Brand guidelinesVersion 01 · July 2026
CG
Common Ground
Good things grow here.
StrategyIdentityExpression
Prepared by We Solve Media · hello@wesolvemedia.comThe Common Ground team · hello@commonground.co.nz · commonground.co.nz
Using this guide
Contents
A complete system
for showing up well.
This guide brings strategy, language and visual expression into one practical reference. Start with the quick reference, then use the detailed sections when creating or reviewing work.
FoundationBrand overview04
FoundationAudience05
FoundationPositioning06
FoundationPersonality07
IdentityLogo system08
IdentityLogo usage09
IdentityLogo file guide10
IdentityColour11
IdentityTypography12
LanguageTone of voice13
LanguageMessaging framework14
LanguageMessaging in action15
ExpressionVisual identity16
ExpressionPhotography17
ExpressionIcons & graphics18
ExpressionLayout system19
ApplicationDigital usage20
ApplicationPrint usage21
ApplicationSocial & advertising22
ApplicationProduct & packaging23
ApplicationWebsite24
GovernanceAccessibility25
GovernanceAsset register26
GovernanceDo’s & don’ts27
Living document
Review this guide whenever the offer, audience or market changes. Record major decisions as a new version rather than quietly overwriting the rationale.
Quick reference
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Brand at a glance
Common Ground
Good things grow here.
Every visit leaves you feeling more connected and ready to grow something good.
#173F35#F4EFE3#E5A84B#B8C5A7
FrauncesDisplayManropeBody
- Protect logo clear space.
- Use Deep Pine and Warm Ivory as the dominant colours.
- Write clearly, specifically and like a real person.
The Common Ground team · hello@commonground.co.nz · commonground.co.nz
Guidelines: We Solve Media · hello@wesolvemedia.com
Brand foundation
The idea at our centre
Make everyday rituals feel more connected — to place, season and the people around us.
Common Ground in one paragraph
A welcoming meeting place where good coffee, useful plants and neighbourly conversation belong together. Common Ground exists to make everyday rituals feel more connected — to place, season and the people around us The story should be expressed through useful choices and credible experiences, not simply repeated as a slogan.
What we do every day
Bring people closer to their neighbourhood, the seasons and each other through thoughtful everyday experiences.
The future we want
Neighbourhoods where gathering locally, growing something and sharing useful knowledge feel like natural parts of daily life.
Our offer
Seasonal food, thoughtfully sourced coffee and a small edit of plants, tools and practical workshops.
Our people
Design-aware locals, young families and weekend gardeners who value quality without pretence.
Our meaningful edge
Coffee, plants and practical knowledge brought together in one genuinely welcoming local place.
Core values
01Welcome generously02Choose with care03Keep it useful04Grow together
Audience profile
The people we are here for
Know the person.
Earn the attention.
Audience insight should shape what we say, what we prioritise and how easy we make the next step.
The considered chooser
Design-aware locals, young families and weekend gardeners who value quality without pretence.
Lead with a relevant outcome, make the value easy to understand and offer one low-friction next step.The trusted influence
Local growers, makers and community groups looking for a thoughtful place to collaborate and connect.
Give partners and referrers concise language, useful context and proof they can confidently pass on.- A dependable local place that feels easy to belong in
- Quality products without specialist intimidation
- Useful guidance they can put into practice
- Supporting local
- Learning by doing
- Creating a considered home and garden
- Premium may feel expensive
- Limited range compared with larger retailers
- Uncertainty about gardening knowledge
Audience language & style preference
Use a conversational tone. Start with what matters to the audience, explain the value plainly and make evidence easy to scan. Prefer welcome, useful, local, grow; avoid unexplained jargon and insider language.
Brand positioning
Our place in the market
A clear reason
to choose us.
Positioning statement · internal guide
For locals who want quality without pretence, Common Ground is the neighbourhood café and garden store that makes everyday rituals more connected, useful and rewarding.
Our sharpest point
Coffee, plants and practical knowledge brought together in one genuinely welcoming local place.
What people can expect
Every visit leaves you feeling more connected and ready to grow something good.
Neighbourhood hospitality and garden retail
Describe the category in terms customers already understand before introducing what makes us different.
Accessible premium
Support price with specific value, experience and proof. Never imply “cheap” unless that is an intentional position.
Key differentiators
01
Hospitality and garden retail in one experience
02
A useful, edited range
03
Local workshops and shared knowledge
Competitive context
Compared with: Independent cafés, garden centres, lifestyle retailers and online plant stores.
| Choose Common Ground | When fit, trust and a distinctive experience matter. |
|---|---|
| Choose a category alternative | When familiarity or a specific feature matters more. |
| Choose a low-cost substitute | When price is the only priority. |
Brand personality
How the brand behaves
Recognisable,
even without a logo.
Personality turns an abstract strategy into consistent choices. It should guide language, service, design and behaviour.
Useful archetype
The Caregiver × The Everyperson
Use the archetype as a creative lens, not a costume. Borrow its strengths while keeping the brand specific to its audience and category.
Warm
Make warm choices that feel intentional and easy to trust.
Grounded
Show grounded through specific actions rather than empty adjectives.
Optimistic
Balance optimistic with clarity so expression never becomes noise.
We are
Warm · Grounded · Optimistic
Specific · Considered · Consistent
We are not
Vague · Performative · Generic
Overbearing · Cold · Complicated
Relaxed, hopeful and quietly energising
Welcomed, capable and inspired to take one small positive step
Logo system
Our signature
One idea.
A flexible family.
The logo system makes the brand recognisable at every scale. Use the primary logo first, then choose the simplest approved variant that fits the space.
Primary · Warm Ivory
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Reversed · Deep Pine
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SecondaryCompact signature
WordmarkName-led layouts
Icon / submarkSmall spaces
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One colourRestricted production
Orientation
Use the horizontal/wordmark treatment in wide headers and signage. Use the stacked or submark treatment in square spaces. If only one supplied artwork exists, do not invent new lockups without designer approval.
Logo usage
Protect recognition
Give the mark
room to work.
Consistency matters more than decoration. Keep the logo intact, legible and visually separate from surrounding content.
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Light background · Warm IvoryUse the Deep Pine version.
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Dark backgroundUse the reversed version.
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Accent backgroundUse only when contrast is clear.
- Use approved master artwork
- Scale proportionally
- Align to the layout grid
- Choose a calm, high-contrast area
- Do not stretch, rotate or redraw
- Do not add shadows or outlines
- Do not change individual colours
- Do not place over visual clutter
Placement
Prefer top-left, centred or bottom-left placement. Use one logo per surface unless repetition has a functional purpose, such as a multi-page document footer.
Logo file guide
Choose the right asset
The right file
for the right job.
Always begin with the supplied master files. Converting a small raster file into another format does not improve its quality.
Web & digital · preferred
Scales cleanly for websites, interfaces, signage artwork and digital templates. Keep transparency where supplied.
Documents & transparent use
Use at the intended size for presentations, social assets and office documents. Best when a transparent background is needed.
Compressed web delivery
Use an optimised copy when page speed matters. Keep SVG for the logo whenever the platform supports it.
Flat-background use only
Use for simple sharing where transparency is not needed. Avoid for small logos because compression can soften edges.
Professional print, if supplied
Send the original vector artwork to printers and fabricators. Do not open and resave unless production requires it.
Use CMYK vector artwork and request a proof. Confirm spot-colour or Pantone matching with the printer when colour fidelity matters.
Use RGB SVG first, then transparent PNG or WEBP at the exact required pixel dimensions.
common-ground-logo-[lockup]-[colour]-[rgb|cmyk]-v01.ext
Choose transparent files over white-box versions unless a controlled background is part of the approved artwork.
Colour system
Our palette
Colour with
purpose.
Deep Pine creates recognition and structure. Warm Ivory gives the system room to breathe; Amber directs attention, while Soft Sage adds depth without competing.
Primary
Deep Pine
HEX #173F35RGB 23 / 63 / 53
CMYK 63 / 0 / 16 / 75
Background
Warm Ivory
HEX #F4EFE3RGB 244 / 239 / 227
CMYK 0 / 2 / 7 / 4
Accent
Amber
HEX #E5A84BRGB 229 / 168 / 75
CMYK 0 / 27 / 67 / 10
Supporting
Soft Sage
HEX #B8C5A7RGB 184 / 197 / 167
CMYK 7 / 0 / 15 / 23
Recommended hierarchy
60% Warm Ivory / backgrounds · 30% Deep Pine / text & structure · 10% Amber / emphasis
Aa 10.2:1
Suitable for normal text at AA contrast.
Aa 5.6:1
Suitable for normal text at AA contrast.
HEX and RGB are for screens; CMYK values are starting points for print. Match Pantone colours from a physical swatch with the production partner—never guess them from a screen.
Typography
Our type system
AaWords should feel
as good as they read.
DisplayFraunces
Aa Bb Cc Dd Ee
0123456789
BodyManrope
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz
0123456789 !?&@
Type hierarchy
Display / 64 / 0.95
Heading / 32 / 1.05
Subheading / 18 / 1.25
Body / 11–16 / 1.55 · Caption / 9–12 / 1.4 · Button / 12–14 / 1.0
Display: Georgia, serif
Body: Arial, sans-serif
Display 500–700
Body 400 / 600 / 700
Headings −2% to −5%
Body 0% · never tightly tracked
Confirm current desktop, web, app and redistribution rights before handover. Retain licence records with the asset pack.
Tone of voice
How we sound
Speak like a person.
Mean every word.
Our voice is clear, neighbourly, quietly confident. It makes expertise easy to act on and confidence feel earned.
Clear
Be clear: lead with the point and make the next step obvious.
Neighbourly
Be neighbourly: write as if a thoughtful person is on the other side.
Quietly confident
Be quietly confident: use specifics and let evidence carry the claim.
Write with professional care, then remove anything a real person would not naturally say.
welcome · useful · local · grow · together · seasonal
exclusive · best-in-class · solutions · discerning · luxury
Headline / CTA
“Good things grow here.”
Explore what’s possible →
Not this
“We offer premium, best-in-class solutions for discerning customers.”
Messaging framework
What we want people to remember
One clear idea.
Many useful lengths.
Adapt the message to the moment without changing the meaning. Lead with the audience outcome, then explain the offer and why it is believable.
Main brand message
Every visit leaves you feeling more connected and ready to grow something good.
Common Ground helps design-aware locals, young families and weekend gardeners who value quality without pretence through seasonal food, thoughtfully sourced coffee and a small edit of plants, tools and practical workshops. The experience is warm, grounded, optimistic, giving customers a clearer and more confident way forward.
A welcoming meeting place where good coffee, useful plants and neighbourly conversation belong together.
A welcoming meeting place where good coffee, useful plants and neighbourly conversation belong together. Guided by its purpose to make everyday rituals feel more connected — to place, season and the people around us, Common Ground brings together seasonal food, thoughtfully sourced coffee and a small edit of plants, tools and practical workshops for design-aware locals, young families and weekend gardeners who value quality without pretence. The result is an experience designed to feel warm, grounded, optimistic from first contact to follow-through.
Tagline options
01Good things grow here.Primary
02Warm by nature. Useful by design.
03Common Ground. Made for what matters next.
- Hospitality and garden retail in one experience
- A useful, edited range
- Local workshops and shared knowledge
- Every visit leaves you feeling more connected and ready to grow something good.
- Thoughtfully sourced products
- Practical workshops
- Local maker and grower relationships
Messaging in action
Ready-to-shape examples
Make the message
useful in context.
These are first-draft models, not scripts. Adapt details to the channel and verify every factual claim before publishing.
Good things grow here.
A welcoming meeting place where good coffee, useful plants and neighbourly conversation belong together.
Explore the offer →A useful next step starts with understanding what matters. Common Ground brings seasonal food, thoughtfully sourced coffee and a small edit of plants, tools and practical workshops to design-aware locals, young families and weekend gardeners who value quality without pretence, with a warm, grounded, optimistic approach from beginning to end.
Save this · Share it with someone who needs itA useful next step from Common Ground
Hello — we’ve put together a straightforward way to understand seasonal food, thoughtfully sourced coffee and a small edit of plants, tools and practical workshops. Here is what to know, why it matters and where to begin.
See what comes next →Seasonal food, thoughtfully sourced coffee and a small edit of plants, tools and practical workshops. Designed around design-aware locals, young families and weekend gardeners who value quality without pretence, with a warm, grounded, optimistic experience from first question to final step.
“How do I know this is right for me?”
Start with what you need to achieve. We will explain the fit, the process and the trade-offs in plain language, then help you choose without pressure.
Boilerplate / about
Common Ground is a neighbourhood hospitality and garden retail brand for design-aware locals, young families and weekend gardeners who value quality without pretence. A welcoming meeting place where good coffee, useful plants and neighbourly conversation belong together. Learn more at commonground.co.nz.
Claims & disclaimers
Verify sustainability, sourcing, health and product-performance claims before publication. Use evidence close to the claim, record its source and review regulated content with an appropriately qualified adviser.
Visual identity
The world we create
Honest texture. Human moments.
The selected visual system translates the brand’s warm, grounded, optimistic personality into a consistent balance of recognition, clarity and character.
Natural light
Useful detail
People in place
Graphic motif
Soft fields and repeating circles suggest growth, gathering and gentle momentum.
Build one clear focal point, then support it with ordered information and intentional space.
Use soft asymmetry, organic curves and 12–24 px corners.
Use sparingly to create depth or rhythm. Never place decoration where it weakens reading.
Prefer Warm Ivory, Deep Pine or simple tonal fields. Crop with intent and avoid busy framing.
Photography direction
The world through our lens
Honest texture. Human moments.
Photography should make every visit leaves you feeling more connected and ready to grow something good. feel tangible through specific, credible moments connected to the real customer experience.
Hero · Natural light
Detail · Useful detail
People · People in place
Real people, places, products and details connected to seasonal food, thoughtfully sourced coffee and a small edit of plants, tools and practical workshops, shown with enough context to understand use and outcome.
Use one dominant subject, purposeful negative space and close crops that retain enough context to remain clear.
Natural, directional light with honest warmth and visible material texture.
Relaxed, hopeful and quietly energising. Expressions should feel observed and credible, never forced.
- People engaged in real, relevant activity
- Useful details and environmental context
- A credible range of people and lived experiences
- Intentional space for copy where the format needs it
- Obvious stock-photo gestures
- Heavy filters or artificial skin tones
- Visual clutter without a focal point
- Scenes that imply unsupported outcomes
AI image guidance
Use AI imagery only when its purpose is clear and rights, consent and disclosure requirements are understood. Prompt for the approved composition, light, palette and mood; check hands, text, products, cultural details and factual context before use. Never fabricate a customer, result or documentary moment.
Icons & graphics
Support, don’t decorate
A simple visual
vocabulary.
Icons, illustrations and graphics should make information easier to understand. Keep construction consistent so every element feels like part of one family.
Simple outline icons with gently rounded joins. Use filled icons only for selected or high-priority states.
Scale stroke optically; avoid mixing delicate and heavy icons.
Match the broader shape language and repeat the same angles, joins and radii.
Use Deep Pine by default and Amber only for emphasis.
Use simplified forms, limited palette and one consistent perspective. Let the idea lead; avoid mixing unrelated illustration styles.
Repeat the core motif at measured intervals. Keep contrast low behind text.
Use Warm Ivory for structure, Deep Pine for labels and Amber for the single point that needs attention. Label data directly.
Use one reading direction, short labels and consistent connectors. Texture and overlays must never carry essential meaning.
Layout system
A repeatable rhythm
Structure creates
creative freedom.
The grid keeps the brand recognisable across website, print and social work. Break it only when the hierarchy becomes clearer.
Eyebrow
One message owns the page.
Supporting information sits on the same grid, with enough space to feel deliberate.
12 columns
Desktop / print. Collapse to 6 on tablet and 4 on mobile.
6–10%
Keep critical content inside a consistent safe area.
Left first
Align related content to shared edges. Centre only for deliberate emphasis.
Active space
Protect hierarchy; do not fill every gap with decoration.
Spacing scale48121624324864
Navigation → headline → proof → action → supporting detail.
Focal message → image or offer → essential detail → contact.
One idea per frame; hook first, proof second, action last.
Digital usage
Designed for interaction
Clear paths.
Consistent signals.
Digital experiences should feel fast, useful and unmistakably on-brand. Every component needs a purpose, a readable state and a clear next step.
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About · What we offer · IdeasExplore the offerNeighbourhood hospitality and garden retail
Good things grow here.
A welcoming meeting place where good coffee, useful plants and neighbourly conversation belong together.
Useful updates. Clear consent. Easy unsubscribe.
Keep navigation short. Use one primary action and alternate Warm Ivory/white sections only when it helps orientation.
Use action-led labels such as “See how it works”, “Compare the options”, “Start a conversation”. Include hover, focus, disabled and loading states.
Show persistent labels, plain-language help and specific errors. Never use placeholder text as the only label.
Use a simple logo, one-column newsletter, live text and a complete signature: name, role, email, phone and website.
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Profile / favicon
Use the submark, optically centred and tested at 16 px.
Banner / ad
One image, one message and one action.
Landing pages
Match the promise in the ad, then remove distractions from the conversion path.
Print usage
Made tangible
Care you can
hold in your hands.
Print is where colour, stock and finish become part of the brand experience. Keep the hierarchy simple and involve the production partner early.
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Common Ground
commonground.co.nz
CG
The Common Ground team
hello@commonground.co.nz
One clear identity side; contact details set at a comfortable size on the reverse.
Quiet header and footer, generous writing area, no background that compromises office printing.
One promise per panel. Use headings, short sections and a clear response path.
Prioritise recognition and distance legibility. Confirm material, finish and fabrication constraints.
Prefer a simple one-colour mark. Sample stitch, transfer or screen print before volume production.
Design for three-second recognition: logo, offer and contact. Avoid dense copy.
Confirm with the printer.
Keep live content inside.
At final placed size.
Review critical jobs physically.
Social & advertising
Recognition in the feed
Useful first.
Branded throughout.
Social and advertising should earn attention with relevance, then reward it with clarity. The system is consistent; the content stays varied.
- Audience-relevant hook
- Specific benefit or proof
- Brand cue
- Single CTA
See how it works · Compare the options · Start a conversation · Get the guide
Verify sustainability, sourcing, health and product-performance claims before publication. Keep substantiation and required qualifiers close to the claim.
Use documented permission, preserve the meaning and explain typicality or material conditions where required.
Product & packaging
On shelf and in hand
Recognition meets
useful information.
Packaging should make the product easy to recognise, understand and choose—then reward a closer look with thoughtful detail.
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Common GroundGood things grow here.PRODUCT / VARIANT01
Product name
Clear benefit or variant
Net quantity · required detailQRFront-of-pack hierarchy
- BrandRecognise
- Product / variantUnderstand
- BenefitChoose
- Required informationVerify
Keep a fixed grid and move only the content that distinguishes variants. Use colour as a secondary cue, never the only cue.
Reserve an uninterrupted panel for ingredients, warnings, business details and any category-specific mandatory text. Obtain specialist review.
Use a quiet, high-contrast zone with required clear space. Test the final printed size and material before production.
Show accurate scale, colour and contents. Avoid props that could be mistaken for what is included.
Design the family as a group: consistent brand block, clear variant navigation and a recognisable side panel.
Review dielines, folds, seals, stock, ink coverage and finish with the supplier. Approve a physical proof.
Website application
Priority application 1 of 1
Website
Apply the same hierarchy, colour balance, typography and voice while letting the format do its own job.
One audience-relevant message, one clear focal point and one action. Keep supporting detail subordinate.
Fraunces leads; Manrope supports. Use Deep Pine structurally and Amber for attention.
Replace draft imagery where necessary, verify claims and accessibility, then test the final crop in the real placement.
Accessibility
Designed to include
Clear for more
people, more often.
Accessibility is part of brand quality. Aim for WCAG 2.2 Level AA in digital work and test with people, devices and assistive technology—not only automated tools.
Deep Pine on Warm Ivory · 10.2:1 · AA for normal text
Warm Ivory on Deep Pine · 10.2:1 · AA for normal text
✓ Additional approved pair
Deep Pine + Amber · 5.6:1. This pairing also reaches AA contrast for normal text.
4.5:1 / 3:1
Target 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text and essential interface boundaries. Check every real combination.
16 px starting point
For digital body copy; allow zoom and text resizing. Use at least 9 pt for most print body copy, larger for long reading.
Short, structured, direct
Use descriptive headings, manageable line lengths, plain language and meaningful link text.
Visible and optional
Keep keyboard focus visible, provide pause controls and respect reduced-motion preferences.
Describe the image’s purpose in context. Leave decorative images empty; do not repeat nearby copy. For complex charts, provide the key takeaway and underlying data.
Prefer “View workshop dates” or “Download the pricing guide” over “Click here”. The action should still make sense out of context.
Pair colour with text, icons, patterns or position for status, errors, categories and chart series.
Verification
Test contrast, keyboard navigation, zoom, reflow, forms, headings, screen-reader names, captions and PDFs before launch. Accessibility conformance depends on final implementation and content.
Brand assets
The handover register
Everything in
one dependable place.
The brand system is only useful when approved assets are easy to find. Store masters separately from working files and publish read-only handover folders.
Primary, secondary, submark, one-colour, reversed
SVG · PNG · PDF/EPSPrepare / verifyFraunces, Manrope, licence records
Files or official linksPrepare / verifyHEX, RGB, CMYK and approved physical matches
ASE · PDF · TXTPrepare / verifyDocuments, presentations, email signature
Native + PDF previewsPrepare / verifyAvatar, covers, post and story templates
Native + PNGPrepare / verifyApproved icon set, motifs and graphics
SVG · PNGPrepare / verifySelected originals, edits and usage rights
JPG · TIFF · licencesPrepare / verifyWebsite, print, signage and packaging previews
PSD/native + JPGPrepare / verifyFavicon, app icons and optimised imagery
SVG · WEBP · PNGPrepare / verifyPress-ready approved artwork
PDF/X · packaged sourcePrepare / verifyUse brand-asset-variant-colour-space-size-v01.ext. Avoid “final-final” names.
Keep one approved master folder with named owner, version date, licences and usage notes.
Open every file, verify colour mode and transparency, test linked fonts and include a PDF copy of these guidelines.
Do’s & don’ts
The everyday quality check
Protect the idea,
not just the artwork.
Use these principles when reviewing new work. If an execution follows the rules but feels wrong, return to the audience, promise and personality.
Do
Use approved artwork with clear space and strong contrast.
Don’t
Redraw, distort, decorate or place it on clutter.
Do
Let Warm Ivory and Deep Pine lead; use Amber to guide attention.
Don’t
Use every colour equally or rely on colour alone.
Do
Use the defined hierarchy, comfortable spacing and approved weights.
Don’t
Add novelty fonts, shrink body copy or overuse all caps.
Do
Choose specific, credible moments with one clear subject.
Don’t
Use generic stock gestures, heavy filters or misleading scenes.
Do
Be clear, neighbourly, quietly confident; lead with useful meaning.
Don’t
Use hype, unsupported claims or jargon the audience must decode.
Do
Build one focal point, align deliberately and preserve whitespace.
Don’t
Compete for attention, crowd edges or centre everything by default.
Before anything goes live
- Recognisable?The identity feels unmistakably like Common Ground.
- Relevant?It starts with what the audience needs and values.
- Readable?The message, hierarchy and action are immediately clear.
- Responsible?Claims, rights, consent and accessibility are verified.
A simple final check
Does it feel like
Common Ground?
Clear before cleverConsistent, not repetitiveMade for the audienceTrue to the promise
These guidelines are a living system. Use them with intent, learn what resonates and keep evolving with care.
CG
Brand direction & guidelinesWe Solve MediaRotorua · New Zealand