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Behind The Numbers

Matthew Guo

Failure Is...

Sketchbook

Twitch

Silken’s visual identity embodies elegance, purity, and modern sophistication. Our aesthetic is minimal yet refined, reflecting the essence of our brand—skincare that feels as luxurious as it is effective. Every design choice, from typography to color palette, is carefully curated to evoke a sense of calm, trust, and indulgence.

Our color palette leads with Punch Red—bold, expressive, and energetic—grounded by Neutral tones and elevated with accents like Aqua, Yellow, and Purple. It’s a system that captures both confidence and creativity. We use Labil Grotesk as our primary typeface—a sans-serif with subtle eccentricity—and Victor Serif for moments of refinement. The typography is airy, intentional, and easy to read—always leaving room for the work to shine.We don’t chase trends or scream for attention. We build deliberately, iterate constantly, and let the product speak. Our brand reflects that: polished yet playful, high-performing yet warm. Because at Playbook, we’re not just designing storage—we’re designing a platform worthy of the world’s best creative work.

Everything we've done has led to this moment.

We use Labil Grotesk Light in most applications, from headlines, to body copy, and bulleted text.In the special case of short hero headlines, we can use up to one instance of our slanted O (or double OO) glyph to emphasize a word. This adds another level of brand recognition and quirk.

ENVIRONMENT SHOTA wider composition placing the product within a styled setting, creating context through natural elements.

TEXTURE SHOTA macro or abstract shot highlighting the product’s formula, surface, or consistency, emphasizing its tactile qualities and sensory appeal.

Our primary brand color is Punch Red. When paired with our core palette, it provides an arresting combination of refinement and quirk.

Our symbol is always used in Black to mirror the essence of a simple drawing. To ensure readability and contrast, the symbol size is adjusted based on the color of the background.

Large Scale Applications
Height of symbol matches height of "BOOK" Symbol aligns to bottom of wordmark

A brand guideline is always a work in progress. As our company and design team continue to grow and refine our vision, this document will evolve accordingly. While major changes won’t happen overnight, we encourage you to revisit it periodically to stay aligned with the latest best practices and visual standards.

These are examples of misuses of the symbols.

CLOSE UP SHOTA detailed composition focusing on the product’s key features, capturing fine details, finishes, and branding elements with precision.

Our double thumbs-up symbol is the primary expression of our brand. It is born from the familiar utilitarian visual language of a designer’s toolbox. The symbol appears with approachable line strokes and echoes the affirmative and empowering spirit of the Playbook brand.

Neutral and White backgrounds are used with smaller symbol sizes

Every Silken product is designed to be both used and admired — a quiet luxury that lives beautifully in any setting. Product placement should reflect the brand’s core values: softness, sophistication, and serene confidence. Whether in photography, on-shelf displays, or digital compositions, Silken thrives in environments that feel intentional, uncluttered, and quietly elevated.

Our symbol should always be surrounded by a minimum margin of clear space. In this example, the width of the symbol is equal to 3✖. A margin equivalent to ✖ is drawn around it to create the minimum clear space.

We’re a confident brand. We never crowd our logos and always give them room to breathe and stand out. The clear space around the N Symbol is the width of one leg of the N. The clear space around the Wordmark is the width of the T.

🤟 Currently building <a href="https://www.instagram.com/asiansforsexpositivity/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Asians for Sex Positivity¹</a>.🧑🏻‍💻 Previously, <a href="https://www.twitch.tv/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Twitch²</a> and <a href="https://www.intuit.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Intuit³</a>.🎓 I studied <a href="https://www.cmu.edu/information-systems/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Information Systems⁴</a> and <a href="https://www.hcii.cmu.edu/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Human-Computer Interaction⁵</a> at Carnegie Mellon University.

Our secondary typeface, Victor Serif, is a modern and refined serif that elevates our brand.

In beauty imagery, the product’s features and details take center stage. Each shot is set in a clean, minimalist studio environment, often against thoughtfully chosen colorful backdrops that enhance the visual narrative. Lighting, angles, and color palettes are meticulously curated to highlight the product’s key attributes—

Our main typeface, Labil Grotesk, is a clean sans-serif with an element of quirk. It gives our messaging a precise and whimsical impression.

Our logo is sleek and timeless, featuring clean lines and balanced proportions that convey a sense of effortless beauty. The color palette is soft and neutral, with hues inspired by nature—warm ivories, muted taupes, and delicate blush tones—symbolizing purity, softness, and nourishment. Accents of deep charcoal or metallics add a touch of modernity and sophistication, reinforcing Silken’s premium positioning.

In cases where the symbol needs to separate from the wordmark lockup, we can pair our wordmark and symbol within a layout. In most cases, the height of the symbol matches the height of the entire wordmark. In very large scale applications, the height of the symbol matches the height of “BOOK.”

At Silken, we believe in simplicity without compromise. Our meticulously curated formulations are free from harsh additives, focusing instead on clean, high-performance botanicals, vitamins, and essential nutrients. Whether it’s a deeply hydrating moisturizer, a glow-enhancing serum, or a gentle cleanser, each product is designed to enhance your skin’s health and resilience over time.

Using our logos consistently ensures brand recognition and allows for creativity elsewhere. Avoid these usages.

We use Victor Serif Regular for the occasional pop of contrasts, technical headlines, technical call-outs, CTAs and some hero links.

Silken is a skincare brand dedicated to the art of effortless beauty. Rooted in the philosophy that skincare should be both indulgent and effective, we craft formulas that nourish, restore, and elevate your natural radiance. Our products blend science-backed innovation with nature’s finest ingredients, ensuring that every drop delivers hydration, rejuvenation, and a touch of luxury.

Some partnerships may be approved for the creation of a Netflix-partner logo lock-up. If approved, try to ensure that the Netflix logo appears first, there is a complete parity of size, placement and prominence in the partner materials, and that there is appropriate spacing between the logos per the Netflix clear space guidelines.Generally, if a Partner is using their symbol, the N Symbol should be used. If a partner is using their full logo, use the full Netflix wordmark. Alternatively, you can consider the level of awareness within your region when choosing to leverage the wordmark or N Symbol (ie. Higher-awareness markets tend to choose the N Symbol due to high familiarity).The design element that separates the two marks is flexible in form and color based on the context of the partnership, but our default is the red rule. We have provided a few examples of different separators below to showcase this flexibility.

When placing a Silken product, always consider the surface, light, and surrounding context. Neutral, textured backgrounds like stone, fabric, or softly grained wood enhance the product’s tactile elegance. Avoid harsh lighting; instead, opt for diffused natural light or subtle shadowplay that reveals the product’s curves and finishes.

Small Scale Applications (most cases)
Height of symbol matches height of wordmark

Insert your bio here! My journey in design began at a young age, fueled by a fascination with how aesthetics and functionality merge in everyday objects. I pursued formal education in industrial design, where I honed my skills in user-centered design and learned the importance of empathy in creating products that not only look great but also solve real-world problems effectively. Today, as I continue to grow in my career, I remain committed to pushing the boundaries of what design can achieve, constantly seeking innovative solutions that enhance user experiences and bring joy to their lives.

The Wordmark remains an essential identifier of our brand. While our goal is to lead with the N Symbol, we enlist the Wordmark to ensure brand recognition in low-awareness markets or when production limits the use of color.

Punch Red background is used with large symbol sizes

Netflix Red is our brand’s signature color, but our Wordmark does appear in black or white when necessary. DO NOT USE without approval from the Brand Team.

whether through a straightforward, literal approach or a more abstract, artistic interpretation. Every composition is intentional, ensuring that the imagery not only showcases the product but also evokes a sense of sophistication and storytelling.

Hi, I’m Matt! I’m a visual and interaction designer who thrives on the challenge of crafting experiences that demand a deep understanding of human behavior.

Playbook exists to give creative work the home it deserves. Not just a place to store files, but a visual center of gravity—a clean, intuitive space where ideas connect across timelines, teams, and tools. This home is designed to reflect the quality of the work it holds: inspiring, precise, and crafted with care. Whether you’re an independent artist or part of a global brand, Playbook helps you find, share, and build on creative work with clarity and ease.Our brand is an extension of that belief. The double thumbs-up symbol anchors our identity—it’s familiar, utilitarian, and affirming. Paired with our wordmark’s slanted O’s, it reflects momentum and play, striking a balance between stability and quirk. Together, they signal our promise: to support creative work at every scale with the thoughtfulness it deserves.

In high-awareness markets, we lead with the N Symbol. There is power in owning a letter of the alphabet: it’s universal and instantly identifiable as shorthand for our brand. However, without Netflix Red, the N Symbol might not read as Netflix, which is why it always appears in its signature color.

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Discover our brand guidelines and visual assets to help you create authentic Silken experiences.