Logo
Logos 1 and 2 are the preferred applications. Use them by default. The alternatives exist for specific contexts — circular surfaces, tight formats, special applications.
Logo 1 — Primary Stacked
On AAM Navy
Default. Most-used application.
On Baby Blue
Use navy logo — never white on light.
On AAM Dark Green
Elegant. Use for program-specific contexts.
Logo 2 — Horizontal Lockup
On AAM Navy
Horizontal — nav bars, headers, email.
On White
Clean, document, co-branding use.
On AAM Orange
Accent use — campaigns, callouts.
Logo 3 — Stacked Alternate
On AAM Navy
Same rules as Logo 1.
On Baby Blue
Navy logo on light — always.
On Deep Ink
Event, stage, dark-mode contexts.
Logos 1, 2 & 3 — The Brand Logos
Only Logos 1, 2 and 3 are approved to represent the Arts Access Miami brand in everyday content, institutional contexts, event branding, and official communications.
Graphic Assets (Not Logos) — Design-Forward & Artistic Use Only
Logo 4 (circular) and Logo 6 (the hands mark) are not logos — they are supporting graphic assets. Use only in design-forward, artistic, or editorial contexts. Never for everyday content, institutional materials, or standard event branding.
Do
- Clear space equal to the "A" height on all sides
- Use Logo 1 or 2 by default in all standard contexts
- Scale proportionally at all times
- White logo on dark backgrounds; navy on light
Don't
- Stretch, squeeze, rotate, or skew
- Recreate in another typeface or color
- Place on busy photography without a dark overlay
- Add shadows, glows, or effects to the logo itself
Social Media Content Design
AAM social content lives at the intersection of authentic photography, bold typography, and controlled graphic design. The goal is always to create work that stops the scroll. Photography is student-first and real. Copy is direct, punchy, and in the voice. The highlight bar is the thread that ties everything together.
Design Examples — Gradient Overlay & Drop Shadow Techniques
Drop shadow — social & print overlays
One Ask.
One Teacher.
Everything
Changed.
Instagram Carousel Cover
YouTube Thumbnail & IG Reels Cover
YouTube Thumbnail · 16:9 · No logo — curiosity-driven, never commercial
IG Reels Cover · 9:16 · Same design language adapted for vertical format
Drop Shadow — When & How
The AAM website does not currently use drop shadows — it is the cleaner, flatter, more institutional and serious manifestation of the brand. In social media, video and print content however, shadows are a useful tool for improving readability and elevating aesthetic finish. Use them with restraint. The shadow should be felt, not seen. A wide, low-opacity Gaussian shadow — never a hard block, outline-visible shadow.
When to use
- Copy overlaid on photography
- Instagram carousels & covers
- YouTube thumbnails
- When contrast between type & image is unclear
- To give a piece a more modern, current, elevated finish
When not to use
- Website typography — always flat
- Logos — never
- Text on solid color backgrounds
- Print documents and reports
- As a hard, opaque block shadow
Voice & Tone
We Are
- Warm, reflective, mission-driven
- Confident without boasting
- Community-forward, student-first
- Data-rooted and specific
- Collaborative, never competitive
- Institutional and serious — with soul
- Accessible to families and funders alike
Not
- Preachy or self-congratulatory
- Corporate or stiff
- Vague or jargon-heavy
- Trend-chasing
- Performatively humble
- Overly casual or careless
- Generic nonprofit-speak
The Alan Paragraph — Origin & Context
This caption was written by Alan Valladares, Arts Access Miami's Director, for an Instagram post following a Leadership Cohort Meeting held at the Steinway Piano Gallery in 2026. It was so tastefully and purposefully written that Charles Spragins III, AAM's Marketing Manager, adopted it as the definitive reference for Arts Access Miami's voice, tone, and language — particularly for formal and partner-facing content.
"An inspiring evening to close out our final Leadership Circle Meeting of the year at Steinway Piano Gallery. Together, we reflected on the power of data, collective impact, and what it means to build sustainable change through collaboration. These conversations continue to reinforce that when organizations align around a shared vision, we can create stronger outcomes for young people and our communities. Thankful for every leader, partner, and advocate who continues to move this work forward."
Looser register — IG Stories, casual reels, community content
"One teacher changed everything. One ask — and suddenly a classroom full of kids had access to something that will stay with them forever. This is why we do this."
80 / 20 Rule. Roughly 80% of AAM content — including Instagram captions, event posts, partner communications, and impact content — lives in the formal, warm, reflective register. The remaining 20% can be more charismatic, casual, and fun: Stories, laid-back reels, comments, behind-the-scenes. Even then, it stays true to the mission and never feels detached from the work.
Before You Post
Caption Voice
- Warm, specific, community-forward
- Lead with the student or the moment — not the org
- Event recaps → Alan paragraph register
- Impact stats get their own slide or callout
- Clip captions with no narrative
- Excessive exclamation points or emoji
Visual Rules
- Highlight bar on key stat or phrase in carousel graphics
- AAM Navy gradient overlay on photography for legibility
- Drop shadows on copy over photos — always, subtly
- Thumbnails: curiosity-first, never look like an ad
- Logo on video thumbnails — reads commercial, kills clicks
- Clip-art, stock illustration, or generic imagery
Hashtag Order — Non-Negotiable
#ArtsAccessMiami
Always first. Always included. No exceptions.
Additional hashtags — program-specific, location, campaign — follow as appropriate. Partner organizations including YMU are treated as any other partner in hashtag usage and do not have a fixed position in the tag hierarchy.
Applications
How the system moves across touchpoints — web, social, print, stage.
Uniting Miami Through the Power of Arts Education
40,700+
Students
Served
A Proven,
Scalable Model
for Miami
Youth Music
Festival
Miami-Dade
Catalyst
Grantee
Program →
2024–25
Impact Report
Arts Access
Miami
Instagram Carousel — Photography-Forward
Instagram Carousel — Type & Color-Forward
A different register. Less photography-dependent — type and color-forward, graphically minimal.
YouTube Thumbnail & IG Reels Cover
YouTube Thumbnail · 16:9 · No logo · Curiosity-driven, never commercial
Thumbnails must feel like authentic YouTube videos — not ads. The moment a viewer senses a commercial, they scroll. Lead with the story, not the brand. No logo, ever.
Brand colors are the default, not a mandate. If forcing AAM colors compromises visual impact, prioritize coolness, curiosity, and eye-catching design. Always use NaN Holo Condensed and apply highlight bars when composition allows.
IG Reels Cover · 9:16 · Same language, vertical format
artsaccessmiami.org · marketing@artsaccessmiami.org · 954.494.8524