Bold
Lead with confidence. The work should feel ready to move people, not like a cautious memo waiting for permission.
Brand Guidelines
Guidelines for a grassroots transit advocacy brand that is bold, trustworthy, approachable, and fun.
We're building a modern, playful brand for transit advocacy and better urbanism in Las Vegas.
LVBT is part traditional nonprofit, part bold advocacy campaign. A legislator or a coalition partner should take it seriously. It should also feel energetic and youthful enough to carry a genuinely moonshot case for world-class transit in a car-built desert city.
It also has to stay accessible enough that a rider, a neighbor, or a first-time volunteer can pick it up and use it well, and flexible enough to support both education and action: explainers, flyers, public testimony, volunteer asks, social posts, and coalition materials.
Personality
LVBT should feel like people who care about the Valley and know what they are talking about: optimistic without being naive, direct without being mean, and playful only when play helps people feel invited into the work.
Trustworthy
Use clear facts, plain labels, and consistent structure so people know where the claim comes from and what to do with it.
Approachable
Transit advocacy should feel open to riders, neighbors, students, workers, and first-time volunteers, not only policy insiders.
Fun
Make it easier to care. The brand can be expressive, energetic, and memorable without losing the seriousness of the mission.
LVBT is expressive. This is not your typical urbanist organization, and the design should make that clear at a glance.
The look pulls from two instincts at once. One is the clean, structured clarity of a modern news explainer. The other is the bold, vibrant energy of a labor and justice campaign. Most of a page stays calm and readable so the loud moments land: a big headline, a block of Ember, or one strong photo.
Inspiration
Draw from public-interest design that is legible, energetic, and built for people who are new to the issue.
@so.informed
Clean and structured
A national progressive news account built almost entirely from clear, well-organized text. It shows how far restraint and strong hierarchy can carry a message.
@moreperfectunion
Bold and vibrant
A labor-focused publication with loud, confident, graphic-driven design. It shows how energy and color can make a serious message feel alive.
Do
Let one loud moment lead
Keep most of a layout calm and readable so a single big headline, block of Ember, or strong photo can land.
Don't
Don't make everything shout
Competing loud elements cancel out. When everything is bold, nothing reads as emphasis.
Color creates hierarchy, marks action, and keeps LVBT materials legible across education, outreach, and campaign work.
Start with neutral surfaces. Paper and Ink should carry most of the composition; Ember enters when the reader needs to notice an action, selected state, deadline, or key point.
Treat every color as a role with an intended foreground. Do not choose text color by eye. Use the foreground listed with the role, and use Primary ink when orange appears as text on a light surface.
Semantic reference
Semantic tokens describe what a color is in the system. Use the paired token listed here when text or icons sit on a colored surface.
| Token | Light | Dark | Pair | Role | Guidance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #F7F4EC | #191A1D | --color-on-surface | Base page surface | Use for the main reading canvas and ordinary page backgrounds. | |
| #0F1115 | #F7F4EC | --color-surface | Primary text | Use for headings, body copy, and icons on Surface or Surface container. | |
| #4A4E57 | #B0A99C | --color-surface | Secondary text | Use for supporting copy, metadata, captions, and lower-emphasis labels. | |
| #EFE9DB | #232428 | --color-on-surface | Raised surface | Use for cards, panels, grouped tools, and quiet callouts. | |
| #0F1115 | #2D2F34 | --color-on-slab | High-emphasis dark surface | Use for footer, featured dark cards, and major statement surfaces. | |
| #F7F4EC | #F7F4EC | --color-slab | Text on Slab | Use for primary text, icons, and buttons placed on Slab. | |
| #A8ACB4 | #B0A99C | --color-slab | Muted text on Slab | Use for supporting text on dark bands and featured dark cards. | |
| #E5471A | #E5471A | --color-on-primary | Primary action | Use for primary buttons, selected states, live badges, and urgent markers. | |
| #F7F4EC | #F7F4EC | --color-primary | Text on Primary | Use for text and icons on Primary. Do not put orange text on Primary. | |
| #FFE9D6 | #47210F | --color-on-primary-container | Soft brand surface | Use for support panels, chips, specimens, and brand-tinted callouts. | |
| #0F1115 | #FFD9C7 | --color-primary-container | Text on Primary container | Use for copy and icons on Primary container. | |
| #BF3A10 | #FF8A5C | --color-surface | Orange text | Use when orange itself is text, especially links and inline emphasis. | |
| #EC7049 | #EC7049 | --color-surface | Warm accent | Use sparingly for graphic accents when Primary is too forceful. | |
| #FFE9D6 | #FFE9D6 | --color-slab | Soft accent on dark | Use for warm highlights on Slab, including featured dark cards. | |
| #0F1115 | #72757D | --color-surface | Strong border | Use for high-emphasis borders, button outlines, and structural frames. | |
| #0F1115 | #F7F4EC | --color-surface | Divider color | Use with opacity or color-mix for dividers, table lines, and subtle boundaries. | |
| #BF3A10 | #FF8A5C | --color-surface | Link text | Use for inline links on ordinary reading surfaces. |
Functional reference
Functional roles describe what to reach for when designing a page, graphic, event card, or document.
| Use | Tokens | Guidance |
|---|---|---|
| Page background | --color-surface | Default canvas for content-heavy pages. Keep long reading on this surface. |
| Body text and headings | --color-on-surface | Primary foreground on Surface and Surface container. |
| Supporting copy | --color-on-surface-variant | Metadata, captions, helper text, and secondary paragraphs. |
| Cards and grouped panels | --color-surface-container + --color-on-surface | Use when content needs grouping without becoming a call to action. |
| Primary action | --color-primary + --color-on-primary | Buttons, selected states, urgent facts, and live status surfaces. |
| Quiet brand callout | --color-primary-container + --color-on-primary-container | Notes, chips, logo specimens, and warm support areas. |
| Inline orange text | --color-primary-ink or --color-link | Links and emphasis on quiet surfaces. Do not use Primary as text on Primary. |
| Dark feature surface | --color-slab + --color-on-slab | Footer, featured event cards, and major statements that need weight. |
| Muted text on dark | --color-on-slab-variant | Secondary copy on Slab. Keep body copy readable; do not over-mute key facts. |
| Dividers and frames | --color-outline or --color-outline-variant | Use structural borders intentionally. Prefer space before adding another line. |
Color in practice
Action surface
Use for the primary call to action, urgent facts, and active controls.
Support surface
Use for softer emphasis when the page still needs to feel connected to the brand.
Text accent
Use Primary ink for orange text on quiet surfaces.
Do
Pair each color with its role
Lead with Paper and Ink, bring in Ember to mark action, and use the foreground listed with each role.
Don't
Don't pick text color by eye
Don't flood a layout with Ember or set orange text on Ember. Neutrals carry the page, and color earns its place.
Use Public Sans everywhere, and save display type for moments that need real emphasis.
The scale keeps a few roles so pages stay consistent and easy to scan. Reach for the smallest role that still gives the content its proper rank.
Labels, buttons, metadata, and section markers should use sentence case or title case. Acronyms can stay uppercase when they are the actual term, but do not force text into uppercase as a style.
Display
The loudest type. Reserve it for the largest home-page and campaign moments and for page titles. Keep it short and concrete — if it needs punctuation to explain itself, it is probably a headline.
We need you in the room.
Display large
text-display-lg · 40–88px · weight 900
Use for the largest home-page or campaign moments only.
Brand
Display medium
text-display-md · 36–72px · weight 800
Use for page titles on major reference, contact, project, and utility pages.
About Las Vegans for Better Transit
Display small
text-display-sm · 30–48px · weight 800
Use when a title needs display weight but must fit longer civic or organizational names.
Headline
Section-level emphasis. Headlines should tell the reader what a section does, so prefer a concrete claim over a generic label.
Show up with facts and neighbors.
Headline large
text-headline-lg · 28–44px · weight 800
Use for top-level sections, feature cards, explainers, and strong page breaks.
Logos
Headline medium
text-headline-md · 28px · weight 800
Use for sticky guide section headers and compact page-level headings.
Personality
Headline small
text-headline-sm · 24px · weight 700
Use for nested section headings that still need more presence than a title role.
Title
The scanning size. Titles name cards, rows, buttons, and assets; pair them with body copy that explains the decision or action.
Next organizing meeting
Title
text-title-lg · 20–24px · weight 700
Use for cards, rows, buttons, compact panels, and asset names.
Body
The reading sizes. Body large introduces, medium explains, and small supports — reach for the smallest that still gives the content its proper rank.
Transit advocacy works when the stakes are specific and the ask is easy to repeat.
Body large
text-body-lg · 18–20px · weight 400
Use for ledes, section intros, prominent summaries, and short explanatory copy that leads a page or section.
Better transit is easier to support when people can connect it to daily life.
Body medium
text-body-md · 16px · weight 400
Use for default paragraphs, card descriptions, prose blocks, and standard explanatory copy.
Updated July 2026 · Program notes
Body small
text-body-sm · 14px · weight 400
Use for metadata, captions, helper text, secondary notes, dates, status text, and compact support copy.
Do
Use the smallest role that fits
Match the role to the job, and step down to the smallest size that still gives the content its proper rank.
Don't
Don't force uppercase labels
Use weight, size, spacing, or color for hierarchy. Do not turn labels, buttons, or metadata into all-caps styling.
Layout should make the hierarchy visible before anyone reads the copy. Keep the structure direct, roomy, and easy to scan across pages, flyers, decks, and social graphics.
Alignment
Default to left-aligning copy, headings, buttons, captions, and stacked elements. A strong left edge makes flyers, carousels, one-page briefs, and meeting slides faster to scan.
Center only for a short, intentional moment: a poster-like campaign line, a single stat, a lone call to action. Never center long paragraphs or mix alignments in one small block.
Left by default
Left edge for reading, comparison, and action.
Center for emphasis
Center one short idea when it should feel like a moment.
Communication layouts
Start with the message. Put the headline, fact, date, or ask where the eye lands first; decorative structure never outranks the reason the piece exists.
Build one clear path. Most pieces read top-left to bottom-right. Use columns only for comparison, lists, or paired choices.
Keep groups obvious. Related items sit close together; separate sections with space first, then a rule if the break needs to stay visible.
- 01 Message
- 02 Context
- 03 Proof
- 04 Action
Spacing and rhythm
Use larger gaps between major ideas and tighter gaps inside a related group. The page should feel organized before it feels decorated.
Avoid stacking redundant separators. If a sticky header already has a rule, the first block below it usually does not need another.
Major section
Strong break, clear title, then content.
Supporting block
Thin rules divide related tools or repeated rows.
Actions
Actions sit with the content they complete. Align buttons to the same left edge as the surrounding copy in forms, briefs, emails, and guide pages. Center a button only when it follows a centered, one-message moment.
Do
Lead with a left-aligned path
Left-align copy and actions, group related items with space, and make the hierarchy visible before anyone reads a word.
Don't
Don't center long copy or over-divide
Reserve centering for one short moment, and don't stack redundant rules where space already marks the break.
Use the wordmark when people need the full name. Use the square LVBT mark when space is tight or the organization is named nearby.
LVBT has two approved logo versions: the full wordmark and the square LVBT mark. Use the wordmark to introduce the organization, and use the mark where space is tight or the name is already nearby. Keep space around every logo, preserve contrast, and use the original artwork.
Logo versions
Pick the logo that fits the communication job. The wordmark introduces the organization; the square mark identifies LVBT when the full name already appears nearby or space is limited.
Use the wordmark for most first impressions: flyers, decks, reports, tabling materials, and graphics that may travel outside LVBT channels.
Choose the right logo
Start with recognition. If the viewer needs the full name, use the wordmark. If the name is already present, the mark can carry the identity.
Do
Let the full name introduce us
Use the wordmark before asking a new audience to donate, join, testify, or share.
Don't
Don't force the wordmark small
When the name stops reading, switch to the mark or simplify the surrounding layout.
Space around logos
Give every logo breathing room. Leave empty space around the mark equal to at least a quarter of its width, and keep that field empty.
Nothing else belongs inside it: not a partner logo, a QR code, a headline, or a page edge.
Minimum sizes
Keep the logo large enough to read at a glance. If a placement cannot meet the minimum, change the layout before shrinking the artwork.
- LVBT mark
- Minimum digital size: 40px. For print, keep it at least 0.45 in wide.
- Wordmark
- Minimum digital width: 180px. For print, keep it at least 1.6 in wide.
Backgrounds
Use the approved light artwork on Paper, white, and soft orange fields. Use the dark artwork on Ink, dark photos, and night-event graphics. The logo should read before the background does.
Choose a quiet background
Choose the logo version that gives the logo a clean area behind it. Avoid busy photos, low-contrast color, and improvised recoloring.
Do
Keep the logo field quiet
Place approved light or dark artwork on Paper, Ink, soft orange, white, or calm image areas.
Don't
Don't decorate the artwork
Do not recolor, outline, shadow, rotate, crop, or place the logo over visual noise.
Logo placement
Place the logo where it can anchor the composition without competing with the message. Corners and simple header areas usually work better than busy centers.
Pair the logo with a clear title, action, or source line. Do not make the logo carry the whole message by itself.
Logo artwork
Use the approved logo artwork as provided. If the logo does not fit, adjust the layout, background, or logo version instead of changing the artwork.
Keep the artwork unchanged
These rules protect recognition. They also make materials easier for volunteers and partners to reproduce consistently.
Do
Use original artwork
Use the approved artwork as provided, with enough space and enough contrast.
Don't
Don't redraw or distort
Do not stretch, crop, rotate, add effects, swap colors, or rebuild the logo in another typeface.
Logo assets
Use the tabs to preview approved light and dark assets, then copy or download the format your tool supports.
LVBT mark · Light
Download the vector SVG for source artwork, or use a transparent PNG when a tool cannot place SVG assets.
SVG
Recommended. Scales to any size without blurring.
128px PNG
Transparent PNG
256px PNG
Transparent PNG
512px PNG
Transparent PNG
LVBT mark · Dark
Download the vector SVG for source artwork, or use a transparent PNG when a tool cannot place SVG assets.
SVG
Recommended. Scales to any size without blurring.
128px PNG
Transparent PNG
256px PNG
Transparent PNG
512px PNG
Transparent PNG
Wordmark · Light
Download the vector SVG for source artwork, or use a transparent PNG when a tool cannot place SVG assets.
SVG
Recommended. Scales to any size without blurring.
512px PNG
Transparent PNG
1024px PNG
Transparent PNG
2048px PNG
Transparent PNG
Wordmark · Dark
Download the vector SVG for source artwork, or use a transparent PNG when a tool cannot place SVG assets.
SVG
Recommended. Scales to any size without blurring.
512px PNG
Transparent PNG
1024px PNG
Transparent PNG
2048px PNG
Transparent PNG
Logo asset reference
Use SVG for print and high-resolution layouts. PNG is available for tools that do not accept vector artwork.
LVBT mark · Light
SVG: /brand/lvbt-logo.svg
PNG: /brand/lvbt-logo-128.png, /brand/lvbt-logo-256.png, /brand/lvbt-logo-512.png
LVBT mark · Dark
SVG: /brand/lvbt-logo-dark.svg
PNG: /brand/lvbt-logo-dark-128.png, /brand/lvbt-logo-dark-256.png, /brand/lvbt-logo-dark-512.png
Wordmark · Light
SVG: /brand/lvbt-wordmark.svg
PNG: /brand/lvbt-wordmark-512.png, /brand/lvbt-wordmark-1024.png, /brand/lvbt-wordmark-2048.png
Wordmark · Dark
SVG: /brand/lvbt-wordmark-dark.svg
PNG: /brand/lvbt-wordmark-dark-512.png, /brand/lvbt-wordmark-dark-1024.png, /brand/lvbt-wordmark-dark-2048.png
LVBT sounds clear, specific, useful, and human. Start with the audience, then choose the tone that helps them understand the issue and act.
Voice is how LVBT sounds in public: direct, useful, and easy to trust. The same message should not always sound the same everywhere. In every case, the copy should meet people where they are and help them understand what is happening and what they can do next.
Know your audience
This is the first rule. A county commissioner, a reporter, a high-school student, and a tired rider at a bus stop may all need the same message delivered in different ways.
Stay professional, but do not confuse professional with formal. Use the language, pace, and amount of context that helps the audience understand the point without feeling talked down to.
Community event
Residents at a booth or neighborhood meeting. Keep it warm and concrete so people feel invited to talk.
Do
Come talk about better buses, safer stops, and what Clark County can do next.
Don't
Attend our upcoming policy education session regarding regional mobility priorities.
Public official
A commissioner or staffer with little time. Lead with the specific ask and what it prevents.
Do
Please support a 2027 transit funding bill so RTC can avoid service cuts and improve bus frequency.
Don't
We urge policymakers to consider the importance of multimodal investment.
Youth outreach
Students and young riders. Speak to their daily trips in plain, direct language.
Do
Want better buses to school, work, and events? Come tell us what needs to change.
Don't
Participate in a discussion about transportation policy in Southern Nevada.
Write plainly
Sound like people who ride the bus, read agendas, and expect better. Break long thoughts into short sentences, and use headings or bullets when detail starts to pile up.
Spell out names before using abbreviations. Repeat the noun when “it,” “this,” or “that” could point to more than one thing.
Jargon
Advocacy shorthand a newcomer would not follow. Say who does what in everyday words.
Do
We help riders, neighbors, and local partners organize for buses and trains that actually work.
Don't
We are committed to empowering community stakeholders through multimodal mobility solutions.
Ambiguous reference
A pronoun with no clear referent. Name the noun so the sentence stands on its own.
Do
More frequent buses help riders get to work and school with less waiting.
Don't
This will help them get there faster.
Be specific
Name the route, meeting, vote, agency, deadline, street, or dollar amount when it matters.
Specifics make the message credible and easier for someone to repeat in a meeting, a group chat, or testimony.
Generic urgency
A big claim with no anchor. Name the actual political window or decision point.
Do
The 2027 Legislature is the next real chance to fix RTC funding.
Don't
The time is now to transform transportation.
Be informative
Give people enough information to understand the issue, not just the mood around it. Facts, dates, names, numbers, and sources make advocacy easier to trust.
Do not turn every post into a white paper. Lead with the point, then add the context someone needs to decide whether to show up, share, donate, email, or keep reading.
Explain local references when the audience may not know them. RTC, the County Commission, Carson City, a bill number, or a route name may need one plain sentence of context.
Too vague
A mood with no facts. Give the number, the date, and who can act.
Do
RTC says it needs new revenue by 2027 to avoid deeper service cuts. The County Commission can ask the Legislature for that authority.
Don't
Transit funding is a major issue and leaders need to do better.
Too much at once
Every detail dumped together. Lead with the one point that matters.
Do
RTC needs new operating money by 2027. Without it, the agency says bus service could get worse.
Don't
RTC sales tax authority, farebox recovery, capital grants, operating deficits, and service-hour projections all intersect with the 2027 session.
Start with what matters
Lead with the thing people need first: the ask, deadline, decision, result, or reason to care.
Every page, post, and flyer should make the next idea or next action easy to find.
Link label
A vague destination. Say what someone will open or read.
Do
Read the project brief.
Don't
Learn more about our initiatives.
Use active verbs
Use verbs people recognize from real life: join, read, email, donate, RSVP.
Buttons and links should say what opens or happens next.
Signup action
A form label or button. Use the verb that matches the action.
Do
Join the volunteer list.
Don't
Submit your information to express interest in participating.
Match the moment
A voter guide can be calm. A deadline reminder can be urgent. A community win can have some joy. A youth event can sound more casual than a legislative memo.
Adjust the tone to the setting, but keep the same core standard: clear, specific, useful, and human.
Calm explainer
Background, not breaking news. Explain how it works without sounding an alarm.
Do
Here is how RTC is funded, why the gap matters, and what could change in 2027.
Don't
A major crisis is unfolding in our transportation system.
Urgent deadline
A decision is hours away. State the moment and the single action to take.
Do
RTC is voting Thursday. Email the board before 5 PM.
Don't
Important updates regarding our ongoing advocacy efforts.
Community win
A real result worth celebrating. Credit the people who made it happen.
Do
You packed the room, and the board delayed the fare vote. That matters.
Don't
We are pleased to announce a positive development.
Cut filler
Delete throat-clearing, generic urgency, and sentences that sound important without helping anyone.
If a line does not help someone understand, decide, or act, cut it.
Opening line
A sentence that sounds urgent but says nothing specific. Replace it with the event and action.
Do
Join us Thursday to plan testimony for the RTC board meeting.
Don't
In these unprecedented times, it is more important than ever to come together.