WE ARE DC

STYLE GUIDE

Government of the District of Columbia

MURIEL BOWSER, MAYOR

TABLE OF CONTENT
INTRODUCTION
Purpose 1
Goal 1
BRAND IDENTITY
Visual Branding
1
OVERVIEW
We Are Washington DC Logo
2
Government of the District of Columbia Logo
2
Logo Specifications

3
Violations 4
Government Branding 5
Paid Advertisements 6
Design Psychology 8
COLOR
Official Palette 9
Violations 9
TYPOGRAPHY
Official Typeface 10
Accent Fonts 11
Special Fonts 11
Best Practices 12
Typographic Hierachy 12
Violations 13
RESOURCES
Check List 15
Cheat Sheet 16

INTRODUCTION
PURPOSE

The purpose of this style guide is to establish design guidelines for visual information
specialists and/or graphicdesigners. These guidelines will allow designers and visual
arts specialist to create graphic designs that are easily recognizable to the public
and that effectively communicate messages from the Government of the District of
Columbia.

GOAL

The goal of this style guide is to ensure that the Government of the District of
Columbia effectively communicates unified messaging through consistent branding.

IDENTITY
BRAND IDENTITY
In todays society, it is imperative to establish a brand identity that allows the public
to effortlessly identify an organization. Brand identity provides a standard through
which the public is able to identify a specific organization by design, color, and other
visual elements.

VISUAL BRAND
The District Governments visual personality is comprised of three distinct characteristics. These characteristics reinforce the mood of the Governments brand visually
and serve as guideposts to everything we visually create and present to the public.

THREE VISUAL CHARACTERISTICS

SLEEK
BOLD
PROFESSIONAL
Page - 1 -

WE ARE WASHINGTON DC
OVERVIEW
WE ARE WASHINGTON DC
The We Are Washington DC logo is the official symbol of the Executive Office of the
Mayor pursuant to Mayors Order 2015-078 dated February 10, 2015.

GOVERNMENT OF THE DISTRICT OF

COLUMBIA LOGO STARS & BARS
OVERVIEW
STARS & BARS
The Stars and Bars was adopted on October 15, 1938, by Congress as the official
design for the District of Columbia.

Page - 2 -

LOGO SPECIFICATIONS
COLOR VARIATIONS

We Are Washington DC and Stars & Bars logos must be represented on all official
government designs both digital and print. Both logos shall only be presented in red,
black, or white.
WE ARE WASHINGTON DC

BLACK

WHITE

RED

STARS & BARS

BLACK

WHITE

RED

SPECIFICATIONS
OFFICIAL

The official logo is a red graphic on a white background. Every effort should be made
to use the default version of the logo, however there will be occasions when one of
the approved variants may be used as prescribed.

BREATHING ROOM

The logo needs space to breathe. For standard applications, allow 1/8 of clear space
per 1 of horizontal logo space. (1 8 = 0.125) So if you are printing a logo 2 1/2 wide,
the required clear space would be 2.5 8 = 0.3125 or 5/16.
By default this clear space should be white (even on colored backgrounds), in the
approved color variations this 1/8 spacing should be filled with the designated color.
Page - 3 -

OFFICIAL RED
HEX: #bf0000
CMYK: 17, 100, 100, 9
RGB: 191, 0, 0

SCALE RECOMMENDATIONS

The logo should never appear smaller than

1 x 1.35 in print form. The logo should
never appear smaller than 100px x 135px in
web form.

VIOLATIONS

Do not use the

Offical Blue for the
main graphic.

Do not change the

color of the main
graphic.

Do not change the

color of the text/
symbols.

Do not rotate the

logo.

Do not stetch or
shrink the logo
disproportianately.

Do not use
unapproved colors
for the background.

Do not add drop

shadows or other
effects.

Do not use patterns

for the background.

Page - 4 -

GOVERNMENT BRANDING
BRANDING

The We Are Washington DC and Stars & Bars logos have been designed to establish
the official branding logo for the Government of the District of Columbia.
The logos will be provided for your convenience.

This brand shall be represented on all official digital and printed government
materials. The positioning order of logos is as followed: the hosting agency, which is
first and far left; the supporting agency, which is centered; followed by the official
District government brand, which is last and to the far right.
Correct

Incorrect

Page - 5 -

PAID ADVERTISEMENT

What is Paid Advertisement? Paid Advertisement is the purchasing of any media

that advertises the District government, including any of its programs, initiatives and
agencies.

CHEAT SHEET
The government branding logo shall be included on all paid advertisements in print,
PAID ADVERTISEMENT
video, and digital formats.
What is Paid Advertisement? Paid Advertisement is the purchasing of any media that advertises the

When
creating an advertisement, always consider the visual personality as well
District government, including any of its programs, initiatives and agencies.
as the distinct characteristics that visually reinforce the mood of the District
The government
brandingOur
logo shall
be included
on all paidmust
advertisements
in print, Our
video, message
and digital must
governments
brand.
branding
standards
be enforced.
formats.
be clear and concise.
When creating an advertisement, always consider the visual personality as well as the distinct characthat visually
reinforce
the mood
of the
the District
governments
brand.
Our branding
standards
All teristics
out-going
materials
MUST
have
Mayors
branding.
Below
are three
examples
must be enforced. Our message must be clear and concise.

of documents that illustrates the Mayors brand in multiple stlyes. Keep these tips in
All out-going
materials MUST
havead.
the Mayors branding. Below are three examples of documents that
mind
when developing
your
illustrates the Mayors brand in multiple stlyes. Keep these tips in mind when developing your ad.

SAVE THE DATE!

KIDS RIDE

METRORAIL

FOR FREE

Dont FORGET to go online and enroll for your free $100

monthly Metrorail benefit. The benefit will be loaded onto your DC One
Card. Public school students may enroll in the program starting August 17th.

STEP 1:

Make sure you have a DC One Card.

Go to www.dconecard.dc.gov to find out
how to get one or ask at your school.

STEP 2:

Make sure you REGISTER your DC One

Card. Go to www.dconecard.dc.gov/manage
and register your card.
If you have a DC One Card and its
registered, go to www.dconecard.dc.gov/manage
and sign in with an email address and CLICK the
eligibility button under TRANSIT SUBSIDY
SECTION.

STEP 3:

3 Easy Steps

Complete these steps and

in 24 hours you can tap
your card and ride the
train for free.

Tip 1: Keep text simple and legible

and the design clean
Tip 2: Make your message clear
Tip 3: Make the background clean
Tip 4: Use hash-tags or slogans
Tip 5: Use DC logo
T 6: Mayors Branding

FACTS:
Can be used for travel to and from school and school-related events.
Available throughout the year as long as you are enrolled in an academic
program.
Available to DC students, ages 5-21, who attend a DC Public School
(DCPS) or public charter school (PCS); kids under 5 are already eligible
to ride Metrorail for free.
Tap your DC One Card on the Metrorail faregate; Flashing the card to
the Station Manager is not acceptable.

MAYOR MURIEL BOWSER

Presents

#202GirlsKickback
Saturday, September 26th 10am
A day of fun, self-empowerment, and entertainment!
For girls in grades 9-12

Early Registration Begins August 28th!

ADMISSION IS FREE!

If you need help, call the

District Department of Transportation
at 202-673-1740.

GOVERNMENT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

MURIEL BOWSER, MAYOR

DCs All 8 Wards

Alley Renewal Project

ALLEYPALOOZA

Starting July 8, 2015

WARDS

#alleypalooza

ALLEYS
EACH WARD

64

TOTAL ALLEYS

RENEWED

Page - 6 -

CHEAT SHEET
PAID ADVERTISEMENT
What is Paid Advertisement? A Paid Advertisement is any media that advertises a
program, initiative, agency or the government as a whole.

Here is another example (the color scheme is not as important as the message, use
When creating advertisements, we must keep in mind our visual personality, and
yourremember
own discretion
and creativity):
the distinct characteristics that reinforce the mood of our brand visually. We
must insist that our standards are enforced. Our message must be clear and concise.
All out going materials MUST have the Mayors branding. Here are some quick tips to
keep in mind:
Tip 1: Make the backgrround clean

Tip 2: Make your main image

simple and recognizable

END

Tip 3: Make your message clear

THE

AWKWARD
ASK ME HOW

Tip 4: Use hashtags or slogans

#EndTheAwkwardDC

Tip 5: Use agency logos

Page - 7 -

Tip 6: Mayors Branding

DESIGN PSYCHOLOGY
HOW TO CREATE A DC GOVERNMENT PROMOTIONAL
GRAPHIC DESIGN
1. Know your audience
2. Create a simple yet aesthetically pleasing concept
Graphics should display a clear subject matter
3. Clearly State:
Title/Name of the event
Hosting Agency
Call to Action
When is the event
Where is the event
Contact Information (website)
Pertinent Information/ Must be known
> Requirements, Qualications, and Timeframes
4. Branding

DPR Aquatics Hiring Fair

Title/Name
of the event

Over 150 Summer Lifeguard Positions!

Saturday, May 2, 2015 10:00 am - 2:00 pm

Subject

Turkey Thicket Recreation Center

1100 Michigan Ave., NE, Washington, D.C.

Must Be At Least 16 Years Of Age Free Training

Lifeguard $11.50 per hour
You must appear in person to qualify for FREE training.

When & Where

Pertinent
Information

For more information on Lifeguard positions,

visit: http://summer.dpr.dc.gov.

Contact
Information

Host Agency
Mayors Branding

Concept includes:
Graphics
Pictures
Fonts
Color Scheme

Page - 8 -

OFFICIAL PALETTE
The following are the official colors and variants.
MAIN COLOR

OFFICIAL RED
HEX: #bf0000
CMYK: 17, 100, 100, 9
RGB: 191, 0, 0

ACCENT COLOR

OFFICIAL BLUE
90%
80%
70%

HEX: #012c3b
CMYK: 96, 71, 53, 56
RGB: 1, 44, 59

90%
80%
70%

60%

60%

50%

50%

40%

40%

VIOLATIONS
SIMILAR REDS AND BLUES

The official colors should always be used. While many colors can be used in
conjunction with the official colors, the use of similar colors should be avoided.
Just SAY NO

O
N
Page - 9 -

O
N

OFFICIAL TYPEFACE
The official font face for the Executive Office of the Mayor is Neutra Text. These
fonts shall be used when creating official executive graphic designs. There are four
variations of the font used:

Neutra Text Light

1234567890!@#$%^&*()
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz

Neutra Text Book

1234567890!@#$%^&*()
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz

Neutra Text Demi

1234567890!@#$%^&*()
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz

Neutra Text Bold

1234567890!@#$%^&*()
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz

Page - 10 -

ACCENT FONTS
Complimentary fonts are typefaces that can be used in conjunction with Neutra
Text when creating official executive graphic designs. In these cases, these fonts
shall be used sparingly and with lower priority than Neutra Text. These fonts can
serve as the body font for documents and as accent fonts for flyers and other
graphics.

Century Gothic

1234567890!@#$%^&*()
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz

Helvetica Neue

1234567890!@#$%^&*()
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz

Adobe Jensen Pro

1234567890!@#$%^&*()
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz

Times New Roman

1234567890!@#$%^&*()
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz

SPECIAL FONTS

In some instances, special fonts will be needed. These fonts

should be used sparingly and only to the highest text in the
hierarchy.
Page - 11 -

Aa

BEST PRACTICES
BODY COPY
Neutra Text Book /Standard Sentence Case /Font Size: 14pt / Leading: 17pt/Left
Justified with no breaks
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Phasellus cursus, tortor
eget tempor bibendum, tortor elit lobortis ante, sed blandit urna turpis sed nulla.
Quisque ut nibh eget urna auctor pharetra vel cursus diam. Morbi ut placerat augue.

HEADINGS

Neutra Text Demi & Bold / ALL CAPS / Font Size: 18pt

SAMPLE HEADING DEMI

SAMPLE HEADING BOLD
TYPOGRAPHIC HIERACHY

The different weights of Neutra and accent fonts should be used to stress the
most important information. Heavy text weight should be used for more important
information. Thin/Lighter weight should be used for less relevant information.

COMMUNITY MEETING
Sunday, March 1st 2015
COMMUNITY
MEETING

COMMUNITY
MEETING

COMMUNITY
MEETING

Sunday, March 1st 2015

Sunday, March 1st 2015

Sunday, March 1st 2015

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet,

consectetur adipiscing elit.
Phasellus cursus, tortor eget
tempor bibendum, tortor elit
lobortis ante, sed blandit urna
turpis sed nulla. Quisque ut
nibh eget urna auctor pharetra
vel cursus diam. Morbi ut
placerat augue.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit

amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Phasellus cursus,
tortor eget tempor bibendum, tortor elit lobortis
ante, sed blandit urna
turpis sed nulla. Quisque
ut nibh eget urna auctor
pharetra vel cursus diam.
Morbi ut placerat augue.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit

amet, consectetur
adipiscing elit. Phasellus
cursus, tortor eget
tempor bibendum, tortor
elit lobortis ante, sed
blandit urna turpis sed
nulla. Quisque ut nibh
eget urna auctor pharetra
vel cursus diam. Morbi
ut placerat augue.

Page - 12 -

VIOLATIONS
MIXED FONT, CASE, WEIGHT, SIZE

Any single phrase or block of text should use one font, case, weight, and size
consistently.
WE ARE DC

WE are DC

WE ARE DC

WE ARE DC

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Phasellus cursus,

tortor eget tempor bibendum, tortor elit lobortis ante, sed blandit urna turpis sed
nulla. Quisque ut nibh eget urna auctor pharetra vel cursus diam. Morbi ut placerat
augue. Donec placerat eget nibh ac suscipit. Nam vitae turpis ac dui volutpat facilisis sed eu nisl. Nulla augue tortor, pharetra ut tempor quis, hendrerit sed lectus.
Proin aliquet accumsan orci quis efficitur. Quisque ut tempus est, vitae mollis dui.
Phasellus vel varius lectus. Morbi molestie lectus vel sem interdum sagittis.

NEUTRA ITALICS

Neutra italics should never be used, in any weight. If emphasis is needed within
body copy this should be achieved with a heavier weight.

WE ARE DC

WE ARE DC

WE ARE DC

WE ARE DC

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Phasellus cursus,
tortor eget tempor bibendum, tortor elit lobortis ante, sed blandit urna turpis
sed nulla.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Phasellus cursus,
tortor eget tempor bibendum, tortor elit lobortis ante, sed blandit urna turpis
sed nulla.

Page - 13 -

CONCLUSION
This style guide and its processes should allow you to produce higher quality
visual designs that effectively articulate the District Governments messaging. Our
branding identity will help to ensure that the public recognizes programs, events,
and initiatives are made possible by the Government of the District of Columbia.

Page - 14 -

CHECKLIST
After completing your design, use this checklist as a reference to ensure your design is high quality and aligned
with DC Government branding standards.

DESIGN
Style guide followed (style, color scheme, fonts, etc.)
Visually appealing and aligned with branding - Sleek, Bold, and Professional
Included appropriate logos in proper color variation (Branding logo [We are DC, Stars and
Bars, Mayors Name], hosting agency logo, supporting agency logo, etc.)

Emphasized pertinent text

Aligned elements

IMAGES
Images are proper resolution
No pixelated or distorted images
All images are linked
You have proper rights to use all included images

TEXT
Spellchecked document
Followed typographic hierarchy
All special characters are rendered properly (em dashes, trademark and copyright marks, etc.)
Removed odd gaps between words or lines of text

FILE PREP
Packaged all files for print (text, fonts, images and other links)

WE ARE WASHINGTON DC
GRAPHICS CHEAT SHEET
VISUAL BRAND

Our visual personality is comprised of three distinct characteristics that reinforce the mood
of our brand visually. They also serve as guideposts to everything we create visually and
present to the public.
3 VISUAL CHARACTERISTICS:

SLEEK | BOLD | PROFESSIONAL

LOGOS & BRANDING

WE ARE WASHINGTON DC LOGO / STARS & BARS LOGO / MMB BRANDING

We Are Washington DC and Stars & Bars logos must be represented on all official government
designs both digital and print. Both logos shall only be presented in red, black, or white.
The positioning of logos is as follows:
1) Host Agency (far left) 2) Supporting agencies (centered)
3) Government branding logo (far right)

OFFICIAL PALETTE
HEX: #bf0000

CMYK: 17, 100, 100, 9

RGB: 191, 0, 0

HEX: #012c3b

CMYK: 96, 71, 53, 56

RGB: 144, 44, 59

OFFICIAL TYPEFACE

Neutra Text Light | Neutra Text Book | Neutra Text Demi | Neutra Text Bold