The Specification
The system underneath the identity. Type scale, color roles, spacing, proportion, and the rules that decide how they combine, written precisely enough to apply without guessing.
In development. Ask what the current scope covers.Who it is for
Teams where more than one person makes things. Companies whose materials have drifted because every new asset became a fresh decision.
The problem it solves
A logo is not an identity. With no specification, every new page, deck, or post reinvents the rules, and the brand quietly stops looking like itself.
What I do
- 01Set a type scale and say when each size is used.
- 02Define color as roles instead of swatches, so the palette survives a dark mode and a print job.
- 03Fix spacing and proportion to a unit so layouts stay related.
- 04Name the tokens the way the build will consume them, so design and code stay in step.
What you end up with
- A specification covering type, color, space, and proportion.
- Design tokens named for the build.
- Worked examples of the rules applied and the rules broken on purpose.
01Also in Brand & Strategy
- The ReadPositioning and the competitive read, before any design.
- Naming SystemsNames for the company, the products, and everything under them.
- Visual IdentityThe mark, the lockups, and the world the brand lives in.
- Setting the VoiceMessage hierarchy and tone. The brand in words.