BLACKTOP
Brand book · Direction ① Pavement

Garage-authentic.
Built like a helmet sticker.

BlackTop is made by riders, for riders. The identity is rugged, low-key, and earned — heavy industrial type, hi-vis amber used like safety gear, and a privacy promise underneath all of it. This book is the source of truth.

Archivo · Inter Hi-Vis Amber #FFB300 Asphalt #0E1013 Find your people. Keep the rubber down.
02 / Color

The palette

Asphalt is the canvas. Chalk carries the words. Hi-vis amber is the only saturated accent — used sparingly, like safety gear on edges. Tail-light red is rarer still, reserved for live/now and warnings.

Primary
Hi-Vis Amber#FFB300
Background
Asphalt#0E1013
Surface
Gunmetal#2A2E35
Secondary
Tail-Light Red#E2554A
Ink
Chalk#F2F0EB

The 60 / 30 / 10 rule

Asphalt dominates, gunmetal builds the surfaces, amber is the spark. Keep amber under ~10% of any composition — its power is in restraint. Tail-light red is a guest, not a regular.

Contrast & accessibility

Chalk on Asphalt clears AAA for body text. Amber on Asphalt is for large display and UI accents — keep amber text bold and big. Never set long body copy in amber. Use Asphalt ink on amber buttons.

03 / Typography

Type system

Archivo for display — heavy, condensed, industrial; it carries the helmet-sticker weight. Inter for body — clean, legible, gets out of the way. Two families, no exceptions.

Aa
Archivo
Display & headlines. Weights 800 / 900, condensed feel, tight tracking.
800 Extra Bold900 Black
ABCDEFG abcdefg 0123456789 — KEEP THE RUBBER DOWN
Aa
Inter
Body, UI, captions. Weights 400 / 500 / 600 for clear hierarchy.
400 Regular500 Medium600 Semibold
ABCDEFG abcdefg 0123456789 — Find your people.
04 / Voice

How BlackTop talks

Rider to rider, not brand to user. Short, concrete, a little wry. Lead with the ride and the crew, back it with the privacy promise. Earn trust by saying less.

Direct Loyal Grounded Dry-witted

"Talk rider-to-rider, not brand-to-user. Short, concrete, a little wry. Lead with the ride and the crew, back it with the privacy promise. Earn trust by saying less."

Do

  • Write like you'd talk at a gas stop.
  • Lead with the ride; let privacy land underneath.
  • Use concrete nouns: bikes, miles, the crew, the turn.
  • Cut a sentence before you add one.

Don't

  • No corporate hype: "revolutionize", "seamless", "game-changer".
  • No emoji.
  • Don't fetishize speed or risk — this isn't a racing brag app.
  • Never imply rides or voice are stored or sold.
  • No purple gradients, no startup-deck gloss.
05 / Imagery

Imagery direction

Real riders, real asphalt — grain-true photography, never stock. Low-key light, single warm amber key, matte road texture. Amber appears like hi-vis safety gear: sparing, on edges.

  • Real, mixed crews — not posed stock riders.
  • Golden-hour and low-key light, single warm amber key.
  • Matte road texture, true photographic grain.
  • Amber on edges only — reflective strips, helmet rims, gear.
  • No stock-photo riders.
  • No chrome 3D or CGI renders.
  • No lens flare.