DCNE Brand Guidelines 2017

FAMILY-OWNED. DCNE Brand Guidelines
CUSTOMER FOCUSED.
AWARD WINNING SERVICE.

The Quality & Comfort
Your Family Deserves...

COMMERCIAL RESIDENTIAL DUCTLESS PARTS & SUPPLIES

Distributor of premium HVAC products accompanied with quality service and knowledge since 1963.

DCNE: Brand Guidelines 1
TABLE OF CONTENTS 2
3
Mission Statement
About DCNE 4
Logos 5
Color Palettes
Typography 6
Icon Sets
8 7
Writing Style 13
Imagery 9
Website
Apparel 10
Digital Letterhead 11
Business Cards 12
Email Signatures

DCNE: Brand Guidelines
MISSION STATEMENT

To build value and solidify a position as a
leading provider of quality HVAC equipment
and supplies by leveraging operational
excellence and employee expertise to exceed
customer expectations.

PLACEHOLDER

1

DCNE: Brand Guidelines See more of DCNE’s history on our Google Drive
ABOUT DCNE CLICK HERE TO VIEW TIMELINE

It was 1963. The year the basketball legend Michael Jordan was born, Leonardo da
Vinci’s world renowned painting of Mona Lisa comes to the U.S. presence, Iron Man
debuts for the first time in Marvel comics, NASA launches Gordon Cooper on Mercury
9 and Martin Luther King Jr. delivers his famous ‘ I Have a Dream’ speech.

ANOTHER AMAZING EVENT HAPPENED: DCNE WAS BORN.

Two brothers who had an entrepreneurial mindset and a vision for growth both saw
an opportunity in their midst. Gregory Archie Kolligian and Jack H. Kolligian became
the New England distributor for Carrier Air Conditioning in 1963. This family business
evolved to be one of the largest distributors in the HVAC industry serving the
residential and commercial markets as well as high quality parts and supplies.

Even to this day, Distributor Corporation of New England (DCNE) is owned and
operated by the Kolligian family and prides itself on providing top quality products
and service to their clients.

DCNE is headquartered in Malden, Massachusetts and covers Maine, New Hampshire,
Rhode Island and Eastern Massachusetts. Satellite Branches are located in Westwood, MA - Plymouth, MA - Salem, NH -
Portland, ME and Cranston, RI.

[ QUOTE TO BE INSERTED ] 2
- Nancy Kolligian, CEO

DCNE: Brand Guidelines Visit our Google Drive to view our third party vendor and embroidery logos
LOGO VARIATIONS
CLICK HERE TO VIEW

PRIMARY LOGO ( with tagline)
This is the primary DCNE’s logo for use in all media communications. It
should always appear in full color and be larger than 3” wide to ensure
visability and readibilty.

SECONDARY LOGO ( NO tagline)
This DCNE logo can be used as an alternate especially in situations where
the logo is smaller than 3” such as business cards or email signatures.

BLACK & WHITE ON TRANSPARENT BACKGROUND
This is the DCNE logo in all black that can be used on a solid color
background or any image. This logo is ONLY used if color is not an option.

REVERSED WHITE LOGO ON SOLID COLOR BACKGROUND
This is the DCNE all white logo. This is a vector image that can be used in
a solid color background or over any image.

3

DCNE: Brand Guidelines See more of DCNE’s color palettes on our Google Drive
COLOR PALETTES CLICK TO VIEW

DCNE DCNE

Distributor Corporation of New England Distributor Corporation of New England

DCNE DCNE

Distributor Corporation of New England Distributor Corporation of New England

4

DCNE: Brand Guidelines Standard Fonts
TYPOGRAPHY Primary Font: Roboto
Secondary Font: Helvetica

CLICK TO DOWNLOAD STANDARD FONTS

Roboto and Helvetica are the standard typefaces on all DCNE THIS IS DCNE REGULAR
media communications.
Roboto is used primarily for all typed material. If so whatever THIS IS DCNE THIN
reason Roboto font can’t be downloaded, Helvetica is the
secondary font. THIS IS DCNE BOLD ITALIC
All Body text should NOT exceed the range of 10pt - 12 pt in size.
THIS IS DCNE BOLD
Headline (black)
THIS IS DCNE CONDENSED
Title (Bold)
THIS IS DCNE LIGHT ITALIC
Subhead (Regular)
THIS IS DCNE MEDIUM ITALIC
Body 2 (Medium)
THIS IS DCNE BLACK
Body 1 (Regular)
Caption (Condensed Light) THIS IS DCNE MEDIUM
Menu (Regular)
BUTTON (Medium) THIS IS DCNE CONDENSED LIGHT

THIS IS DCNE CONDENSED LIGHT ITALIC
5

DCNE: Brand Guidelines Colors & Contrast / Opacity
TYPOGRAPHY

A text color that is too similar to the background
color is hard to read. Text with too much contrast
can also be hard to read. This is especially true of
light-colored text against dark backgrounds.

Contrast over light background Contrast over dark background

Text should maintain a minimum contrast ratio
of at least 4.5:1 (calculated based on luminance
values) for legibility. A ratio of 7:1 is preferred.
(These color combinations also consider
contrast ratios for users who perceive color
differently.).

Contrast over image Contrast over illustration

INSPIRED BY MATERIAL GUIDELINES 5A

DCNE: Brand Guidelines Line Breaking
TYPOGRAPHY

This images show best practices for line breaks.

5B

DCNE: Brand Guidelines Line Length for long and short lines
TYPOGRAPHY
“You should have around 60 characters
per line if you want a good reading
experience. Having the right amount
of characters on each line is key to the
readability of your text.”

“Too wide – if a line of text is too long, the
user’s eye will have a hard time focusing on
the text.
“Too narrow – if a line is too short, the eye
will have to travel back too often, breaking the
reader’s rhythm.

Ideal line lengths for short lines of text in
English. The numbers represent the number
of characters per line.

INSPIRED BY MATERIAL GUIDELINES 5C

DCNE: Brand Guidelines See more of DCNE’s icons on our Google Drive
ICON SETS CLICK TO DOWNLOAD

The design of system icons is simple, modern, friendly, and sometimes quirky.
Each icon is reduced to its minimal form, with every idea edited to its essence.
The designs ensure readability and clarity even at small sizes.

6

DCNE: Brand Guidelines Language - For Addressing Users
WRITING STYLE

First Person ADDRESS THE USER USING EITHER:
Second Person
“I” or “my” in some cases, you may need to use this form of address
to emphasize the user’s ownership of content or actions. Examples of second person

“You” or “your”: Use this conversational style for most situations, as
though DCNE media materials are speaking directly to the user.

REGISTER PRODUCT DOCUMENTS WARRANTIES TROUBLESHOOTING

Get the most out of your Learn more about your Refer to your product’s Having issues with your system?
warranty by taking a minute Carrier® equipment with warranty for information Check here first to see if a simple fix
manuals and product guides. about coverage and support.
to register your product. might solve the problem.

AVOID USING: “Me”/”my” with “you”/”your.” It can cause confusion to see both forms of
addressing the user in the same context.
Avoid the pronoun “we”.

One exception is when a person takes an action for a user, such as
reviewing an appeal or responding to a suggestion. Here, the use of “we”
is appropriate.

7

DCNE: Brand Guidelines Language - Consistency
WRITING STYLE

BE CONCISE

Write in small, scannable segments to facilitate DCNE ToBtaDRlCinENeAEPTTaoHrBttsaERliisnEIeNoAfPfTeTarrHHitnsEgEisaSIoNbEfafenTArgHiMnfgoEAraSyZboEaIuNnrAgbGMufocDArkyEZaonAIudNrLybGSouucDrksEaanAfdeLtySour safety
navigation and discovery. Keep your sentences and
phrases short, with as few concepts as possible. CKaidrbdoen#BM2a1tot0CeKn0raioyd8rxbd8Oiode7pne#3BeAM2raa1ltoatt0eern0mdroy8x8Oid7pe3eAraLlaOtIerTMmFdIMFITEEERDLOITMFIFMITEEERD

CLARITY IS KEY CKaidrbdoen#BM2a1toCtK0enai0rdory8bdx8Ooeid7np#Be2eM2aAr1taolt0atene0rromdy8x8Oid7pe2eAralatermd

Pick common words that are clearly and easily
understandable to both beginning and advanced English
readers. Pick common words that are clearly and easily
understandable to both beginning and advanced English

ALWAYS WRITE IN PRESENT TENSE

Use the present tense to describe product behavior. KCidadreb#oAKnCNMKP-CCiolduaOndgroBeb-#xi-onALiKdnCCONeBMpP-A-CeolAlurOanagroBtm-exi-nLdidCOeBpA-eAlraartmed
Avoid using the future tense to describe the way a
product always acts.

www.dcwnwe.wco.dmcne.com ConnecCt ownitnheuctswith us

7A

DCNE: Brand Guidelines Writing Tone
WRITING STYLE

DCNE’s writing tone should be a mix of friendliness, respectfulness, playfulness
and humility as well as efficiency and trustworthiness. We should always
reveal what a feature does, without bragging or over-promising. Focus on the
benefits of a feature.

Be positive “The new ColorTouch has built-in Wi-Fi, right from the comfort
Be humble of your own home where you can customize to your liking.
Be essential Save money on energy use with the Venstar Color Touch which
Be inviting is now even quicker with a 4X faster processor.”
Be playful

7B

Grammar

DCNE: Brand Guidelines
WRITING STYLE

Titles, headings, labels, and menu items should use sentence-style
capitalization (capitalizing only the first word of a sentence).

Avoid capitalizing all letters except where the material spec
requires them.

Exception would be in cases such as a call to action purposes
or text for Buttons.

PERIODS Residential Models

Avoid using periods in solitary sentences in these model T7800 $118.67
elements:
• Up to 4 heat & 2 cool stages
• Labels • Gas electric or heat pump control
• Hover text • Dual fuel capable
• Bulleted Lists • Simple as you want Operation
• Dialog body text • Switchable: programmable or non-programmable
• Adjustable deadbands & timers
Periods should be used for: • Setpoint limiting
• Programmable fan
• Text with multiple sentences • Accepts remote sensor or outdoor sensor
• Any sentence followed by a link
7C

DCNE: Brand Guidelines Punctuation Table
WRITING STYLE

DCNE always wants to strive to be gramatically correct in all media communications.

Exclamation Points ! Avoid exclamation points as they may come across
as shouting in most cases.

Colons : Omit from labels, for example, in the labels for fields
Quotation Marks “” in a form. Omit from labels, for example, in the labels
for fields in a form.
PRIMES ‘
ELLIPSES ... Use real quotation marks, not the inch and foot
symbols.
Double Angle Brackets >> <<
Use prime (‘) only in abbreviations for feet,
arcminutes, and minutes. For example: 3° 15′

Use to indicate an action in progress
(“Downloading…”) or incomplete or truncated text.
No space before the ellipses.

Omit from links or buttons that open another page
or move to the next or previous step in a process.

Em Dash — Avoid using em dashes. Use en dashes instead. 7D
En Dash – 8:00 AM–12:30 PM
HYPHEN
PARENTHESIS 3–5 kg

- Use hyphens to represent negative numbers. For
example:-5

( ) Use parentheses only to define acronyms or jargon.

DCNE: Brand Guidelines Best Practices
IMAGERY

Imagery is more than decoration. It’s a powerful tool to help you communicate and differentiate your product.

Bold, graphic, and intentional imagery helps to engage the user.

PRINCIPLES

When using illustration and photography to enhance the
user experience, choose images that express personal
relevance, information, and delight.

USE MULTIPLE MEDIUMS STAY AWAY FROM STOCK IMAGES

Both illustration and photography can live within the 8
same product. Photography automatically implies a
degree of specificity and should be used to showcase
specific entities and stories. Illustration is effective for
representing concepts and metaphors where specific
photography might be alienating.

HAVE A POINT OF FOCUS

Have an iconic point of focus in your imagery.
Focus ranges from a single entity to an overarching
composition. Ensure that a clear concept is conveyed
to the user in a memorable way.

DCNE: Brand Guidelines Best Practices cont.
IMAGERY

BUILD NARRATIVES

Create an immersive story and a sense of context to humanize the
relationship with the client and the product. Define the mood through
visual storytelling. Is the mood aspirational? Somber? Celebratory?

RESOLUTION

Make sure your images are appropriately sized for displays and across
platforms. DCNE Brand Guidelines emphasizes large images. Ideally, the
assets should not appear pixelated. Test appropriate resolution sizes for
specific ratios and devices.

8A

DCNE: Brand Guidelines Best Practices cont.
IMAGERY

SCALES

Introduce alternative scales to create levels of visual importance

TEXT PROTECTION (GRADIENT BACKGROUNDS)

To make typography legible on top of imagery, apply text protection in the
form of scrims. Scrims are lightweight, translucent material layers. The
gradient’s opacity should be chosen based on its environment.

3

Scale of gallery context example

Relax and kick your feet up Let’s go green with Carrier’s
Indoor Air Quality Control
and let your thermostat do all the work

Côr® Wi-Fi® Thermostat Infinity® Air Purifier 8B

Guidelines for Optimizing Images

DCNE: Brand Guidelines CLICK TO VIEW IMAGE RESOLUTION GUIDELINES
IMAGERY

What’s the correct DPI (dots per inch) for printing?

Viewing Distance • If you’re designing something that is going to be held in
This is the most important factor in deciding on your necessary resolution. Printing someone’s hand (like a brochure or flyer) then the correct
method and material may vary the required resolution slightly, but viewing distance can DPI is 300dpi
mean the difference between 300dpi and 1dpi.
• A poster needs a minimum resolution of about 100dpi if
Viewing distance affects your required resolution simply because if you stand further viewed at 6ft (2m)
away from an image then the pixels get smaller. A billboard is rarely viewed closely so a
resolution of 20-50dpi will probably be fine. But the key point is to take into account how • Viewed at 30ft (10m) a billboard needs a minimum
far away the viewer will be. resolution of about 20dpi

Viewing Distance Min Resolution • Printing a photo on your inkjet printer? Use 300dpi

0.6m / 2ft 300 DPI DPI: Better too high than too low
1m / 3.3ft 180 DPI You can have a resolution that is too low, but you rarely have issues with
1.5m / 5ft an image where it’s a little too high. So lean towards a higher resolution
2m / 6.5ft 120 DPI where possible.
3m / 10ft 90 DPI
60 DPI

5m / 16ft 35 DPI

10m / 33ft 18 DPI

INSPIRED BY THE PRINT HANDBOOK AND ADOBE SUPPORT 8C

DCNE: Brand Guidelines CLICK HERE TO SEE STYLE GUIDE
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PLACEHOLDER 9

DCNE: Brand Guidelines Font used: Roboto
BUSINESS CARD TEMPLATE Size: 10 pt

DISTRIBUTOR CORPORATION OF NEW ENGLAND Without LEED AP stamp

767 Eastern Avenue, Malden MA 02148
www.dcne.com

Cell: (777) 444 - 5555 RICHARD EKSTROM
Tel: 1 (800) 347 - 8804 Ext. 3333
[email protected] Vice President of Sales

DISTRIBUTOR CORPORATION OF NEW ENGLAND

767 Eastern Avenue, Malden MA 02148
www.dcne.com

With LEED AP stamp

Cell: (777) 444 - 5555 RICHARD EKSTROM
Tel: 1 (800) 347 - 8804 Ext. 3333
[email protected] Vice President of Sales

10

DCNE: Brand Guidelines CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD EMBROIDERY LOGOS
APPAREL

PLACEHOLDER

All branded merchandise and apparel must be approved by Greg Kolligian. 11

DCNE: Brand Guidelines CLICK TO DOWNLOAD
DIGITAL LETTERHEAD

12

DCNE: Brand Guidelines Internal Use Only
EMAIL SIGNATURES

1 Bill Fiore
Director of Operations

Office: 777-777-7777

Cell: 555-555-5555

www.dcne.com

The Standard Rule: 13
Font used: Helvetica
Size: 10 pt
Bold: First and Last name