Brand Identity System

Logo 

Purpose and Story behind the SolidCAD logo 

At SolidCAD, we believe in the transformative power of technology, and as we evolve, so does our identity. We are excited to share the story behind our recent rebranding, and the thoughtful journey that reflects our commitment to innovation, continuous improvement and client-centric consulting that extends past our software solutions and into a world where we help people and organizations digitally transform.

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LOGO ICON >> FAVICON THE ART OF DETAIL THE SWIRLING EFFECT A VISUAL NARRATIVE
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Easy, Effortless, and Efficient

The logo encapsulates the essence of ease. Its dynamic movement signifies that accessing SolidCAD is as effortless as the solutions we provide. This visual representation reinforces our commitment to making technology and consulting accessible, seamless, and consistently evolving to meet the ever-changing needs of our clients. 

Access the logo here
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Farewell to the Icon: Paving the Way for the Future

In our pursuit of excellence, we have decided to part ways with our iconic diamond symbol. While diamonds are synonymous with brilliance, everlasting and “solid” we felt it no longer aligned with the progressive direction SolidCAD is heading. After a thorough competitive analysis, leading consulting firms are embracing a modern, minimalist aesthetic, moving away from intricate icons. This shift inspired us to redefine our visual identity for a more contemporary and forward-looking presence that aligns ourselves with the current industry.

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Slits in "S" and "C" for Transparency and Impact

A keen observer will notice the deliberate slits in our "S" and "C." These are not just aesthetic elements; they serve a purpose. These openings allow our brand colors to shine through, creating an eye-catching effect. The slits embody our commitment to transparency, innovation, and standing out in a crowded landscape. These openings visually represent our commitment to openness in all interactions both with our clients and our people.

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A Dynamic Pledge to Teamwork

If you observe closely the SC doesn't sit statically; instead, it creates a mesmerizing swirling effect. This deliberate design choice is a pledge to teamwork and symbolizes movement, representing the dynamic and ever-evolving nature of our collaboration. It communicates that working with SolidCAD is not merely a transaction, but a dynamic journey propelled by collective effort.

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Continuity

The swirling effect is more than just a design element; it's a visual narrative. It embodies the effortless flow of ideas, solutions, and communication when engaging with SolidCAD. As the SC moves, it echoes the continuous efforts we put into ensuring that every interaction with us is smooth, efficient, and leaves a lasting positive impact.

Scale

When scaling the SolidCAD logo, it's imperative to adhere to our brand guidelines to maintain its integrity and recognition across all platforms. Here are key points to remember:

Proportional Scaling: Always ensure the logo is scaled proportionally, maintaining its original aspect ratio (16:9). Altering its shape by stretching could negatively impact brand perception.
Minimum Size: We've established a minimum size for our logo of 1 inch to guarantee its legibility and effectiveness, regardless of the application. This guideline is crucial for maintaining brand consistency and visibility.
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Clear Space: The logo must be surrounded by a designated clear space, free from any other elements. This space, defined in our brand guidelines, ensures the logo’s prominence and readability.
Versatility in Scaling: Our logo is designed to be versatile, looking equally impressive on small items like business cards and large formats like billboards. To achieve this, we provide different logo versions suited for various sizes and contexts.
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Logo Usage Guidance

  1. Dark Logo on White Background:
  • Application: The dark version of the SolidCAD logo is designed for use on light or white backgrounds to ensure maximum visibility and contrast. This version should be your default choice for most standard applications where the background is light, ensuring the logo stands out clearly and maintains its integrity.
  • Clear Space: Maintain adequate clear space around the logo, equivalent to at least the height of the letter 'S' in SolidCAD, to ensure the logo’s visibility and impact are not compromised.
  • Minimum Size: The minimum size for the dark logo on a white background should not be less than 1 inch in width for printed materials or 72 pixels for digital applications, to preserve legibility.
  1. White Logo on Dark Background:
  • Application: The white version of the SolidCAD logo is optimized for use on dark or coloured backgrounds. This ensures the logo remains prominent and legible against darker hues, providing a stark contrast that captures attention while maintaining brand consistency.
  • Clear Space: Like the dark logo, ensure a minimum clear space equivalent to the height of the letter 'S' in SolidCAD around the logo. This space is crucial to keep the logo distinct and separate from other design elements.
  • Minimum Size: For the white logo on dark backgrounds, adhere to the same size guidelines as the dark logo version—no less than 1 inch in width for print or 72 pixels for digital displays, to ensure the logo's details are discernible.

 

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Full Logo

  • Employ the full logo in contexts where our brand needs to be recognized and understood, such as in corporate communications, official presentations, marketing materials, on our website, and in physical signage. It’s crucial for spaces where the impact and details of our logo are visible and can be fully appreciated.

  • The full logo symbolizes our complete brand identity and should be used when there's enough space to maintain its integrity and legibility.

Access the logo here

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Favicon

  • The favicon, a smaller icon version of our logo, is designed for digital spaces where size is limited, including browser tabs, bookmark bars, and mobile apps. It’s a tool to help users quickly identify our brand in a sea of tabs and bookmarks.


  • Use the favicon to maintain a visual presence in the digital environment, ensuring our brand is easily recognizable even in the smallest of spaces.​
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Important Notes

  • Platform Appropriateness: Always choose the logotype that suits the platform you're working with. The full logo is for broader brand communication, while the favicon excels in digital navigation.

  • Visibility and Legibility: Ensure the logo you use is appropriate for the size and visibility of the space. The details of the full logo must be clear; if space is too constrained, opt for the favicon.

  • Consistency is Key: Whether using the full logo or the favicon, ensure it aligns with our brand’s style and colour scheme. Consistency across all touchpoints reinforces our brand identity.

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Brand Colours

SolidCAD is your partner for technology consulting and thought leadership. We help our clients "Design, Collaborate, Make, and Manage," while driving digital transformation across various Industries. What sets us apart is our unparalleled expertise and diverse and dedicated talent with a client-centric approach. Our identity is defined by our commitment to collaborative teamwork with our clients and our people, representing a history of proven success.

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- symbolizes compromise, neutrality, control, and practicality.

The psychology of the colour:​

When combined with other colours, gray can be used across any industry. It’s mostly popular among financial or technology businesses, however, or any brands wishing to convey maturity, professionalism, and respectability.​

 - symbolizes security, trust, loyalty, and responsibility​.​

The psychology of the colour:​

Blue has a calming and tranquil effect on our psyche. It's a non-threatening and predictable colour, thus making us feel safe. Because blue conveys trust, honesty, and dependability, it helps to build customer loyalty. It is not only encourages feelings of peace and relaxation, but also inspires honesty, and wisdom.

 - symbolizes emotion, youth, optimism, and enthusiasm.​

The psychology of the colour:​

Orange encourages extroversion as well as appetite. It’s full of vitality and helps to bring our physical and mental energies into balance. Because it increases our courage, orange also encourages us to take necessary action.

Typography

With the launch of our new brand identity and website makeover, SolidCAD is embracing a fresh look, complete with a new brand image and font. We've chosen Avenir Pro LT as our go-to font, a choice inspired by its name, "Avenir" – the French word for "future". This font beautifully captures the spirit of the geometric sans-serif styles born in the 1920s, marrying the charm of the past with our vision for the future.

Avenir Pro LT has earned its stripes as a favourite among many leading corporations for its blend of style and functionality. Its clarity and ease of reading make it perfect for everything from bold headers to detailed body text, allowing us to communicate clearly and effectively.

To ensure our brand speaks in one voice, we're asking all SolidCAD team members to use Avenir Pro LT in all our internal and customer-facing materials. And, to make things as smooth as possible, we've made sure Avenir Pro LT is fully compatible with all MS Office products. This means whether you're drafting a document or crafting a presentation, incorporating our brand font will be a breeze. This step is more than just about consistency; it's about proudly showcasing who we are and where we're headed, with every word we write.

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Avenir LT Pro could be used in white on the SolidCAD blue. The font
should be a minimum of 12 points to ensure legibility.

Avenir LT Pro can be used in callouts. A colour choice may include the SolidCAD blue.
The font should be a minimum size of 12.  May be italicized.

Brand Tone of Voice

SolidCAD's brand voice is a harmonious blend of confidence, clarity, and approachability. We speak with the assurance of experts in our field, sharing insights and knowledge without coming across as overly technical or pretentious. We aim to empower our audience with information and solutions, making complex concepts understandable and relatable.

While we maintain a professional demeanour, we infuse a touch of business casual into our communication. This ensures that our message resonates with a wide range of individuals, from decision-makers to those on the frontlines of their industries. Our tone is friendly and welcoming, inviting conversations and interactions that feel genuine and natural.​

Transparency, accountability, and trust are the cornerstones of our brand voice. We're open about our processes, offerings, and goals, fostering an environment of honesty and integrity. These values reflect not only our commitment to excellence but also our Canadian heritage and local insight.​

Collaboration is a key aspect of our communication style. We approach interactions as partnerships, focusing on guiding our clients toward success. Our brand voice reflects our enthusiasm for working as a team, demonstrating that we're genuinely invested in helping our clients and each other achieve their goals.​

Ultimately, our brand voice aims to strike a balance between expertise and approachability, professionalism and warmth. We are a trusted companion in our clients' journeys, guiding them with clarity, confidence, and a touch of friendly authenticity.​

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Do's

  1. Speak with Confidence and Clarity: Always communicate with the authority and assurance of industry experts. Ensure your messages are clear, offering insights and solutions without overwhelming your audience with jargon.
  2. Be Approachable and Friendly: Adopt a tone that's welcoming and easy to relate to, making your audience feel comfortable engaging in conversations and asking questions.
  3. Make Complex Concepts Accessible: Aim to demystify technical subjects, presenting information in a way that's understandable and relevant to all audience levels, from executives to technical staff.
  4. Maintain Professionalism with a Casual Touch: While keeping communications professional, infuse a sense of business casual to make your content more relatable and engaging.
  5. Emphasize Transparency and Trust: Be open about your processes and offerings, building an atmosphere of honesty and integrity that mirrors our commitment to excellence and reflects our Canadian roots and local understanding.
  6. Foster Collaboration: Present yourself as a partner to your audience, emphasizing teamwork and a shared goal of achieving success together.
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Dont's

  1. Avoid Overly Technical Language: Do not alienate your audience with complex terminology or industry-specific jargon that might be difficult to understand without prior knowledge.
  2. Don't Be Pretentious: Steer clear of coming across as arrogant or superior. Our goal is to empower, not to overshadow or intimidate our audience.
  3. Never Compromise on Professionalism: Even when adopting a more casual tone, ensure that your communication remains respectful and professional, suitable for a business environment.
  4. Don't Underestimate the Value of Simplicity: Avoid overcomplicating messages. Simplicity in communication often leads to better understanding and engagement.
  5. Avoid Opaqueness: Transparency is key in all communications. Refrain from withholding information that contributes to building trust and credibility with your audience.
  6. Don't Forget About Empathy: Always communicate with consideration for your audience's perspective, challenges, and needs. Avoid being detached or impersonal in your interactions.