Students in Town — Brand Identity

Version: 1.0
Data: 10 Marzo 2026
Owner: Marco (Head of Marketing)

Executive Summary

Questo documento definisce l'identità completa del brand Students in Town — naming, visual identity, brand voice, tagline e guidelines operative.

Obiettivo: Costruire un brand riconoscibile, umano e differenziante per la prima piattaforma student housing dove scegli casa E coinquilini.

Posizionamento Core:
"We're not just a booking platform — we're your first friends in a new city."

1. Naming & Logo

1.1 Brand Name

Students in Town

Razionale:

Descrittivo — immediatamente chiaro cosa facciamo (housing per studenti)
Inclusivo — "in Town" suggerisce community, local experience, esplorazione urbana
Memorabile — suona come una frase naturale ("students in town looking for apartments")
SEO-friendly — contiene keywords rilevanti per ricerca organica
Scalabile — funziona in qualsiasi città/paese (non è geo-limitato)

1.2 Varianti Nome

Nome completo: Students in Town
Short form: SiT (per comunicazioni interne, branding secondario)
Social handles: @studentsintown (preferito) | @students.intown (backup se preso)
Domain: studentsintown.com (da verificare disponibilità)

1.3 Logo Concept

Approccio: Wordmark + Icon

Opzione A: Wordmark Semplice (Raccomandato per MVP)

Tipografia bold ma friendly (vedi sezione Font)
"Students" in peso Regular, "in Town" in Bold (enfasi su community/location)
Colore primario: Deep Purple (#6B46C1) o Warm Coral (#FF6B6B)
Uso: Website header, app, materiali digital

Opzione B: Wordmark + Icon

Icon: Casa stilizzata con 3 finestre illuminate (simbolo dei coinquilini/human connection)
Posizionamento: Icon a sinistra del wordmark, o sopra in versione stacked
Colori: Icon in accent color (Coral/Purple), wordmark in Deep Navy
Uso: App icon, social profile pic, merchandise

Opzione C: Monogram "SiT"

Lettere intrecciate in modo che la "i" diventi una casa stilizzata
Uso: Favicon, watermark, branding minimalista

Raccomandazione: Opzione A per launch (più veloce da produrre, flessibile). Opzione B per evoluzione post-traction.

1.4 Logo Usage Rules

Clear space: Minimo 20% dell'altezza logo intorno (no testo/elementi troppo vicini)
Dimensione minima: 120px larghezza (digital), 25mm (print)
Varianti colore:
- Full color (su sfondo chiaro)
- White/reversed (su sfondo scuro o foto)
- Monochrome navy (quando colore non disponibile)
NO: Distorcere, ruotare, applicare ombre/effetti 3D, cambiare font

2. Visual Identity

2.1 Color Palette

Primary Colors

Deep Purple — #6B46C1 (RGB: 107, 70, 193)
Uso: CTA buttons, headers, link attivi, branding principale
Psicologia: Creatività, giovinezza, aspirazione. Evoca energia universitaria senza essere infantile.
Prevalenza: 40% del design

Warm Coral — #FF6B6B (RGB: 255, 107, 107)
Uso: Accenti, highlights, elementi interattivi, iconografia
Psicologia: Calore, amicizia, approachability. Controbilancia il purple con energia umana.
Prevalenza: 25% del design

Secondary Colors

Deep Navy — #1E293B (RGB: 30, 41, 59)
Uso: Body text, headings, elementi UI scuri
Psicologia: Professionalità, fiducia, stabilità (importante per transazioni money)
Prevalenza: 20%

Soft Cream — #FFFBF5 (RGB: 255, 251, 245)
Uso: Backgrounds, cards, spacing
Psicologia: Calore, comfort, home feeling (non bianco freddo)
Prevalenza: 10%

Accent Colors (uso limitato)

Sky Blue — #38BDF8 — Success states, verified badges
Sunny Yellow — #FBBF24 — Alerts, featured listings
Mint Green — #86EFAC — Confirmations, positive feedback

2.2 Typography

Headings & Display

Primary: Inter (Google Fonts)
Weights: Bold (700), SemiBold (600)
Uso: H1, H2, H3, CTA buttons, navigation
Razionale: Moderna, leggibile, friendly ma professionale. Molto usata da Gen Z brands (Notion, Linear, Stripe).

Fallback: System UI stack (-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto)

Body Text

Primary: Inter (Regular 400, Medium 500)
Size: 16px base, 18px per long-form content
Line height: 1.6 (migliora readability su mobile)
Razionale: Consistenza con headings = meno font = load time migliore.

Alternative (se Inter troppo neutro): Manrope (più personality, geometric shapes)

Special Use

Tagline/Quotes: Instrument Serif (Google Fonts, Italic)
Uso: Hero tagline, testimonials, manifesto
Razionale: Contrasto con sans-serif, aggiunge warmth/humanity senza essere troppo formale.

2.3 Photography & Imagery Style

Do's ✅

Real students, real apartments (autenticità > stock photos)
Candid moments (laughing in kitchen, studying together, aperitivo on balcony)
Natural light — bright, airy, warm (evoca "home")
Diversity — etnie, gender, nazionalità (Erasmus = internazionale)
Context urbano — landmarks città, tram, caffè locali (reinforces "in Town")
Close-ups umani — espressioni, mani che cucinano, dettagli personali (connection)

Don'ts ❌

Pose forzate, "corporate diversity" fake
Appartamenti vuoti/freddi senza persone
Over-editing, filtri pesanti (Gen Z preferisce autenticità)
Solo interni (dimenticare l'aspetto città/community)

Color Grading

Warmth: +10-15% (yellow/orange hues)
Contrast: Moderato (non troppo piatto, non HDR estremo)
Saturation: Naturale con leggero boost su Coral/Purple tones

2.4 Iconography

Stile: Outline icons (line-based, non filled)
Peso linea: 2px
Corner radius: Slightly rounded (non sharp angles)
Set raccomandato: Lucide Icons, Heroicons, Phosphor Icons
Colore: Deep Navy default, Coral per stati attivi/hover

Icone signature SiT:

🏠 Home (con 3 finestre illuminate = 3 flatmates)
👥 Flatmates (2-3 silhouette connesse)
✓ Verified (badge con checkmark — trust)
📍 Location pin (città-specific)
💬 Chat (community/messaging)

2.5 UI Components Style

Buttons:

Primary: Deep Purple bg, white text, 8px border-radius, slight shadow on hover
Secondary: Transparent bg, Purple border, Purple text
Ghost: No border, Coral text, underline on hover

Cards:

Soft Cream bg, 12px border-radius, subtle shadow (0 2px 8px rgba(0,0,0,0.08))
16px padding, no borders (rely on shadow for separation)

Input fields:

1px border Deep Navy (20% opacity), 6px radius
Focus state: Purple border, slight glow
Error state: Coral border + text

Spacing:

Base unit: 8px
Scale: 8, 16, 24, 32, 48, 64, 96 (consistent rhythm)

3. Brand Voice & Manifesto

3.1 Brand Personality

Chi Siamo (as a person):
Immagina SiT come il tuo amico esperto — quello che ha già fatto Erasmus 3 volte, conosce tutti i quartieri, ti presenta subito gente figa, e risolve i problemi prima che tu te ne accorga.

Traits:

Warm & Approachable (non freddo/corporate)
Confident but not arrogant (sappiamo cosa facciamo, ma ascoltiamo)
Playful when appropriate (Gen Z appreciates humor, ma no cringe)
Honest & Transparent (zero small print tricks, zero hype vuoto)
Empowering (you make choices, we enable them)

3.2 Tone of Voice

Core principle: Parla come parleresti a un amico che si trasferisce.

Linee guida specifiche:

✅ DO:

Usa "you" (not "our users" in comunicazione esterna)
Contrazioni ("we're", "you'll", "don't") — conversazionale
Frasi brevi e scannable (Gen Z attention span)
Emoji (con moderazione) — 🏠✨👋 ok, 💯🔥😎 no (troppo try-hard)
Verbi attivi ("Book your room", non "Rooms can be booked")
Numeri concreti ("€99 flat fee", non "affordable pricing")

❌ DON'T:

Corporate speak ("leverage", "synergies", "solutions", "ecosystem")
FOMO manipulation ("LAST CHANCE!", "ONLY 2 LEFT!", fake urgency)
Overpromising ("best ever", "perfect match guaranteed")
Talking down ("you probably don't know this...")
Gergo esagerato ("fam", "vibes only", "no cap" — suona forzato da brand)

Tone spectrum per contesto:

| Context | Tone | Example | |---------|------|---------| | Homepage Hero | Aspirational + friendly | "Your first friends in a new city" | | Product descriptions | Clear + factual | "Instant booking in 3 clicks. Meet flatmates before you move." | | Error messages | Empathetic + helpful | "Oops, something broke. We're on it. Try again in a sec?" | | Success confirmation | Excited + reassuring | "You're in! 🎉 Your flatmates can't wait to meet you." | | FAQ / Help | Patient + educational | "Here's how instant booking works..." | | Social posts | Playful + engaging | "Monday blues? Imagine Monday brunch with your new flatmates 🥐" |

3.3 Vocabulary & Phrases

Say This ✅ | Not That ❌ ---|--- Flatmates | Roommates (troppo US-centric) Book your room | Reserve your accommodation Meet before you move | Pre-screening process All-inclusive rent | Rent + utilities + fees Your new city | Destination city Instant booking | Immediate confirmation available Verified homes | Quality-assured listings €99 flat fee | Transparent pricing structure

3.4 Brand Manifesto

Titolo: Welcome Home (Before You Even Arrive)

Body:

Moving to a new city shouldn't feel like a gamble.

You're not just looking for four walls and Wi-Fi. You're looking for people who get you. A kitchen where you'll cook pasta at midnight. A flatmate who'll show you the best coffee spot on day one.

We believe home isn't a place — it's the people in it.

That's why Students in Town is different. We don't just help you find an apartment. We help you find your people. Meet your flatmates before you move. See their faces, hear their voices, know you'll actually want to live together.

No surprises. No fake listings. No hidden fees.
Just honest apartments, real people, and a city waiting for you.

Your adventure starts here. But you won't start it alone.

Use del manifesto:

About page (versione completa)
Onboarding first-time users (versione ridotta)
Pitch deck / investor materials
Team internal culture doc

4. Tagline & Messaging

4.1 Primary Tagline

"Your first friends in a new city"

Razionale:

Emotivo ma credibile (non hype, promessa concreta)
Human-first (non tech-first)
Differenziante (competitor parlano di "find apartments", noi parliamo di "find friends")
Memorabile (alliterazione "first/friends")
Gen Z resonance (community > transactions)

Uso:

Hero homepage
Social bio (Instagram, TikTok)
Email signature
Meta description SEO

4.2 Alternative Taglines (A/B test o context-specific)

Opzione B (Product-focused):
"Choose your home. Choose your people."
→ Enfatizza controllo/scelta (empowerment angle)

Opzione C (Benefit-driven):
"Meet your flatmates before you move"
→ Più diretto, feature-as-benefit

Opzione D (Aspirational):
"Where your story begins"
→ Più vago ma emotivo, good per visual campaigns

Raccomandazione: Primario: "Your first friends" (brand-level). Secondari per campagne specifiche.

4.3 Key Messages (Pillar Messaging)

1. Human Connection First
"We're not just a booking platform — we help you find people you'll actually want to live with."

2. Zero Surprises, Total Transparency
"€99 flat fee. All-inclusive rent. Verified homes. What you see is what you get."

3. Instant Booking, Real People
"Book in 3 clicks. Meet your flatmates via video before you even pack your bags."

4. Built for Students, By People Who Get It
"We've been there. Moving to a new city is scary. We're here to make it exciting."

4.4 Proof Points (da usare in copy)

✅ 100% instant booking (vs. <10% competitor average)
✅ €99 flat fee (vs. €100-400 competitor range)
✅ Meet flatmates pre-move (competitor gap)
✅ All-inclusive rent (no hidden costs)
✅ Verified homes (no fake listings, no scams)
✅ Student-only community (not generalist platform)

4.5 Campaign Messaging Examples

Campaign 1: Launch (Awareness)

Headline: "Moving to [City]? Meet your new flatmates first."
Body: "Students in Town is the first platform where you choose your apartment and your people. See profiles, chat, video call — then book instantly. No surprises, no regrets. Just your new home waiting."
CTA: "Find Your Flatmates"

Campaign 2: Trust (Conversion)

Headline: "€99 flat fee. That's it."
Body: "Other platforms charge 25-40% of your rent. We charge €99. One time. All-inclusive. Because students already pay enough."
CTA: "See How It Works"

Campaign 3: Community (Retention/Referral)

Headline: "Remember your first flatmate? We do."
Body: "They showed you the best pizza spot. Stayed up with you before exams. Made your city feel like home. Share Students in Town with someone starting their journey."
CTA: "Refer a Friend (Get €20)"

5. Brand Guidelines

5.1 Logo Usage

DO:

Use official logo files (vector .svg for web, .png with transparency for social)
Maintain aspect ratio (never stretch/distort)
Ensure clear space (min 20% logo height around)
Use approved color variants (full color, white, monochrome navy)

DON'T:

Recreate logo in different fonts
Apply effects (shadows, gradients, 3D, outlines)
Rotate or skew
Place on busy backgrounds (if necessary, add solid overlay 60%+ opacity)

Minimum sizes:

Digital: 120px width
Print: 25mm width
Social profile pic: 400x400px (icon variant centered)

5.2 Color Application

Hierarchy:

Deep Purple → Primary CTA, navigation active state, branding moments
Warm Coral → Secondary CTA, hover states, iconography, accents
Deep Navy → Text, UI elements
Soft Cream → Backgrounds, cards

Accessibility:

All text must meet WCAG AA contrast (4.5:1 for normal text, 3:1 for large)
Deep Purple on white = ✅ 7.2:1
Warm Coral on white = ⚠️ 3.1:1 (use only for large text or buttons with white text inside)
Deep Navy on Soft Cream = ✅ 12.8:1

Test tool: WebAIM Contrast Checker

5.3 Typography Scale

Desktop:

H1: 48px / Bold / 1.1 line-height
H2: 36px / SemiBold / 1.2
H3: 28px / SemiBold / 1.3
H4: 22px / Medium / 1.4
Body: 16px / Regular / 1.6
Small: 14px / Regular / 1.5

Mobile:

H1: 32px (scale down 33%)
H2: 24px
H3: 20px
Body: 16px (same)

Letter spacing:

Headings: -0.02em (slightly tighter)
Body: 0em (default)
ALL CAPS (if used): +0.05em

5.4 Imagery Guidelines

Photo selection checklist:

[ ] Features real students (or realistic portrayal)
[ ] Natural light, warm tones
[ ] Diversity visible (gender, ethnicity)
[ ] Clear focus (not blurry/low-res)
[ ] Contextualizes "in Town" (city visible or implied)
[ ] Evokes emotion (joy, connection, comfort)

Photo editing:

Brightness: +5-10%
Warmth: +10-15% (yellow/orange tint)
Saturation: Boost Coral/Purple hues slightly
Crop: Focus on people's faces/interactions (not empty rooms)

Aspect ratios:

Hero images: 16:9 (landscape)
Social posts: 1:1 (square) or 4:5 (portrait Instagram)
Stories/Reels: 9:16 (vertical)

5.5 Content Templates

Social Post Caption Template

[Hook — 1 sentence, relatable situation]

[Value — what we solve / offer]

[CTA — clear next step]

[Hashtags — 5-8 relevant, mix branded + category]

Example: "Apartment hunting from abroad feels impossible. 📍

With Students in Town, you can tour, meet flatmates, and book — all online. No flights needed.

Start your search → [link]

#StudentLife #StudyAbroad #Erasmus #StudentHousing #StudentsInTown"

Email Subject Line Formula

Curiosity: "Your flatmate is waiting (yes, really)"
Benefit: "Book your room in 3 minutes"
Urgency (honest): "New rooms in Barcelona just dropped"
Personal: "[Name], ready to meet your new city?"

Length: 40-50 characters (mobile preview)

Website Copy Hierarchy

Hero headline (8-12 words, benefit-driven)
Subheadline (15-25 words, expands on benefit)
Body (2-3 short paragraphs, scannable)
CTA button (2-4 words, action verb)

5.6 Channel-Specific Adaptations

Instagram

Bio: "Your first friends in a new city 🏠✨ | Instant booking | Meet flatmates before you move 👋"
Post frequency: 4-5/week (mix carousel, reels, static)
Hashtags: 8-12 per post (5 branded, 3 category, 2-4 city-specific)
Stories: Daily (polls, Q&A, behind-the-scenes, user content reshare)

TikTok

Bio: "meet your flatmates before u move 🏠 instant booking, zero stress"
Content: 80% tips/value (how to find apartments, city guides, flatmate advice), 20% product
Style: Fast cuts, text overlays, trending audio (but relevant)
Length: 15-45 seconds (Gen Z attention span)

LinkedIn (B2B / University partnerships)

Tone: More professional, data-driven
Content: Case studies, partnership announcements, thought leadership (student housing trends)
CTA: "Partner with us" / "Learn how we support students"

Email

From name: "Marco from Students in Town" (personal, not "SiT Team")
Tone: Warm, helpful (imagine writing to a friend)
Structure: Short intro → Value → CTA → P.S. (often highest-read part)

5.7 Brand Governance

Who can use brand assets:

Internal team (marketing, product, customer support)
Approved partners (universities, affiliates) with written permission
Press/media (with attribution, no modifications)

Approval required for:

New logo variants or colors
Major campaign creative (ads, video, landing pages)
Partnership co-branding
Merchandise / swag design

Brand owner: Marco (Head of Marketing)
Review process: Major changes → Lorenzo approval | Minor updates → Marco autonomy

Brand asset repository:
→ Notion folder: "SiT Brand Assets" (logos, fonts, color codes, templates)
→ Figma file: "SiT Design System" (components, mockups)

5.8 Versioning & Updates

Current version: 1.0 (10 Marzo 2026)

Update triggers:

Major rebrand / pivot (requires full doc revision)
New product features that change positioning (e.g., expanding beyond students)
User feedback indicating brand disconnect
Competitive landscape shift

Update process:

Marco drafts changes
Review with Lorenzo + Frank (product alignment)
Communicate changes to team (Slack + Notion update)
Archive previous version (tag "v1.0-archive")

Changelog:

v1.0 (10 Mar 2026): Initial brand identity established

6. Next Steps (Execution Checklist)

Immediate (Week 1):

[ ] Lorenzo approva questo documento
[ ] Frank riceve copy per integrazione website
[ ] Design logo (Opzione A wordmark) — interno o Fiverr/99designs ($200-500)
[ ] Setup social accounts: Instagram + TikTok (@studentsintown)
[ ] Crea Notion page "SiT Brand Assets" con tutti i file

Short-term (Week 2-4):

[ ] Design primi 5 post social (Canva templates)
[ ] Shoot/source 20-30 foto brand-compliant (studenti + appartamenti)
[ ] Setup Figma design system (components, spacing, colors)
[ ] Onboard team su brand voice (1h workshop interno)

Medium-term (Month 2-3):

[ ] A/B test tagline variants (analytics)
[ ] Raccogliere user feedback su brand perception (survey post-booking)
[ ] Iterare su visual identity basandosi su dati
[ ] Espandere asset library (video, animazioni, templates email)

Appendix A: Competitor Brand Comparison

| Brand | Color Palette | Tone | Key Visual | Differentiator | |-------|---------------|------|------------|----------------| | HousingAnywhere | Blue + Orange | Professional, transactional | Modern apartments, clean UI | Scale (41 cities) | | Spotahome | Red + White | Friendly but corporate | Video tours, Home-Checkers | Verification layer | | Uniplaces | Purple + Green | Young, playful | Illustrated icons, student faces | Student-only focus | | Idealista | Yellow + Gray | Neutral, functional | Listing-first, minimal branding | Generalista (not student-specific) | | SiT | Purple + Coral | Warm, human-first | People > places | Meet flatmates pre-move |

Gap identified: Competitor branding è product/feature-first. SiT è community/emotion-first. Questo è il nostro vantaggio.

Appendix B: Moodboard References

Brands to study (tone/visual):

Airbnb → Human-first storytelling, belonging messaging
Bumble BFF → Community-building, warm colors, playful tone
Notion → Clean UI, friendly but professional, Inter typography
Duolingo → Playful without being cringe, Gen Z engagement
Patreon → Warm Coral usage, creator-first messaging

Visual references:

Search "student flatmates cooking together natural light" (Pinterest, Unsplash)
"University dorm community candid moments"
"Young adults city exploration urban lifestyle"

Appendix C: Quick Reference (Cheat Sheet)

Colors:

Primary: Deep Purple #6B46C1 | Warm Coral #FF6B6B
Text: Deep Navy #1E293B
BG: Soft Cream #FFFBF5

Fonts:

All: Inter (Google Fonts)
Weights: Regular (400), Medium (500), SemiBold (600), Bold (700)

Tagline:

Primary: "Your first friends in a new city"

Tone:

Warm, approachable, honest
Say: "flatmates", "book", "verified"
Avoid: corporate speak, FOMO, hype

Logo:

Min size: 120px (digital), 25mm (print)
Clear space: 20% logo height
Variants: Full color, White, Navy mono

Social:

IG/TikTok: @studentsintown
Bio: "Your first friends in a new city 🏠✨"

Fine del documento.
Per domande/chiarimenti → Marco (Slack: @marco)

sit-brand-identity.md