Guest Posted March 19, 2011 Posted March 19, 2011 I have been asked to compile a house style guide for the organistaion I work for. I wondered if anyone had one that I could peruse to get some ideas - this is a new thing for me, and while I have downloaded a few, they are from different types of organistaions and I am not sure if they are perfectly relevant. So if anyone has a document telling them about company colours, what fonts to use, whether they can use abbreviations etc, then let me know.
AnonyMouse_1999 Posted March 19, 2011 Posted March 19, 2011 Oooh! a new one on me Sorry I can't help but will follow with interest, it's not something I had thought about
Guest Posted March 19, 2011 Posted March 19, 2011 Don't have a document but we have just been "made over". We now have a corporate colour; the main wall in reception is this colour; all children's Learning Journies are this colour, as are all public noticeboards and the girls polo shirts. We have also adapted it into the meeting room with the same colour accessories. All files in the office are now black and labelled using correct printed labels. Reviews have been mixed; some parents love the "more professional,corporate feel" others hate it and feel it has been de-personalised
Guest Posted March 19, 2011 Posted March 19, 2011 Yes, we definitely need a bit of work in the office too! The idea is that whoever produces a poster or flyer it will look the same, so people will know it comes from us. As we now have to tender for all contracts, we ned to make sure we have a very sharp and professional image.
Guest Posted March 19, 2011 Posted March 19, 2011 I think we are going to have a pallette of colours rather than just 1!!! I hope so anyway.
AnonyMouse_13453 Posted March 19, 2011 Posted March 19, 2011 I remember Girlguiding UK doing this when it changed from 'The Guide Association' We got a new modernised trefoil and all documents had to be produced using 'Trebuchet' font. There were lots of guidelines (pardon the pun) on the size of the logo, use of the 'strapline' etc so everything had a more professional, corporate feel. Personally, as a sole Preschool (not a chain) I've always done this anyway. I use a font called 'Pooh' for children's labels and 'Candara' for everything else, prospectus, letters, forms etc. We all have polo shirts and sweatshirts with our logo on after Social Services inspected us for the first time in the early days and complained they couldn't tell who was staff and who were parent volunteers.
Guest Posted March 19, 2011 Posted March 19, 2011 Cait, Thank you for that, I will think about logo size, we have straplines, and now I need to think about fonts as well.
Guest Posted March 19, 2011 Posted March 19, 2011 Shortly after taking over as manager I reformated absolutely EVERYTHING with same font, colours, headers etc. I continue to use the same for everything I produce and I think it adds a sense of professionalism and continuity. The problem I have is getting everyone to do the same! So I think producing a guide outlining how things should be done could be useful. One member of staff in particular, whenever I remind her to use cambria, add setting heading etc, responds with comments about me being pretty much anally challanged! It drives me nuts, and although she might do it for that one piece the next will be a mis mash of whatever again! Hmmmmmm, wonder how I can work this into policy!!! Have you had a look at some academic style guides Lolo? The kind we are issued with at uni etc.
Guest Posted March 19, 2011 Posted March 19, 2011 Personally, as a sole Preschool (not a chain) I've always done this anyway. I use a font called 'Pooh' for children's labels and 'Candara' for everything else, prospectus, letters, forms etc. I love the sound of 'pooh font'! Not on office though Cait, I want to see it now just because it sounds so lovely!
Guest Posted March 19, 2011 Posted March 19, 2011 I don't know how people will receive it yet! If you have policies, staff have to follow them. What if they suddently decided your CP policy was too anal, and they couldn't be bothered writing down bruises? A style guide is about presenting a professional image, just like following uniform policy and not hanging round the bin shed smoking. I imagine that when they speak to parents they do so in their "telephone voice" and not the same tone or langauge as when they are around old friends, so this is just the same. And this is coming from someone who is having to learn how to care about these things. I understand why they are important, but it is hard for me to check!
AnonyMouse_13453 Posted March 19, 2011 Posted March 19, 2011 here you are then! Pooh font pooh_font.pdf
Guest Posted March 19, 2011 Posted March 19, 2011 Cait, the second font is too Peter and Jane for me!! Plus the i is too narrow and it blurs into neighbouring letters.
AnonyMouse_13453 Posted March 19, 2011 Posted March 19, 2011 yes, that's what's putting me off it too, but I like some of the other letter shapes.
Guest Posted March 19, 2011 Posted March 19, 2011 Your quite right Lolo, but my issues with this particular staff member deserve their own thread!!! Cait, I AM LOVING Pooh! Will have to work out how to do that download fonts thing I've read about! Cambria for everything with me apart from labels in the setting, at the moment am using Arial Rounded but don't really like it. I've struggled to find a decent cursive font (without flicks) that ticks all the boxes.
Guest Posted March 19, 2011 Posted March 19, 2011 http://www3.hants.gov.uk/style_guide-jan-11.doc This has some really good stuff in it, particuarly 15 golden rules.
Guest Posted March 20, 2011 Posted March 20, 2011 Wow, thanks for that Moo20...so many rules! I've only skimmed it so far, but have printed off pages 37-41 which are examples of 'plain English'.
Guest Posted March 20, 2011 Posted March 20, 2011 (edited) I've struggled to find a decent cursive font (without flicks) that ticks all the boxes. have you tried 'comic sans', it has proper 'a's too Edit to say I thought I'd posted in comic sans, but it hasn't worked! Edited March 20, 2011 by gingerbreadman
Guest Posted March 20, 2011 Posted March 20, 2011 Hi Lolo I work for a really big chain so if you sent me you email I could give you some ideal. Dont want to say to much on here as I may get into trouble. But basically everything is corporate and uniformed from coat pegs, to the office, policeys and procedures, staff hand books to displays. We use primary infant sasson for all of out text on everything. fi
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