# Brand Spec — Mike & Matty / Increator Company

**Version:** 1.0
**Purpose:** Machine-readable brand spec for Perplexity (and any other AI assistants) to reference when designing for Jesse. Load this file before any visual work.

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## 1. Brand architecture

- **Two channels, one brand DNA.**
  - `Increator Company` (ICC) — light mode. Handle: `@increatorcompany`.
  - `Mike & Matty` (M&M) — dark mode. Handle: `@mikeandmatty`.
- Same palette, same type system, same voice. Only the surface/canvas flips.

## 2. Voice & tone

- Editorial, contrarian, calm.
- Explain the *why* behind the work.
- Short sentences. A comma means a beat.
- Never hype, never clickbait, never marketing-speak.
- One word of emphasis per headline, never two.

## 3. Color system

### Tier 1 — Foundation (use 90% of the time)

| Name       | Hex       | Role                                                  |
|------------|-----------|-------------------------------------------------------|
| Buttermilk | `#FAFAF3` | ICC canvas / light mode background                    |
| Pepper     | `#211F20` | M&M canvas / dark mode background                     |
| Emerald    | `#1E4C48` | Signature brand accent. Used as glow in motion.       |

### Tier 2 — Secondary (max 2 at a time)

| Name      | Hex       |
|-----------|-----------|
| Carnelian | `#B74A00` |
| Walnut    | `#A66F00` |
| Forest    | `#7A7F2A` |
| Indigo    | `#2A2F74` |
| Plum      | `#691C4A` |
| Brick     | `#8F2F2F` |
| Ash       | `#797875` |

### Tier 3 — Accents & Data Viz

| Name        | Hex       |
|-------------|-----------|
| Clementine  | `#FFA70B` |
| Honey       | `#FAC53A` ← italic emphasis color (dark mode) |
| Chartreuse  | `#DBD623` |
| Jade        | `#08998E` |
| Blueberry   | `#3976E2` |
| Dragonfruit | `#D854EF` |
| Strawberry  | `#F73E3E` |
| Smoke       | `#B1AFAA` |
| Peach       | `#FFCA6D` |
| Butter      | `#FFDE80` |
| Lime        | `#E9E67B` |
| Mint        | `#81D3C6` |
| Periwinkle  | `#7B81FF` |
| Lilac       | `#E898F5` |
| Rose        | `#FF8F8F` |
| Stone       | `#DBD6D2` |

### Emphasis color by mode

- **Dark mode (M&M):** italic emphasis = `#FAC53A` Honey.
- **Light mode (ICC):** italic emphasis = `#B74A00` Carnelian.

## 4. Typography

- **Display / Emphasis:** Larken (Adobe Fonts). **Italic cuts only** — Jesse uses Larken exclusively for italicized emphasis words. Never set Larken upright in production.
  - Web fallback: Fraunces (Google Fonts). Similar personality, free.
- **Body / UI / Structure / Headlines:** TWK Lausanne (Spotter Studio). The default for ALL upright type — body, UI, AND headlines.
  - Default headline weight: **Lausanne 550**. Library has 250i / 550 / 700i / 800 — 550 is the upright workhorse covering 400–600 visual range.
  - Web fallback: Inter (Google Fonts).

### Headline formula

> Lausanne 550 upright + *one Larken italic word* for emphasis.
> Example: `but what most people think is *learning*`

Reserved use of Larken italic: single words or short phrases for emphasis. For titles in editorial/magazine vibe, mix Lausanne uprights with one Larken italic to feel custom and elegant.

Never emphasize more than one word. Never emphasize the subject. Never set headlines entirely in Larken upright.

## 4b. Canvases — paper gradients (content-type mapping)

Beyond solid Pepper / Buttermilk canvases, four paper-textured gradient "papers" are available for hero artwork, deck title slides, and PDF covers. They map to content type:

| Gradient | Hex range | Use for |
|---|---|---|
| Emerald   | deep green paper      | ICC default, strategy, frameworks |
| Navy      | deep navy-teal paper  | Research, deep-dive, analysis |
| Maroon    | warm wine paper       | Editorial, story, opinion |
| Orange    | warm rust paper       | Lifestyle, warm/personal content |

All four live in the Brand Hub under Canvases. Use one gradient per artifact — never collage them.

## 5. Motion graphics — two styles

### Style A — Sketched Luminescence
For hero moments, opens, emotional beats.
- Pencil-shaded hand-drawn illustrations
- Deep navy-teal gradient background (`#1A2235` → `#0C1320`)
- Single source of light (one warm amber or one cool cyan) per frame
- Film grain overlay, not vector-crisp
- Caption: white Lausanne 500 + Honey Larken italic emphasis word

### Style B — Clean Vox UI
For data, process, structured explanations.
- Minimalist line graphics, 2px stroke
- Emerald (`#1E4C48` → `#2FA89A`) lines with soft glow (blur 12px, 50% opacity)
- Radial-vignette background on dark near-black (`#1C2F2C` center → `#0B0D0D` edges)
- Nodes: 10–12px circles, white halo, emerald core
- Labels: Lausanne 500 in white or Stone

### Universal motion rules
- ONE source of light per frame. Never multiple glow colors simultaneously.
- ONE emphasized word per frame.
- Export at 4K (3840×2160) for YouTube.
- Backgrounds always have grain or vignette — never flat.

## 6. Thumbnails

### The formula
`1 subject + 1 emphasis word + 1 light source`

### Rules
- 3–4 words max. If it doesn't fit in 4 words, cut words.
- Text placement: left third or right third (not center unless subject is centered)
- Emphasis word: Larken Italic, Honey `#FAC53A`
- Non-emphasis text: Lausanne 500, Buttermilk `#FAFAF3`
- Tight crop on subject. Negative space is strength, not weakness.

### Do NOT
- All-caps shouting (`YOU WON'T BELIEVE`)
- Multiple accent colors in one thumbnail
- Stroke outlines on text
- Full sentences
- Envato-style AE templates

## 7. Logo usage — three-tier system

The identity is a hierarchy. Pick the tier that matches the surface.

### Tier 1 — Wordmark (default)
The ICC "In Creator Co." / "Mike & Matty" wordmark SVG. Available in horizontal and stacked layouts, four colorways: black, pepper, buttermilk, white.

**Use for:** ICC-branded surfaces, decks, PDFs, web headers, slide footers, motion lower-thirds, anything formal or editorial.

### Tier 2 — Illustrated sticker mark
The Mike & Matty illustrated duo sticker (drawn portrait style).

**Use ONLY for:** YouTube channel avatar, channel-card pills, podcast tile, sticker print runs. Never use in editorial layouts, decks, PDFs, or as a hero mark.

### Tier 3 — Plain Lausanne text
"mike & matty" or "increator company" set as plain Lausanne 550 lowercase text.

**Use for:** Email footers, captions, minimal contexts, video lower-thirds where the wordmark would be too heavy. Typographic-only, no graphic mark.

### Clearspace
Equal to the cap-height of the "M" in "MIKE" (or "I" in "In Creator").

### Do
- Monochrome is always safe
- On busy photography, add a soft gradient scrim behind the mark
- Minimum size: 24px tall (digital), 0.25 inch (print)
- Choose tier by surface, not by mood

### Don't
- Distort, skew, stretch
- Recolor to non-brand colors
- Add shadows, glows, strokes, or effects
- Rearrange elements
- Substitute the typeface
- Use the illustrated sticker outside YouTube avatar / sticker contexts

## 8. Typography for applications

### PowerPoint / Slide decks
- Title: Larken Italic (or Fraunces Italic) at 44–56pt, emphasis word in Honey
- Body: Lausanne (or Inter) 500 at 18–22pt, Buttermilk on Pepper
- One idea per slide. Slide number eyebrow in Stone `#DBD6D2`, 11pt letterspaced.

### Infographics / Diagrams / Flowcharts
- Use Style B (Clean Vox UI)
- Strokes: 2px Emerald with glow
- Labels: Lausanne 500 in white
- Background: radial vignette dark or Buttermilk for light mode

### Carousels (Instagram / LinkedIn)
- 1:1 or 4:5
- Style B rules apply
- Hook slide: single sentence, italic emphasis, centered
- Final slide: call-to-action with logo

### Landing page graphics
- Use Style A for hero illustrations
- Use Style B for data / feature visualizations
- Always film grain on dark mode, never on light mode

### YouTube motion graphics
- Always export 4K 3840×2160
- If animated via HTML, screen-record at 4K
- Use Style A for openers, Style B for explainers
- Captions overlaid bottom-left or bottom-center, never top

## 8b. Photography — the canonical brand asset

Mike and Matty in their library (or studio) IS the brand. Every shoot is in one of two rooms.

### Library (primary room)
Warm-wood floor-to-ceiling shelves. Paperbacks edge-on. Vintage hi-fi speakers, vinyl, plants, ceramic vases. Silver YouTube plaque on display. Chalk-marked stone table with candy-button magnets. Tungsten warm side-light + teal-black shadows.

### Studio (secondary room)
Plywood walls. Persian rug. Big diffuser globe overhead. Slatted shelving. Hanging vintage workwear. Vintage tripod with film camera as set dressing.

### Wardrobe codes
- **Mike:** Olive corduroy sherpa, emerald velour track jacket (the "brand color worn on body" hero piece), dark canvas chore jacket
- **Matty:** Vintage denim chore jacket (the "plastic bachelor" patch piece), charcoal canvas chore
- All earth tones. No brights, no logos beyond their own pieces.

### Cinematography
- Tungsten warm key + cool fill — the signature mood
- Tight crops on faces for thumbnails; wide environment shots for hero/landing
- Never flat front-lighting, never on-camera flash, never neutral white walls

### Use rules
- Default photo source for any deliverable: Brand Hub `/photography` library
- Cinematic photo full-bleed is its own thumbnail recipe (Recipe B) — the photo IS the design
- Don't crop out the room — the room is the brand

## 9. Non-negotiables (bright lines)

1. **One emphasis word per headline/frame. Always.**
2. **One source of light per motion frame.**
3. **Dark mode = Pepper `#211F20`. Light mode = Buttermilk `#FAFAF3`. Never gray, never pure white/black.**
4. **Larken for emphasis, Lausanne for structure. Never reverse.**
5. **Emerald `#1E4C48` is the only accent for UI and motion graphics. Others are for data viz.**

## 10. When in doubt

Default to:
- Dark mode (M&M)
- Pepper background
- Lausanne 500 white text
- One Honey Larken italic emphasis word
- Emerald single-line accent if any graphic is needed
- Generous whitespace

This will land on-brand 90% of the time.