{ "$schema": "vcubed-brand-system/6.1", "canonical": true, "brand": { "name": "vcubed", "edition": "Edition 06.1", "version": "6.1.0", "status": "Approved Core", "supersedes": "Edition 06", "date": "2026-08-06", "canonicalSource": "v6.1-system.json", "derived": [ "v6.1-tokens.json", "v6.1-manifest.json" ], "guide": "vcubed Brand Guidelines v6.1.dc.html" }, "positioning": { "territory": "AI and software that survive production.", "support": "…procurement, security — and the board.", "model": [ "Implemented", "Adopted", "Governed" ], "voice": [ "Measured, specific, unhurried", "Every claim carries evidence", "No adjective survives where a number could replace it" ] }, "color": { "sapphire": { "50": "#F3F7FF", "100": "#E6EDFF", "200": "#CFDCFF", "300": "#AFC4FE", "400": "#8CA8FD", "500": "#5472E8", "600": "#435CC8", "700": "#3247A5", "800": "#223279", "900": "#121D4C", "950": "#070D2A" }, "aqua": { "50": "#EBFAFC", "100": "#D9F3F5", "200": "#B6E7EB", "300": "#86D5DD", "400": "#4CBFCA", "500": "#0FA3AE", "600": "#058790", "700": "#026A71", "800": "#004B51", "900": "#002C2F", "950": "#001517" }, "imperial": { "50": "#F7F5FF", "100": "#ECEAFF", "200": "#DCD7FF", "300": "#C6BBFE", "400": "#AE9BFD", "500": "#8466E0", "600": "#6D55B8", "700": "#564196", "800": "#3E2D6F", "900": "#241A45", "950": "#110B25" }, "verdant": { "50": "#F1FAF1", "100": "#E3F2E3", "200": "#C9E5CB", "300": "#A8D3AB", "400": "#84BD89", "500": "#538758", "600": "#38733F", "700": "#285C2F", "800": "#1B4321", "900": "#0E2812", "950": "#051507" }, "orchid": { "50": "#FFF3F8", "100": "#FEE5F0", "200": "#FACEE3", "300": "#F2AFD0", "400": "#E38DB9", "500": "#B85C8E", "600": "#9D4877", "700": "#7F355E", "800": "#5C2444", "900": "#391428", "950": "#1E0714" }, "amber": { "50": "#FFF5EA", "100": "#FBEAD7", "200": "#F5D7B4", "300": "#EBBC86", "400": "#DB9F53", "500": "#B87817", "600": "#9A6208", "700": "#7A4C00", "800": "#593500", "900": "#361E00", "950": "#1C0C00" }, "rowan": { "50": "#FFF4F3", "100": "#FFE6E5", "200": "#FECFCD", "300": "#FEADAA", "400": "#FE8181", "500": "#DE414C", "600": "#B8373F", "700": "#95252E", "800": "#6D171F", "900": "#440B10", "950": "#240405" }, "nocturne": { "50": "#F5F7FC", "100": "#EAECF5", "200": "#D7DCEB", "300": "#BEC5DD", "400": "#A2ABCA", "500": "#6F7AA1", "600": "#5D6583", "700": "#485069", "800": "#33394C", "900": "#1E222E", "950": "#0E1018" }, "parchment": { "50": "#F8F7F4", "100": "#EEEDE9", "200": "#DFDCD5", "300": "#CBC7BC", "400": "#B3AEA0", "500": "#8A8577", "600": "#6E6A5E", "700": "#565247", "800": "#3E3B33", "900": "#26241F", "950": "#131210" } }, "colorLayers": { "1_core": { "families": [ "sapphire", "parchment", "nocturne" ], "role": "Recognition. Covers, mastheads, backgrounds, headings, rules, master diagrams, contractual pages, default tables, neutral charts." }, "2_accent": { "families": [ "aqua" ], "role": "Interaction and technology. Links, calls to action, focus and selection, key technical emphasis, ready status when paired with a word and glyph." }, "3_workstream": { "families": [ "imperial", "verdant", "orchid" ], "role": "Optional navigation. Answers which part of the engagement a reader is in — never what colour the whole document is." }, "4_status": { "families": [ "aqua", "amber", "rowan", "nocturne" ], "role": "State only. Always paired with a glyph and a written label." } }, "workstreams": { "imperial": { "name": "AI implementation", "covers": "Model selection, evaluation, retrieval, production rollout, model governance." }, "verdant": { "name": "Platforms, data and integration", "covers": "Custom enterprise platforms, integrations, data products, architecture." }, "orchid": { "name": "Adoption, operating model and change", "covers": "Enablement, product adoption, process design, organisational change." } }, "decisionRule": [ { "q": "Is the colour expressing the vcubed brand?", "a": "Sapphire, Parchment or Nocturne." }, { "q": "Is it helping a reader navigate a workstream?", "a": "Imperial, Verdant or Orchid, locally." }, { "q": "Is it communicating state?", "a": "Aqua, Amber, Rowan or neutral — with a glyph and a label." }, { "q": "Is it an interactive action?", "a": "Aqua." }, { "q": "None of these?", "a": "Do not add colour." } ], "semantic": { "surface.paper": "parchment.50", "surface.paper.sunk": "parchment.100", "surface.screen": "nocturne.950", "surface.screen.raised": "nocturne.900", "surface.brand": "sapphire.950", "ink.primary.light": "parchment.900", "ink.secondary.light": "parchment.700", "ink.primary.dark": "nocturne.100", "ink.secondary.dark": "nocturne.400", "rule.default": "sapphire.800", "rule.default.onDark": "sapphire.400", "rule.hairline": "sapphire.100", "accent.default": "aqua.700", "accent.default.onDark": "aqua.400", "focus.ring": "aqua.500", "status.ready": "aqua.700", "status.risk": "amber.700", "status.breach": "rowan.700", "status.none": "parchment.700", "status.ready.onDark": "aqua.400", "status.risk.onDark": "amber.400", "status.breach.onDark": "rowan.400", "status.none.onDark": "nocturne.400" }, "status": [ { "key": "ready", "glyph": "✓", "label": "Ready", "meaning": "Verified, in production, cleared" }, { "key": "risk", "glyph": "▲", "label": "At risk", "meaning": "Slipping, awaiting a decision" }, { "key": "breach", "glyph": "■", "label": "Breach", "meaning": "Failed a control, escalated" }, { "key": "none", "glyph": "—", "label": "Not started", "meaning": "No work yet. Not a judgement." } ], "documentMatrix": [ { "type": "Proposal", "core": "Sapphire cover and navigation anchor", "workstream": "One family may lead a focused proposal; a multi-workstream proposal uses each family in its own section", "status": "Risks, milestones, decisions and delivery health only" }, { "type": "Statement of work", "core": "Parchment and Nocturne, restrained", "workstream": "Optional and subtle; commercial and contractual pages stay core-neutral", "status": "Only where a genuine state is communicated" }, { "type": "Technical requirements", "core": "Core neutral reading environment", "workstream": "Local, for system layers, requirement families or architecture regions", "status": "Validation, readiness, acceptance and risk" }, { "type": "Presentation", "core": "Sapphire or Nocturne deck anchor", "workstream": "May own a divider or a coherent sequence; one dominant family per slide", "status": "Delivery and governance content" }, { "type": "Website", "core": "Global navigation and structure", "workstream": "May identify service modules, case studies or page sections", "status": "Product and delivery pages" }, { "type": "Dashboard and product UI", "core": "Neutral surfaces and structure", "workstream": "May categorise data or architecture", "status": "Operational state, always with text or shape" }, { "type": "Case study and marketing", "core": "Sapphire default and unifying field", "workstream": "One family may become hero when the story belongs to it", "status": "Where outcomes are stated" } ], "fieldRule": "One dominant field per page or sequence. Sapphire is the default. A workstream field may replace it on a clearly labelled divider or focused sequence.", "type": { "display": { "family": "Sora", "stack": "'Sora', 'Segoe UI', system-ui, sans-serif", "weights": [ 400, 500, 600 ], "numerals": "tabular" }, "text": { "family": "Instrument Sans", "stack": "'Instrument Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif", "weights": [ 400, 500, 600 ] }, "minLabelPx": 12, "scale": { "displayXL": { "font": "Sora", "weight": 400, "size": "clamp(30px, 5.4vw, 72px)", "leading": 1.04, "tracking": "-0.045em", "use": "Cover statement. One per document." }, "displayL": { "font": "Sora", "weight": 400, "size": "clamp(26px, 4.2vw, 50px)", "leading": 1.22, "tracking": "-0.036em", "use": "Plate statement, section opener." }, "heading": { "font": "Sora", "weight": 500, "size": "clamp(20px, 2.2vw, 26px)", "leading": 1.2, "tracking": "-0.024em", "use": "Page and panel headings." }, "subheading": { "font": "Sora", "weight": 500, "size": "20px", "leading": 1.2, "tracking": "-0.022em", "use": "Section name in the margin column." }, "figure": { "font": "Sora", "weight": 400, "size": "clamp(28px, 3.4vw, 44px)", "leading": 1.1, "tracking": "-0.03em", "use": "Every number. Tabular." }, "body": { "font": "Instrument Sans", "weight": 400, "size": "15–17px", "leading": 1.72, "tracking": "0", "use": "All running text. Max 72ch." }, "caption": { "font": "Instrument Sans", "weight": 400, "size": "13px", "leading": 1.55, "tracking": "0", "use": "Figure captions, source notes." }, "label": { "font": "Instrument Sans", "weight": 600, "size": "12px", "leading": 1, "tracking": "0.12em", "use": "Eyebrows, table heads, UI. 12px is the production floor." } } }, "logo": { "wordmarkThresholdPx": 160, "cubeMinPx": 24, "cubeSmallRangePx": [ 16, 23 ], "cubeOneInkMinPx": 16, "clearspace": "One top-plate width on every side, equal to a quarter of the symbol height.", "rules": [ "The cube is the sole primary symbol.", "Below 160px the lockup is replaced by the wordmark alone or the cube alone.", "Between 16 and 23px use the optical small-size cube.", "One ink means one ink: no opacity is used to fake tonal steps.", "The master lockup never changes colour outside the approved files." ] }, "motion": { "name": "Cube assembly", "trigger": "once-on-enter", "entryThreshold": 0.4, "durationMs": 900, "staggerMs": 140, "easing": "cubic-bezier(0.22, 0.61, 0.36, 1)", "hold": "assembled", "loop": false, "replay": "explicit user action only", "perArtifact": 1, "slideUse": "Title slide only, on slide entry.", "reducedMotion": "Render assembled and still. The animation carries no information the static mark does not." }, "imagery": { "modes": [ { "key": "decisions", "name": "Decisions in progress", "subject": "Teams reviewing systems, risks, diagrams or prototypes", "crop": "Tight and off-centre; subjects may run out of frame", "framing": "Eye level or slightly above, shot into the work", "treatment": "Full colour, available light, no filter or duotone" }, { "key": "artifacts", "name": "Annotated artifacts", "subject": "Architecture diagrams, working notes, marked-up plans, prototype screens", "crop": "Square to the artifact, marks legible", "framing": "Overhead or straight on", "treatment": "Full colour, marks never blurred for effect" }, { "key": "inplace", "name": "Prototypes in place", "subject": "Technology in a real operational environment", "crop": "Wide enough to show the environment", "framing": "Over the shoulder, screens photographed not composited", "treatment": "Full colour, screen legible" } ], "rules": [ "Type sits beside a photograph or on a flat field below it, never over it. The monochrome lockup may sit on a dark, quiet corner.", "Sequence in threes: a decision, the artifact it produced, the system running.", "Captions state what is happening and when. They do not interpret.", "Every image carries a signed release covering the client, the site and any visible screen content.", "Alt text describes the work being done, not the mood: 'Two engineers marking up a retrieval architecture on a whiteboard', not 'Collaborative team meeting'.", "Low light is corrected for exposure only. High-contrast scenes keep the highlight, never the crushed shadow." ], "never": [ "Glowing orbs, neural meshes, circuit boards, robots, particle fields", "Stock imagery of any kind", "Generated imagery presented as documentation of real work", "Colour fields laid over a face", "Isolated device mockups floating on a gradient" ] }, "play": { "layers": [ { "level": "Continuous", "behaviour": "Human imagery", "note": "Warmth is carried by the photography, not by ornament." }, { "level": "Recurring", "behaviour": "Marginal working notes", "note": "A short annotation in the margin, set in Instrument Sans 13px with a 1px Sapphire 300 leader. It records a real decision or caveat." }, { "level": "Recurring", "behaviour": "Construction marks", "note": "A cropped cube plane or a 1px alignment mark bleeding off an edge, at 8% of the ground. Never more than one per spread." }, { "level": "Rare", "behaviour": "Cube assembly", "note": "The flagship moment. Once per artifact, on entry, then still." } ] }, "a11y": { "bodyMin": 4.5, "largeMin": 3, "graphicMin": 3, "pairs": [ [ "parchment.900", "parchment.50", "Body ink on paper", "body" ], [ "parchment.700", "parchment.50", "Secondary ink on paper", "body" ], [ "sapphire.800", "parchment.50", "Sapphire rule on paper", "graphic" ], [ "aqua.700", "parchment.50", "Aqua accent on paper", "body" ], [ "aqua.700", "aqua.50", "Ready chip", "body" ], [ "amber.700", "amber.50", "At risk chip", "body" ], [ "rowan.700", "rowan.50", "Breach chip", "body" ], [ "parchment.700", "parchment.100", "Not started chip", "body" ], [ "nocturne.100", "nocturne.950", "Body ink on screen", "body" ], [ "nocturne.400", "nocturne.950", "Secondary ink on screen", "body" ], [ "sapphire.400", "sapphire.950", "Sapphire label on brand field", "body" ], [ "aqua.400", "nocturne.950", "Aqua accent on screen", "body" ], [ "amber.400", "amber.900", "At risk chip, dark", "body" ], [ "rowan.400", "rowan.900", "Breach chip, dark", "body" ], [ "sapphire.50", "sapphire.900", "Cover title on Sapphire", "body" ], [ "imperial.300", "imperial.800", "Imperial label on field", "body" ], [ "verdant.300", "verdant.800", "Verdant label on field", "body" ], [ "orchid.200", "orchid.800", "Orchid label on field", "body" ], [ "aqua.500", "nocturne.950", "Focus ring on screen", "graphic" ], [ "sapphire.800", "parchment.100", "Focus ring on paper", "graphic" ] ] }, "assets": { "active": [ [ "assets/v61-lockup-horizontal-light.svg", "Master lockup. Dark grounds. Default everywhere.", "lockup" ], [ "assets/v61-lockup-horizontal-dark.svg", "Master lockup. Parchment and white grounds. All print.", "lockup" ], [ "assets/v61-lockup-stacked-light.svg", "Stacked, dark grounds. Square and portrait formats.", "lockup" ], [ "assets/v61-lockup-stacked-dark.svg", "Stacked, light grounds. Portrait print, event boards.", "lockup" ], [ "assets/v61-lockup-oneink-white.svg", "One ink, white. Photography, single-ink print.", "lockup" ], [ "assets/v61-lockup-oneink-black.svg", "One ink, black. Procurement portals, fax, engraving.", "lockup" ], [ "assets/v61-cube-display-light.svg", "Display cube, dark grounds. 24px and above.", "cube" ], [ "assets/v61-cube-display-dark.svg", "Display cube, light grounds. 24px and above.", "cube" ], [ "assets/v61-cube-small-light.svg", "Optical small-size cube, dark grounds. 16–23px.", "cube" ], [ "assets/v61-cube-small-dark.svg", "Optical small-size cube, light grounds. 16–23px.", "cube" ], [ "assets/v61-cube-oneink-black.svg", "One-ink cube, black. Favicon master, etch, embroidery.", "cube" ], [ "assets/v61-cube-oneink-white.svg", "One-ink cube, white. Knockout on any dark ground.", "cube" ], [ "assets/v61-cube-duotone.svg", "Two-ink cube. Embroidery, sponsor strips, screen print.", "cube" ], [ "assets/v61-wordmark-light.svg", "Wordmark alone, dark grounds. Below 160px.", "wordmark" ], [ "assets/v61-wordmark-dark.svg", "Wordmark alone, light grounds.", "wordmark" ], [ "assets/v61-favicon.svg", "Favicon. One-ink cube, tuned to the pixel grid.", "favicon" ], [ "v6.1-system.json", "Canonical system. Everything else derives from this file.", "data" ], [ "v6.1-tokens.json", "Derived token export.", "data" ], [ "v6.1-manifest.json", "Derived asset manifest.", "data" ], [ "validate-v61.js", "Consistency check. Run before any release.", "tool" ] ], "archived": [ [ "assets/vcubed-lockup-light.svg", "V³ lightning symbol. Deprecated at Edition 06." ], [ "assets/vcubed-lockup-dark.svg", "V³ lightning symbol. Deprecated at Edition 06." ], [ "assets/vcubed-lockup-mono-white.svg", "V³ lightning symbol. Deprecated at Edition 06." ], [ "assets/vcubed-wordmark-dark.svg", "Superseded at Edition 06." ], [ "assets/vcubed-wordmark-white.svg", "Superseded at Edition 06." ], [ "assets/src-lockup-mono.svg", "Working file. Never distributed." ], [ "assets/src-lockup-white.svg", "Working file. Never distributed." ], [ "assets/src-wordmark.svg", "Working file. Never distributed." ], [ "assets/v6-*.svg", "Edition 06 assets. Superseded by v61-*; retained for reference only." ] ] }, "deprecated": { "symbol.v3-lightning": "Retired at Edition 06. Archive only.", "clay.*": "Removed at Edition 05.", "rule.brass": "Removed at Edition 05. Amber is status only.", "reveal.brass": "Removed at Edition 05.", "sector.colour": "Renamed at Edition 06.1 to workstream colour, and demoted from document-level to section-level.", "rule.oneFieldPerDocument": "Replaced at Edition 06.1 by one dominant field per page or sequence.", "component.V3 Mark Lift": "Renamed at Edition 06.1 to Cube Device. Active artifacts must not reference V3 component names.", "motion.loop": "Removed at Edition 06.1. The assembly plays once on entry and holds.", "type.rawRampLabels": "Removed at Edition 06.1. No label below 12px anywhere in the system." }, "changelog": [ [ "Canonical source introduced", "v6.1-system.json now owns every value. The token file, manifest and guide specimens derive from it, and validate-v61.js fails the build on drift." ], [ "Sector colour replaced by workstream colour", "Colour now answers which part of an engagement a reader is in, not what colour a whole document is. Multi-workstream documents use several families, one dominant per section." ], [ "One-field rule rewritten", "One dominant field per page or sequence, Sapphire by default, rather than one field per document." ], [ "Colour decision tree added", "Five questions, ending in do not add colour." ], [ "Document colour matrix added", "Seven document types, each with a core, workstream and status rule." ], [ "Cube split into three cuts", "Display at 24px and above, an optically redrawn cube for 16–23px, and a true one-ink cube with no opacity." ], [ "Master mark separated from the device", "The master mark is three clean planes with a level plate and a gap beneath it — no dividing lines. The nine-facet device stays the expressive form. Previously one drawing did both jobs and failed at 24px." ], [ "Imagery system defined", "Three modes with subject, crop, framing, treatment, sequencing, captions, releases, alt text and low-light handling." ], [ "Playfulness layered", "Continuous warmth from imagery, recurring marginal notes and construction marks, the assembly as the rare flagship." ], [ "Motion no longer loops", "One play on entry at a 0.4 threshold, then hold. Replay on explicit action only." ], [ "Mobile navigation replaced", "A compact current-section control with previous, next and a Contents disclosure, at 44px targets, instead of a wrapped link wall." ], [ "Accessibility hardened", "lang, skip link, favicon link, scroll-margin, resolved ARIA, no label below 12px, twenty computed contrast pairs." ], [ "Legacy component names retired", "V3 Mark Lift is now Cube Device. No active asset carries a V3 name." ] ] }