Benz

Design Kit

Color Palette for Print & Screen
Font Selections & Styling
Photo Style Selection
Icon Family Selection
Two 1-on-1 Consultations
How-to Guide

Select from 5 Color Palettes

Purchase Now

Benz Design Kit Overview

This Design Kit suits brands with a penchant for practicality and a taste for adventure. Your audience would be drawn to this look & feel for its casual, natural and energizing qualities.

Whether your offerings center around the outdoors, STEM, athletics, political passions, apps, educational content, and more, you’ll enjoy the approachability of the bright, earthy color palette, bold font selections, icons and dramatic photography style.

Ideal for these brand archetypes:

Explorer

Hero

Creator

Innovator

Tags:

Adventurous, Bold, Bright, Earthy, Energetic, Independent, Natural, Practical

Select from 5 Color Palettes

Each color has been individually selected for its versatility in printed collateral and swag, as well as on screen in websites and apps. Every color palette has been tested to meet accessibility standards, and includes various theming options to keep your brand feeling fresh.

Color Palette Options

Choose from five color palettes. Need to match your existing brand? Upgrade to a custom color palette.

Included in Every Design Kit

Font Selections & Hierarchy

Give your documents and website an instant facelift with exact instructions for styling text: font, weight, sizes and color for headings, paragraphs, and more.

Versatile Color Palette

Keep brand colors consistent across print, screen and swag with professionally selected colors. Listed in Pantone, RGB, CMYK, HEX, HSB and HSL formats.

Image Style

Images play a central role in your look & feel, and in your ability to communicate. Learn how to select photos or illustrations to complete your polished look.

Swag Selection

Spread the word about your company with branded gear. We’ve done the shopping for you with recommendations for soft tees to fit your values and budget.

Icon Style

Icons relay concepts quickly and catch users’ eyes as they scan through information. We include a selection of icon families to embellish your work.

Step-by Step Instructions

Our detailed instructions and examples help you style your collateral, swag, products & websites. Industry secrets and lifetime updates included.

✔️ Brand Launch Checklist

✔️ Design Kit Implementation Checklist

✔️ Matching One Sheet Template

✔️ Supports Light & Dark Themes

✔️ Tested for Accessibility Standards

✔️ Cloud-based—always in sync

Two 30-min Consultations

Get brand-building guidance from Founder & Design Strategist, Kari Kay. Choose when to use your consultations within 90 days of purchase.

Kari brings nearly 20 years of professional brand and product design experience, working across Fortune 100s, Fortune 500s, mid-market enterprises, small businesses, NGOs and startups in a variety of industries.

Flexible Enough to Use Anywhere

Professionally Designed for Non-Designers

Take the guesswork out of applying your colors and fonts, or choosing images for your marketing materials.

Share with Team Members & Contractors

Design Kits live in the cloud, always in sync and ready to share.

Compatible with Any App

Style your website, create polished presentations, and generate cohesive collateral on-the-fly.

Built for Early Stage Startups & Solopreneurs

Ideal for Online Businesses

Software Companies
Independent Consultants
Independent Practitioners
Coaches, Speakers & Educators

Launch a New Brand

Get your look & feel right the first time. Simply copy & paste to create consistently branded documents, web pages, social media and more.

Update Your Existing Look & Feel

Use your Design Kit to overhaul your old look and embrace a relevant image.

Look Professional & Consistent as You Grow

Design Kits are Extensible & Scalable on Demand

Be prepared for unexpected opportunities, while keeping your brand cohesive. Design Kits come with access to an exclusive marketplace full of pre-formatted marketing materials made to match your Design Kit.

Get Pivot Insurance™
for Peace of Mind

Reduce costs and minimize disruptions in the event that your company changes course. Pivot Insurance allows you to swap Design Kits any time within a year of purchase to ease the transition and maintain momentum.

View Details

Purchase Add-ons to Increase your Speed to Market

Take advantage of our matching, pre-made marketing templates for your next sales pitch or product launch. Schedule consulting services for customized support.

Get Help Selecting Images

45-min consultation

Custom Color Palette

Refine existing brand colors

On-demand Marketing Templates

One sheets & presentations

Start Using Your Design Kit Today

All Design Kits: $2,700 · Volume discounts available

Purchase Now, Decide Later

Ready to purchase, but can’t decide which Design Kit or color is best for your organization? Purchase now, and get a free 20-min. consultation to help guide your decision.

Purchase Any Design Kit

Purchase Benz Design Kit

Congratulations—you’ve found the one! Select your preferred color palette during checkout, and start using the Benz Design Kit immediately after purchase.

Purchase Benz Design Kit

Need help selecting a Design Kit?

Free Consultation

Design Kit FAQs

What if I’m not sure which Design Kit is the right one for my company?

We created the Lean Design Brand Personality Quiz, and subsequent landing pages with brand examples to help you narrow down the right kit for you. If you haven’t taken the quiz yet, start here

If you’re still not sure you’ve found the right fit, schedule a consultation here
Are logo design services included in Lean Design Kits?

Logo design is not included in our Lean Design Kits. However, if this is something you’re looking for, please drop us a line here
What if our company already has brand colors, but we just want them tweaked a little?

We can work with that! Select the Custom color palette upgrade when you purchase your Design Kit.
Are Lean Design Kits compatible with Mac and PC?

Your Design Kit will be accessible via our cloud-based portal. The files linked from inside the Design Kit are compatible with all popular operating systems, including MacOS and Windows.
What file formats are included in Lean Design Kits?
Your Design Kit will be accessible via our cloud-based portal. The files linked from inside the Design Kit are compatible with all popular operating systems, including Mac and PC. They will only need to be downloaded once during setup on your desktop or laptop computer.

Files may include:
- Font files in WOFF, TTF or OTF format
- Icon files in .ico, .svg or .png
- Images in .jpg or .png
What if I don’t think I need everything in the Lean Design Kit, like icon selections or photo styling?

While we allow you to add to your Lean Design Kit, we don’t offer more pared down kits. Kits include the essentials needed to create a system of matching collateral and products so companies can focus on the work they do best. By doing this, we help your company look more polished and eliminate the inefficiencies of piecemeal brand building. This saves your company time and energy and keeps assets in a shareable, documented format for all collaborators.
Is a Lean Design Kit the same as a Design System?

No. Design Systems include tokens for styles and components that are used specifically for developing websites and products alone. Lean Design Kits can be used anywhere, in print or on screen. Our Lean Design Kits can be used in conjunction with a Design System or UI Kit to make your website and products match your brand.
Were these Design Kits generated by AI?

Not even a little bit. Everything included in the Design Kits was hand selected, tested in real-world scenarios, and (analyzed to bits) by professional design veteran, Kari Kay. All instructions were written and edited by Kari Kay as well.
Where can I read the license agreement?

Design Kit License

Elegant, Authoritative, Precise

Mood Board

Mood boards are curated groups of images that visualize a vibe. This is the second step in narrowing down a look & feel to effectively convey your brand message.

Grace under pressure is a rare and attractive quality. These brands exhibit strength and confidence in arenas where being unprepared or having poor judgment can have very real consequences. While underscored with a serious tone, they’re able to present a polished, chic image to assert a sense of control that garners respect.

Notice in the examples below how the use of neutral colors, sophisticated fonts and clean lines create a calm, composed presentation. Combined with high contrast palettes and shapes with sharp edges, these brands appear pristine and high end.

Ideal for these archetypes:

Sovereign

Sage

Caregiver

Tags:

Authoritative, Elegant, Precise, Smart, High end, Clear, Controlled, Practical, Strong

Is this the right feel for your brand?

The images below show how various companies have used color, type, icons, photos, illustrations and textures together to translate their personality into a unique look and feel. As you consider your company’s presence, do these samples achieve the vibe you’re after?

Please note: The images posted here are subject to copyrights owned by the individuals or entities who created them. They are intended for educational purposes, and not to be used for your brand or for any other personal or commercial use.

TIP: Audiences with an independent streak are difficult to convince. They will tend to be skeptical and do things on their own time. Be careful not to pander to them, oversell them or push them to take action. They tend to be interested in high quality, high value offerings and ignore what could be perceived as a waste of time. The more transparent you are, and the more room you give them, the happier they will be.

Not quite the vibe you’re looking for? Explore All Mood Boards

Get the look! Choose a Design Kit to match this vibe.

Choose Design Kit

Powerful, Serious, Balanced

Mood Board

Mood boards are curated groups of images that visualize a vibe. This is the second step in narrowing down a look & feel to effectively convey your brand message.

Expertise is difficult to imitate—authority even moreso. These brands aspire to find answers that have evaded all others, to provide resolution for difficult situations, or to correct what hadn’t been done right the first time. They present a reasonable and responsible image, referencing data and drawing on wisdom gained from years of experience and keen observations.

Brands with this calm, deliberate approach are best represented by an equally serene visual identity and tone of voice. Neutral or classic colors, simple layouts, crisp fonts, and minimal decoration create a feeling of balance and trustworthiness.

Ideal for these archetypes:

Sovereign

Sage

Tags:

Authoritative, Balanced, Careful, Cautious, Fair, Intelligent, Powerful, Practical, Serious, Smart, Strong, Trustworthy

Is this the right feel for your brand?

Not quite the vibe you’re looking for? Explore All Mood Boards

Get the look! Choose a Design Kit to match this vibe.

Choose Design Kit

Caring, Warm, Dependable

Mood Board

Mood boards are curated groups of images that visualize a vibe. This is the second step in narrowing down a look & feel to effectively convey your brand message.

A warm embrace from a friend in a time of a need, the scent of freshly cleaned laundry, the feel of home. These brands create a space of safety and comfort that emulate our most cherished experiences. While their presence may not be readily apparent, companies in this category are there to help in the ways we want or need. They will tend to take one of two approaches: to wait in the background and only appear when we need them, or to usher us in, guiding us carefully and compassionately to where we are trying to go.

Depending on other characteristics of the brand personality, the look and feel could lean towards a quirky, humorous tone, a more subdued and serene presence, or a comforting, folksy simplicity. Nevertheless, warm or neutral colors, smiling faces, soft or rounded edges and crisp fonts, and clean, organized layouts will provide a feeling of support and care.

Ideal for these archetypes:

Caregiver

Sovereign

Sage

Tags:

Caring, Capable, Comforting, Dependable, Friendly, Organized, Patient, Practical, Reliable

Is this the right feel for your brand?

Not quite the vibe you’re looking for? Explore All Mood Boards

Get the look! Choose a Design Kit to match this vibe.

Choose Design Kit

Considerate, Mature, Approachable

Mood Board

Mood boards are curated groups of images that visualize a vibe. This is the second step in narrowing down a look & feel to effectively convey your brand message.

During important moments, it helps to know we have someone to turn to for guidance, restitution or even an empathetic ear. Brands in this category strive to provide a safe environment for their customers, accounting for deeper needs that require extra care and attention. Those looking for help will appreciate a gracious approach as they seek a sense of control, make important decisions, or look to reinstate normalcy in their lives.

Creating a supportive atmosphere requires openness and clarity, even in the types of visual treatments that are used. Whether simply on vacation, planning for the future, or dealing with a significant loss, providing clear communication is essential for these brands. This is best expressed through clean, simple layouts, crisp fonts, and minimal decoration. Depending on other characteristics of the brand personality, the look and feel could lean towards a more formal or informal tone. Human touches like illustration and uplifting colors and scents can create a comforting, encouraging vibe.

Ideal for these archetypes:

Caregiver

Sovereign

Sage

Tags:

Approachable, Careful, Clear, Composed, Considerate, Mature, Organized, Practical, Reliable, Safe, Secure, Supportive

Is this the right feel for your brand?

Not quite the vibe you’re looking for? Explore All Mood Boards

Get the look! Choose a Design Kit to match this vibe.

Choose Design Kit

Informed, Scholarly, Prudent

Mood Board

Mood boards are curated groups of images that visualize a vibe. This is the second step in narrowing down a look & feel that will effectively convey your brand message.

The quest for knowledge in the modern world often starts with a simple online search that sends users traipsing down a rabbit hole of distraction and misinformation. These brands combat the frustration generated by the firehose of data that users are often subjected to by creating a more organized and factual experience. Their diligence supports more effective learning and vetted answers. This look would be appropriate for brands in highly regulated industries, such as healthcare or cyber security, that need to create an atmosphere of trustworthiness with rigorous attention to detail.

Brands with this vibe need to portray authority, diligence and precision, and therefore tend towards a clean, Spartan-like image. Depending on other characteristics of their brand personality, companies in this category will want to opt for a sparse, modern look to showcase their perceived futuristic foresight, or an image that hints at a historic heritage, studious tendencies and depth of knowledge.

Ideal for these archetypes:

Sage

Sovereign

Caregiver

Tags:

Analytical, Clean, Detail-oriented, Expertise, Historic, Intelligent, Modern, Practical, Precise, Smart, Scientific, Studious, Trustworthy

Is this the right feel for your brand?

Please note: The images posted here are subject to copyrights owned by the individuals or entities who created them. They are not intended to be used for your brand or for any other personal or commercial use.

TIP: Clean, minimalist design is highly appealing but can be difficult to execute well, especially in your early days. Every detail counts—be judicious with the quantity of words on a page, and select your imagery, icons and fonts with care. Be careful not to oversimplify your look, as you risk being bland and forgettable.