The complete creative system for Audrey Grant, Graphic Designer. Every spec, template, and guideline in one stunning reference.
Bright Side Plumbing is a 5th-generation, family-owned plumbing company serving the Kansas City metro. Owner Kalen Barker carries forward over a century of master plumber expertise. The brand must feel: Trustworthy, Warm, Professional, Heritage-Rich, and Community-Rooted.
| Context | Primary | Secondary | Avoid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Headlines / CTAs | Bright Blue | Deep Navy | Coral (except emergencies) |
| Backgrounds | White, Navy | Soft Gray | Gold on large areas |
| Accent / Stars | Sunshine Gold | Trust Green | Multiple accents together |
| Emergency Content | Urgent Coral | Deep Navy | Calm blue alone |
| Role | Font | Weights | Usage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🏷️ Primary / Headlines | Montserrat | 700 (Bold), 800 (ExtraBold) | Section titles, hero text, CTA buttons, vehicle wraps |
| 📝 Secondary / Body | Open Sans | 400 (Regular), 600 (SemiBold) | Paragraphs, descriptions, email body, print body |
| ✨ Accent / Display | Playfair Display | 700 (Bold), 700 Italic | Testimonial pull quotes, heritage messaging, "Est. 1920s" taglines |
| 💻 Monospace / Data | JetBrains Mono | 400 | Phone numbers, pricing, specs |
| Element | Size (Web) | Size (Print) | Line Height |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hero Title | 48-64px | 36-48pt | 1.1 |
| Section Heading (H2) | 32-40px | 24-30pt | 1.2 |
| Card Heading (H3) | 22-28px | 18-22pt | 1.3 |
| Body Text | 16-18px | 10-12pt | 1.6-1.7 |
| Caption / Fine Print | 12-14px | 8-9pt | 1.4 |
| Rule | Specification |
|---|---|
| Minimum Width (Full Logo) | 120px digital / 1.5" print |
| Minimum Width (Icon Only) | 32px digital / 0.5" print |
| Clear Space | Minimum padding = height of the "B" in "Bright" on all sides |
| Safe Zone for Social | Keep logo within center 80% of avatar circle |
| Attribute | Specification |
|---|---|
| Style | Rounded line icons, 2px stroke weight, rounded caps & joins |
| Grid | 24x24 base grid, 2px padding, optical alignment |
| Color | Bright Blue primary, Deep Navy secondary. Single color per icon. |
| Filled Variants | Use for active states, selected items, emphasis |
| Source Libraries | Phosphor Icons (preferred), Heroicons, Lucide |
| Custom Icons | Match stroke weight/corner radius of library icons exactly |
| Platform | Format | Dimensions | Ratio | Max File |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Link Share / Post | 1200 x 630 | 1.91:1 | 8 MB | |
| Story | 1080 x 1920 | 9:16 | 4 MB img / 4 GB vid | |
| Cover Photo | 820 x 312 | 2.63:1 | 8 MB | |
| Square Post | 1080 x 1080 | 1:1 | 8 MB | |
| Portrait Post | 1080 x 1350 | 4:5 | 8 MB | |
| Story / Reel | 1080 x 1920 | 9:16 | 4 GB vid | |
| 📍 Google Business | Post Image | 1024 x 576 | 16:9 | 5 MB |
| 📍 Google Business | Photo Upload | 1200 x 900 | 4:3 | 5 MB |
| 🎬 YouTube | Thumbnail | 1280 x 720 | 16:9 | 2 MB |
| 🎬 YouTube | Channel Banner | 2560 x 1440 | 16:9 | 6 MB |
| Post Image | 1200 x 627 | 1.91:1 | 5 MB | |
| Cover Image | 1584 x 396 | 4:1 | 8 MB | |
| 🏡 Nextdoor | Post Image | 1080 x 1080 | 1:1 | 5 MB |
| 🏡 Nextdoor | Business Page | 1200 x 675 | 16:9 | 5 MB |
| Pillar | Template Style | Dominant Color | Key Element |
|---|---|---|---|
| 📚 Educational | Clean, diagram-style, numbered steps | Bright Blue + White | Icon illustrations |
| ⭐ Social Proof | Photo-forward, testimonial overlay | Gold + Navy | Star rating graphic |
| 🎥 Behind Scenes | Candid photo, minimal overlay | Navy gradient overlay | Team member name tag |
| 💰 Promotional | Bold, high-contrast, urgency | Coral + Navy | Price/offer callout box |
| 🏘️ Community | Warm, photo collage style | Green + Blue | KC/local imagery |
| Spec | Requirement | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Max Width | 600px | Renders correctly across all email clients |
| Total Image Weight | < 1 MB combined | Prevents slow load / clipping in Gmail |
| Hero Image | 600 x 250px, <200KB | Above-the-fold impact |
| Font Stack | Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif (fallback) | Web fonts unreliable in email |
| Body Font Size | 16px minimum | Mobile readability |
| CTA Button Min Size | 44 x 44px tap target | Mobile thumb-friendly |
| Preheader Text | 40-130 characters | Shows in inbox preview |
| Dark Mode | Test in Apple Mail, Gmail, Outlook | 50%+ of opens are dark mode |
| Button Type | Background | Text Color | Border Radius | Padding |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Primary | #5BC0EB | #FFFFFF | 8px | 16px 32px |
| Secondary | Transparent | #5BC0EB | 8px (bordered) | 16px 32px |
| Urgent | #F87171 | #FFFFFF | 8px | 16px 32px |
| Success | #4ADE80 | #1A365D | 8px | 16px 32px |
Every team member email should include a branded signature:
| Element | Spec |
|---|---|
| Layout | 2-column: photo left, info right. Max 400px wide. |
| Photo | Circular crop, 80x80px, bordered with Bright Blue |
| Name | Montserrat Bold 14px, Deep Navy |
| Title | Open Sans 12px, Bright Blue |
| Contact | Phone + email in 12px |
| Logo | Small horizontal logo, max 150px wide |
| Social Icons | 16x16px, linked, Bright Blue color |
| Legal | License number, 9px gray |
| Spec | Detail |
|---|---|
| Size | 3.5" x 2" (standard) + 0.125" bleed |
| Paper | 16pt matte or soft-touch laminate |
| Front | Logo centered, "5th Generation Master Plumber" tagline, Bright Blue accent line |
| Back | Name, title, phone, email, website, QR code to booking page, star rating badge |
| Color Mode | CMYK, no RGB values |
| Fonts | Outlined/embedded. No live text. |
| Spec | Detail |
|---|---|
| Size | 4.25" x 11" with die-cut hole |
| Paper | 14pt glossy cardstock |
| Front | Bold offer/message, logo, phone, "Your Neighbor Just Got Their [Service] Done!" |
| Back | Service menu, seasonal tip, QR code, coupon with tracking code |
| Spec | Detail |
|---|---|
| Size | 18" x 24" corrugated plastic (coroplast) |
| Design | Logo + phone + website ONLY. Maximum 3 elements. Readability is everything. |
| Colors | Deep Navy background, white text, Bright Blue logo |
| Text Size | Phone number minimum 3" tall |
| Element | Spec |
|---|---|
| Shirt Color | Navy polo or button-down |
| Logo Placement | Left chest, 3.5" wide embroidered or heat transfer |
| Back Print | Large logo + "callbrightside.com" (optional) |
| Name Badge | White rectangle, Montserrat Bold, first name + "Licensed Technician" |
| Hat | Navy with embroidered icon-only logo, white thread |
| Spec | Detail |
|---|---|
| Size | 3.5" x 2" (business card size) or 4" x 6" postcard |
| Front | "We'd Love Your Feedback!" + 5 star visual + QR code to Google review page |
| Back | 3-step instructions with icons: 1) Scan QR 2) Tap Stars 3) Share Your Experience |
| Tone | Friendly, grateful, zero pressure |
| Milestone | Visual Concept |
|---|---|
| 400 Reviews | Confetti/celebration theme, "400 Families Trust Bright Side" headline |
| 450 Reviews | Progress bar visual, "On Our Way to 500!" community feel |
| 500 Reviews | Major celebration, gold/premium feel, "Half a Thousand Happy Homes" |
| 4.9+ Rating | Shield/badge design, "Maintaining Excellence" message |
| Principle | Application |
|---|---|
| 📏 Hierarchy First | The most important number/stat should be 3x larger than supporting data |
| 🎨 Color = Meaning | Coral = danger/urgent. Green = good/safe. Gold = value/premium. Blue = neutral/info. |
| ✂️ Simplify | Max 5-7 data points per visual. More than that, split into multiple graphics. |
| 👁️ Scannable | Someone should understand the main takeaway in under 3 seconds |
| 📱 Mobile First | Test every infographic at phone screen size. If text is unreadable, it fails. |
| 🔤 Label Everything | Never assume the audience knows what an axis or icon means |
The Nexus Creative Asset Pipeline has processed 16 photos into 78 ad-ready variants. Here's what we have and what we critically need:
| Category | Count | Status | In System |
|---|---|---|---|
| 👷 Technician Portraits | 6 | Covered | Matthew, Anthony, Dan, Ricardo, Izac, Scott |
| 🚐 Vehicle/Branding | 4 | Covered | Van neighborhood, upscale home, driveway, open door |
| 🔧 Service Work (Sewer) | 4 | Covered | Sewer camera, excavation, pipe fusing x2 |
| 👥 Team/Group | 1 | Needs More | Team van LSA |
| 🏢 Office/Staff | 1 | Needs More | Office staff |
| Category | Why It Matters | Revenue Impact | Need | Priority |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 📸 Before/After Sewer | Money shots. Transformation proof. Highest CTR in home services. | Sewer = #1 revenue ($3K-$15K/job). Directly sells the highest-ticket service. | 5-10 pairs | 🔥 #1 |
| 🚨 Emergency Response | Creates urgency. Night calls, water damage, burst pipes. | Emergency Eric = 50-60% of revenue. Urgency ads convert 2-3x higher. | 3-5 | 🔥 Critical |
| 😊 Happy Customers | Social proof. Handshakes, thumbs up, genuine smiles. | Customer photos increase conversion 25-40%. | 3-5 | High |
| 🔧 Equipment Close-Ups | Shows expertise. Sewer cameras, jetters, pipe relining gear. | Builds trust with research-phase customers (+15-25% conversion). | 3-5 | High |
| 🏠 Exterior at Homes | Van at nice homes, tech at door. "They serve MY neighborhood." | Boosts LSA performance. Local trust = bookings. | 3-5 | High |
| 🔥 Water Heater Work | #3 revenue service. Zero representation in ads. | Running text-only or stock for a core service. Real photos outsell stock 3:1. | 2-3 | Med-High |
| 🚿 Drain Cleaning | Gateway service. Maintenance Mike = highest LTV ($5K-$25K). | High-volume search category with zero custom visuals. | 2-3 | Medium |
| 💨 Gas Line Work | Niche, high-margin. Zero competition on visuals. | Most competitors have zero gas line photos. | 1-2 | Medium |
If you can only do ONE shoot this week, get these 5 shots. They unlock 5 new ad categories:
| Photo Type | CTR Lift | Conversion Impact | Pipeline Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Before/After pairs | +45-65% | +30-50% | 95-100 |
| Emergency/urgency | +25-40% | +20-35% | 90+ |
| Customer interactions | +20-30% | +25-40% | 85-95 |
| Equipment close-ups | +10-20% | +15-25% | 85+ |
| Tech portraits (current) | baseline | baseline | 70-85 |
| Vehicle shots (current) | baseline | baseline | 80-90 |
Adding before/after + emergency photos alone could increase ad CTR by 30-50%. Upload to Google Drive using the naming convention and the pipeline handles everything automatically.
| Element | Specification |
|---|---|
| Lighting | Natural light preferred. Warm tone. Avoid harsh overhead fluorescents. For on-site: use flash bounce or LED panel fill. |
| Composition | Rule of thirds. Technician at 1/3 mark, work area at 2/3. Leave space for text overlay on social crops. |
| Color Temperature | 5500-6000K (daylight). Slightly warm in post (add +5 warmth). Never cool/clinical. |
| Editing Style | Clean, bright, minimal filtering. Slight contrast boost. Do NOT over-saturate. No heavy Instagram-style filters. |
| Depth of Field | Medium (f/4-f/5.6). Sharp subject, slightly soft background. Avoid too-shallow bokeh on work documentation shots. |
| Orientation | Shoot BOTH landscape and portrait of every setup. You will need both for different platforms. |
When real photography is not available, use stock with these strict rules:
Thumbnails are 80% of a video's success. Follow this system religiously:
| Element | Rule |
|---|---|
| 🧑 Face | ALWAYS include a human face with clear emotion (surprise, concern, excitement). Fill 40%+ of frame. |
| 🎭 Emotion | Exaggerated but authentic. Wide eyes, raised eyebrows, pointing at problem. Practice "YouTube face" with team. |
| 🔤 Text | MAX 5 words. 80pt+ Montserrat ExtraBold. White with black stroke (3px). Placed opposite the face. |
| 🎨 Background | Bright, saturated. Bright Blue or Sunshine Gold. Avoid dark/muddy. Must pop in a tiny 168x94 sidebar. |
| 📐 Composition | Face on right 1/3, text on left 1/3. Or face left, text right. Never centered. |
| 🔍 Readability | Shrink to phone size. If you can't read the text or identify the emotion, redesign. |
| Element | Spec |
|---|---|
| Background | Semi-transparent Deep Navy (80% opacity), rounded corners |
| Accent | Bright Blue left border (4px) |
| Name | Montserrat Bold 24px, white |
| Title | Open Sans 16px, Bright Blue |
| Animation | Slide in from left, 0.5s ease. Hold 5s. Slide out. |
For every video, fill out this framework before shooting:
| Scene | Duration | Visual | Audio/VO | Text Overlay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hook | 0-3s | Problem visual or surprising stat | "Did you know...?" | Stat/question text |
| Intro | 3-8s | Presenter on camera | Topic introduction | Title graphic |
| Content | 8s-end | Mix of talking head + B-roll | Educational narration | Key points highlighted |
| CTA | Last 10s | Branded end screen | "Like, subscribe, call us!" | Phone + website overlay |
Quarterly, audit the top 5 KC plumbing competitors across these visual dimensions:
| Dimension | What to Evaluate | Score (1-10) |
|---|---|---|
| Logo Quality | Professional? Dated? Scalable? Memorable? | ___ |
| Color Consistency | Same palette across all channels? | ___ |
| Social Feed Cohesion | Branded templates? Or random phone photos? | ___ |
| Website Design | Modern? Mobile-friendly? Fast? Professional photography? | ___ |
| Vehicle Wraps | Clean design? Readable? Memorable? | ___ |
| Review Presentation | Do they showcase reviews visually? | ___ |
| Video Quality | Professional production? Consistent branding? | ___ |
| Print Materials | Branded leave-behinds? Business cards? | ___ |
This is our most powerful visual differentiator. No competitor can claim this.
Apply the scientific method to every design decision. No guessing. No "I feel like." Data drives creativity.
| Step | Action | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 🔍 OBSERVE | Gather current performance data. What is working? What is not? | "Our blue-background posts get 2x more engagement than white-background posts." |
| 💡 HYPOTHESIZE | Form a testable prediction based on your observation. | "If we use blue backgrounds on review posts (currently white), engagement will increase by 50%." |
| 🧪 EXPERIMENT | Design 2 versions (control + variant). Run for 2+ weeks with equal distribution. | Post 5 review graphics with white BG and 5 with blue BG over 2 weeks via Metricool. |
| 📊 MEASURE | Collect data: impressions, engagement rate, clicks, saves, shares. | Pull Metricool analytics. Compare averages for each variant. |
| 📝 CONCLUDE | Was the hypothesis correct? By how much? Is the difference statistically meaningful? | "Blue BG posts averaged 73% higher engagement. Hypothesis confirmed." |
| 🔄 ITERATE | Apply the winning variant. Form a new hypothesis. Repeat. | "Now test: does adding a star rating icon to blue posts increase engagement further?" |
| Variable | What to Test | How to Measure |
|---|---|---|
| Background Color | Blue vs. Navy vs. White vs. Photo-based | Engagement rate per post |
| CTA Placement | Top vs. Bottom vs. Center overlay | Click-through rate |
| Image Type | Photo vs. Graphic vs. Illustration | Reach + engagement |
| Text Amount | Minimal (3 words) vs. Detailed (10+ words) | Save/share rate |
| Face Presence | Posts with human faces vs. without | Engagement rate comparison |
| Time of Post | Morning vs. Lunch vs. Evening (Metricool scheduler) | Reach + engagement |
| Month | Theme | Key Topics | Visual Style |
|---|---|---|---|
| ❄️ January | Frozen Pipe Emergency | Pipe insulation, heat tape, emergency response, burst pipe repair | Cool blues + Coral urgency accents |
| ❄️ February | Love Your Plumbing | Valentine's tie-in, "love your home" maintenance, couples/family content | Warm tones, heart icons, playful |
| 🌱 March | Spring Sewer Season Kickoff | Sewer inspections, tree root intrusion, spring cleaning drains | Green + Blue, fresh/clean feel |
| 🌱 April | Water Heater Awareness | Water heater flush, age check, efficiency upgrade, rebate season | Warm gold tones, educational diagrams |
| 🌱 May | Outdoor Plumbing Prep | Hose bibs, sprinkler systems, outdoor faucets, sump pump check | Bright outdoor photography, Green accents |
| ☀️ June | Summer Ready | AC drain lines, garbage disposal tips, vacation plumbing prep | Bright, sunny, Blue + Gold |
| ☀️ July | Mid-Year Celebration | Team spotlights, review milestones, community involvement, July 4th | Red/white/blue, celebration, social proof |
| ☀️ August | Back to School / Routine | Morning routine plumbing tips, bathroom updates, busy season prep | Organized, clean, checklist-style |
| 🍂 September | Fall Maintenance Kickoff | Furnace tune-up, water heater check, drain cleaning before holidays | Warm autumn tones, cozy feel |
| 🍂 October | Winterization Begins | Pipe insulation, outdoor shutoffs, crawl space prep, heating check | Orange + Navy, preparation theme |
| 🍂 November | Thankful / Holiday Prep | Thanksgiving plumbing survival guide, garbage disposal abuse, gratitude posts | Warm gold, family imagery |
| ❄️ December | Emergency Readiness | Holiday plumbing emergencies, frozen pipes, "we're here for you" messaging | Navy + Gold, warm despite cold, trust-building |
For each season, pre-build a kit of reusable visual elements:
BSP_[Type]_[Platform]_[Description]_[Size]_[Date].[ext]
| Example | Breakdown |
|---|---|
| BSP_Post_IG_ReviewHighlight_1080x1080_20260315.png | Instagram review post, square, March 15 2026 |
| BSP_Story_FB_FrozenPipeTip_1080x1920_20260112.png | Facebook story, frozen pipe educational |
| BSP_Thumb_YT_SewerInspection_1280x720_20260401.jpg | YouTube thumbnail, sewer camera video |
| BSP_Print_DoorHanger_SpringSewer_4.25x11_v2.pdf | Print door hanger, spring sewer, version 2 |