NORDIC STYLE AB - BRAND GUIDELINES
Visual Identity & Design Standards

Version 1.0 | February 2026

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BRAND ESSENCE
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BRAND PROMISE:
"Scandinavian style that lasts – in quality, design and impact"

BRAND PERSONALITY:
- Sophisticated yet approachable
- Timeless with a modern edge
- Quality-conscious without pretense
- Warm minimalism
- Confident but humble

TONE OF VOICE:
- Clear and honest
- Warm and welcoming
- Professional without being stiff
- Knowledgeable but not condescending
- Conversational yet polished

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LOGO
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PRIMARY LOGO:
Wordmark: "NORDIC STYLE"
Font: Custom geometric sans-serif
Style: Clean, wide letterforms with generous spacing

LOGO VARIATIONS:
1. Full wordmark (primary use)
2. Stacked version (for square formats)
3. Icon/monogram: "NS" (for small applications)

LOGO SPACING:
Minimum clear space: Half the height of the "N" on all sides
Minimum size: 25mm width (print) / 100px width (digital)

LOGO COLORS:
- Primary: Charcoal (see color palette)
- Secondary: White (for dark backgrounds)
- Accent: Never use logo in Forest Green

DO NOT:
- Stretch or distort the logo
- Add effects (shadows, gradients, outlines)
- Change colors outside approved options
- Place on busy backgrounds without sufficient contrast

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COLOR PALETTE
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PRIMARY COLORS:

CHARCOAL
- HEX: #2B2B2B
- RGB: 43, 43, 43
- CMYK: 0, 0, 0, 83
- Pantone: Black 6 C
Usage: Main text, logo, headlines, primary UI elements

WARM WHITE
- HEX: #F8F6F3
- RGB: 248, 246, 243
- CMYK: 2, 2, 4, 0
- Pantone: Warm Gray 1 C
Usage: Backgrounds, light sections, breathing space

SECONDARY COLORS:

FOREST GREEN
- HEX: #2D5745
- RGB: 45, 87, 69
- CMYK: 48, 0, 21, 66
- Pantone: 5535 C
Usage: Accents, CTAs, highlights, sustainability messaging

SAND
- HEX: #D9CFC1
- RGB: 217, 207, 193
- CMYK: 0, 5, 11, 15
- Pantone: Warm Gray 3 C
Usage: Subtle backgrounds, dividers, secondary UI elements

TERTIARY COLORS (Use sparingly):

TERRACOTTA
- HEX: #C87C5C
- RGB: 200, 124, 92
- CMYK: 0, 38, 54, 22
- Pantone: 7522 C
Usage: Seasonal campaigns, sale materials, warm accents

SLATE BLUE
- HEX: #6B7D8F
- RGB: 107, 125, 143
- CMYK: 25, 13, 0, 44
- Pantone: 5415 C
Usage: Data visualization, charts, digital UI accents

COLOR USAGE GUIDELINES:
- Charcoal and Warm White are the foundation (80% of design)
- Forest Green is the hero accent (15% of design)
- Sand, Terracotta, Slate Blue are supporting players (5% combined)
- Always maintain high contrast for readability
- Test colors for accessibility (WCAG AA minimum)

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TYPOGRAPHY
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PRIMARY TYPEFACE:

INTER (for Digital & Presentations)
- Headlines: Inter Bold (700)
- Subheadings: Inter Semibold (600)
- Body text: Inter Regular (400)
- Emphasis: Inter Medium (500)

Rationale: Clean, modern, excellent readability on screens
Download: Google Fonts (free and open-source)

CHARACTER:
- Professional yet friendly
- Excellent legibility at all sizes
- Wide language support (Swedish characters)
- Optimized for digital reading

SECONDARY TYPEFACE:

CRIMSON PRO (for Print Materials)
- Headlines: Crimson Pro Semibold
- Subheadings: Crimson Pro Medium
- Body text: Crimson Pro Regular
- Emphasis: Crimson Pro Italic

Rationale: Elegant serif for editorial content, lookbooks, print collateral
Download: Google Fonts (free and open-source)

CHARACTER:
- Classic with contemporary refinement
- Warm and sophisticated
- Excellent for longer reading

FALLBACK TYPEFACES:
Digital: System fonts (San Francisco, Segoe UI, Roboto)
Print: Arial or Helvetica

TYPOGRAPHY SCALE:

Digital (Web/Presentations):
- H1: 48px / Inter Bold / 1.1 line-height
- H2: 36px / Inter Bold / 1.2 line-height
- H3: 28px / Inter Semibold / 1.3 line-height
- H4: 21px / Inter Semibold / 1.4 line-height
- Body: 17px / Inter Regular / 1.6 line-height
- Small: 14px / Inter Regular / 1.5 line-height

Print (A4 format):
- H1: 36pt / Crimson Pro Semibold / 1.1 line-height
- H2: 24pt / Crimson Pro Semibold / 1.2 line-height
- H3: 18pt / Crimson Pro Medium / 1.3 line-height
- Body: 11pt / Crimson Pro Regular / 1.5 line-height
- Captions: 9pt / Inter Regular / 1.4 line-height

TYPOGRAPHIC GUIDELINES:
- Never use more than 2 typefaces in one document
- Maintain consistent hierarchy
- Use sentence case for headlines (not ALL CAPS)
- Minimum body text size: 16px digital / 10pt print
- Line length: 60-75 characters for optimal readability
- Paragraph spacing: 1.5x line height

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GRAPHIC ELEMENTS
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PHOTOGRAPHY STYLE:

Characteristics:
- Natural lighting preferred
- Warm, slightly desaturated tones
- Authentic moments over staged perfection
- Diverse representation (age, body type, ethnicity)
- Clean, uncluttered backgrounds
- Focus on fabric texture and quality details

Color Grading:
- Slightly warm color temperature
- Muted saturation (not oversaturated)
- Soft shadows, avoid harsh contrast
- Consistent with brand color palette

Subject Matter:
- Products in natural context (not studio white)
- People wearing and enjoying our clothes
- Lifestyle shots that tell a story
- Detail shots showing quality and craftsmanship
- Store environments that feel welcoming

AVOID:
- Overly retouched or artificial images
- Stock photos that feel generic
- High-contrast, oversaturated fashion photography
- Cluttered or distracting backgrounds

ICONOGRAPHY:

Style:
- Simple, geometric line icons
- 2px stroke weight
- Rounded corners (2px radius)
- Monochrome (Charcoal or Forest Green)
- Grid-based (24x24px or 48x48px)

Usage:
- Wayfinding and navigation
- Feature highlights
- Process illustrations
- Data visualization

PATTERNS & TEXTURES:

Approved patterns:
- Subtle linen texture (for print backgrounds)
- Minimal geometric patterns (used sparingly)
- Organic, flowing lines (inspired by Scandinavian nature)

Usage:
- Background elements (very subtle, 5-10% opacity)
- Seasonal campaign materials
- Packaging details

AVOID:
- Busy patterns that compete with content
- Trendy geometric patterns
- Heavy textures

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LAYOUT PRINCIPLES
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GRID SYSTEM:

Digital (Web/App):
- 12-column grid
- Gutter: 24px
- Margins: 40px (desktop) / 20px (mobile)

Print (A4):
- 6-column grid
- Gutter: 5mm
- Margins: 15mm (top/bottom) / 20mm (sides)

Presentations (16:9):
- 12-column grid
- Safe area: 80px from edges
- Consistent alignment to grid

WHITESPACE:

Philosophy: "Breathing space is a luxury"
- Be generous with margins and padding
- Let elements breathe – never crowd the layout
- Whitespace is an active design element, not empty space
- Minimum 40px between major sections (digital)
- Minimum 10mm between elements (print)

ALIGNMENT:

- Prefer left-aligned text (easier to read in Swedish)
- Center alignment only for short headlines or hero sections
- Right-align rarely (only for specific design purposes)
- Maintain consistent alignment throughout a document
- Use the grid to align all elements

HIERARCHY:

Visual hierarchy through:
1. Size (larger = more important)
2. Weight (bold = emphasis)
3. Color (Forest Green for key actions)
4. Position (top/left = primary)
5. Whitespace (more space = more importance)

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PRESENTATION TEMPLATES
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POWERPOINT/KEYNOTE GUIDELINES:

Title Slide:
- Background: Warm White
- Logo: Top left corner (40px from edges)
- Title: Inter Bold, 48px, Charcoal, centered
- Subtitle: Inter Regular, 24px, Slate Blue, centered
- Optional: Hero image (50% opacity) as background

Content Slides:
- Background: Warm White
- Header: Inter Semibold, 28px, Charcoal
- Body: Inter Regular, 17px, Charcoal
- Bullet points: Use simple dots, not icons
- Accent bar: 4px Forest Green vertical line on left

Section Dividers:
- Background: Charcoal or Forest Green
- Title: Inter Bold, 48px, Warm White, centered
- Optional: Subtle pattern overlay (10% opacity)

Chart/Data Slides:
- Colors: Forest Green (primary), Slate Blue, Sand, Terracotta
- Clean, minimal chart design
- Always label axes and data points
- Use Inter Regular for all data labels

Footer:
- Logo: Small monogram, bottom left
- Page numbers: Bottom right, Inter Regular, 12px
- Date/confidentiality: Bottom center, 10px

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DOCUMENT TEMPLATES
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BUSINESS DOCUMENTS (Word/PDF):

Letterhead:
- Logo: Top left (20mm from top, 15mm from left)
- Address block: Bottom of page, Inter Regular, 9pt
- Accent line: 1pt Forest Green line below header

Body Text:
- Font: Inter Regular, 11pt
- Line height: 1.5
- Margins: 20mm all sides
- Headings: Inter Semibold, 14pt, Charcoal

Reports:
- Cover: Full-bleed image with overlay
- Inside: Two-column layout for longer reports
- Headers: Forest Green accent bars
- Page numbers: Bottom center

EMAIL SIGNATURES:

Format:
[Name]
[Job Title]
Nordic Style AB

E: [email]
T: [phone]
W: nordicstyle.se

Colors: Charcoal text, Forest Green for links
Font: Inter Regular, 10pt

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DIGITAL & SOCIAL MEDIA
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INSTAGRAM GUIDELINES:

Feed Aesthetic:
- Mix of product, lifestyle, and store shots
- Maintain color consistency (warm, muted palette)
- White borders optional (creates breathing space)
- 3-6 posts per week, avoid oversaturation

Stories:
- Background: Warm White or Sand
- Text: Inter Bold for headlines, Regular for body
- Stickers/graphics in brand colors
- Keep design clean and minimal

WEBSITE STYLE:

Color Usage:
- Background: Primarily Warm White
- Navigation: Charcoal text on Warm White
- CTAs: Forest Green buttons with white text
- Hover states: Darker Forest Green

Interactive Elements:
- Buttons: 8px border-radius, 12px padding
- Forms: Clean, single-column, generous spacing
- Icons: Consistent style throughout
- Animations: Subtle, professional (no bouncing)

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PRINT MATERIALS
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BUSINESS CARDS:

Front:
- Background: Warm White
- Logo: Top left
- Name: Inter Semibold, 11pt
- Title: Inter Regular, 9pt

Back:
- Background: Forest Green
- Contact info: Warm White text
- Minimal layout

Size: Standard 85x55mm

SHOPPING BAGS:

Material: Kraft paper (unbleached)
Design: Minimal – logo only, Forest Green print
Handles: Cotton cord in natural color
Message: "Designed to last" printed inside

PRICE TAGS:

Material: Recycled cardstock
Color: Warm White or Sand
Typography: Inter Regular, product info
Accent: Small Forest Green corner detail

LOOKBOOKS/CATALOGS:

Format: Square or portrait
Paper: Uncoated matte, FSC-certified
Photography: Full-bleed images
Typography: Crimson Pro for elegance
Layout: Generous whitespace, minimal text

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SEASONAL ADAPTATIONS
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SPRING/SUMMER:
- Lighter color palette emphasis (Warm White, Sand)
- Brighter photography with natural light
- Airy layouts with more whitespace
- Terracotta as seasonal accent color

FALL/WINTER:
- Richer color palette (Forest Green, Charcoal)
- Warmer, cozier photography
- Layered textures in design
- Slate Blue as seasonal accent color

SALE PERIODS:
- Terracotta becomes primary accent
- Clear, bold messaging
- Maintain brand sophistication (not "screaming" sale)
- Simple geometric shapes for emphasis

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SUSTAINABILITY MESSAGING
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VISUAL IDENTITY FOR SUSTAINABILITY:

Color: Forest Green is THE sustainability color
Icon: Simple leaf or recycling symbol (line style)
Photography: Natural materials, craftsmanship close-ups
Typography: Inter Medium for emphasis

Key Messages:
- "Made to last"
- "Certified sustainable"
- "Conscious collection"
- "Quality over quantity"

Certifications Display:
- Small, discreet placement
- Black and white versions of certification logos
- Never overshadow the main content

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ACCESSIBILITY GUIDELINES
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COLOR CONTRAST:
- Minimum ratio 4.5:1 for body text
- Minimum ratio 3:1 for large text (18pt+)
- Test all color combinations
- Never rely on color alone to convey information

TYPOGRAPHY:
- Minimum 16px for body text (digital)
- Line height minimum 1.5 for body text
- Clear hierarchy
- Avoid light gray text on white backgrounds

IMAGES:
- Always include alt text
- Don't embed important text in images
- Ensure sufficient contrast in photo overlays

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BRAND APPLICATIONS CHECKLIST
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Before releasing any branded material, verify:

□ Logo is correctly sized and placed
□ Only approved colors are used
□ Typography follows hierarchy guidelines
□ Sufficient whitespace and breathing room
□ Images match photography style
□ Accessibility standards met
□ Consistent with existing brand materials
□ All text proofread (Swedish characters correct: å, ä, ö)
□ File formats appropriate for use
□ Copyright/licensing cleared for all assets

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FILE FORMATS & TECHNICAL SPECS
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LOGO FILES:
- Vector: .AI, .EPS, .SVG (for scaling)
- Raster: .PNG (transparent background, 300dpi for print)
- Digital use: .PNG 72dpi minimum

IMAGES:
- Print: 300dpi minimum, CMYK color mode
- Web: 72dpi, RGB color mode, optimized file size
- Formats: .JPG (photos), .PNG (graphics with transparency)

FONTS:
- Install Inter and Crimson Pro on all company devices
- Embed fonts in PDFs
- Use web fonts for digital applications

PRINT SPECIFICATIONS:
- Color: CMYK or Pantone
- Bleed: 3mm all sides
- File format: PDF/X-1a or PDF/X-4

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BRAND GUARDIANSHIP
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BRAND RESPONSIBILITY:
- Marketing team: Overall brand consistency
- Store managers: In-store brand experience
- All employees: Brand ambassadors in behavior and communication

APPROVAL PROCESS:
- Marketing Director approves all external-facing materials
- Regional Manager approves local store materials
- Logo usage must always follow these guidelines

UPDATING GUIDELINES:
- Annual review of brand guidelines
- Quarterly check-in on social media consistency
- Immediate update if brand strategy shifts

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CONTACT & RESOURCES
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BRAND ASSETS:
Internal drive: /brand-assets/nordic-style/
- Logo files (all variations)
- Font files (Inter, Crimson Pro)
- Image library
- Template files (PPT, Word, InDesign)

QUESTIONS:
Marketing Director: david.chen@nordicstyle.se
Graphic Designer: [external agency contact]

APPROVED VENDORS:
- Print: [printer contact]
- Web development: [agency contact]
- Photography: [photographer contact]

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"Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. 
Design is how it works."
– Steve Jobs

Let these guidelines empower you to create beautiful, 
consistent, and effective brand communications.

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© 2026 Nordic Style AB | Brand Guidelines v1.0
