# Greyhaven Brand Voice & Messaging -- Claude Skill > **Source of truth**: `vibedocs/greyhaven-brand-system.md` (Brand Guidelines v1.1) > > This skill applies when generating ANY user-facing content for Greyhaven: > marketing copy, landing pages, CTAs, product descriptions, documentation, > email, README intros, explanations of how the product works, or any prose > that will be read by a human. It does NOT apply to internal code comments, > commit messages, or technical logs. --- ## 1. The One-Line Test Before writing any sentence, ask: > Would an engineer who understands the system read this and feel it's accurate, direct, and free of hype? If no, rewrite. That single test catches 90% of brand drift. --- ## 2. Core Positioning (memorize) **Greyhaven builds custom, contained AI systems that run entirely inside the client's environment, shaped by real operational constraints and deployed under the client's control.** **Short form**: *Local-first AI systems shaped by real work. Built where work happens. Contained end to end.* Powered by Monadical's internal, open-source stack, hardened over eight years. --- ## 3. The Three Brand Axes Every sentence, heading, or visual choice should land on the correct side of these three axes. When in doubt, use them to explain *why* something is wrong without relying on taste. | Axis | Greyhaven is on this side | NOT this side | |------|---------------------------|---------------| | **Containment** | Systems run inside the perimeter. Nothing leaks. | Cloud/SaaS narratives. "Connected everywhere." | | **Human-centered** | Built around how people actually work. | Built around model capabilities or vendor features. | | **Engineered** | From real deployments, constraints, operator reality. | Vision-first, theatrical, speculative, futuristic. | If copy drifts toward **exposure, performance, or model-led thinking → it doesn't fit**. --- ## 4. Tone of Voice **Direct. Plain-spoken technical. Explains difficult things in simple terms.** Greyhaven speaks like an engineer who understands how systems work and can describe them cleanly -- without mystique or theatrics. - **No** jargon for its own sake - **No** oversimplification - **No** sales language - **No** hype adjectives ("revolutionary", "cutting-edge", "seamless", "powerful", "game-changing") - **No** evangelism ("unleash", "empower", "transform") - **No** emotional leverage or fear-mongering - **Yes** calm, precise, explanatory - **Yes** mechanical facts - **Yes** specifics over superlatives - **Yes** authority through clarity, not volume --- ## 5. Writing Rules ### 5.1 Explain clearly. Don't perform. The goal is clarity, not persuasion. Readers have different levels of technical know-how. Describe what happens inside the environment, how data flows, which dependencies matter, what boundaries exist. If something is complex, break it down without dumbing it down. ### 5.2 Plain-language engineering Use everyday words for technical realities. If a simpler word communicates the same thing, use it. | Instead of | Prefer | |-----------|--------| | "data paths" | "where the data goes" | | "surfaces" | "places where exposure/risk can happen" | | "dependencies" | "things the system relies on" | | "isolation" | "kept separate from the outside" | | "logs" | "records of what happened" | | "handoffs" | "when one person/system passes something to another" | | "leverage" | "use" | | "leverage AI to..." | "the system uses AI to..." | | "synergy" | (don't use) | | "cutting-edge solution" | (don't use) | | "transform your workflow" | describe what the system does instead | Don't assume the reader knows technical shorthand. The reader should leave with a clearer mental model, not an impressed feeling. ### 5.3 Human-first in how we describe work Start from what operators actually do -- steps, judgment calls, knowledge. Explain operator behaviors the same way you explain systems: concretely and without dramatization. ### 5.4 Security, stated without drama Mechanical facts, not alarmism. - **Good**: "Running inside the perimeter restores finite boundaries." - **Bad**: "Protect your data from devastating breaches!" State causal reasoning. No emotional leverage. ### 5.5 Quiet confidence State specifics. No hype adjectives. No evangelism. Authority comes from clarity, not volume. - **Good**: "A working, testable prototype delivered in 24-48 hours." - **Bad**: "Lightning-fast, industry-leading AI delivery!" --- ## 6. Patterns for Reasoning Use these four patterns to structure explanations. They express engineering logic: minimal wording, direct causality, observable/verifiable outcomes. ### Cause → Effect > "When work relies on external AI services, every step -- inputs, outputs, logs, metadata -- becomes part of someone else's infrastructure." ### Constraint → Outcome > "No external APIs and no data leaving the environment. The system remains contained, and the client keeps full operational and security control." ### Observation → Explanation > "We sit with the operators, map the steps, and build a system that mirrors what actually happens." ### Finite Scope → Concrete Result > "One process at a time. A working, testable prototype delivered in 24-48 hours." --- ## 7. CTA Guidance Greyhaven CTAs should be concrete and engineering-flavored, not aspirational or urgent. **Good CTA patterns**: - "See how it runs in your environment" - "Map your first process" - "Review the architecture" - "Read how it's deployed" - "Get a working prototype in 48 hours" **Avoid**: - "Unlock the power of AI" - "Transform your business today" - "Don't miss out!" - "Revolutionary AI solutions await" - Urgency/scarcity framing ("limited time", "hurry", "act now") - Hype verbs ("unleash", "supercharge", "revolutionize") --- ## 8. Driving Ideas (use these to self-check) A sentence, heading, or design choice should feel like one of these: > **(System-)aware · Applied · Adaptable · Unblocking · Safe-to-experiment · Contained · Durable · Iterative** If it doesn't land on any of them, or lands somewhere else (flashy, theatrical, aspirational), rewrite. --- ## 9. Typography Approach (for written-content UI) Hierarchy is built through **tonal shifts**, not decorative treatments. - Primary points stay **dark and controlled** (foreground text) - Supporting detail **moves lighter** (muted-foreground) - The orange accent is **reserved** for parts that require immediate attention -- never decorative Do NOT establish hierarchy through: - Multiple contrasting typefaces - Decorative styles (italics for emphasis, ALL CAPS for drama, oversized type for style) - Color variety DO establish hierarchy through: - Weight differences within the same family (serif for content, sans for UI) - Shade shifts between foreground, muted-foreground, and the orange accent - Spatial rhythm (section padding, line-height) This keeps the system quiet, structured, and readable. --- ## 10. Logo Usage ### Available files (in `public/logos/` after install) | File | Use when | |------|----------| | `gh-logo-positive-full-black.svg` | Full logo (symbol + wordmark) on light backgrounds | | `gh-logo-white.svg` | Full logo on dark backgrounds | | `gh-logo-offblack.svg` | Full logo in off-black (#161614) for warm-neutral contexts | | `gh-symbol-full-black.svg` | Symbol only, light bg (use when name recognition is already established) | | `gh-symbol-full-white.svg` | Symbol only, dark bg | | `greyproxy-positive.svg` | Greyproxy product logo (Greyhaven symbol + product wordmark) | | `greywall-positive.svg` | Greywall product logo (Greyhaven symbol + product wordmark) | ### Rules - **Structure**: The logo is **Symbol + Wordmark**. Keep them locked together in most contexts. Use the Symbol alone only when Greyhaven name recognition is already assured. - **Clearspace**: Minimum 1× (one grid module of the symbol) on all sides. Nothing -- text, images, other graphics -- enters this zone. - **Minimum sizes**: - Wordmark lockup: 20mm print / 120px digital - Standalone symbol: 8mm print / 14px digital (22px preferred) ### What to avoid (all of these are brand violations) - Do NOT change opacity - Do NOT apply new colors (black, white, off-black only -- per file) - Do NOT stretch or alter proportions - Do NOT apply gradients, shadows, glows, or other embellishments - Do NOT rotate - Do NOT change the lockup or alter symbol/wordmark relative scale ### Product logos New Greyhaven products/demos reuse the Greyhaven symbol with the product wordmark in the same lockup pattern (see `greyproxy-positive.svg`, `greywall-positive.svg`). Typography for new wordmarks: Circular Medium. Do NOT invent a new symbol unless the product genuinely needs its own sub-identity. --- ## 11. Self-check Before Shipping Any Copy Run the output through these checks: 1. ☐ Does it pass **The One-Line Test** (accurate, direct, no hype)? 2. ☐ Does it land on the correct side of all **three brand axes** (containment, human-centered, engineered)? 3. ☐ Did I use any **banned words** (unleash, transform, revolutionary, seamless, game-changing, cutting-edge, leverage, synergy, unlock)? 4. ☐ Is every claim **specific and verifiable**, or am I using vague superlatives? 5. ☐ Does the copy **explain how the thing works**, or just tell the reader how to feel about it? 6. ☐ Does it match a **reasoning pattern** (cause→effect, constraint→outcome, observation→explanation, finite scope→concrete result)? 7. ☐ Does it fit one of the **driving ideas** (system-aware, applied, adaptable, unblocking, safe-to-experiment, contained, durable, iterative)? 8. ☐ Is the orange accent used only where immediate attention is warranted, not as decoration? If any box is unchecked, rewrite. --- ## 12. Quick Examples ### Bad vs. Good: Hero headline | Bad | Good | |-----|------| | "Unleash the power of AI in your organization" | "AI systems that run inside your environment" | | "Revolutionary cloud-native AI platform" | "Custom AI, contained end to end" | | "Transform your workflows with next-gen AI" | "Map one process. Deploy a working prototype in 48 hours." | ### Bad vs. Good: Feature description **Bad**: > Our cutting-edge AI seamlessly integrates with your existing infrastructure to unlock unprecedented productivity gains. **Good**: > The system runs on the machines you already have. Data, models, and execution stay inside your perimeter. Nothing is sent to external APIs. ### Bad vs. Good: CTA | Bad | Good | |-----|------| | "Get started today!" | "Map your first process" | | "Try it free -- limited time!" | "Review the architecture" | | "Unlock AI superpowers" | "See a 48-hour prototype" | --- ## 13. When You're Unsure Default to: 1. **Fewer words**. Greyhaven copy is shorter than you expect. 2. **More specifics**. Numbers, concrete nouns, named constraints. 3. **Less enthusiasm**. No exclamation marks. No superlatives. No urgency. 4. **Describe the system, not the feeling**.