Visual Content Style Guide

Visual Content Style Guide for Bloom Botanicals

Brand Visual Identity Foundation

Bloom Botanicals’ visual identity should embody our core brand attributes of sustainability, authenticity, and modern wellness while appealing to our target audience of environmentally-conscious millennials and Gen Z consumers who prioritize natural ingredients and ethical sourcing. Our visual identity must clearly differentiate us from competitors like Herb Essentials, Pure Leaf, and Nature’s Way who utilize similar natural imagery but lack our modern, science-backed approach.

Photography Guidelines

Style: Bright, airy imagery with natural lighting that highlights the vibrant colors of botanical ingredients. Photos should feel authentic rather than overly styled.

Subject Matter: Feature our ingredients in their natural state alongside finished products. Include diverse models of various ethnicities in natural settings using our products in everyday wellness routines.

Technical Specifications:

• High contrast with slightly desaturated greens to create our signature earthy look
• Shallow depth of field to create focus on key elements
• Avoid harsh shadows or overly filtered looks that appear artificial
• Minimum resolution of 300 DPI for print materials, 72 DPI for digital

Examples: [Brief description of 2-3 example photography styles]

Illustration Approach

Our illustration style uses hand-drawn botanical elements with a modern, minimalist approach:

• Fine line drawings of plants and botanical ingredients
• Watercolor wash backgrounds in our secondary palette
• Limited color palette (no more than 3 colors per illustration)
• Ample white space to create a clean, contemporary feel

Usage: Illustrations should complement photography, not replace it. Use illustrations primarily for:

• Ingredient visualization in educational content
• Iconography in product packaging and digital interfaces
• Supporting graphics in social media content

Color System

Primary Palette:

• Forest Green (#2C5545): Use for primary text, headers, and backgrounds
• Soft Cream (#F8F4E3): Use for backgrounds and negative space
• Terra Cotta (#D85C27): Use as accent color only (less than 10% of any design)

Secondary Palette:

• Sage Green (#C2C5AA)
• Pale Pink (#F5D6C6)
• Earth Brown (#5E4B3E)

Usage Guidelines:

• Always maintain 60% (primary) / 30% (secondary) / 10% (accent) color ratio
• Ensure sufficient contrast between text and backgrounds (WCAG AA minimum)
• Reserve Terra Cotta for call-to-action elements and important highlights

Typography

Primary Typefaces:

• Headings: Canela (print) / Georgia (digital)
• Body: Avenir (print) / Open Sans (digital)

Typographic Hierarchy:

• H1: 32pt/32px, Canela Medium, 1.2 line spacing
• H2: 24pt/24px, Canela Regular, 1.3 line spacing
• Body: 11pt/16px, Avenir Book, 1.5 line spacing
• Captions: 9pt/12px, Avenir Light Italic, 1.4 line spacing

Text Treatments:

• Avoid all caps except for small labels and buttons
• Maintain generous white space around text blocks
• Left-align all text except for centered headlines on hero images

Data Visualization Standards

All charts and graphs should follow these principles:

• Use primary color palette with Forest Green as the dominant color
• Employ minimalist design with clean lines and limited elements
• Include appropriate white space and clear labels
• Avoid 3D effects, shadows, or decorative elements that don’t add meaning
• Ensure accessibility with patterns in addition to color coding
• Maintain consistency in style across all data presentations

Video Production Elements

Visual Treatment:

• Natural lighting with warm undertones
• Slow, deliberate camera movements
• 16:9 aspect ratio for YouTube/website; 9:16 for Instagram Stories/TikTok
• Opening and closing frames include logo with consistent placement

B-Roll Guidance:

• Include macro shots of botanical ingredients
• Show production process emphasizing handcrafted aspects
• Feature diverse customers using products in natural settings

Sound Design:

• Acoustic instrumental background music
• Natural environmental sounds where appropriate
• Clear, conversational voiceovers without heavy effects

Layout Principles

• Embrace negative space (minimum 20% of layout should be white space)
• Use asymmetrical balance rather than centered compositions
• Implement a modular grid system with 12 columns for flexibility
• Maintain consistent margins (minimum 12px digital, 0.25″ print)
• Layer transparent botanical elements as subtle background texture

Channel-Specific Guidelines

Instagram:

• Grid: Alternate between product, lifestyle, and educational content
• Stories: Vertical format with minimalist text overlays
• Reels: Quick transitions between scenes with prominent type animation

Website:

• Large hero images with minimal text overlay
• Consistent spacing between content sections (40px minimum)
• Product photography on white backgrounds with shadow consistency

Packaging:

• Matte finish with subtle texture
• Transparent elements to showcase natural product color
• Limited information on front panel with expanded details on back/sides

Implementation Examples

[Brief descriptions of 4-5 examples showing the style guide applied across different channels]