Design Principles

Design Principles

Design that feels
distinctly AVI-SPL.

Our visual identity is more than individual colors, fonts, photography, and brand elements. How those elements work together is what makes a design feel distinctly AVI-SPL. Think of these principles as a practical recap of our visual guidelines above.

Use them when creating or reviewing AVI-SPL materials to make sure the fundamentals are working together and the final design feels clear, human, modern, and consistent.

A professional reviewing printed materials beside her laptop
1

Keep it Simple

The goal: Our designs should feel clean, modern, and confident — not busy.

Do

  • Have one clear focal point.
  • Give things room to breathe.
  • Remove elements that aren’t adding meaning.
  • Keep social graphics especially simple.

Don’t

  • Fill empty space just because it’s there.
  • Add shapes, arrows, icons, or effects just to make something “more designed.”
  • Try to say everything in one graphic.
  • Make every element compete for attention.
3

Make It Easy to Read

The goal: Someone should be able to quickly understand what they’re looking at and what they should read first.

Do

  • Keep headlines short and impactful.
  • Create a clear order for what should be read first, second, and third.
  • Use Salmond, all caps, for short, high-impact headlines.
  • Use IBM Plex Sans when there’s more information to read.
  • Shorten copy when a design starts to feel crowded.

Remember: Less copy, not smaller copy.

Don’t

  • Shrink text just to make everything fit.
  • Use too many different font sizes.
  • Use Salmond for long paragraphs or large amounts of copy.
  • Use Salmond in lowercase.
  • Stretch, squeeze, outline, shadow, or add effects to typography.
  • Try to fit every detail into the graphic.
4

Choose Photos That Feel Real

The goal: Our photography should feel authentic, human, and believable — not staged or overly corporate.

Do

  • Choose natural expressions and real interactions.
  • Show people genuinely working, collaborating, learning, or connecting.
  • Show people actually using technology.
  • Choose modern, warm, and human environments.
  • Prioritize real AVI-SPL projects, customers, employees, and events when strong photography is available.

Don’t

  • Use obviously staged meetings or handshakes.
  • Use photos where everyone is looking at the camera.
  • Show people randomly pointing at screens.
  • Use overly posed or cliché stock photography.
  • Use fake holograms or floating technology graphics.
  • Use visibly outdated technology.
  • Use obviously AI-generated people or environments as a substitute for authentic photography.
5

Show the Experience, Not Just the Technology

The goal: Focus on what technology makes possible, not simply what the technology looks like.

Do

  • Show people connecting, collaborating, learning, and communicating.
  • Show technology within the environment where it’s being used.
  • Show enough of the space for viewers to understand the experience.
  • Use people when they help communicate the benefit of the technology.
  • Highlight the outcome or experience whenever possible.

Don’t

  • Default to photos of screens or hardware.
  • Make every technology story about the equipment.
  • Use generic product shots when a real environment tells the story better.
  • Show technology without context.
  • Default to empty conference rooms when people would make the story stronger.
7

Keep Effects to a Minimum

The goal: AVI-SPL should feel modern because the design is modern — not because we’ve added effects to make it look futuristic.

Do

  • Keep treatments clean and simple.
  • Use flat color and strong composition as the default.
  • Let photography, typography, and brand elements create visual interest.
  • Use effects only when they serve a clear purpose.

Don’t

  • Use heavy drop shadows or glows.
  • Use bevels, metallic effects, or 3D typography.
  • Use neon or overly dramatic gradients.
  • Add lens flares or artificial lighting effects.
  • Use excessive blur or transparency.
  • Rely on glass effects, floating panels, or other trendy design treatments that don’t feel distinctly AVI-SPL.

Final AVI-SPL Gut Check

Before something goes out the door, make sure it feels clear, intentional, and distinctly AVI-SPL.

Do

  • Ask what you notice first.
  • Make sure the design feels simple rather than busy.
  • Check that photography feels real and believable.
  • Make sure every graphic element has a purpose.
  • Look for anything that could be removed.
  • Ask yourself, “Does this feel like AVI-SPL?”

Don’t

  • Approve something just because it technically follows the brand guidelines.
  • Assume more branding makes something more on-brand.
  • Ignore small details that make the design feel cluttered or inconsistent.
  • Be afraid to simplify.

Bringing It All Together

Strong AVI-SPL design is not about using more brand elements. It is about using the right elements, in the right way, to make the message clearer and the experience stronger.

When our typography, photography, color, layout, and brand elements work together with purpose, the result should feel:

  • Clear
  • Human
  • Modern
  • Intentional
  • Distinctly AVI-SPL

The best designs are often the simplest ones. Prioritize the message, remove what does not add value, and let the brand come through in the overall experience rather than through decoration alone.

Key takeaway: Design with purpose. Keep it simple. Make it feel unmistakably AVI-SPL.