower your visual. If No, then your headline is going to be your main focus. See below for suggestions. 2. When designing a headline to be the main focus, there a few things to keep in mind: A) If the headline is long, choose the most compelling part of the text to highlight. Try making the text bold or a different color than the rest of the text or make the text larger in size. B) If the headline is short, the text should not have too many variations with size and color. 3. It s important for all the designs to be consistent but also fresh. So have fun and be inspired. Creative: Because it looked good. Wrong answer. Yes, it looks good, but at TheLadders we design things for a reason. We make things bold, vary sizes, or add color to parts of a headline for emphasis. The goal of that emphasis is to educate the user or reader on the benefits of TheLadders brand or product. Please note, the emphasis should be done with an eye towards a positive brand experience with TheLadders never be overly bold or promotional when designing. Guidelines on headline typography Fonts: Trade Gothic Light; Trade Gothic Bold No. 2; and Droid Serif Regular (Consumer only) Kerning: Tight (-20 to -50) Leading: Tight (same to +2 more than the point size) Guidelines on bodycopy typography Fonts: Trade Gothic Light for all off-line communications; Lucidia Sans for all digital properties Kerning: Tight (-20) Leading: Loose (+4 to +8 more than the point size) Guidelines on call out typography Fonts: Trade Gothic Condensed Light (ALL CAPS) Kerning: Loose (20 to 50) Leading: Tight (same to +2 more than the point size) Guidelines on buttons & links typography Font for Buttons: Lucidia Sans Fonts for Links: Lucidia Sans; Arial; Arial Bold the choice of font is based upon what content is being shown Guidelines on call-to-action typography Fonts: Trade Gothic Bold No. 2 for all off-line communications; See Button & links for digital properties Kerning: Tight (-20) Leading: Normal (+2 to +4 more than the point size)

17 photographic style TheLadders members are real people, in full possession of their powers. They represent relatable people (not celebrities, actors, or models). A sense of real life. A cross-section of America. From young professional to mature professionals. The expressions should exude a sense of authenticity, confidence, and empowerment. The environment should give a sense of business but feel natural and positive no staged set-ups. The attire must be business-like but casually contemporary and stylish. Children under the age of 6 shall not be permitted in individual portraits unless given specific permission. Children may, however, be present in family portraits.

18 iconography Illustration Examples & illustration style Just like photography, TheLadders brand has a distinct style to it s illustrations and iconography. It s simple and contemporary not overly produced or elaborate. TheLadders brand uses iconography as a quick guide to a function s purpose. Users can reference the icons quickly for a more efficient user experience. TheLadders brand uses illustration as an alterative to photography when photography isn t a natural support of the content. The illustration subject must be grounded in reality not futuristic or set in a fantasy world. Approved Iconography Information Icon Question Icon Close Icon Approved Icon Upgrade Icon Upload Icon Download Icon Error Icon Inbox Icon Alert Icon Save Icon Search Icon Security Icon Twitter Icon Facebook Icon Google+ Icon To download the following icons, please click here