Branding Style guide
A return to tradition through beauty and truth
Colors
The Spiced Rust (#CC4A32) conveys discipline, intellect and tradition—reflecting the ink and passion of the medieval scriptorium—while the secondary Gold Umber (#9B6500) adds vitality and enlightenment, reminiscent of gilded accents in sacred texts.
Together, these tones establish a balance between reverence and creativity, grounding the brand in timeless craftsmanship and scholarly warmth.
This palette ensures that every interaction feels intentional, dignified, and inspired by the pursuit of wisdom.
Primary Brand Color—Spiced Rust
Hex:#CC4A32
Usage: Display headers, interactive accents, emblematic motifs.
Description: Spiced Rust draws inspiration from the medieval manuscript tradition, where scribes used red ink to highlight sacred text, titles, and key marginal notes.
This tone embodies intellectual passion and moral clarity—a bridge between the ink of the scriptorium and the fire of creative thought.
Accessibility
To maintain brand expression without compromising accessibility, our palette is built on a 100–900 color scale designed for systematic WCAG 2.1 AA and AAA compliance across both light and dark themes:
Primary Accent / Level 500 (#CC4A32):
Dark Mode (3.68:1 Contrast): Meets WCAG AA standards for Large Text (18pt+ or 14pt+ bold), Graphical Objects, and Interactive UI Components (exceeding the 3:1 minimum).
Light Mode (4.16:1 Contrast on Light Background): Meets WCAG AA standards for Large Text, Graphical Objects, and UI Components.
Light Accent / Level 100 (#FFC5BA):
Dark Mode (11.17:1 Contrast on #1D1D1F): Achieves WCAG AAA Compliance across all text sizes. Reserved for body text, fine print, and high-legibility elements against dark backgrounds.
Dark Accent / Primary Body Text (#370C04):
Represents the highest step on our color scale (900 level). Easily achieves WCAG AAA Compliance (exceeding the 7:1 minimum for text) on light backgrounds, serving as our high-contrast anchor for long-form copy and fine print.
By structuring our branding on a clear 100–900 depth scale—spanning from our high-contrast 100 level (11.17:1 in dark mode) to our primary brand 500 level (3.68:1 dark / 4.16:1 light) up to our darkest 900 level (15.73:1 in light mode)—the design system ensures maximum legibility for long-form content while maintaining full visual cohesion across all UI elements.
Examples
Aristotle’s Poetics
A story should be like a living body: every part has a purpose, and each part belongs to the whole. Aristotle’s unity of action means that events should connect through cause and consequence, so removing one important event would alter the story itself. A unified plot does not merely contain many events; it forms one coherent action moving toward a necessary end.
Dramatic Theory
For Egri, a story is like a seed containing the shape of the tree it will become. Every character, conflict, and event should grow from a central premise—a statement about life that the story seeks to prove. The plot develops through characters pursuing desires and colliding with opposing forces, allowing the premise to emerge through their actions rather than being simply stated.
Synthesis
A story can be understood as a living organism with a governing principle. Aristotle gives it unity: every event must belong to one causal action, as organs belong to a body. Egri gives it direction: that action should grow from a premise that the story progressively tests and proves. Together, plot becomes a chain of necessary consequences shaped by a central idea.
Sublation
A story is like a living organism whose parts develop through conflict. Aristotle gives it unity: events form one causal action. Egri gives it direction: that action grows from a premise. Sublation adds development: opposing forces collide, but their conflict produces a new condition that preserves and transforms what came before. Thus, each event both advances the plot and changes the meaning of the whole.
“True Learning Begins When imitation Becomes Creation.”
— Mimetic Order Principle
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Examples
Aristotle’s Poetics
A story should be like a living body: every part has a purpose, and each part belongs to the whole. Aristotle’s unity of action means that events should connect through cause and consequence, so removing one important event would alter the story itself. A unified plot does not merely contain many events; it forms one coherent action moving toward a necessary end.
Dramatic Theory
For Egri, a story is like a seed containing the shape of the tree it will become. Every character, conflict, and event should grow from a central premise—a statement about life that the story seeks to prove. The plot develops through characters pursuing desires and colliding with opposing forces, allowing the premise to emerge through their actions rather than being simply stated.
Synthesis
A story can be understood as a living organism with a governing principle. Aristotle gives it unity: every event must belong to one causal action, as organs belong to a body. Egri gives it direction: that action should grow from a premise that the story progressively tests and proves. Together, plot becomes a chain of necessary consequences shaped by a central idea.
Sublation
A story is like a living organism whose parts develop through conflict. Aristotle gives it unity: events form one causal action. Egri gives it direction: that action grows from a premise. Sublation adds development: opposing forces collide, but their conflict produces a new condition that preserves and transforms what came before. Thus, each event both advances the plot and changes the meaning of the whole.
“True Learning Begins When imitation Becomes Creation.”
— Mimetic Order Principle
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Accent Brand Color—Umber Gold
Hex:#9B6500
Usage: Highlights, icons, and all-to-action elements.
Description: Illumination Gold evokes the gilded details found in illuminated manuscripts — The shimmer that once caught candlelight in monastic halls.
It symbolizes enlightenment, craftsmanship, and the divine spark of creativity at the heart of learning and storytelling. As a supporting color, it adds warmth and optimism to Mimetic Order’s classical palette without overpowering the solemn tone of the primary crimson.
Accessibility
To complement our primary palette, our secondary palette is built on a 100–900 color scale designed for systematic WCAG 2.1 AA and AAA compliance across both light and dark themes:
Secondary Light Accent / Level 100 (#FFE5B4):
Dark Mode (13.71:1 Contrast on #1D1D1F): Achieves WCAG AAA Compliance across all text sizes. Used for high-visibility secondary copy, badges, and accents on dark backgrounds.
Secondary Brand Base / Level 500 (#8F5D00):
Light Mode (4.58:1 Contrast on #FFE5B4): Exceeds WCAG AA Compliance for Normal Text (4.5:1 minimum) and achieves WCAG AAA for Large Text, making it a versatile mid-tone for interactive elements, secondary buttons, and structural headings.
Secondary Darkest Accent / Level 900 (#382500):
Light Mode (11.94:1 Contrast on #FFE5B4): Achieves WCAG AAA Compliance (exceeding the 7:1 minimum for text). Functions as a high-contrast anchor for secondary body copy, detailed data visualizations, and critical UI indicators.
By pairing these secondary shades intentionally across our 100–900 scale, the design system maintains accessibility and visual harmony without sacrificing brand depth.
Examples use case 2
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A story should be like a living body: every part has a purpose, and each part belongs to the whole. Aristotle’s unity of action means that events should connect through cause and consequence, so removing one important event would alter the story itself. A unified plot does not merely contain many events; it forms one coherent action moving toward a necessary end.
Conference de Londres, by Honoré Victorin Daumier (1832)
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Examples use case 2
links
A story should be like a living body: every part has a purpose, and each part belongs to the whole. Aristotle’s unity of action means that events should connect through cause and consequence, so removing one important event would alter the story itself. A unified plot does not merely contain many events; it forms one coherent action moving toward a necessary end.
Conference de Londres, by Honoré Victorin Daumier (1832)
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Color Palette
Rust Red
Umber Gold
Background Light
Background Dark & Text
Links
Success & Failure States
Comprehension Check
What is the core moral message in The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse?
Choose one answer to see feedback.
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