SpecifiedDesign rules, traffic course deck, October 2026
The design rules
The cohesion that comes from everything running on the same livery cannot be overstated. That cohesion is something really unique I brought to the role. A judge who taught in three of my courses knew at a glance which course we were talking about based on the color of the materials.
The problem
I wrote shared rules for the slides, binder pages and reference tools so judges could find key information in consistent places and recognize which course a packet belonged to. The same hierarchy carried across faculty sections.
The rules
- Color roles: a burgundy ground, sand for eyebrows and numerals, one loud wine for flags, and six neutrals.
- A type scale for a 1920 by 1080 slide, with body text at 18 point or more.
- Contrast measured from the hexes.
- Faculty text verbatim.
Label contrast on pavement panels
Sand capitals on a flat pavement panel measure 4.8:1, AA. On a sheened panel, at the light stop, they fall to 4.01:1, under AA.
What it requires
Body text in bone sits under the label.
What it requires
Body text in bone sits under the label.
Body text in bone sits under the label.
How courses got their liveries
- Two half-day courses on the same day share a livery, with the primary and secondary colors swapped and the same gem color.
- Any other courses on the same day get liveries that can't be confused with each other.
- Each livery has a flare color for its agendas, the faculty planning document and the binder inserts.
The palette, the scale and the marks
Contrast, measured
| Sample | Ratio | Pair | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12.3:1 | Bone on burgundy ground#EFE5D8 on #4C0C19 | AAA | |
| 8.7:1 | Signal Wine on boneSignal Wine on #EFE5D8 | AAA | |
| 8.0:1 | Sand on burgundy ground#CEB8A1 on #4C0C19 | AAA | |
| 7.3:1 | Bone on pavement#EFE5D8 on #434A47 | AAA | |
| 4.8:1 | Sand on pavement#CEB8A1 on #434A47 | AA |
WCAG contrast ratios, calculated from the hexes and rounded to one decimal. AAA is 7:1 and up; AA is 4.5:1 and up.
Colors
The three signaturesIn the working deck file
Primary
Burgundy Ground
#4C0C19
Every content slide sits on it.
Secondary
Sand
#CEB8A1
Eyebrows, numerals, hairlines, callout fills.
Pop
Signal Wine
#771829
Review flags, bone-ground rules, the one loud mark.
Background
The ground gradientIn the working deck file
Panels
Panel sheenSpecified, not yet in the deck
Pavement
Pavement light
Pavement dark
Neutrals
Six neutralsIn the working deck file, except slate cut
Question ground
#E3D7C6
Bone
#EFE5D8
Pavement
#434A47
Pavement light
#4C534F
Pavement dark
#3A413D
Slate cut
#2F3633
Titles
Title ruleProposed, not yet in the deck
Block rule
Slide title
Full stop
Slide title
Double hairline
Slide title
Grid rulePreferred
Slide title
Type
Type scaleWritten rule, 1920 by 1080
- 88–110pxSection dividers, serif.
- 72–78pxSlide titles, serif.
- 50–66pxFigures, serif.
- 56pxLong quotes and poll option letters.
- 48pxBody as set.
- 40pxThe floor for body, lists and card copy.
- 38pxCaptions under figures, and divider credit lines.
- 36pxCard and section labels, sand, tracked caps.
- 34pxApparatus: source citations, footnotes, index notes.
- 32pxEyebrows, tracked caps.
- 24pxFooters. Nothing on a slide goes below this.
- 12ptPrint documents: Cambria, 12pt floor.
Marks
Twelve house marksSpecified
Footer strip In the working deck file
Five road-sign shapes, one per presenter’s section.