structure and elegance in Design
Capturing the Soul of Old North Knoxville
COlor Codes
Typography
Lucidity Condensed
titles, headings, and large text
abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz
abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz
1234567890!@£$%^&
League Spartan
Subheadings, body text, and URLs
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz
1234567890!@£$%^&
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Headers (Primary): Lucida Condensed. Use sparingly for main titles, reflecting the elegant details of the neighborhood's homes. Consider using Midnight Iris for the color.
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Headers (Secondary): League Spartan (Bold or Semi-Bold). Use for subheadings, providing a strong, structural framework. Consider using Craftsman Clover for the color
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Body Text: League Spartan (Regular). Use for all paragraph text, ensuring readability. Use Wrought Gate for digital color and black for print.
Logo Downoads
Old North Knoxville's architecture, blending Folk Victorian, Queen Anne, Craftsman, and similar styles, masterfully combines structure and elegance. This design guide strives to capture that duality. Strong lines and geometric forms define the underlying structure, reflected in the sharp, 90-degree corners of interface elements like buttons and boxes. These sharp corners mirror the structural integrity found in the neighborhood's buildings. The chosen typography, Lucida Condensed for titles and League Spartan for content, with their rounded forms, represents the handcrafted elegance – analogous to the intricate, yet carefully considered, decorative trim and detailing found on these historic homes.​
While rounded corners are common in modern design, their softness would diminish the connection to Old North Knoxville's architectural heritage. Just as those historic homes balance a solid, rectilinear form with delicate ornamentation, this guide balances sharp-cornered elements with the refined typography. The fonts enhance readability and add visual interest without compromising the fundamental "structure." This approach ensures the guide is both functional and aesthetically resonant with the neighborhood's character, mirroring the interplay of a building's solid form and its detailed craftsmanship.
Primary Design Themes
Architecture:
Reflecting the architectural heritage of Old North Knoxville, where styles such as Folk Victorian, Queen Anne, and Craftsman emphasize strong lines and geometric precision, sharp corners maintain visual consistency with the characteristic right angles found in these homes' structural components, window and door frames, and decorative trim, unlike the more modern aesthetic of rounded corners.
Materiality:
Think of the materials historically used: wood, brick, stone, and wrought iron. These materials are typically cut and shaped into angular forms. Rounded corners are more suggestive of molded plastics or other modern manufacturing processes. The straight edges maintain a subtle connection to handcrafted work.
Visual Consistency:
Maintaining sharp corners throughout the design creates a sense of visual consistency and reinforces the overall aesthetic of structured order and geometric precision. This consistency contributes to a more cohesive and professional presentation.