Society's Brand Guidelines

Society 

Brand Guidelines | 1.0

01 | Society | Brand Guidelines 

What’s 

Included 

Intro 

Brand Standards Start Here 02 

Brand Logo 

Primary Logo 04 

Primary Logo: Minimum Sizing 05 

Primary Logo: Clear Space 06 

Primary Logo: Colour Variations 07 

Common Errors 08 

Brand Colours 

Primary Palette 10 

Secondary Palette 11 


Typography 

Primary Typeface 14 

Secondary Typeface 15 

Hierarchy and Weight 16 

Top Typography Tips 17 


Visual Identity Style 

Graphics 20 

Brand Photography 21 

People Photography 22 

Thank You 23 

Contacts and Approvals 24


Brand Standards Start Here 

Welcome to our Brand Guidelines 

This is our brand DNA. An essential ‘how to’ create and 

communicate with consistency and confidence. 

Our brand values and ethos are strong. And the way we 

work, create and collaborate should reflect that. We want 

to be seen. Be heard. And be instantly recognisable. 

Within these pages, you can learn or refresh your 

knowledge of the brand. Read it cover to cover or dip 

in and out as you reference visual and tonal cues. 

Every element mentioned is crucial to the alignment 

and impact we create. And everyone’s welcome – 

from designers and vendors to front-of-house. If you’re 

part of our team, you’re part of our house rules. 

From our founding story to our promising future, every 

innovation and collaboration will take us forward. 

And we’re excited for you to join us on the journey. 

Instead, use them to empower you and align your work 

with our signature style. No matter how abstract or daring 

it might be. There’s a time for conservative and a time for 

controversy. We’re a bit of both. It’s all about balance. 

The Only Constant is Change 

This is a working, living, evolving document. Refer back 

to it often to discover the next chapter. While we’re 

established, we’re still evolving. And through each new 

era, we aim to remain current and future ready. 

A Final Note on Permissions 

Please double check you have authorisation to use our 

brand materials, including resources, graphics and visual 

elements. If you’re unsure, just get in touch with those 

listed on the contacts and approvals page in this 

document and they’ll point you in the right direction. 

All good? Let’s go. 

In a Sea of Italics Be Bold 

We hate the word ‘rules’. But there are certain guidelines 

that we must stick to in order to remain consistent, 

together. Stick within these parameters, but never 

let them limit your creativity.


Brand 

Logo 

Our Symbolic Anchor 

of Brand Identity 

Our logo is our No. 1 brand 

ambassador. Always iconic, 

never overlooked. It’s how we 

stand out in a saturated market. 

And it’s a promise of enduring 

quality, consistency and reliability. 

With that in mind, it’s vital that 

our logo is always presented 

accurately in every execution. 

To do that, please read on.


Primary Logo 

Our primary logo has timeless, dynamic simplicity 

and instantly identifies our brand. Use this logo as 

an authenticity stamp. We only put our name to 

the absolute best. Wherever it appears, it’s a solid 

reassurance of the creativity, collaboration and 

innovation behind the scenes. 

Remember! 

This logo is a carefully crafted piece of locked artwork. 

It should never be altered in any way.


Primary Logo 

Minimum Sizing 

5mm or 25px 

This version is not intended for extremely small sizes. The minimum 

height is 5mm for print applications and 25px for digital applications. 

Clarity is key. To ensure our logo is legible and 

recognisable, it’s important to maintain optimal 

and minimal logo sizing. 

Remember! 

Never reproduce our logo smaller than the minimum 

size listed on this page. 

Use your natural eye first and these guidelines 

second. If legibility is an issue, opt for the biggest size 

(within reason). In some cases, it may be acceptable 

to use the minimum size. But always sense-check. 

If something doesn’t look right, it probably isn’t.


Primary Logo 

Clear Space 

Cut the clutter. Clear space, white space or negative 

space is the area that surrounds the logo, free from 

any other graphical element. 

Remember! 

At a minimum, there should be clear space equal to 

the height of the [S] on all four sides of the logo mark. 

We use this to give our logo presence, help it stand out 

from the other elements on the page and ensure legibility, 

even at small sizes. If you’re unsure, go for more. 

Maximizing clear space always supports and never 

distracts from logo definition.


Primary Logo 

Colour Variations 

To be used over light backgrounds 

To be used over dark backgrounds 

To be used over light backgrounds 

To be used over dark backgrounds 

Life is vibrant. Our brand celebrates that. Each brand 

logo lockup has several colour variations, for use 

on different background types, tones and colours. 

Remember! 

Always take care to ensure logo legibility on the final 

media or materials used. 

There’s a whole spectrum of potential. But when 

in doubt, use the most legible version of the logo 

for the available background.


Common Errors 

Lost in Translation 

Do not stretch, squash, skew, or distort 

the logo in any way. 

Do not edit the logo colour, use an off-brand 

colour, or reduce the logo opacity. 

Do not add graphic effects to the logo, 

including drop shadows. 

Proposal by: 

Thank you. 

Do not place the logo on a high contrast 

pattern or busy photograph. 

Do not change the layout or relationship 

between logo elements. 

Do not encroach on the required clear 

space surrounding the logo. 

Our logo is a very carefully considered asset that 

should be used in adherence with the guidelines 

set out in the document. 

This goes for the placement of the logo onto 

photographs, textures and patterns too. 

Sense check and ensure that both close-up 

and from a distance, the logo is legible and clear.


Brand 

Colours Colour 

Theory 101 

Colour theory is an integral part 

of branding and design. The colours 

we chose to represent our brand are 

symbolic of who we are, what we 

stand for and how we relate to 

people internally and externally. 

They set us apart and help us to 

evoke emotion and character. 

With that in mind, it’s vital that our 

colours are reproduced with precision 

and consideration. 

The following section covers our 

colour guidelines in more detail.


Primary Palette 

Dark Grey 

PMS (Coated): 425 

PMS (Uncoated): 433 

CMYK: 0 0 0 80 

RGB: 88 89 91 

HEX: #58595b 

Yellow 

PMS (Coated): 116 

PMS (Uncoated): 108 

CMYK: 0 14 100 0 

RGB: 255 205 0 

HEX: #FECB00 

White 

RGB: 255 255 255 

HEX: #ffffff 

Our primary colour palette forms the visual foundation 

of our brand and helps people to recognise us. Aside from 

specific recommendations within this guide, these colours 

should always be in play, across all touchpoints. 

Using the Pantone Matching System is highly recommended 

to ensure colour consistency and impact. If Pantone 

colour matching is not available or out of budget, 

please take great care to match the specific colour 

references above with precision.


Secondary Palette 

100% 

80% 

60% 

40% 

20% 

Charcoal: PMS (C) 419 / PMS (U) 5463 / CMYK 75, 65, 60, 79 / RGB 32 34 33 / HEX #202221 

100% 

80% 

60% 

40% 

20% 

Mid Grey: PMS (C) 422 / PMS (U) 422 / CMYK 0 0 0 40 / RGB 166 168 171 / HEX #a6a8a 

100% 

80% 

60% 

40% 

20% 

Light Grey: PMS (C) 420 / PMS (U) Cool Grey 1 / CMYK 0 0 0 10 / RGB 229 230 231 / HEX #e5e6e 

100% 

80% 

60% 

40% 

20% 

Petrol: PMS (C) 7476 / PMS (U) 323 / CMYK 89, 25, 38, 54 / RGB 12 83 88 / HEX #0c535 

100% 

80% 

60% 

40% 

20% 

Teal: PMS (C) 3533 / PMS (U) 3245 / CMYK 51, 0, 23, 0 / RGB 105 219 200 / HEX #69dbc 

100% 

80% 

60% 

40% 

20% 

Light Blue: PMS (C) 7457 / PMS (U) 7457 / CMYK 25, 0, 0, 0 / RGB 188 229 238 / HEX #bce5e 

Our secondary palette has been chosen to highlight or 

complement our primary colours. These are to be used 

sparingly in situations that require a broader spectrum 

of colours, for example, on our website or sales and 

marketing collateral. 

If necessary, use a 20% tint step system, keeping legibility 

in mind. Any tint below 60% used as a background will 

require dark text.


Common Errors 

Don’t Colour Outside the Guidelines 

Don’t 

Don’t 

Don’t 

Don’t use any colours other than those 

specified in the brand palette. 

Don’t use transparent text. 

Don’t use colours along side each other 

that have insufficient contrast. 

Don’t 

Don’t 

Don’t 

Don’t use colours together that clash. 

Don’t use yellow (or other light colours) 

for type on a light background, 

especially at smaller sizes. 

Don’t combine too many colours at once. 

Our colour schemes have been developed to create 

impact, not confusion. Everyone should always be able 

to read what we write and see what we make. But with 

so much choice available, it’s easy to get side-tracked. 

With that in mind, always make sure that you ask yourself 

these questions before deciding on an execution. Is it on 

brand? Is there enough contrast between the colours for 

it to be legible? Are the dominant colours of the piece 

from the primary palette?


Typography 

Just Our Type 

We follow fonts to the letter. Our font 

family is aligned with our overarching 

brand identity. That’s because 

typography can be just as impactful 

as graphical elements. 

Font consistency delivers distinctive 

visual impact. The way we 

communicate with letters, numbers 

and symbols are all part of the 

bigger brand picture. We believe 

typography should strike a balance 

between legibility and interest. 

The following section will cover 

approved typefaces, the way we 

use typography to communicate 

clearly and some helpful usage tips.


Primary Typeface 

Our Go-To Font 

The typeface we choose for all brand executions: 

Gilroy 

Gilroy was designed by Radomir 

Tinkov, Gilroy is a modern sans serif 

with a geometric touch. It comes 

in 20 weights, 10 uprights and its 

matching italics, and includes 

a wide array of glyphs, weights, 

and special features. We love it. 

Our primary typeface should be 

used most often – particularly for 

most heading styles, body copy, 

standfirsts, and captions. 

Fallback typeface (free Google font): 

Albert Sans 

Albert Sans is for use when the 

primary typeface is not available, 

for example in PowerPoint 

presentations or in Word documents.


Secondary Typeface 

Our Supporting Font 

The typeface we choose for all brand executions: 

Nantes 

Nantes is a serif typeface designed 

by Luzi Gantenbein. It was released 

through Luzi Type in 2016. The design 

features distinctive teardrop terminals 

on the lowercase a and c. The family 

is available in three weights with 

matching italics. 

Our secondary typeface should 

be reserved for impactful headings 

at a high-level, and any other 

supporting elements such as 

key statistics, large numbers and 

pull-out quotes. 

Fallback typeface (free Google font): 

Baskervville 

Baskervville is for use when the 

secondary typeface is not available, 

for example in PowerPoint 

presentations or in Word documents.


Hierarchy and Weight 

Primary 

Secondary 

Gilroy/Light: 

abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 

Nantes/Book: 

abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 

Available weights: 

Thin + Italic 

Ultra light + Italic 

Light + Italic 

Regular + Italic 

Medium + Italic 

Semibold + Italic 

Bold + Italic 

Extra bold + Italic 

Black + Italic 

Heavy + Italic 

Available weights: 

Light + Italic 

Book + Italic 

Regular + Italic 

Semibold + Italic 

Bold + Italic 

You can’t whisper and shout at the same time. There’s a 

time and a place for every kind of type. And we’re here to 

help guide you with them. 

Using a contrast of heavy and lighter weights to 

communicate boldness and subtleties is key. This is 

known as the hierarchy of information. Sometimes it 

helps to read a title or piece of text aloud, to really 

bring it to life and give it a test of character.


Top Typography Tips 

01 

Stay Left-Aligned Rag Right 

Legibility and clarity are vitally important to great 

typographic layouts. In English, we read from 

left to right, so we should align our type accordingly. 

02 

Skip Weights and Double the Size 

Contrast is the name of the game when it comes 

to great design. When in doubt, skip a weight when 

pairing two weights, and double the size between 

two text elements. 

03 

Align X-Heights or Baselines 

Whenever you place text next to each other, 

either align the baselines (the line that the bottom 

of a lowercase x sits on) or align the x-heights 

(the top of a lowercase x). 

04 

Watch the Rag 

When setting paragraphs, keep an eye on the right 

(ragged) edge. If the rag unintentionally creates 

a recognisable shape, consider tweaking the 

language or resizing the text area. Also, try to 

prevent single-word lines (orphans) where possible. 

05 

Give Things Space if Needed 

Negative space, clear space or white space around 

elements is extremely important. That being said, 

if informational elements belong together, move them 

closer together. Use grouping wisely, just try not to 

cram too many things into one space. 

06 

Keep Line Length Reasonable 

It is easy for the reader to get lost in long lines of 

text and short ones are easily ignored. It’s best 

to keep lines between 45 and 70 characters long, 

depending on the size of the font. This will ensure 

legibility as the font sizes increase or decrease.


Common Errors 

A Checklist for Type Perfection 

w r ong 

wrong 

Keep tracking, kerning, and leading 

reasonable and legible. Do not stray 

far from the examples in this guide. 

Try to avoid using centered or completely 

justified alignment for multi-line text. 

Do not use unauthorised fonts or 

typefaces. The only exception is stylised 

merchandise or illustrations on a case-bycase 

basis. 

wrong 

wrong 

wrong 

Do not use a stroke or outline on 

typography. Also avoid using a drop 

shadow on typography at all costs. 

Do not use typography on any angle 

other than 0° or 90°. Our typography 

should always read up if 90°. 

Do not stretch, squish, or otherwise 

mangle typography. Use the appropriate 

weight instead.


Visual 

Identity 

See the Bigger Picture 

Powerful branding is simple and 

dynamic, aligning finer elements 

with the theme of the overall design. 

While brand consistency relies 

heavily on logo usage, colour and 

typography, there are other key 

visual elements and compositions 

that play a key role in the overall 

brand identity. 

In this section we’ll be covering 

approved visual elements for 

our brand.


Graphics 

Graphic A: Dominoes Graphic B: Ripple Graphic C: Reaction 

Society activate a chain reaction of positive impact 

in the world. 

Our core three graphics act as a metaphor to illustrate 

this dynamic. They use concentric circles that radiate 

outwards from a central dot, that represents the 

candidate as a catalyst - initiating change within their 

environment, in their own way. 

Remember! 

These graphics are carefully crafted pieces of 

supplied artwork. Their forms should never be altered 

in any way, however they may be recoloured to suit 

their backgrounds, as long as the dot remains 

yellow (or white if reversed out of yellow).

LONDON • NEW YORK • AUCKLAND 

The Fulwood 

4 Fulwood Place 

London WC1V 6HG 

United Kingdom 

+44 (0)207 935 4052 

hello@society-search.com 

society-search.com 

Society Limited Registered in England and Wales, No. 6917936 

STRICTLY PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL 

LONDON • NEW YORK • AUCKLAND 

The Fulwood 

4 Fulwood Place 

London WC1V 6HG 

United Kingdom 

+44 (0)207 935 4052 

hello@society-search.com 

society-search.com 

Society Limited Registered in England and Wales, No. 6917936 

STRICTLY PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL 


Image Style 

Brand Photography 

Anonymous University 

Appointment of a University Secretary 

Candidate Review Document 

December 2022 

Anonymous University 

Appointment of a University Secretary 

Candidate Review Document 

December 2022 

Catalysts: 

Example cover 1 Example cover 2 

Impacts: 

Brand photography is a high-level image style that can 

be used in corporate communications, for example when 

talking about the company’s offer. 

Our conceptual image style replicates the visual idea 

seen within our core three graphics. Yet again the 

central dot becomes the catalyst, and the background 

represents the positive impact with the world. 

All catalysts should be used with a core graphic, 

and either with or without a background image, 

as seen above. 

The images have been colour balanced to reflect 

the brand colour palette, and natural instances 

of yellow have been included where possible.


Image Style 

People Photography 

Team Photography 

Candidate Photography 

We have two kinds of people photography - team and candidate photography. 

Team photography should be shot against a white wall, 

so that it can be cut-out and used over a coloured 

background. Always crop them similarly (head & shoulders), 

to help standardise their appearance. The border width on 

these circles shown here are 2pt, but balance the chosen 

width accordingly with the application being designed. 

Candidate photography will be supplied to us, but try 

to obtain colour images and place them in a circle to 

represent catalysts. Always crop them similarly (head 

& shoulders), to help standardise their appearance. 

The border width on these circles shown here are 2pt, 

but balance the chosen width accordingly with the 

application being designed.


Thank You 

Knowledge is power. But what’s even more powerful 

is when we’re all on the same page. Thank you for 

taking the time to read our guidelines. We hope you 

now feel confident and up-to-speed with our brand ethos, 

principals and processes. 

Please remember that these guidelines were created 

to ensure maximum brand impact and recognition. 

They are never intended to limit creativity.


Contacts and Approvals 

Our Creator-Friendly Support 

Team is Just a Click Away 

Whatever guidance or support you need, 

we can help you join the dots. Though we’re 

in different departments, we’re all connected. 

For troubleshooting big or small, especially 

when working on brand execution, please get 

in touch with one of the contacts listed below. 

Christiane Baehr 

Chief Operating Officer 

christiane.baehr@society-search.com 

+44 (0)203 653 0472 

Sarika Gohil 

Executive Assistant and Head of Engagement 

sarika.gohil@society-search.com 

+44 (0)203 653 0469

Brand guidelines created by 

Naked Ideas (nakedideas.com) 

Version: 1.0 

Last updated: March 2023

Society's Brand Guidelines

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