Polymaker Brand Book 2014
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Designed by Ryan Flomerfelt Mather
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Table of Contents
Direction Who is our customer? What are their needs?
Logo What is the future of polymaker? What might the future needs of the company be?
Typography Cleaner, tighter type for a global brand
Colors Creating an updated set of vibrant colors
Implementation How to use the guide
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Branding Direction
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polymaker’s brand values are innovation and a superior user experience.
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The 3D printing industry is a very interesting
This is a distinct advantage for polymaker
place to be a brand because the majority
because we have developed a respect for
of the players involved have a heavy focus
design that will be communicated to our users
on engineering and technology, and not so
through our products and our dedication to a
much of a consideration for design. This
delightful user experience.
makes a lot of sense because the nature of the very product at stake is heavily influenced
It also manifests itself in the company’s
by the technology. In a similar manner, one
dedication to innovation. Other companies
would expect a fashion company to have
focus on driving down costs or leveraging
a very strong design department, with a
immense marketing campaigns to derive
comparatively small engineering department.
success. At polymaker, we make a concerted effort to drive sales with exciting, new products which have never been seen before.
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Casual
Co-creator
CAD User
These users are people who simply choose
The co-creators are users who scour
CAD users are the most likely to invest in
to download files from online repositories.
Thingiverse for SCAD files. They have
polymaker filament. A large portion of these
These are the users who printed all of the files
collections of their favorite files and enjoy
users are hobbyists, engineers, and designers.
that came on the SD card when they bought
playing with apps that allow them to toggle
They are often creating prototypes and scale
a 3D printer. They are mostly printing novelty
options that control the final shape of the
models from scratch, and will have an idea of
objects that have meaning to them.
object that they will print.
how they want their part to function after it is manufactured. Sometimes, these parts need to be mechanically stable. Other times, visual quality is the most important aspect.
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Logo
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polymaker needed a clean logo that reflected the brand values in a more interesting way.
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It’s all about context
Makerbot is one of the main producers
This scenario is even worse! Everyone who
of 3D printer filament. Their logo is fairly
reads this logo immediately ends up reading it
well designed because it is simple and well-
as MMakerbot, which is frustrating.
proportioned. The choice of typeface evokes the technical backround, but it is totally devoid of overly complicated references to geometry. The typography in the logotype could be improved, but the real pitfall in this logo is its redundancy. It does not make sense to have both the (M) and MakerBot right next to each other. It reads as “M-MakerBot�. This forces everyone who encounters the logotype to have an embarrassing stutter! 12
Reference the hierarchy above. The phrase reads as “Robot. Ulitmaker.
PayPal has done an excellent job navigating
Original”. The use of logo and logotype here is more sophisticated
the problem of having a logo with the same
than to the left because there is no redundancy between the logo and
letter as the logotype. The two ‘P’s in the Logo
the logotype. The robot adds an element of character and style to an
are a different size, and by overlaying the two to
otherwise boring logotype, which does not say much about the values
create a composite shape, the logo is successful
of the brand.
in separating itself from the logotype. It reads first as a form, then second as letters.
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Adjusting the logotype
Many changes have been made to the initial logo for polymaker. First, the kerning of the ‘oly’ was adjusted so that it would have a better rhythm of spacing from the start to This is ‘polymaker’ set in gotham rounded.
the end of the logotype. Second, the loop at
Take note of how the custom typeface is
the bottom of the ‘y’ was shortened to make
more technical witout compromising the
the flow from ‘poly’ to ‘maker’ more natural
approachable feel of the brand.
and energetic.Third, the shape of the ‘m’ was altered to increase legibility. An ‘e’ was added to give the logotype a timeless appeal. The last change was the shortening of the shoulder of the ‘r’ to end the logotype on more of an upward, optimistic gesture.
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The Polymaker ‘y’ was one of the most distinct elements of the logotype.
The ‘y’ has been simplified so that the emphasis can remain on the logo. Since we are trying to emphasize the legitimacy of filament as a consumer product, we also want the focus on the logo form, which symbolizes filament, not the process of creating layers, which is generally relevant to 3D printing.
All of the letterforms in the polymaker logotype are generated by hand. Above, find the progression from the old ‘m’, which was entirely geometric, into the current version, which is a marriage between a geometric and humanistic form. More specifically, it is a compromise between the original geometry and the lowercase ‘m’ from Gotham Rounded.
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Logo ideation
The first step in generating logo concepts was
The next step was taking the three most
the sketching of 200 thumbnails. Nothing was
promising directions, and fleshing them out
off-limits for this round. The emphasis was on
more concretely in vector format. The focus
quantity, not quality.
here was on positive/negative space, form, and versatility.
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Preliminary logo concepts
This logo concept is a cobination of a spool
However, this logo is not the best option
gesture and a wing. This represents the
because it appears to sporty and simplistic.
ambition and agility of polymaker in a way that
It doesn’t pair well with the logotype, or the
relates to our product.
overall message of the brand.
The round features and movement inherent in the logo pair well with the logotype as well as the existing branding.
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This logo is a representation of a 3D printed
The up and to the left motion of the logo
Below are some alternate geometries for this
sphere. The large ovoid shape is the top half
compliments the up and to the right motion of
logo concept.
of the sphere, which is solid, and the two small
the logotype.
lines represent two layers of filament which have been extruded.
This logo is not as easily animated as the one to the left, but there are many possibilities for
It also represents polymaker’s vision for a
animating the two pieces of “filament� during
focus on material exploration because it is an
various interactions.
abstraction of X-ray vision of a sphere. This logo is not as compelling of a form as the one to the left either.
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Final logo concept
This logo concept is the strongest of those
The gesture of the logo is very simple. It is
Below are some alternate colors and
presented because the abstraction of a spool
easy to draw this logo on a napkin, and it can
geometries for this logo concept.
and filament is elegant and well-proportioned.
be used as a component in other forms and contexts easily. Another advantage of this logo is that it can be easily animated to produce beautiful interactions. For example, on a loading screen, the two “filament� line segments could revolve around the center they are concentric with, creating interesting color moments when they intersect with the other geometry.
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This is a 3D extruded form for the new logo. This form is simpler and avoids the ‘poly-s’ confusion that many people had with the previous iteration. Do not use this form in close proximity to the logo or logotype, or when a user is encountering the brand for the first time. An example of a suitable application would be a t-shirt, or a tattoo.
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Typography
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polymaker needed an updated set of typography guidelines that work consistently in a number of different contexts.
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Typography specimens
These typographic specimens were created to show how different typefaces harmonize together. To the right, find Gotham Rounded paired with Roboto. Observe the character of the Gotham Rounded ‘Q’ and how it harmonizes with the rounded characters of Roboto well. Use Roboto for body text, captions, helper text, or anything else that Gotham Rounded is a very geographic typeface, which makes it is very
needs to be very legible. Roboto is more legible than Gotham Rounded,
interesting to look at, but slightly less legible than Roboto, which is a
and uses the space much more efficiently.
more humanist typeface. A strength of Roboto is that it looks great at many different sizes. Google uses a modified version of Roboto for that
Avoid using very thin weights of Gotham Rounded when it is being
very reason.
paired with Roboto. At thinner weights, the rounded edges are hard to discern, making it appear too similar to Roboto. It creates an unpleasant
Use Gotham Rounded for large, display type. It will serve you well as
vibration when two very similar typefaces are paired because readers
titles for slides, or headers on websites. You can find it in use today for
are unsure of which typeface they are looking at - a thought that gets in
many young companies websites.
between them and the content that they are trying to read. Another way to prevent these vibrations is to ensure that Gotham Rounded and Roboto are always displayed at different sizes - Gotham Rounded being larger than Roboto.
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The quick brown fox jumped high over the lazy dog. after jumping over said lazy dog, the fox continued on his merry way, eating bugs and whistling coyly at a rabbit from across thew way. Depending on who you were rooting for, between the fox and the dog, you might see this as either a resounding success, or a tragic failure.
Here, Gotham Rounded is paired with Frutiger
The above specimen, showing Gotham
45 Light; the result is not harmonious. Frutiger
Rounded with Roboto Slab looks good. The
is a sans-serif font which is also very legible
typefaces pair well. However, the feel that this
at a number of different scales. It appears too
pairing gives off would better suit a company
formal when paired with Gotham rounded.
that manufactured high quality wooden toys, or organic food products. The serif evokes
Pairing Gotham Rounded with a more serious
a feeling of nostalgia that we do not seek to
typeface could be successful, but it would
imbue so much in the Polymaker brand.
need to be more drastically different. Roboto Slab would be a good option, but sans-serif typefaces match the feel of the brand better.
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Here we have Gotham Rounded paired with Gotham HTF. The pairing is obviously very harmonious because the two typefaces were designed together. However, at larger sizes, the Gotham HTF carries with it some of the same charisma as Gotham Rounded, which doesn’t pair as well with the brand message as Roboto does.
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Gotham HTF
Roboto
The lazy dog - 20 pt
The lazy dog - 20 pt
The lazy dog - 18 pt
The lazy dog - 18 pt
The lazy dog - 16 pt
The lazy dog - 16 pt
The lazy dog - 14 pt
The lazy dog - 14 pt
The lazy dog jumped - 12 pt
The lazy dog jumped- 12 pt
The lazy dog jumped over - 10 pt
The lazy dog jumped over - 10 pt
The lazy dog jumped over - 8 pt
The lazy dog jumped over - 8 pt
The lazy dog jumped over the jealous fox- 6 pt
The lazy dog jumped over the jealous fox - 6 pt
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Typography specifications
Don’t judge a book!
Title
Header
Gotham Rounded Medium
Gotham Rounded Medium
80pt on 102 pt leading
25pt on 34pt leading
95% Polymaker Night Sky
95% Night Sky
Note: avoid putting Gotham Rounded type close to the logotype because it causes a dissonance since the two typefaces are similar in form.
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Don’t judge a book by its cover!
Don’t judge a book by its cover! This filament changes color form purple to teal when extruded - wow.
Sub-Header
Body Text
Roboto Light
Roboto Light
20pt on 34pt leading
10pt on 17pt leading
95% Night Sky
80% Night Sky
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Colors
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polymaker needed an updated set of colors that grab attention.
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Night Sky
Paper
Foam
C: 91
C: 0
C: 63
M: 68
M: 0
M: 0
Y: 46
Y: 0
Y: 23
K: 36
K: 5
K: 0
R: 30
R: 241
R: 75
G: 64
G: 241
G: 195
B: 84
B: 242
B: 202
Polymaker Night Sky (Night Sky, for short)
Polymaker Paper (Paper, for short) is the
Polymaker Foam (Foam, for short) is the
is one of the two supportive colors chosen
second supportive color. Paper is excellent for
real power-house color out of the three main
for the brand. Night Sky is great for title text
providing a warm, supportive background for
colors. The bright cyan component speaks to
that is on a light background, or for creating
text and image.
the company’s futuristic vision and energetic
a ground for vibrant pops of color, especially
style. The blue component speaks to the
warm ones. Night Sky’s subdued blue tones
Most bright colors will look good with Night
comfort that a company focused on superior
allow Foam to shine.
Sky and paper, so when choosing colors, it is
usability provides.
best to let your decision be guided by how well Avoid placing Night Sky in close proximity to
the color resonates with Foam.
Foam can be used liberally in a number
a 95% grey if possible, because it will make
of contexts, especially with the logo and
Night Sky appear too saturated, and cause an
logotype. Night Sky, Paper, and Foam call
unpleasant dissonance.
all be used on top of each other in any combination because they have been designed specifically for this application.
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These Josef Albers color studies show the range of applications that the Three core Polymaker colors can be used in. Each center square is shown at 50%
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More Colors
Gold C: 0
R: 242
C: 52
R: 135
M: 7
G: 212
M: 0
G: 197
Y: 85
B: 61
Y: 93
B: 76
K: 7
Welcome to the Experimentals. These colors are named as such because they were developed to add energy and excitement to compositions that designers create for polymaker in the same way that experiments are the driver behind material innovation for the company. Almost any color should work with Night Sky and Paper, but the Experimentals are guaranteed to harmonize nicely with Foam as well. Use Experimentals for buttons, icons, and other elements that are critical to a composition in a native polymaker product.
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Grass K: 0
Aubergine
Salmon
C: 51
R: 137
C: 0
R: 242
M: 62
G: 112
M: 73
G: 106
Y: 0
B: 178
Y: 62
B: 92
K: 0
K: 0
When it comes to playing with the Experimentals, you should stick to 100% or 50% opacity when overlaying Night Sky, or Paper. Stay to 100% whenever overlaying Foam. Otherwise, the result is too muddy and hard to differentiate. When on top of white, feel free to experiment with different opacities. 10% Experimental Gold is used on the Logo Header page.
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Now, let’s see these colors in some action. To show off the versatility of Night Sky and Paper, they are paired here with three randomly generated colors. Now, the cohesion with the brand message is clearly lacking, but the colors still work fairly well. Since Polymaker is dedicated to a deep investment in innovation, there will be a myriad more products to come down the pipeline. If desired, a new color can be issued, and as it’s shown to the right, it is fairly easy to find a color that will work well.
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Implementing
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you have all these tools. now what are you going to do with them?
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Made with Science Polymaker has been working hard this summer to bring a new suite of innovative materials to market.
The advertisement above takes advantage of the vibrance of the Experimental Colors by placing a vector graphic of opacity 50% on top of a photograph taken from around the office. The Salmon used in the title of the text block pairs nicely with the purple of the vector graphic, which helps the eye dart around different parts of the composition.
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We’ve got our eyes on the future Working at polymaker means being able to work on short-term and long-term projects. No more week-long turnarounds. Our project leaders have experience working in all different areas of the product development cycle from start to finish, and work with you to understand your needs.
Gradients are a great way to create some
In addition to gradients that go from one
dimension in a composition without over-
color to another, a gradient that goes from a
complicating things.
Polymaker color to a 10% different (lighter, darker, bluer, more red, etc.) color is also
The gradient above goes from Gold to Salmon.
acceptable.
It’s a radial gradient that was dragged from left to right to creat a bit more of a sense
Notice that the body text is 100% Night Sky
of atmosphere than if it were a standard
instead of 80% to provide extra contrast with
rectangular gradient.
the background.
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Chameleon Filament Don’t judge a book by its cover! This filament changes color form purple to teal when extruded - wow.
There is an interesting relationship between figure and ground in this advertisement because the Aubergine recedes into the background since it matches the purple in the photograph it is placed ontop of.
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Designed with care You can always tell how much filament is left in the spool just by glancing across the room.
There is drop shadow on the text box here. The the characteristics of the drop shadow are: 1 pica size, 1 pica distance, and 10% opacity, black color.
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These patterns were generated with the old ‘y’ from the polymaker logo.
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Feel free to do whatever you want with the forms in the logo! Use them as elements to compose form. You can use it as a playful constraint.
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Logo-based patterns
These patterns can be used for a number of
This is an example of applying one of the
things from packaging, to web adverising.
patterns in a non-conventional matter. Here, the pattern has been extruded and placed over a gradient to provide an almost comically dense sense of atmosphere.
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polyFlex polyMax polyPlus polyWood
This is an example of how the logo could be
This is an example of how one could utilize
This is an example of how the logo could be
animated in the context of a short loading
the brand colors to co-ordinate new product
treated as a single color element as a tag on
screen or introduction to a video.
launches. Notice how the ‘p’ stays lowercase
apparel or an embossed mark on paper.
to remain consistent with the brand, allowing the name of the product to shine.
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Meet Shelly, A cute snake
Shelly is for use with internal tools and
Shelly looks good in any color she wears, so
documents. For example, t-shirts that are
feel free to experiment with different colors
given out to the employees, or a document
and even gradients! Shelly also looks good
that explains the standard operating
at different sizes. You can use her to call out
procedures of a printer. Shelly’s name comes
helper text in a technical document, or as the
from 蛇，and 力.
sticker to cover the apple logo on a macbook.
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您好, 欢饮Polymaker 新年快乐!!
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3u
3u
1u
When setting the logo on to a page, follow the
Keep in mind that these are all just guidelines,
above placement guide. You can use these
and they are meant for you to play around!
units as a standard unit of placement. Since the ‘o’ is a component of the logo itself, it
You cannot change the logoform or logotype,
should be very easy to move around and play.
or change the main colors in the specification, but feel free to add new colors, remix and ocmpose the existing materials to form interesting composites.
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Xiaofan Luo CEO | Polymaker 123.456.7690 x.luo@polymaker.com
Sample business card front
Sample business card back
Xiaofan Luo CEO | Polymaker 123.456.7690 x.luo@polymaker.com
Alternate business card front
Sample business card back
Note that the intersection becomes white then
Note the increase of weight for Xiaofan’s name
the logo is placed on a dark background.
in this example since it is light text.
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100 Maker Way San Francisco, CA, 94104 contact@polymaker.com 123.456.7890 Dear Stratasys, We are honored to receive your most recent offer to purchase polymaker. I am sad to report that our stance has not changed, and we believe that we can best serve the 3D printing community by continuing to be a small, private, independent company. In regards to the dates you provided for giving a lecture on your campus, they all work. Please follow up with my assistant to confirm dates as soon as possible. We look forward to a productive and mutually beneficial relationship in the future with Stratasys. Sincerely,
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Xiaofan Luo
Working within the contraints of the guide Constraint:
How to remix:
The geometry and colors of the logo and
Animations and compositions created with
Consistency is key! However, of course there
logotype as presented here
the logo and logotype (such as the patterns)
will be some things that slip as polymaker is a rapidly building brand and there are a lot of
The typefaces used in the specification
The size of the type or leading for non-print
needs that need to be sated.
publications. Consider using Gotham HTF in some contexts.
Just try your best to implement the guide in a way that is consistent and everything will be
The three main colors specified
Adding new colors in combination with Paper
good!
and Night Sky Don’t present the extruded ‘poly’ logo, or Shelly
Conjure creative uses for those forms for
in a context where a user is encountering
when users are already familiar with the
the brand for the first time, like in an
brand, like merchandise, 404 pages, or mail
advertisement or pamphlet
that comes from technical support.
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