| name | ipa-brand-guidelines |
| description | Applies Innovations for Poverty Action's official brand colors and typography to any sort of artifact that may benefit from having IPA's look-and-feel. Use it when brand colors or style guidelines, visual formatting, or company design standards apply. |
IPA's Brand Styling
Overview
To access Innovations for Poverty Action's official brand identity and style resources, use this skill.
Keywords: branding, corporate identity, visual identity, post-processing, styling, brand colors, typography, IPA brand, visual formatting, visual design, writing guidelines
Brand Guidelines
Colors
Primary Brand Colors:
- IPA Green:
#49ac57 - Primary brand color
- Dark Green:
#155240 - Success states and emphasis
- Charcoal:
#414042 - Primary text and dark elements
- White:
#ffffff - Background and light text
Secondary Colors:
- Dark Blue:
#2b4085 - Secondary accent
- Light Blue:
#84d0d4 - Tertiary accent
- Red Orange:
#f26529 - Attention and highlights
- Secondary Gray:
#707073 - Secondary text elements
- Tertiary Gray:
#C2C2C4 - Tertiary elements
Supporting Colors:
- Light Grey:
#f1f2f2 - Subtle backgrounds
- Dark Grey:
#c9c9c8 - Borders and dividers
- Blue Accent:
#ceecee - Light backgrounds
Categorical Colors (for data visualization):
- Light Blue:
#84d0d4
- Dark Blue:
#2b4085
- Red Orange:
#f26529
- Purple:
#be9ffa
- Yellow:
#f5cb57
- IPA Green:
#49ac57
Sequential Colors (for gradients and scales):
- IPA Green:
#49ac57
#3f9953#35874e#2b754a#216345- Dark Green:
#155240
Divergent Colors (for comparative visualizations):
- Cool side:
#032b6c, #5566b0, #a0a9ea
- Warm side:
#fc9757, #c8420a, #730000
Typography
Official IPA Fonts:
- Body Text: Arial
- Headings: Georgia
Web Implementation (Google Fonts alternatives):
- Base Font: Arimo (Google Fonts alternative to Arial)
- Headings: Gelasio (Google Fonts alternative to Georgia)
- Monospace: Fira Code (from Google Fonts)
- Note: Arimo and Gelasio are freely available Google Fonts that closely resemble IPA's official fonts and are used for consistent web availability
Monospace Styling:
- Inline code: Dark green text (
#155240), medium weight (500)
- Code blocks: Dark green text on light grey background (
#f1f2f2)
Link Styling:
- Color: Dark blue (
#2b4085)
- Decoration: Underline
Writing Guidelines
IPA follows strict writing guidelines to ensure clear, accessible, and professional communication. Key principles include:
Core Principles
- Keep it short and simple: Use concise sentences averaging 15-20 words
- Write clearly and avoid jargon: Write for general audiences; explain technical terms on first use
- Use active voice: Prefer "Researchers conducted a study" over "A study was conducted"
- Be evidence-based and objective: Present findings neutrally without advocacy
- Show, don't tell: Use concrete evidence and specific examples
- Maintain professional tone: Avoid contractions, slang, and casual language
Key Terminology
- ✅ Use "evaluation" instead of "experiment"
- ✅ Use "participants" or "respondents" instead of "subjects"
- ✅ Use "Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs)" instead of "developing countries"
- ✅ Use "people living in poverty" instead of "poor people" or "the poor"
- ✅ Use "randomized evaluation" for general audiences instead of "RCT"
- ✅ Avoid "treatment" and "control" language - use descriptive alternatives like "enrolled in the program" vs. "did not receive the program"
Style Standards
- Follow Associated Press Stylebook (56th edition)
- Use American spelling and punctuation
- Follow Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition) for citations
- Write out numbers one through nine; use numerals for 10 and above
- Spell out acronyms on first use: "Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA)"
- Use active voice and avoid passive constructions
- No contractions: "it is" not "it's"
For complete writing guidelines, see: .claude/skills/ipa-brand-guidelines/references/writing_guidelines.md
Features
Smart Font Application
- Applies Gelasio font to headings
- Applies Arimo font to body text
- Applies Fira Code to monospace/code elements
- Automatically loads fonts from Google Fonts
- Preserves readability and brand consistency
Text Styling
- Headings: Gelasio font in appropriate weights
- Body text: Arimo font
- Code/monospace: Fira Code with dark green color
- Smart color selection based on background (charcoal on light, white on dark)
- Preserves text hierarchy and formatting
Color Application
- Primary branding uses IPA Green
- Text uses charcoal for readability
- Accent colors follow categorical/sequential/divergent palettes
- Maintains visual interest while staying on-brand
- Background/foreground contrast follows accessibility standards
Logo Integration
- Medium logo:
assets/logos/IPA-primary-color-RGB.png
- Logo placement follows brand guidelines
Technical Details
Font Management
- Official IPA fonts: Arial (body text) and Georgia (headings)
- Web implementation uses Google Fonts alternatives: Arimo (resembles Arial) and Gelasio (resembles Georgia)
- Fira Code used for monospace/code elements
- Fonts loaded from Google Fonts for consistent web availability
- No local font installation required
- Fallback to system fonts (Arial, Georgia) if Google Fonts unavailable
Color Application
- Uses RGB/hex color values for precise brand matching
- Color definitions from
assets/design-styles/light-brand.yml
- Applied via python-pptx's RGBColor class or CSS hex values
- Maintains color fidelity across different systems
- Supports categorical, sequential, and divergent color schemes for data visualization
Writing Style Enforcement
- Automated checks via Vale linting tool
- Style rules defined in
.vale.ini and styles/ directory
- Pre-commit hooks ensure compliance before committing changes
- Guidelines configurable as strict, moderate, or loose enforcement
