Brand & Design System · v1.0
Effortless confidence.
FIOA Agent is the operating system for public-records work — intake, redaction, and release. This is how the brand looks, sounds, and behaves at every touchpoint, from a citizen's tracking page to a records officer's redaction desk.
01 Foundation
Records requests are a civil right wrapped in an intimidating process. FIOA Agent exists to make that process legible and fast — for the public who file requests and the public servants who fulfill them. Four principles govern every design and word.
We translate statute into human terms. A deadline is "by July 11," not "pending adjudication." Legal precision lives in the metadata, never in the sentence a person has to read.
Every redaction, routing, and release is logged with the statute that justifies it. The system is calm because the record is airtight — auditable, exemption-coded, and reproducible.
A journalist, an attorney, an anonymous neighbor — all get the same respect and the same access. We never gatekeep lawful requests in copy, UI, or default behavior.
Overdue is overdue. We surface statutory clocks plainly and never soften a missed deadline. Trust is built by telling people exactly where their request stands.
02 Personality
A complex, high-stakes process should feel handled. FIOA Agent carries the weight so people don't have to — sure-footed without swagger, calm without being cold. We know the law cold, and we make it feel simple.
Brand tagline
We do the exacting, defensible work of records and redaction so the experience that surfaces is light. Confidence you can feel — effort you never see.
We never look rushed or rattled. Even at a missed deadline the tone stays level — and the next step is already clear.
Precision is the product. Every exemption, timestamp, and redaction is correct, logged, and defensible — no exceptions.
We translate, never condescend. Authority comes from being understood — not from sounding official.
Behind every request is a person. We stay warm and equal, and never make anyone feel small for asking.
03 Logo
The mark is a shield built from camera-shutter blades — protection and discovery held in one form. It reads at any size, inverts cleanly for dark surfaces, and carries the whole brand idea without a word.
The shield is security — compliance, exemptions, and the protection of sensitive records. At its center, half-open camera-shutter blades are discovery — finding records and bringing them to light. Together: protect what must stay private, reveal what the public has a right to see.
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Misuse — never do this
04 Color
Navy anchors everything — the color of seals, courthouses, and trust. Action blue carries every interaction; teal signals what's verified and released. Color is never the only signal: status always pairs a hue with a label and an icon.
| Core color | HEX | Role | On-color contrast | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand Navy | #0F2E5E | Headlines, masthead, toolbar | AAA · white 12.6:1 | |
| Action Blue | #1B53A6 | Primary actions, links | AA · white 6.4:1 | |
| Civic Teal | #00696E | Verified, released | AA · white 5.1:1 | |
| Seal Gold | #B08544 | Seals & certifications only | AA · white 3.3:1 (large) | |
| Error Red | #BA1A1A | Overdue, denied, destructive | AA · white 5.9:1 | |
| Ink | #1A1C1E | Body text on surface | AAA · surface 16.1:1 | |
05 Typography
Source Serif 4 gives headlines the weight of an institution; Public Sans — the typeface of the U.S. Web Design System — does the daily work of the interface. IBM Plex Mono is reserved for the machine-precise: request IDs, exemption codes, timestamps.
06 Voice & Tone
One voice, adapted in tone to the moment. The voice is constant: plain-spoken, trustworthy, respectful. The tone shifts with the situation — warmer at intake, firmer at a deadline, never cold.
| Moment | Tone | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Intake confirmation | Warm, reassuring | "Thanks — your request is in. We'll confirm the details and get back to you within 10 business days." |
| Clarification needed | Helpful, collaborative | "We want to get you the right records. Could you tell us the rough date range you're interested in?" |
| Partial withholding | Direct, transparent | "42 of 50 pages are released. 8 are withheld to protect personal privacy — each is logged with its reason." |
| Deadline passed | Honest, accountable | "This response is overdue. We're sorry. Your records are in legal review now and expected by Friday." |
07 Imagery
Photography shows the genuine texture of public service and the people it serves — never glossy stock. Documentary over staged, dignity over drama. When an image needs to feel unmistakably ours, apply the navy duotone.
08 In Use
Principles only matter where they touch a person. Here the voice, color, and type come together in the two places the public meets FIOA Agent — a status email and a tracking portal.
Hi Jordan — good news. We've finished reviewing your request FIOA-2026-1184 for body-camera footage from the 14th & Oak incident.
42 pages are ready now. 8 are withheld to protect personal privacy — each one is logged with the exact reason you can review.
View & download recordsFIOA AgentTrack your request09 Design System
The brand comes to life as a connected family of components and foundations, built on Material Design 3. Every surface in the product is assembled from these shared parts, so the experience stays consistent and unmistakably FIOA Agent from a citizen's tracking page to a records officer's desk.
Start from an existing component before inventing a new one. Familiar, repeated patterns are what make a complex legal process feel calm and predictable.
Every status pairs a color with a label and an icon — never color alone. A request's standing is readable instantly, and readable for everyone.
Source Serif marks the headlines that carry weight; Public Sans does the daily work of the interface. Keeping those roles distinct preserves the institutional voice.
Meets WCAG 2.1 AA and Section 508: legible contrast, clear focus, and content that never relies on color, sound, or a single sense alone.