Requirement
Define the recurring INTO Consulting recognition cues that can travel across proposals, decks, documents, social, newsletter, print, and video without turning the brand into decoration.
Constraints
- INTO Consulting only.
- Two themes: Warm Light and Blueprint Dark.
- Petrol is a signal/action accent, not a decorative color.
- Brand codes must work in human review and AI-generated collateral.
- Medium rules still control size, margins, grids, typography, safe areas, and export constraints.
Bet
The brand becomes more recognizable through a small number of restrained, repeatable cues rather than through novelty. This costs some visual variety but makes AI-generated collateral more coherent.
Failure Modes
- Using every code at once.
- Repeating the square mark as wallpaper or pattern.
- Turning petrol into a generic teal decoration.
- Adding hairline grids where they do not clarify structure.
- Using the star or circle devices as list bullets or scattered decoration.
- Using macro texture when evidence, tables, charts, or screenshots are needed.
- Adding motion that does not explain a relationship or state change.
Rule
Use brand codes when they reinforce meaning, hierarchy, or recognition. Do not use them as filler. One to three codes are usually enough for a surface.
Codes
Petrol Signal
Petrol marks action, selection, emphasis, primary series, or a measured signal. It does not fill backgrounds casually and does not replace hierarchy.
Use for:
- Primary buttons.
- Active or selected state.
- Highlighted data series.
- Key rule, action, or decision line.
Do not use for:
- Decorative fills.
- Whole-page color themes.
- Logo recoloring.
- Random icon color.
Hairline Rules
Hairline rules give structure without visual weight. They are especially useful for editorial section breaks, tables, charts, diagrams, captions, and page frames.
Use for:
- Table rows and totals.
- Chart axes and functional gridlines.
- Figure boundaries.
- Proposal and deck section separators.
Do not use for:
- Dense box stacks.
- Decorative patterning.
- Simulating a grid when the layout already reads clearly.
Mono Section Markers
IBM Plex Mono markers orient the reader and give agents stable section logic. They are labels, not headlines.
Use for:
- Section IDs.
- Figure labels.
- Invoice and document metadata.
- Chart captions.
- Slide or appendix markers.
Do not use for:
- Long body copy.
- Decorative all-caps phrases.
- CTA copy that should be human and direct.
Square Mark Geometry
The square mark is a compact identity code. Its geometry can appear as a mark, favicon, avatar, footer, video corner mark, or business-card reverse.
Use for:
- Compact identity moments where the brand is already established.
- Slide footer or video corner mark.
- Social avatar or favicon.
- Business-card reverse.
Do not use for:
- Repeating patterns.
- Decorative containers.
- Petrol fills.
- Shadows, outlines, stickers, or badges.
Star And Circle Devices
The four-point star ✦ is the INTO north-star device: the goal we are moving
toward. It can also signal AI when the context needs a compact intelligence
cue. The thick circle ⃝ is a framing and highlight device for a key word,
number, artifact, node, or decision.
Use for:
- Framing a goal, target outcome, or “north star” idea.
- Highlighting one priority term, number, node, or artifact.
- AI-adjacent moments where a compact symbol is clearer than an icon.
- Cover, section, slide, social, or diagram moments that need restrained emphasis.
Do not use for:
- Bullets.
- Repeating patterns.
- Decorative sparkle fields.
- Replacing evidence, labels, or clear typography.
- Competing with the logo or square mark.
Narrow Editorial Columns
INTO writing should move quickly. Narrow columns protect reading speed and make pages feel editorial.
Use for:
- Slides in reader-first mode.
- Social carousel copy.
- Browser-readable collateral.
- Newsletter modules.
- Proposal side notes and summaries when the medium supports them.
Do not use for:
- Final Google Docs pages when columns hurt editing or print behavior.
- Wide evidence, tables, or screenshots that need full-width treatment.
Macro Material Texture
Macro material texture creates atmosphere without narrating the message. It should host text, not compete with it.
Use for:
- Covers.
- Section breaks.
- Video title cards.
- Editorial hero surfaces.
- Photo overlays with proven contrast.
Do not use for:
- Evidence.
- Routine cards.
- KPI panels.
- Invoice or legal pages.
- Literal objects that can be named in one second.
Evidence-First Tables And Charts
Commercial evidence is a brand code because it makes INTO feel practical and senior. The conclusion appears before the exhibit, and the exhibit proves it.
Use for:
- KPIs with prior-period delta.
- Pricing and invoice tables.
- Scope and responsibility matrices.
- Bar, line, pie, and Gantt charts with clear jobs.
Do not use for:
- Empty comparison theatre.
- Decorative table grids.
- Charts without a takeaway.
- Metrics without period, unit, source, and delta.
Precision Motion
Motion must enact meaning. It can reveal sequence, state, transition, or relationship; it cannot merely make a surface feel animated.
Use for:
- Workflow progression.
- Data reveal.
- Video title pacing.
- Diagram state changes.
Do not use for:
- Decorative loops.
- Gratuitous parallax.
- Motion that hides evidence or reduces legibility.
- Any motion that ignores
prefers-reduced-motion.
Agent Rule
Before generating collateral, choose the medium first. Then choose the fewest brand codes needed to reinforce the communication job. If the codes do not clarify the surface, do not use them.