ARWA · Logo system
01 ·
The mark
A monogram-led combination mark. The droplet carries the brand; the wordmark stays secondary and explicit.
A droplet holds a letterform, split by a water horizon.
Three elements, one silhouette: the teardrop field, the stenciled A riding above the water, and the cursive meridian where water meets sky. Each element earns its place.
The droplet is the genus — it signals water at any scale, in any medium. The A identifies the organization. The horizon line is the brand's signature detail: what ARWA is actually protecting — the surface where rural water meets its community.
Every application of the brand leads with this mark. The wordmark supports; it does not replace.
02 ·
Size range
The A counter, stem weight, and waterline amplitude are tuned so the silhouette survives from a 16px favicon to wall-scale signage.
* Below 32 px use the small-size optimized variant — simplified waterline, beefed-up A with enlarged counter.
03 ·
Construction & clear space
Drawn on a 200-unit droplet height. Clear space equals one-quarter of the droplet height on every side.
Grid construction · 24u base
Clear space · X = ¼ droplet height
Minimum: 1X on all sides. Preferred: 2X at roof positions (top of page, banner tops).
04 ·
Color treatments
Four approved variants. Any other color combination requires brand sign-off.
Primary · on bone
Inverse · on navy
Inverse · on aqua (water fills the field)
Inverse · on warm accent
05 ·
Wordmark lockups
The mark + wordmark. Two orientations: horizontal (primary) and stacked (secondary). Wordmark typeface pairs with the system's display face.
Stacked · secondary lockup
ARWA
Alabama Rural Water Association
06 ·
Wordmark typeface · three candidates
Pick one. The monogram stays fixed across all three; only the wordmark's letterforms change.
Option A · recommendedFraunces 144 Black
ARWAEditorial serif with optical sizing. Warmth and gravitas — stewardship, not cold infrastructure.
Option BSource Serif 4 ExtraBold
ARWAQuieter, more utilitarian serif. Pairs seamlessly with the rest of the system (already the display face).
Option CFamiljen Grotesk Bold
ARWACivic geometric. Infrastructure, signage, TVA-lineage. The most "agency" feel.
07 ·
Monochrome & single-color
For engraving, embroidery, newsprint, single-color print. Waterline retained as subtle tonal break.
08 ·
Misuse
Four things that break the mark's craft. Any of these should be treated as a brand violation.
Don't stretch or distort the droplet silhouette.
Don't recolor outside approved palette.
A
Don't overlay type on the monogram.
Don't add drop shadows, bevels, or container effects.