The Sage brand archetype

Visual identity

Key visual: One thoughtful image or clean diagram with generous white space.

Super graphic: A visible editorial grid or geometric frame.

Colour palette

• Primary: Navy #1B2A41
• Secondary: Slate #5B6670
• Canvas: Off-White #F7F5F0
• Support: Deep Green #2F4F3E
• Accent: Ochre #C8963E

Typography

Display: Libre Baskerville. Body: IBM Plex Sans.

Shapes and motifs

• Square
• Rule
• Lens
• Frame
• Book
• Grid

Textures

• Paper grain
• Fine lines
• Minimal noise
• Graph paper

Motion

Calm, minimal and purposeful.

Do: Use structure and meaningful whitespace. Don't: Decorate without a reason.

Verbal identity

Desire: Truth and understanding. Fear: Being misled or ignorant. Promise: We'll help you understand.

Adjectives

wise, insightful, credible, thoughtful, analytical, articulate, trustworthy

Voice

Clear, evidence-based and calm. Authority without theatrics.

Say

• research shows
• here's why
• the evidence

Never say

• trust me bro
• game-changer!!!
• everyone knows

Word bank

insight, understand, evidence, clarity, framework, explained, deep dive, principle, lesson, perspective

Taglines

• Think deeper.
• Clarity is a superpower.
• Know the why.

Hooks

• Most people get this wrong — here's why
• The 5-minute explainer you actually needed
• Data says the opposite

Post ideas

• Explainer carousels
• Myth vs fact
• Term of the day
• Research breakdowns
• Report summaries

Humour

Dry, precise, nerdy wit

We read the 90-page report so you don't have to. Footnotes included.

Real world example: Google

A mission to organise information and a neutral interface make it the default source of knowing.

Do: Cite sources and simplify the complex. Don't: Hype, exaggerate or talk down.