One-page guide

Brand guide

A small set of rules for keeping Tim Snyder, Moving Parts, and Steward clear and consistent.

Names

Person: Tim Snyder

Publication: Moving Parts

Company and product: Steward

First reference: Tim Snyder, founder and CEO of Steward and writer of Moving Parts.

Write Moving Parts as two words, with both words capitalized. Write Steward as one word with a capital S.

Descriptions

Moving Parts

A newsletter about the technology that shapes our daily lives: how it gets built, why it works the way it does, and how to make it better.

Steward

Software that helps people handle medical bills, unwanted subscriptions, refunds, and other financial hassles.

Tim Snyder

A software builder and engineering leader with twenty years of experience, including at Weebly and Square. He is the founder and CEO of Steward and the writer of Moving Parts.

Voice

Do

Write like one person explaining something clearly to another.
Lead with the point. Use specific nouns and active verbs.
Keep sentences short when the idea is simple.
Use contractions when they sound natural.
Say what Steward does before explaining why it matters.
Use concrete experience instead of broad claims.

Avoid

Em dashes, stacked slogans, and repeated three-part lists.
Grand claims or mission language.
Systems and machines as catch-all metaphors.
Ecosystem, reimagine, empower, transformative, unlock, and leverage.
Rounded cards, decorative blobs, gradients, stock art, and heavy shadows.

Visuals

Color

Type and layout

Use Charter, Iowan Old Style, Palatino, or Georgia for large editorial type. Use the system sans serif for body copy and labels. Favor left-aligned text, readable line lengths, and generous empty space. Let typography and spacing do the work.