Visual
Illustration
Our illustrations bring a friendly and informative dimension to the Fannie Mae brand. They help us clearly deliver our messages and convey complex information with a bright, clean, approachable look. Our illustrations include scenic, iconic, and shape/pattern styles.
Characters
Cityscapes
Props
Do
Use simple, geometric shapes to build illustrations.- When depicting hair and skin, use realistic colors (refer to color palette in design files).
- When depicting people, highlight a wide range of characteristics.
- Place characters in dynamic poses to add personality and emotion.
- Use mouths sparingly when adding emotion.
- Incorporate shapes, props, and text to add context and creativity.
- Use solid shapes to create shadows or depth within overlapping architectural elements.
- For clothes, cityscapes, and props, use our Fannie Mae Navy (Hex #05314D) and Blue (Hex #085280) as the primary palette.
- For background shapes and lines, keep colors subtle and monochromatic (e.g., Hex #DEEDF7 or Hex #EDEBE9).
- Create contrasting focal points by incorporating some colors from our secondary palette in foreground elements like clothing, data, and props (but use them sparingly).
Don't
Overuse color in both the foreground and background.- Add organic elements or unnecessary detail.
- Use colors that are unrealistic or too playful.
- Use stereotypes to build out characters' hair, clothing, facial features, body shape, size, etc.
- Use stereotypes to show a hierarchy of characters, certain activities, or interactions between people, poses, props, etc.
- Add additional facial features to characters that are not provided with template files (e.g., eyes, ears, eyebrows, etc.)
- Incorporate multiple colors in the background.
- Use lines to separate overlapping shapes.
- Use gradients.
Do
- Use one single brand color per icon.
- Use lighter tints of the icon color when adding a surrounding circle.
- Keep all lines the same width.
- Open lines when possible.
- Finish strokes with rounded corners.
- Keep icons simple.
- Use icons sparingly to add context.
Don't
- Close all lines in an icon unless necessary.
- Finish strokes with hard edges.
- Over-complicate with too many details.
- Introduce multiple colors within one icon.
Shapes and patterns
Our shapes are informed by an underlying symbol architecture, which echoes the arcs that join the hill and house of our symbol.
Our pattern motifs derive from the architecture of our symbol. A “tone-on-tone” approach to color creates a clear and confident look across platforms. Please reserve our primary “rooftop” pattern as our core brand patterns.
Our primary “rooftop” pattern
displays in color combinations from our primary color palette: either Navy/Blue, or White/Gray. It may be employed across all core media.
Additional patterns based on our shapes can be created for specific uses.
Do
- Keep patterns tone-on-tone.
- Use gradients at a negative 45-degree angle.
- Use circles.
- When using our primary “rooftop” patterns, only use Navy/Blue or White/Gray combinations.
- Create new patterns with our brand shapes.
Don't
- Turn the rooftop pattern sideways.
- Create or use additional shapes.
- Alter the quote (
) shape.