Rebranding Sassy: The Visual Standards Guide

rebranding

SASSY Volume Three: The Visual Standards Guide

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this is sassy

rebranding sassy

volume 3: the visual standards guide

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rebranding

SASSY Volume Three: The Visual Standards Guide

rebranding sassy

volume 3: the visual standards guide

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this is sassy

Our mission is to create a space for every teenage girl to think, speak, and act for herself.

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In this Issue 1

This is Sassy

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Who Do People Say You Are? Polishing Diamonds For Every Reason & Every Season Bright & Bold Oh-So-Stylish Being True to Sassy The Whole Family’s Here 2

The Modern Sassy

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What Sassy Girls Do Sassy Unlimited Colophon

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THIS IS SASSY

THE BRAND’S LOGO, TYPOGRAPHY, COLOR PALETTE & OVERALL VISUAL IDENTITY 9

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WHO DO PEOPLE SAY YOU ARE? An American teen magazine aimed at young female fans of alternative and indie rock music, Sassy was a force to be reckoned with from the very beginning.

Now, nearly 30 years after the first issue was published, Sassy re-emerges as a cross-platform brand that stays true to its irreverant tone and feminist roots.

A Sassy girl doesn’t shy away from who she is, but is acutely aware of how quick the world is to judge, particularly when it comes to the physical. She chooses to counter with positivity, using her fashion and beauty choices to showcase her enviable progressiveness and quirkiness, always with aplomb.

this is sassy

Like people, brands are also subject to quick judgement based on looks. Type choice, palette, photo style, and graphic elements speak volumes before a brand even opens her mouth, as it were. Sassy also chooses to counter with positivity, making a statement on what strong girls look like, with design choices as honest and bold as her community.

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POLISHING DIAMONDS The new logo pays homage to Sassy’s fiercly feminist roots and looks forward to the future, which is very much female.

Drawn from the idea of Sassy girls being, at their core, incredibly multifaceted, the logo is inlfuenced by the visual imagery of diamonds, stained glass, and geometric shapes. The logo is made of equilateral triangles that echo the strong and steady Sassy community, but are rounded to juxtapose the strength of the shapes with traditional feminine softness. The S monogram is beautiful in spite of its brokeness, an idea that is inspired by the internal journey each Sassy girl takes in her adolesence.

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x

x

x

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FOR EVERY REASON & EVERY SEASON

icon

wordmark

wordmark

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A Sassy’s girl’s strenth lies in her adaptability. Throw her into a new environment and she will flourish, embracing change and making quick friends. Likewise, the Sassy logo is wonderfully mutable, looking as great on a business card asit does on a billboard. The key is always using the proper white space and following the size chart below.

larger than

1 inch

smaller than

1 inch

smaller than a half inch

smaller than

this is sassy

a quarter inch

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assertive aqua

PMS 2198 C RGB 55, 190, 175 CMYK 70, 0, 40, 0

BRIGHT & BOLD A Sassy girl bucks convention and forges her own way.

She doesn’t allow superficial things to define her, but would rather let her actions speak for her character.

The color palette for Sassy is lead by a strong aqua color that evokes freedom and creativity, with bright secondary colors to mirror the vibrancy that exudes from within every Sassy girl. Inspiration is taken from the colors in an oilslick (which exemplifies beauty in the most unexpected places) and in galaxies (which calls to mind the limitless nature of every Sassy girl).

The graphic elements go hand-in-hand with the color palette. Derived from the rounded triangles in the logo, the shapes are playful, yet structured. The triangle, parallelogram, and hexagon can be used alone, but work best when scattered in an orderly group.

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vibrant violet

PMS 258 C RGB 100, 95, 170 CMYK 70, 70, 0, 0

feminist pink

this is sassy

PMS 240 C RGB 195, 61, 146 CMYK 0, 69, 25, 24

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OH-SO-STYLISH Every Sassy girl has a signature piece of clothing in her closet, maybe it’s a lucky baseball cap or the perfect little black dress. It may seem standard to some, but the way a girl styles that piece is what makes her stand out.

It reveals something essential about the wearer.

Likewise, a logo is the equivalent of a brand’s signature piece. It communicates so much about a brand’s soul, mission, aspirations, and values in one compact design. And the way the logo is “styled” is paramount to how other people view the whole brand.

The Sassy logo is normally in the Sassy gradient. It may be used in all-black, or all-white. When using solid colors, it looks best in any of the three palette colors, but any other jewel tone would really suit it as well.

There is a lot of freedom and flexibility of usage for various media.

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this is sassy

the sassy gradient

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BEING TRUE TO SASSY

pointed

random

mix of

corners

color

colors

b & w mix

shadow

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faded

While Sassy’s culture encourages self-expression and deviating from norms, staying true to yourself is of much value to the brand. Therefore, when it comes to the logo, there are a few things that should not be done because it compromises the integrity of the brand’s soul.

cut - out logo

random

logo

gradient

rotated

this is sassy

stretched

partial

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THE WHOLE FAMILY’S HERE

symmetrical, yet soft museo sans

dependable, yet delightful museo slab

Museo Sans is a geometric sans serif that maintains a nice balance between mathematical symmetry and soft roundness, a characteristic that is seen in the Sassy logo as well. Its sister font, Museo Slab, carries a nice weight without taking itself too seriously. Paired together, they lend a sense of feminine youthfulness to both print and digital layouts.

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A Sassy girl doesn’t hesitate to express herself. She is frank, without alienating or offending. Keeping this balance is what attracts others to want to be around her.

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Aa Bb Cc Dd Ee Ff Gg Hh Ii Jj Kk Ll Mm Nn Oo Pp Qq Rr Ss Tt Uu Vv Ww Xx Yy Zz 0123456789 !?&@#%$

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Aa Bb Cc Dd Ee Ff Gg Hh Ii Jj Kk Ll Mm Nn Oo Pp Qq Rr Ss Tt Uu Vv Ww Xx Yy Zz 0123456789 !?&@#%$

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Aa Bb Cc Dd Ee Ff Gg Hh Ii Jj Kk Ll Mm Nn Oo Pp Qq Rr Ss Tt Uu Vv Ww Xx Yy Zz 0123456789 !?&@#%$

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“Find who you are in this world...I think that’s the most important thing in life. Find a sense of self because with that, you can do anything else.”

—Angelina Jolie

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THE MODERN SASSY

RENEWING SASSY FOR TODAY’S TEENS VIA ON-BRAND BUSINESS SOLUTIONS 27

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WHAT SASSY GIRLS DO Never underestimate a Sassy girl, because she is much more than just a pretty face.

Likewise, the true beauty of the Sassy brand is not in the typeface choice, logo design, or graphic system.

It’s in the various extensions of the brand itself; there is beauty in the possibilities, for both the Sassy brand and those who live its mission.

What follows are the numerous ventures that are available to Sassy— business segments as diverse as its target audience: from menstruation kits to mentorship programs, a feminist book series to a tinkering workshop. Because there is no limit to what a Sassy girl can achieve.

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think

(learn)

E2

D2 A1

D1 B2 F1 D4

F3

E3 B1

F2

C2

C1

F4 C3 A3

E5

B7

A2

C10

E8

B3

C5

C6

A8

E7 B4

C14 E13

A9 F8

B8

C9

B11 F6

E11 C4

C7

F7

F11 D10

F9

A11 A10

E6 B12

B5

B9

D7 D8

D12

E4

D6

C8

C11

F5

E14 A6

C13

C12

E9 D11

B6 D5

B10

D9

F10

(physically create)

the modern sassy

act

A12

E1

D13

(verbally create)

D3

A5

A7

speak

E12

E10

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NASTY

feminine health + sex ed

A1: Modern Sex Ed Program (Education)

A8: LGBTQ Alliance (Environment)

School program. Fact- and science-based.

Does not patronize or shame. Covers all contraception, STIs and LGBTQ issues.

Community center, safe space, and meeting place for LGBTQ teens and their teen allies.

Host educational, political, and social events.

A2: Mental Wellness Program (Service)

A9: Teen Sexual Assault Survivor Group (Service)

Community program that pairs teen girls with mental health professionals to educate about depression, anxiety, and the importance of mental health.

Safe space for teen victims to meet fellow survirors and give and get support from peers. Led by professional counselors.

A3: “Knowing Your Body� book set (Product)

A10: Teens against Sexual Violence (Experience)

A parent-child companion set to aid families have an open dialogue about puberty, sex, and gender issues with their teens.

Organization that informs fellow teen members about rape culture and advocates for survivors and women at risk. Political and social reform group.

A4: Healthy Relationships Workshop (Event) Series that educates teen girls about healthy relationships with friends and significant others. Deals with peer pressure, bullying, consent, etc.

A11: Sex Questions Helpline (Service) Phone hotline or text/chat service that connects teens with health professional volunteers that can provide accurate, unbiased answers.

A5: Teen Clinic (Service/Co-branding) Community clinic, possibly in partnership with Planned Parenthood, that caters to the needs of teens, including education.

A12: Parent-Teen Sex Talk Workshop (Event) Lecture and panel event that educates parents and teens and opens communication among the two, focusing on being open about sex and gender issues.

A6: Period Kits (Product) Monthly subscription box targeted at girls just beginning puberty. Contains monthly magazine, tampons/pads, snacks, Midol, hot water bottle, etc.

A7: Teen Menstruation Cup (Product)

the modern sassy

Cup fit for a teen body and marketed for girls.

Educates about the health, ecological, and financial benefits of using a cup.

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CHATTY current events + politics

B1: Women of the Week news series (Education/co-Branding)

B8: Girls Studying Abroad Program (Education/co-Branding)

Partnered with YouTube. Covers major news made by women, investigative journalism about women’s issues.

Student exchange program for high school girls that fosters leadership skills and volunteer opportunities. Partnered with Greenpeace.

B2: Politics magazine for teen girls (Product)

B9: Girls against Global Warming (Experience)

Published quarterly. Covers national, state, and local political races, candidates, legislative measures, etc.

Club/social change non-profit organization that helps coordinate girls who wish to drive environmental and social change.

B3: Girls Travel Guides (Product)

B10: Coalition for Equal Pay (Experience)

TV/video or book series that covers issues girls might face when travelling solo, internationally and domestically.

Club/social change non-profit organization that helps coordinate girls who wish to drive economic and social change.

B4: Media Internships (Service)

B11: Girls-run news company (Service)

Social network (digital and/or real) that connects teen girls with intern opportunities in print, web, and TV media outlets.

TV/web/print non-partisan news organization that is made by and for high school-aged girls.

B5: World Coalition for Girls’ Issues (Experience/co-Branding)

B12: Coalition for Equal Pay (Experience) Club/social change non-profit organization that helps coordinate girls who wish to drive economic and social change.

Partnered with UNICEF, this organization educates girls aboit issues facing their peers in developing countries (lack of education, health care, equal rights) and fosters creative ways to help.

B13: A Day in the Life of a Girl (Experience) Online blog/vlog with entries from teen girls around the world.

B6: Girls Rock the Vote (Service) Encouraging and empowering teens to be politically engaged (e.g. canvassing, registration, attend rallies).

B7: Political Internships (Service) Social network (digital and/or real) that connects teen girls with intern opportunities in local, state, and national politics

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FRILLY beauty + fashion

C1: Teen Celebrity Trends Blog (Service)

C8: The Borrowed Sweater App (Experience)

Blog which follows teen celebrity trends (of all styles and body types) and celebrates individuality and self-expression

Connects local girls with each other to let them borrow/rent/buy each other’s clothes.

Promotes eco-conscious fashion (reuse, recycling, reduce)

C2: Online retailer that features female designers (Service/co-branding)

C9: Teen Fashion by Teens (Product/co-branding)

Partnered with GILT. Introduces teen shoppers with female-led fashion companies.

Fashion contest to find the next big designer.

Partnered with American Eagle and FIDM. Different teen winner every season gets scholarship & line.

C3: Drugstore-priced eco-beauty company (Product) Makeup line that educates about non-toxic beauty options, but is within a teen girl’s limited budget.

C10: Fashion/Beauty Intern Program (Education) Mentoring program with female fashion designers in New York, LA, Paris, Milan, London, Tokyo. Business-minded training.

C4: Dress for Success (Product) Businesswear line for young women.

Non-dowdy, trendy pieces that are office appropriate. Non-profit arm donates suit to homeless women.

C11: Teen coverage of Fashion Week (Event) Teen fashion bloggers are chosen to attend and cover big fashion weeks (like NYFW) and style trends in real life on a teenager’s budget.

C5: As Seen in Homeroom Blog (Service) High school fashion blog produced by and featuring real teen girls across America.

Featuring affordable, size-inclusive styles.

C12: School dress code coalition (Experience) Feminist non-profit that educates female students and supports an egalitarian and non-sexist dress code in schools nationwide.

C6: Sewing Club (Experience) High school club that promotes the value of repairing clothes you own and creating new pieces. Sewing tutorials build life skills.

C13: Eco-fashion Annual Issue (Co-branding, product)

C7: DIY fashion & beauty guidebook & kits (Product)

Partnered with TeenVogue. Special issue on eco-friendly designers, the issues they are passionate about, and how teens can help.

C14: Body Positivity in Fashion Coffeetable Book (Product/co-branding)

Tell-all and photobook by PoC, plus-size, & models with disabilities breaking barriers in fashion. Partnered with the What’s Underneath Project.

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Craft book series that focuses on various skills (soapmaking, sewing, knitting, DIY natural makeup, etc.) and projects.

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BEASTLY fitness + sports

D1: Spotlight on Great Girl Athletes (Product)

D8: Girls Activewear Line (Product/Co-branding)

Biographical series (Book, video, article column) on female sports legends (e.g. Nadia Comaneci, Serena Williams, Billie Jean King, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, etc.)

Partnered with UnderArmour. Apparel for teen athletes (beyond cheer, gymnastics, and dance). High-quality, comfortable pieces that are as tough (and beautiful) as girl athletes.

D2: Title IX Legal Advocacy Group (Service) Educates girls about their rights, advocates for female students, supports student athelete transitions from high school to college and college to professional.

D9: Health Cooking Course (Education) Community and/or school program that teaches basic kitchen skills, simple recipes, and the benefits of eating delicious AND healthy meals.

D3: “This is what an athlete looks like” Campaign (Service/Co-branding)

D10: Girls-Only Gym (Service) Like Curves, but for teen girls. A place where girls can work out with an empowering community and without judgement.

Partnered with Instagram. Featuring professional athletes and exercise gurus of different sizes, colors, and abilities talking about body positvity.

D11: Coaching/Advice Forum (Service)

D4: “Think Healthy & Whole” Education (Event/Education)

Website and/or app that connects girl athletes with peers & coaches/mentors.

Advice on balancing school and sports, improving technical skills, local resources, empowerment, body positivity, etc.

Mental health course that teaches teens about body dysmorphia, anorexia, bulimia, orthorexia, exercise addiction, etc.

D12: Girl Sports Fans App (Product)

D5: Sports Training Camps/Clinics (Education/ Event)

App for girls that enjoy playing and watching sports. Features polls, quizzes, apparel, fantasy leagues, exclusive interviews, watch parties, etc.

Working with MLB, WNBA, NHL, NFL, and MLS to offer girls the same sports development opportunities that are offered to boys (camps, club teams, etc.)

D13: Girls Sports Media Channel (Service) Like ESPN for women. Covering professional, college, and high school-level sports events, news, and analysis.

D6: Extreme Sports Summer Camp (Event) Girls summer camp with a focus on extreme sports (white water rafting, rock climbing, surfing, BMX, skateboarding, parkour, etc.)

D7: Teen Yoga & Meditation Classes (Education) Program offered in high schools nationwide, whether as a daily course or extracurricular activity.

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GEEKY s.t.e.m. + the arts

E1: All-Girls High School (Education/Environment)

E10: STEAM Internship Program (Service) Website and/or App that connects girls with pro-girl STEAM companies offering internship opportunities.

Secular charter school. College-prep academy that focuses on building female leaders of tomorrow, today.

E11: Art Gallery (Environment/Co-branding) Partnered with SFMOMA. Featuring young female artists (visual and performance art).

E2: Diversity in STEAM Campaign (Service) Ad campaign for boys as much as girls that addresses gender and race bias in STEAM fields and how to combat that.

E12: Poetry Slam (Event/Service) An annual national event featuring girl spoken word artists; local chapters meet throughout the year.

E3: Money Management Course (Education) School course that teaches girls about saving, credit, loans, and budgeting.

E13: Literary ‘Zine/Blog (Product/Experience) Teen girl-run ‘zine: writers, editors, designers, readers. Writers collaborate with peer illustrators.

E4: Scholarship Program (Service) Scholarship for college-bound girls who exemplify how they are breaking the status quo in their communities.

E14: Girl Cafe (Environment) Teen girl-run cafe (chefs, baristas, managers).

Teaches girls about culinary arts, business, customer service.

E5: Science Kits for Teen Girls (Product) Like Goldiblocks, but for teens. Robotics, engineering, chemistry, and coding kits that engage and excite.

E6: Girls Film Festival (Event) Indie film fest for teen girl filmmakers.

Connects girls with professional women in the field as well.

E7: “Science Sisters” Fair (Event/co-branding) Sponsored by UCLA. Weekend event: Science fair competition (indivdual & team), lectures, labs, socials.

E8: Coding Club (Service) the modern sassy

Nationwide extracurricular with local chapters. Girls learn to code, attend competitions and conventions.

E9: Tinkering Workshop (Environment) Community center for girls to DIY and invent. Classes in welding, circuitry, book arts, carpentry, etc.

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BOSSY feminism + leadership

F1: Modern Feminism Theory Book Series (Product)

F9: Girls’s Rights Advocacy Group (Service/Co-branding)

Teaching the history and theories of feminism to young people (includes intersectionality)

Partnered with UNICEF & Equal Futures. Girls speaking for themselves and girls around the world. Lobbying for feminist legislature.

F2: Bio Series of Women Leaders (Product)

F10: Girls Debate League (Service)

TV series/films/books featuring influential female gamechangers (Hedy Lamarr, Ching Shih, Policarpa Salavarrieta, etc.)

Club focuses on policy, parliamentary, and public forum debate and prepares girls to be civically engaged locally and nationally.

F3: “Raising Strong Girls” Class (Education)

F11: “Calling out Sexism” Coalition (Service)

A class for parents of girls. Topics covered include: Bullying, self-esteem, modelling behavior, emotional intelligence.

A non-partisan, activist organization that encourages girls to call out sexism in media and real life.

F4: “Girls Read Girls” Book Club (Service/Product) A young female book club with titles by women that tackle women’s issues in both fiction and non-fiction.

F5: TEDxGirls (Event/Co-branding) TEDx lecture event with girl speakers (authors, activists, inventors, artists, athletes), planners, and attendees.

F6: Leadership/Empowerment Camp (Event) Summer camp that fosters confidence, communication, and relationship skill building in girls.

F7: Big Sis/Li’l Sis HS Program (Service) High school program that pairs HS freshmen with HS juniors that act as mentors.

F8: Parent-Daughter Workshop (Event) Safe space for parents and teen girls to communicate in a positive way, strengthening relationships.

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“Instead of looking at the past, I put myself ahead twenty years and try to look at what I need to do now in order to get there then.”

this is sassy

—Angelina Jolie

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SASSY UNLIMITED So many fans of Sassy magazine from the late ‘80s and ‘90s were forever changed by its original iteration, and mourned the publishing of its last issue . They believed it was the end of an era. And it was. Until now.

A great amount of research, brainstorming, synthesizing, designing, and revising has led to this moment: the re-launch of Sassy. Many things have changed, from a sleek new visual system to farreaching business ventures, but the important things remain the same.

Sassy will continue to be a bastion of fierce feminism.

It will provide a community of support, a place where strong, smart, beautiful girls can feel empowered and can empower others. Sassy will always believe in the right of every girl to think, speak, and act for herself.

the modern sassy

The future is Sassy and we just can’t wait.

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COLOPHON Š 2016 Jazmine Diaz jazmine.diaz@gmail.com www.jazminediaz.com This book is a non-commercial project for educational purposes and is not intended to represent the Sassy brand.

Academy of Art University Nature of Identity professor Hunter Wimmer design Jazmine Diaz photography Dmitry Shakhov, Caroline Wild, Habib Saleh, Isabella Bubola, Natan Salinas, Skip Luffy, Archie Pelo, Deirdre Malfatto, C. Gee, Tristan Guy, Erik Gross school course

All rights are reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording, photocopying or otherwise, without prior permission of Jazmine Diaz.