- Brand Foundations
- Purpose
- The problem it solves
- What success looks like
- Long-term intent
- What East Village Hub is (and is not)
- What it is
- What it isn’t
- Relationship to ‘News’
- Relationship to authority
- Brand personality & tone of voice
- Personality sliders
- Voice principles
- Humour
- Authority
- One internal rule
- Typography System
- Principle
- Typefaces
- Primary
- Secondary
- Spacing and rhythm
- Colour system
- Philosophy
- Base colours
- Ink colours
- Signal colour
- Interaction colour
- Ratios
- Logo system
- Logo definition
- Primary logo
- Approved variants
- Compact logo
- Padding (inside block)
- Clear space (outside block)
- Placement
- Layout and Spacial System
- Principle
- Grid
- Vertical spacing scale
- Cards
- Dividers
- Navigation
- Mobile
- Content principles
- Writing
- Structure
- Updates
- Imagery and visual language
- Role of imagery
- Rules
- Component behaviour
- Accessibility and longevity
- Governance
- Change discipline
- The kill rule
- The final test
Brand Foundations
Purpose
East Village Hub exists to make living in East Village easier, clearer, and less opaque.
It brings together information that is otherwise scattered across private messages, noticeboards, social posts, and half-remembered conversations - and presents it in a way that’s practical, readable, and easy to return to.
The problem it solves
Local knowledge is:
- fragmented
- repeatedly re-explained
- often locked inside small groups
- hard to verify after the fact
East Village Hub turns that informal knowledge into a shared, evolving reference.
What success looks like
Success is not traffic or reach.
Success looks like:
- people checking EVH before asking WhatsApp
- links being quietly shared
- residents trusting it instinctively
- information being updated, corrected, and improved over time
Long-term intent
East Village Hub is designed to be:
- long-lived
- steadily maintained
- independent of platforms
- recognisable even when stripped back
It should feel like something that accumulates value rather than chases attention.
What East Village Hub is (and is not)
What it is
East Village Hub is:
- resident-run
- editorially opinionated
- practically useful
- informal but rigorous
- written by someone who lives here
- designed to be returned to
It behaves like a well-edited reference rather than a feed.
What it isn’t
East Village Hub is not:
- a magazine
- a news outlet
- a blog
- a marketing platform
- a social network
- a noticeboard free-for-all
- an official mouthpiece
If it starts to resemble any of these, something has drifted.
Relationship to ‘News’
EVH does not chase news.
It documents changes only when they affect residents and when there is something useful to say. Updates are contextual, dated, and open to revision.
Accuracy matters more than speed.
Relationship to authority
EVH is confident without pretending to represent everyone.
It earns trust through clarity, specificity, and consistency - not position or formality.
When something is uncertain, it says so.
Brand personality & tone of voice
Personality sliders
East Village Hub sits here:
- Serious ◼︎◼︎◼︎◼︎◻︎ Playful
- Practical ◼︎◼︎◼︎◼︎◻︎ Expressive
- Opinionated ◼︎◼︎◼︎◻︎◻︎ Neutral
- Warm ◼︎◼︎◼︎◻︎◻︎ Friendly
- Polished ◼︎◼︎◼︎◼︎◻︎ Casual
Dry humour is present but never performs.
Voice principles
The voice should feel:
- informed
- calm
- slightly wry
- unforced
- human
Writing assumes shared context and lived experience.
Humour
Humour is:
- dry
- observational
- occasional
It comes from phrasing, not jokes.
If it draws attention to itself, it’s wrong.
Authority
Authority comes from:
- clarity
- dates
- references
- restraint
- visible updates
Never from grand statements or official-sounding language.
One internal rule
Write like someone who lives here and wants to be useful - not like someone building an audience.
Typography System
Principle
Typography is the primary expression of the brand.
If everything else is removed, black text on white should still feel unmistakably East Village Hub.
Typefaces
Primary
Helvetica Now Display
Used for:
- logo
- headlines
- navigation
- labels
- emphasis
Weights:
- Black (primary)
- Bold
- Medium
ALL CAPS preferred for headings and navigation.
Secondary
Inter
Used for:
- body copy
- long reads
- metadata
- supporting UI
Weights:
- Regular
- Medium
Inter supports. Helvetica leads.
Spacing and rhythm
- Headlines: tight but readable
- Body copy: generous line height
- No decorative typography
- No novelty styling
If typography feels playful, it’s wrong.
Colour system
Philosophy
Colour is punctuation, not atmosphere.
It highlights, interrupts, and orients. It does not decorate.
Base colours
- White -
#FFFFFF - Off-white -
#F7F7F5
These dominate the page.
Ink colours
- Black -
#000000(headlines, logo) - Near-black -
#1A1A1A(body copy) - Grey -
#6E6E6E(metadata)
Contrast is non-negotiable.
Signal colour
Acid Lime - #C7F000
Used sparingly for:
- logo block variants
- dividers
- highlights
- key indicators
Never used for body text or decoration.
Interaction colour
Blue - #2F5BFF
Used only for:
- links
- hover states
- active UI
Never used as brand colour.
Ratios
- 80–85% base
- 10–15% ink
- 2–5% signal
If the page feels colourful, it’s wrong.
Logo system
Logo definition
The logo is a typographic wordmark set in Helvetica Now Display Black, contained within a solid rectangular block.
No icons. No symbols. No embellishment.
Primary logo
- Text: EAST VILLAGE HUB
- Case: ALL CAPS
- Default: black text on acid green block
- Corners: square
Approved variants
- Black on white
- White on black
- Black on acid green
Blue is never used in the logo.
Compact logo
EVH, same rules, same block.
Used only where space demands it.
Padding (inside block)
Padding scales by size tier:
- Small: 8px
- Standard: 12px
- Large: 16–20px
Padding is even on all sides.
Clear space (outside block)
Clear space equals the height of the capital H in HUB.
Applied equally on all sides.
The letter is a measurement reference only and is never rotated or reused visually.
Placement
Preferred:
- top-left
- footer
- deliberate section openers
Never:
- over imagery
- as decoration
- repeated excessively
Layout and Spacial System
Principle
Pages should feel edited, calm, and deliberate.
Nothing exists by accident.
Grid
- Max width: 1200–1300px
- 12-column grid
- Column gap: 32px (desktop)
Vertical spacing scale
- 8px
- 16px
- 24px
- 32px
- 48px
- 64px
No other values.
Cards
- Square corners
- No shadows
- Flat backgrounds
- Internal padding: 24px
Cards are containers, not design objects.
Dividers
- Solid black rules
- 1–2px
- Used sparingly
Navigation
- White background
- No visual theatrics
- Clear active state
Navigation gets out of the way.
Mobile
- Single column
- Generous spacing
- No cramming
Scrolling is cheaper than confusion.
Content principles
Writing
- Clear
- Specific
- Dated
- Revisable
Avoid:
- filler
- marketing language
- institutional tone
Structure
- Short paragraphs
- Useful headings
- Lists only when needed
Updates
Every page should make it obvious:
- when it was written
- when it was last updated
- what has changed
Imagery and visual language
Role of imagery
Imagery supports context.
It never carries the message.
Rules
- No text in images
- No filters
- No gradients
- No overlays
- Hard edges only
Images should feel observed, not styled.
Component behaviour
- No shadows
- No rounded corners
- No animation for its own sake
- Interaction is subtle and functional
If a component draws attention to itself, simplify it.
Accessibility and longevity
- High contrast at all times
- Text-first approach
- Pages must work when printed
- Design must survive trends
Longevity beats novelty.
Governance
Change discipline
Changes are:
- intentional
- documented
- reversible
Nothing drifts quietly.
The kill rule
If something:
- adds noise
- reduces clarity
- duplicates effort
- exists “just because”
Remove it.
The final test
Every decision must answer:
Does this make the site more useful for someone who actually lives here?
If not, it doesn’t belong.