Brand Guide

What is a brand? A brand is more than a logo. It’s an expression of everything we do and stand for in SMSD, and there are many different visual and verbal elements involved.

Stafford Municipal School District is The Best Little School District in Texas, and #StaffordNation is a bustling community that opens new pathways in K-12 learning. This brand book offers guidance for the journey ahead.

These components work together to showcase the distinct and dynamic learning experience happening throughout our campuses. Our goal is to inspire all young people to believe in themselves, develop a sense of belonging and become champions of their own lives and their communities. By consistently applying approved brand standards to communications of all kinds, SMSD continues to build a strong foundation for future growth and opportunity, and we want our families, staff and community to be proud of all that we provide.

For more information on this brand guide, including questions, approval or additional access, please contact SMSD Communications & Marketing Coordinator Gracie Martinez at gmartinez@staffordmsd.org or 281-261-9287. We are confident these guidelines will represent our brand with fresh boldness, consistency and clarity to everyone we encounter and make #StaffordNation an unforgettable experience.

“Here at SMSD we are expanding the boundaries of discovery with every student gaining the skills for college or career, and life. Learning is enhanced through technology using simulated real-world experiences in our small, but mighty municipal community. It’s our job to prepare each student to become a critical thinker and an ethical, productive citizen.”

Dr. Robert Bostic
Superintendent of Schools

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Logo  |  Campuses & Programs  |  Messaging  |  Typography  |  Color Palette  |  Accessibility  |  Brand Elements  |  Photography 

Logo

The SMSD logo is an important starting point for establishing a unified brand identity for our campuses and district. The updated spartan figure incorporates elements of previous spartan logos. With a nod to the past and our beloved traditions, it also propels SMSD into the future with a single simplified, modern and recognizable design. The capitalized letters now used in the district name are prominent and provide a collegiate look and feel. The font style also suggests bold new beginnings along with a sense of stability and purpose.

Campuses & Programs

All Logos

Approved logos for SMSD campuses and our programs are shown here.

Messaging

Typography

Typography refers to the fonts we use every day in communications of all kinds, from printed materials to video titles and signage.

The brand identity system for SMSD includes these fonts and font families. Used consistently for body copy and headlines, they help create an inviting and energetic visual presence for our school.

Color Palette

A vibrant, carefully coordinated color palette brings to life the brand identity system for SMSD. During the brand refresh, we expanded our SMSD color palette and refined it to incorporate a broader range of bright to deep reds with accents of golds, tan and white. The primary colors in the SMSD color palette are still bright red and gold and should be used as the main colors on brand materials whenever possible. This helps to have that ease of use and flexibility when creating materials for the campuses or for the district. And it’s another way of unifying the campuses in the district and achieving a more consistent visual expression of our brand identity.

Accessibility

To create an accessible digital presence in accordance with Americans With Disability Act (ADA) guidance, color combinations should be limited to those listed here. Printed documents also should follow these standards. These combinations apply to all text, including presentations, infographics, charts, tables and text on top of images. The goal is keeping text accessible to individuals with visual impairments by meeting contrast minimums between the size and color of the text and the background.

The guidelines shown here are just a starting point to understanding accessibility. For more information on accessibility, consult Yale University and the Web Accessibility Initiative.

Brand Elements

The updated brand identity system for SMSD includes shapes and patterns that incorporate more energy, color and visual interest in our communications. As part of our identity, brand elements add texture, color and visual interest to designs. Often used as backgrounds and color fills, they work with other visual assets to create striking new combinations. These patterns provide greater flexibility within designs and complement the photos, typography and colors that build our brand.

Photography

Photography plays a significant role in communications for SMSD. To visually convey the SMSD experience, the photographic approach blends candid and posed photos. The priority is focusing on students in their school environments and evoking emotion. As much as possible, and rather than sourcing stock images, use photos of real people from SMSD. Make sure you have permission and their photos are not restricted.

In addition, use photos in full color, either with their natural backgrounds or with a duotone effect. For our SMSD brand, there are various duotones to choose from within the color palette and we have also created a duotone template with combinations of the color. The duotone effect is a subtle yet effective design style, and can be used to spruce up an otherwise dull image. The sample combinations shown here illustrate this effect.