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🎨 Brand Guidelines - CSA-in-a-Box Presentations

Type: Guide Audience: Designers

📋 Overview

Official brand guidelines for creating Cloud Scale Analytics presentations aligned with Microsoft and Azure branding standards.

🎨 Azure Brand Identity

Color Palette

Primary Azure Colors:

Azure Blue
- Hex: #0078D4
- RGB: 0, 120, 212
- CMYK: 100, 43, 0, 17
- Use: Primary brand color, CTAs, headers

Cloud Blue
- Hex: #50E6FF
- RGB: 80, 230, 255
- CMYK: 69, 0, 0, 0
- Use: Highlights, accents, cloud elements

Dark Blue
- Hex: #003366
- RGB: 0, 51, 102
- CMYK: 100, 50, 0, 60
- Use: Text, headers, professional elements

Secondary Colors:

Green (Success)
- Hex: #107C10
- Use: Success states, positive metrics

Yellow (Warning)
- Hex: #FCE100
- Use: Warnings, caution indicators

Red (Error)
- Hex: #E81123
- Use: Errors, critical issues

Gray Scale
- #F2F2F2 (Light gray - backgrounds)
- #8A8886 (Medium gray - secondary text)
- #323130 (Dark gray - primary text)

Typography

Microsoft Brand Fonts:

Primary Font: Segoe UI: - Regular: Body text - Semi bold: Subheadings - Bold: Headings - Light: Captions

Alternative Fonts (when Segoe UI unavailable): - Arial - Helvetica Neue - Calibri

Font Sizing:

Slide Titles: 44pt Segoe UI Bold
Section Headers: 36pt Segoe UI Semibold
Body Text: 24pt Segoe UI Regular
Captions: 18pt Segoe UI Light

Logo Usage

Microsoft Logo: - Always use official Microsoft logo assets - Minimum clear space: Logo height × 0.5 - Minimum size: 0.5 inches wide - Do not modify, rotate, or distort - Use on white or dark backgrounds only

Azure Logo: - Official Azure service logos available - Maintain aspect ratio - Minimum size: 0.25 inches - Clear space: Logo height × 0.25 - Use approved versions only

📐 Layout Standards

Slide Templates

Title Slide:

- Azure logo (top left)
- Presentation title: 54pt Bold
- Subtitle: 32pt Regular
- Presenter info: 24pt Light
- Date: 20pt Light
- Background: White or subtle gradient

Content Slides:

- Slide number (bottom right)
- Title: 44pt Bold (left-aligned)
- Body: 24pt Regular
- Maximum 6 bullets
- 50% white space minimum
- Consistent margins (1 inch all sides)

Section Divider:

- Large section title: 60pt Bold
- Azure Blue background
- White text
- Minimal additional content

Grid System

Master Layout Grid:

Slide dimensions: 16:9 (10" × 5.625")

Margins:
- Top: 0.75"
- Bottom: 0.5"
- Left/Right: 0.5"

Columns: 12-column grid
Gutter: 0.2"

Visual Hierarchy

Hierarchy Principles: 1. Title: Largest, bold, top of slide 2. Subheadings: Medium, semibold 3. Body text: Smaller, regular weight 4. Captions: Smallest, light weight

Spacing Rules: - Title to content: 0.4" - Between sections: 0.3" - Bullet spacing: 1.5× line height - Image padding: 0.2" minimum

🖼️ Imagery Guidelines

Photography

Image Style: - Professional, high-quality - Modern and technology-focused - Diverse and inclusive - Azure datacenter imagery when relevant

Image Treatment: - Resolution: 150 DPI minimum - Format: PNG for transparency, JPEG for photos - Color correction: Match brand palette - Overlays: Azure Blue at 60% opacity

Icons and Graphics

Icon Style: - Fluent Design System icons - Line-based, simple, scalable - 2pt stroke weight - Azure Blue or white color - Consistent style throughout

Icon Sources: - Microsoft Fluent Icons - Azure Icons Library - Custom icons: Follow Fluent style guide

Diagrams and Charts

Architecture Diagrams: - Use official Azure architecture icons - Left-to-right or top-to-bottom flow - Consistent spacing and alignment - Azure Blue connectors and arrows - Clear labels (18-20pt)

Data Visualizations: - Use Azure color palette - High contrast for accessibility - Clean, minimal design - Clear axis labels - Data-to-ink ratio optimization

✨ Motion and Animation

Transition Guidelines

Approved Transitions: - Fade (most common) - Push (for section changes) - Morph (PowerPoint 365 only) - None (for accessibility)

Avoid: - Flashy transitions (Cube, Flip, etc.) - Different transitions per slide - Sound effects - Automatic timing

Animation Best Practices

When to Animate: - Reveal bullet points progressively - Highlight key data points - Show process flows step-by-step - Bring attention to specific elements

Animation Settings: - Duration: 0.5-0.75 seconds - Effect: Fade, Wipe, or Appear - Trigger: On Click (not automatic) - Direction: Consistent throughout

📋 Brand Compliance Checklist

Required Elements

  • Official Microsoft/Azure logo placement
  • Azure blue (#0078D4) as primary brand color
  • Segoe UI or approved alternative font
  • Consistent slide template throughout
  • Proper logo clear space
  • Copyright/confidentiality notice (if required)

Prohibited Elements

  • ❌ Outdated or unofficial logos
  • ❌ Non-approved fonts
  • ❌ Off-brand colors as primary
  • ❌ Low-quality images
  • ❌ Distorted logos or graphics
  • ❌ Inconsistent formatting

🌍 Localization

Multi-Language Support

Font Adjustments: - Japanese: Meiryo or Yu Gothic - Chinese: Microsoft YaHei - Korean: Malgun Gothic - Arabic: Traditional Arabic (RTL layout)

Layout Considerations: - Allow 30% more space for German - RTL languages require mirrored layout - Character encoding: UTF-8 - Test all layouts in target language

📱 Platform-Specific Guidelines

PowerPoint

File Settings: - Aspect ratio: 16:9 - Master templates: Use and maintain - Theme colors: Azure palette embedded - Font embedding: Enabled - Compatibility: Office 2016+

PDF Export

PDF Settings: - High quality print (300 DPI) - Embed all fonts - Preserve hyperlinks - Include document properties - Accessibility tags enabled

Web/Video

Video Export: - Resolution: 1920×1080 (Full HD) - Frame rate: 30fps - Codec: H.264 - Bitrate: 8-10 Mbps

📞 Brand Support Resources

Official Resources: - Microsoft Brand Central - Azure Brand Guidelines - Fluent Design System - Microsoft Style Guide

Asset Downloads: - Azure Logo Library - Official color swatches - PowerPoint templates - Icon libraries

💬 Feedback

Questions about brand guidelines?

Contact Brand Team Report Brand Violation


Last Updated: January 2025 | Version: 1.0.0