Microsoft brand guidelines for

Cloud + Enterprise
2017

1
 Intro

Welcome to the Microsoft brand

guidelines for Cloud + Enterprise
The purpose of this document is to provide brand guidance for C+E
Marketing, and their respective agencies. In this document you will learn how
to apply the Microsoft brand to C+E marketing materials.

The Microsoft brand is our strongest asset and leveraging it gives us the best
chance at building trust in our commercial portfolio and offerings.
It builds stronger connections and associations across all we do and focuses
our communication on customer need.

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 September 2016 Cloud and Enterprise Brand Guidelines

Contents

04 Top 10 things you need to know before you start

06 Brand

09 Logo and offering icons

12 Brand voice and style

14 Color

15 Typography and layout

17 Photography and illustrations

19 Video end cards

20 Sound

21 Final checklist

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 Top ten things to know before you begin
1 2
Microsoft brand and
logo
The Microsoft logo appears
on ALL our materials. Research
shows that associating our
offerings with the Microsoft
brand increases brand trust and
makes all of our communications
more powerful.
4
Microsoft-led
branding
The Cloud and Enterprise
offerings are Microsoft-led.
Individual offerings (e.g. apps,
services, products, and events)
are part of product families
and carry the Microsoft brand.
This aligns to the Microsoft
commercial brand architecture.
Commercial offerings do not
have their own logos.
Microsoft Azure,
the cloud for the
modern business.
3 4
Product iconography
Our style is clean and simple
so avoid any decorative icons/
glyphs whenever possible.
Product families such as Azure
or Dynamics 365 have an icon
which should be used in limited
ways such as small spaces
where the full name will not fit,
or in-product to link to the
full experience.
Functional/product icons may
only be used to link directly to
a product experience.
Color
Within the Microsoft palette
individual product families may
align to a specific color.
If you need one color to
represent multiple C+E offerings
Azure Blue is preferred.
Remember to use correct colors
formula for screen (RGB or
hexadecimal) vs print (CMYK,
PMS, or Pantone).
Blue: as used for Azure
Purple: as used for Visual Studio
5
Grid
Our print and digital layouts are
built on an invisible grid.
Microsoft provides grid
templates for many different
media and projects so you
dont have to start from scratch.
Headline
Name can be in body copy. Body copy
is 75% of the subhead height, or less,
and set in Segoe Regular.
 Top ten things to know before you begin

6 7 8 9 10
Typography Photography Illustration Voice Brand Central

Use Segoe. It is our brand font.
Segoe UI is used on-screen.
Segoe Pro is used in print. Be
sure to use the correct font for
your application.
In the Microsoft library you
can find a subset of images in a
collection for Cloud + Enterprise.
You can also filter to find images
that are approved for a particular
product or service, such as Azure
or Dynamics. Our photography
is human and relatable.
Use images featuring real
people in real situations as
much as possible.
We use illustration to convey
complex business concepts
and ideas that are difficult to
communicate with photography.
Always follow the Microsoft
illustration style in these
scenarios.
The more colorful and busy
illustration style may not always
work for C+E. A new one has
been created for Microsoft
which is more geared toward the
commercial audience.
We talk as humans do. Our
style is natural, to the point and
helpful, so we cut out technical
and business jargon. We use
sentence-style capitalization and
no periods in headlines.
Microsofts official branding
resource, Brand Central offers
inspiration, brand information,
assets and guidelines, and
support for marketers. For a
deeper dive on any topics in
these guidelines, please refer
to Brand Central or contact
CEBrand@microsoft.com.

Segoe Light The Microsoft voice:

Warm and relaxed

Segoe Regular
Crisp and clear
Segoe Bold Ready to lend a hand

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 We lead with Microsoft

Our goal is to present Cloud +

Enterprise offerings as part of
the Microsoft Brand

Drive consistency Fewer, stronger connections One Microsoft

Promote widespread adoption
and consistent application of
Microsofts elements, including
the logo, typography, layout grid,
color and imagery.
Reducing the number of unique Activate the Microsoft brand
visual brand cues results in to highlight the strength
greater efficiency and impact. of our collective offering
to compete effectively.

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 Our brand

What we strive for: Mission

Empower every person and
every organization on the
planet to achieve more.

How we express Personality

Approachable
Voice
Warm and relaxed
Design principles
Pride in craftsmanship

ourselves:
Empathetic Crisp and clear Authentically digital
Determined Ready to lend a hand Fast and fluid
Real Do more with less
Passionate Win as one

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 The Microsoft logo lets people know who we are. Its our calling card.

Thats why we use the full-color Microsoft Microsoft is clearly the lead brand. Offering name appears in copy.

logo on every communication, whether

were talking about a particular product,
a company-wide offering or anything in
between. By starting with the Microsoft
logo, we align all of our efforts to create
a more cohesive Microsoft story.
Microsoft Azure, the
cloud for the modern
business.

Microsoft Azure

Power Apps will turn your business

expertise into solutions with ease.

Your apps. Your framework.

Your platform. All welcome.

Try Azurefree

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 How to use the Microsoft logo

The Microsoft logo appears on Minimum margin/white space

ALL our materials.
logo
The logo symbol and text must
be used together, and always symbol logotype
in color.

In our materials/assets place

the logo in a corner. Use
approved Microsoft end cards
for videos.

Take care with spacing and Minimum size

sizing. There are minimum On screen the logo never be less On-screen: 72 px
padding and size rules. than 15.5 px tall or 72px wide. In
Print: 1 (25.4 mm)

print it should never be less than On-screen: 15.5 px

.22 (5.5 mm) tall or 1in (25.4 Print: .22 (5.5 mm)
mm) wide.

Minimum corner space

Margin = Height of 1 symbol Margin = Height of 1.5 symbols Margin = Height of 2 symbols

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 Placement and Visibility of the Microsoft logo

If you need to use a color

background use one of these
approved background colors
from the Microsoft palette or
Rich Black Dark Gray Light Gray White Mid Blue
make sure you have adequate
contrast for all parts of the logo.

Place the logo only on

approved background colors.
For readability, the full-color Dark Magenta Dark Purple Purple Dark Blue Blue

logo may appear on any of the

colors shown here. See values
on color page.

You may put the Microsoft Dark Red Dark Teal Teal Dark Green Green

logo over a photograph only if

all parts of the logo maintain
contrast and readablity.

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 This is how we use the Microsoft brand with product names
Microsoft logo and product names
When the product name and Microsoft logo
are both present, the product name should
always be placed to the right or below the
logo.
The Microsoft symbol
The Microsoft symbol may not be used alone
to represent products and services nor may it
be attached to a product name.
Product icons
Product, service or app icons are used only
in small spaces including app marketplaces,
mobile tiles, social media profile pictures and
anywhere else where space is too limited to
use the full offering name.
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Product names Headline Height
C+E product branding is Microsoft led. At first Headline is
mention, use the full product name including the
name Microsoft. For subsequent mentions, the word
same height as
Microsoft may be dropped unless there is a legal Microsoft symbol
trademark requirement to always reference the name set in Segoe Light.
with the term Microsoft (Microsoft Edge, Microsoft
Flow). If you are unsure about whether there is a
Body copy set in Segoe Regular. Lorem
trademark requirement, contact CELA. ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing
elit. Donec vitae bibendum nibh. In hac
habitasse platea dictumst.
Exceptions to using the full product name
with Microsoft at first mention
1. You need simplicity in navigation/wayfinding and
small space digital design, including the name on Alternate Headline Height
the tile, the name on a list of apps for notifications,
Name in
breadcrumbs, etc.
headline is twice
2. The name is already positioned close to the
Microsoft logo in reading order; in English
language, this would be the name when its below
or to the right of the Microsoft logo.
logo height.
3. You are listing the offering with other Microsoft-
branded offerings. For example, Get SQL Server, Body copy set in Segoe Regular. Lorem ipsum dolor sit
amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Donec vitae bibendum
Visual Studio, and PowerBI, all from Microsoft. nibh. In hac habitasse platea dictumst.
 Brand voice and style

Use bigger Our modern design hinges on crisp minimalism. Get to the Lead with whats most important. Front-load
Shorter is always better. keywords for scanning. Make customer choices
ideas, fewer point fast
and next steps obvious.
words Replace this:
If youre ready to purchase Office 365 for your Replace this:
organization, contact your Microsoft account Templates provide a starting point for creating new
representative. documents. A template can include the styles, formats,
and page layouts you use frequently.
With this:
Ready to buy? Contact us. With this:
Save time by creating a template that includes the styles,
formats, and page layouts you use most often. Then use
Write like you Read your text aloud. Does it sound like something
a real person would say? Be friendly and conversational. the template whenever you create a new document.
speak
No. Robot. Words.

Replace this:
Be brief Give customers just enough information to make
decisions confidently. Prune every excess word.
Invalid ID
Replace this:
With this:
The Recommended Charts command on the Insert tab
You need an ID that looks like this:
recommends charts that are likely to represent your
someone@example.com
data well. Use the command when you want to visually
present data, and youre not sure how to do it.
Project Use contractions: its, youll, youre, were, lets.
With this:
friendliness Replace this: Create a chart thats just right for your data by using the
Your Microsoft Band is not waterproof. Light rain and Recommend Charts command on the Insert tab.
hand washing should not harm it, but do not immerse
your Band in liquids of any kind.

With this:
Your Microsoft Band isnt waterproof. Light rain and
hand washing shouldnt harm it, but dont immerse
it in liquids.

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 Brand voice and style

When in doubt, Default to sentence-style capitalizationcapitalize only Remember the In a list of three or more items, include a comma before
the first word of a heading or phrase and any proper the conjunction. (The comma that comes before the
dont capitalize last comma
nouns or names. Never Use Title Capitalization (Like conjunction is known as the Oxford or serial comma.)
This). Never Ever.
Replace this:
Replace this: Android, iOS and Windows
Find a Microsoft Partner
Limited-Time Offer With this:
Join Us Online Android, iOS, and Windows

With these:
Find a Microsoft partner Dont be spacey Use only one space after periods, question marks,
and colonsand no spaces around dashes.
Limited-time offer
Join us online Replace this:
Use pipelines logical groups of activities to
consolidate activities that are part of a task.
Skip periods Skip end punctuation on titles, headings, subheads,
UI titles, and items in a list that are three or fewer words.
(and : ! ?) With this:
Save the periods for paragraphs and body copy. Use pipelineslogical groups of activitiesto
consolidate activities that are part of a task.
Replace this:
Move a tile.
1. Press and hold the tile. Kill off weak Most of the time, start each statement with a verb.
Cut "you can" and "there is", "there are", "there were".
With this: writing
Move a tile Replace this:
1. Press and hold the tile. You can access Dynamics 365 apps across your devices
and get add-ons and connectors in AppSource.

With this:
Access Dynamics 365 apps across your devices and get
add-ons and connectors in AppSource.

13
 Color

There are eight colors in the Microsoft primary palette

primary Microsoft palette. These Yellow Orange Red Magenta Purple Blue Teal Green
colors are expanded into an R255 G185 B0 R216 G59 B1 R232 G17 B35 R180 G0 B158 R92 G45 B145 R0 G120 B215 R0 G130 B114 R16 G124 B16
accent palette, and a universal Hex #FFB900
C0 M25 Y100 K0
Hex #D83B01
C0 M75 Y100 K0
Hex #E81123
C0 M100 Y100 K0
Hex #B4009E
C25 M100 Y0 K0
Hex #5C2D91
C80 M100 Y0 K0
Hex #0078D7
C100 M30 Y0 K0
Hex #008272
C100 M0 Y50 K25
HEX #107C10
C75 M0 Y100 K0
color palette. PMS 124 C, 7406 U PMS 166 PMS 185 PMS 241 PMS 268 PMS 3005 PMS 3295 PMS 362

Windows
Microsoft Azure
When there is a need to choose Power BI Visual Studio SQL Intune
Flow
a single primary color the
preferred color is Blue from the
Microsoft accent palette
Microsoft primary palette. In
general, shades of blue Light Yellow Light Orange Dark Red Light Magenta Dark Magenta Light Purple Dark Purple

are preferred to convey a R255 G241 B0 R255 G140 B0 R168 G0 B0 R227 G0 B140 R92 G0 B92 R180 G160 B255 R50 G20 B90
Hex #FFF100 Hex #FF8C00 Hex #A80000 Hex #E3008C Hex #5C005C Hex #B4A0FF Hex #32145A
stable, sophisticated, and C0 M0 Y100 K0 C0 M50 Y100 K0 C20 M100 Y100 K20 C0 M100 Y0 K0 C70 M100 Y30 K25 C35 M40 Y0 K0 C90 M100 Y30 K30
Process Yellow PMS 144 PMS 1807 Process Magenta PMS 261 PMS 2645 PMS 2617
trustworthy personality.

Remember to use RGB or HEX for PowerApps

digital; CMYK or PMS for print. Light Blue Mid Blue Dark Blue Light Teal Dark Teal Light Green Dark Green

R0 G188 B242 R0 G24 B143 R0 G32 B80 R0 G178 B148 R0 G75 B80 R186 G216 B10 R0 G75 B28
If placing type over color Hex #00BCF2 Hex #00188F Hex #002050 Hex #00B294 HEX #004B50 HEX #BAD80A HEX #004B1C
C100 M0 Y0 K0 C100 M75 Y0 K0 C100 M75 Y0 K35 C100 M0 Y50 K0 C100 M50 Y50 K45 C25 M0 Y100 K0 C95 M45 Y100 K50
backgrounds, combinations Process Cyan PMS 286 PMS 288 PMS 3275 PMS 3165 PMS 382 PMS 3435

must exceed a 4.5:1 contrast

Dynamics 365
ratio for accessibility. System Center

Universal color palette

White Light Gray Gray Mid Gray Dark Gray Rich Black

R255 G255 B255 R230 G230 B230 R210 G210 B210 R115 G115 B115 R80 G80 B80 R0 G0 B0
Hex #FFFFFF Hex #E6E6E6 Hex #D2D2D2 Hex #737373 Hex #505050 Hex #000000
C0 M0 Y0 K0 C0 M75 Y0 K10 C0 M75 Y0 K20 C0 M75 Y0 K65 C0 M75 Y0 K80 C33 M33 Y33 K100
PMS Cool Gray 1 PMS Cool Gray 3 PMS Cool Gray 9 PMS Cool Gray 11

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 Typography

Segoe Light
We use Segoe, a completely custom type
family created for Microsoft that has become
a core element of our visual identity.
Large Headline
Our core typographic principles

Keep it simple. Size 36pt and above Use Segoe Light for large headlines in print. Use Segoe
Leading 90%-100% Semilight for digital headlines. Regardless of the
Limit type sizes to three. medium, give these headlines ample clear space, and
Kerning -15 to -25%
Keep it flush left. make sure the supporting copy below is considerably
smaller in point size.
Use sentence case.

Use an appropriate weight for each Medium Subhead Segoe Semibold

type size Size 24 to 36pt Segoe Semibold should be used for subheads that are
Leading 100% to 110% larger than the body copy. This size and weight creates a
Segoe Light and Semilight are our primary Kerning 0% to -10 clear emphasis without going too bold.
weights. They should be used for all
dominant typographic messaging, such as
headlines set in 24 pt type or larger.
Small Subhead Segoe Bold

Segoe Regular is our secondary weight. Size Same size as Segoe Bold is used when space is limited and an
It should be used for all body type. Use body text emphasized subhead is necessary. Avoid using Medium
Segoe Semibold and Bold sparingly for the Leading 100% to 130% Subheads and Small Subheads in the same layout.
occasional subhead or call-to-action. Kerning 0%

Use the right font for your project

Body Text Segoe Regular
Segoe UI is the font thats used for on-screen Size 8pt to 15pt Use Segoe Regular for all body text.
and digital executions. Segoe Pro is the font Leading 100% to 130%
thats used for print. This page is written in Kerning 0%
Segoe Pro.

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 Grid

Invisible grids organize information, provide Example PowerPoint grid for a 16:9 ratio display.

a clear hierarchy, and give our designs clean

lines, balance, and structure. Use them to Innovate with Microsofts unified
communicate your message in a direct way
cloud platform.
thats distinctly Microsoft.

1. Determine the margins to define your
design space.
2. Identify the number of columns and rows
(a pattern of squares).
Its a new day in IT. Big data. Cloud. Bring
your own device. All of these converging
technology trends demand a reponse from IT.

3. Add content: Microsoft logo, background

image or color, headlines and text.

If you are desiging digitally, use a

4-pixel based grid for your base unit
and consider whether your project

Headline
requires a responsive grid.
Headline lorem
ipsum dolor sit
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur
adipiscing elit. Suspendisse nibh justo, amet, consectetur
cursus eu lectus et, venenatis tristique.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur

adipiscing elit. Suspendisse nibh justo,
cursus eu lectus et, venenatis tristique.

Print grid guidance is in the Microsoft grid and layout guidelines document

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 Photography

Our photography reveals authentic

moments that are human and relatable.
Whether you use existing photos or do your
own photo shoot, feature real scenarios, not
staged. Focus on real people all over the
world and how our technology helps them
achieve remarkable things

Focus on real people and their stories

Capture the real world

Integrate our products naturally

Create versatile compositions

Obtain usage rights

Prepare assets for Brand Central

Browse our photo library

Get the Media and Person/Property

Release Forms

Learn how to publish to Brand Central

Get more info on Brand Central

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 Illustration

We use illustrations to convey what photos can't.

Especially in the highly technical world of C+E,

we need visual tools that tell stories and provide
metaphors to communicate complex and abstract
ideas. Microsoft professional illustrations are more than
sketches, theyre stories full of character, delightful
surprisesand layers of meaning. Illustrations should
be stylized and geometric.

Avoid the following:

Decorative illustrations without an informational

purpose

Photo-realistic or 3-D style

Off-brand color

Textures and gradients

Complex environments that make cropping difficult

Images that are not flat

Contoured shapes, shading and texture

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 Video end cards

The Microsoft logo must appear on the endcard Product screen fades to white and the Microsoft logo appears.

screen of every video. The preferred is EndCard_MSFT_

sig_wht.wmv, and the full list can be found here. X

White or black are the preferred color backgrounds.

If another color is used, follow the Microsoft logo
guidelines.

When the Microsoft logo or the offering name Microsoft Azure X

appears by itself, it should be centered horizontally
and just slightly above vertical center. Recommended
size is 1/8 the height of the screen.

1. The offering name appears on the appropriate

color background or on white. 16x9 4x3

2. The screen transitions to all white The product name should be equal to the cap height of the Microsoft logo for an end card screen.

3. The Microsoft logo appears

X
Each of the screens should appear for 1/2
to 1 second.

For questions and guidance on how to create your

end card please contact Brand Central Help Center.
X

16x9 4x3

The logo should be 1/8 the height of the end card screen.

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 Sound

The Microsoft brand is expressed through visuals, tone

of voice, motion and sound. While pictures and words help people better
understand our brand, sound helps them feel it.

Our sounds and music deliver a cohesive, branded story, allowing us to build
affinity for our brand. And we can use it everywhere from products to events.

We have 5 sonic principles to guide you when creating or selecting music:

HumanizingUse natural, warm, and organic sounds. Imperfections are

always allowed.

IntelligentDont be afraid of rich layers, interesting textures, and

rhythmic complexity.

ConnectedUse universal musical forms with lyrics that are relevant across
cultures. Theyre emotive and a bit ahead of current.

ProductiveSounds with a pulse, momentum, and percussive melodic

elements should be used.

EmpoweringIntegrate sounds with anticipatory tension and resolve,

ascending chord progressions, and passionate performances.

Please consider our Microsoft brand music library as your first stop for sound
tracks. There are over 300 tracks freely available for Microsoft productions and
growing. This resource also provides you with a point of contact for any help in
creating your own music using our partnership with award winning composers
and music agencies.

http://msonic.sourceaudio.com/#!home

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 Final checklist
Does it tell the Microsoft story?
Are we presenting the story/
campaign in a way that celebrates
the Microsoft brand?
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Does it look like Microsoft?
Do the people, location, and scenarios
look real, authentic, and natural?
Are the grid, typography, and color
used correctly?
Are you following Microsoft
logo guidance?
Does it sound like Microsoft?
Is the voice natural, honest and
expressed in everyday language?
Is the message relatable?
Is it simple and direct?
Is there a clear benefit outlined?
Is the call-to-action easy to understand?
Does it feel like Microsoft
Do the people, location, and scenario
feel authentic?
Is it empathetic and helpful?
Does it make you feel something?
 Thank you.
If youve just read these guidelines, you have our
appreciation. It means you share our belief in details and
quality. We know applying these principles takes time
and effort, but the stories we tell in all our Microsoft
communications will be stronger for it.

If you have any brand questions or suggestions, and to

access tools, templates, or other guidelines please don't
hesitate to contact us at the C+E Brand.

For additional content for the Microsoft Brand Guidelines

and other brand materials go to Brand Central.

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