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Contact NoorLast updated 24 Sept 2026
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01Chapter
Our story, mission, vision and values
Common Ground · Brand essentials · Edition 2026
Neighbourhood food co-ops and community kitchens in Amsterdam and Rotterdam. This guide holds everything that makes us recognisable, from why we exist to the file you need for the Thursday soup poster.
Our story
In 2017 twelve neighbours in Amsterdam-Oost started buying vegetables together, straight from a grower in Zeeburg. Within a year they were cooking for forty people every Thursday. Today Common Ground is eleven co-ops and kitchens, run by 3,200 members and 400 volunteers.
Good food has become something you either pay a lot for or do without. Meanwhile, more people eat alone than ever. We think both problems have the same answer: buy together, cook together, eat together.
“You come for cheap carrots. You come back for the people.” (A member in Rotterdam-West, 2025)
Make fresh, local food affordable and sharing it normal, one neighbourhood at a time.
A city where nobody has to choose between good food and paying the rent, and where every neighbourhood has a table you can join.
We are the link between growers around the city and the people who live in it: a shop, a kitchen and a meeting place in one.
Core values
Four values guide every decision, from which grower we buy from to how we write a poster.
Fair prices for members, fair pay for growers. We show what things cost and where the money goes.
Members decide, volunteers run the kitchens. Nothing we do works without the people around the table.
Food from within 50 km, seasonal, with as few steps as possible between the field and the plate.
Everyone is welcome, whatever their budget, background or language. Pay what you can is a promise, not a slogan.
About this guide
Each kitchen has its own character, and that is how it should be. This guide makes sure that, whoever designs the poster, we still look like one network people can trust. Twelve chapters, from why we exist to where the files live.
Start with the logo pack. Never redraw or retype the logo; download the master files at the end of the Logo section.
Pick colours from the palette. Copy the exact values from the Colour section. Don't sample them from a photo or a screenshot.
Use the two typefaces. Newsreader and Inter are free on Google Fonts. Install them before you start.
Check contrast and size. Small text in Clay or on Sage is the most common mistake we see.
When in doubt, ask. Send your design to the brand team. You'll find who to contact at the end of this guide.
02Chapter
Who we're for, what they need and how we differ
Audience & positioning
Common Ground is for the whole neighbourhood. But when you write a flyer or design a post, picture one of these three people. They are based on our 2025 member survey (1,140 responses) and on conversations in the kitchens.
38 · Nurse and mother of two, Amsterdam-Oost · member since 2022
I want my kids to eat real vegetables. I just can't spend Saturday at three different shops.
74 · Retired tram driver, lives alone in Rotterdam-West · comes to soup night
Since my wife died I don't really cook. On Thursdays I have somewhere to be.
26 · Student and volunteer cook, Amsterdam-Noord · on Instagram daily
I wanted to do something useful that isn't just signing a petition.
For neighbours who want good food without the price tag or the pretence, Common Ground is the local co-op and kitchen that brings growers and neighbours to one table. Unlike supermarkets and organic stores, we're run by our members, and everyone pays what they can.
Brand promise
What people can count on, every time they meet us.
Fresh, local food at a fair price, and a seat at the table for everyone who wants one.
86% of our produce comes from within 50 km. Members pay on average 30% less than in organic stores. 2,400 meals a month, pay what you can.
We are a shop and a kitchen in one, owned by the people who use it. Nobody earns a profit on your groceries.
03Chapter
Who we are when we speak, design and cook
Brand personality
If Common Ground were a person, it would be the neighbour who always has soup on the stove: practical, kind, a little stubborn about doing things properly, and never the loudest in the room. Hover over the sliders to see what each position means in practice.
What this means: We use first names and 'you', never 'dear customer'. But we stay clear and reliable: prices, times and rules are always exact.
What this means: Lots of space, one message per poster, no exclamation marks. We let the food and the people do the talking.
What this means: Food poverty is serious, and we treat it that way. But a kitchen is a happy place: a light touch and a smile are welcome.
What this means: Real photos, natural light, a hand-written menu now and then. Never glossy or over-produced, but always neat.
What this means: We show what works rather than what's wrong. We take a stand on fair food, but we don't preach.
We sound like a neighbour, not an institution. First names, real faces, a kitchen that smells of soup.
“Come and eat with us on Thursday. Bring your neighbour.”
But not: Sugary or overfamiliar: no hearts, no 'hey lovely'.
Honest prices, honest produce. We show where food comes from and what it costs, without the gloss.
“Leeks from Tuinderij Zeeburg, € 1.20 a kilo.”
But not: Vague claims like 'sustainable' or 'conscious' without proof.
Everyone is welcome: every budget, background and language. Our design and words should never feel exclusive.
Simple words (B1 level), large type, translations where the neighbourhood needs them.
But not: Foodie jargon, insider jokes or 'for the conscious consumer'.
We don't shout. Calm layouts and plenty of space show we know what we're doing.
A poster with one sentence, one image and a lot of Paper.
But not: Exclamation marks, CAPS, 'the best in town'.
04Chapter
Versions, mark, clear space, sizes and misuse
Logo
Our logo combines a mark and a wordmark. The mark is a circle, the table everyone can join, with a bowl and a young sprout cut out of it. The wordmark is set in a tightened version of Newsreader. Together they say what we do in one glance: good food, grown nearby, shared.
Versions
Use the primary logo wherever you can. The other versions exist for specific backgrounds, formats and production methods. Every version comes in three colour modes: switch between Digital and Print to get the right file.
The default for almost everything: signage, website, posters, letters. Forest on Paper or Cream; Cream on Forest or on a calm, dark part of a photo.
For square and upright spaces where the horizontal logo would get too small: tote bags, stickers, the end frame of a video, a shop window.
For one-colour production (stamps, receipts, newspaper ads, laser engraving) and on Sage or Clay, where Forest doesn't have enough contrast.
Only where the name is already clear or space is tiny: app icon, avatar, favicon, embroidery, jar lids. Never as a replacement on a first introduction.
Clear space
Keep an area free of text, images and edges around the logo. The minimum is x: half the height of the mark. More is almost always better.
Minimum size
Below these sizes the cut-outs in the mark close up and the wordmark loses its detail. Sizes are measured across the full width of the logo.
Backgrounds and misuse
The logo is the most recognisable part of our brand. Keep it consistent: the same shapes, the same colours, always on a calm background.
Use the primary Forest logo on Paper, Cream or white, with plenty of space around it.
Use the reversed Cream logo on Forest, or on a calm, dark area of a photo or illustration.
Use the Ink version on Sage and Clay. Forest doesn't have enough contrast on those colours.
Don't stretch, squash or distort the logo. Always scale it proportionally.
Don't recolour the logo, not even in other brand colours. Only Forest, Cream, Ink or white.
Don't rotate the logo or set it on a curve.
Don't place the logo on busy patterns or photos where it can't be read.
Don't add shadows, outlines, gradients or other effects.
Don't rearrange the mark and wordmark or change their size relationship.The mark in use
Where people already know they're at Common Ground, the mark is enough. It works as a stamp, a stitch or a label.
Good to know
05Chapter
Palette, print values, proportions and contrast
Colour
Our palette is earthy and calm: the deep green of a vegetable field, the warm red-brown of a clay pot, soft sage and the cream of unbleached paper. Used with lots of light space, it feels generous and honest, never loud.
The palette has three layers. Primary colours make us recognisable. Supporting colours add warmth and depth. Neutrals carry the text and the space.
Click any value to copy it. Use the HEX and RGB values for screens, CMYK for printing in full colour and Pantone for spot colour, merchandise and signage.
Primary
Forest is our hallmark. Clay is the accent: the one warm thing that draws the eye.
Supporting
For backgrounds, illustration and the details: a soft Sage panel, a Cream card, a Clay Deep link.
Neutrals
Ink for text, Paper for space. Pure white is for screens and photography backgrounds only.
Proportions
The balance matters as much as the colours themselves. Measured across a typical set of materials (a poster, a web page and a social post), the palette is used roughly like this.
A guide, not a formula. A Forest poster can be 80% green, but the brand as a whole should feel like the bar above.
One accent per view. Use Clay for the single thing you want people to notice: the button, the price, the date.
Don't combine Clay and Sage in large, equal areas. They compete; let one of them lead.
No tints or gradients of brand colours. If you need a lighter green, use Sage.
Accessibility
Our members include older people, people with low vision and people reading in a second language. Every text must meet WCAG 2.2 AA: a contrast of at least 4.5:1 for body text and 3:1 for large text (24 px, or 19 px bold).
The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.
The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.
The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.
The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.
The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.
The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.
The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.
The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.
The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.
Contrast is calculated with the WCAG 2.2 formula. AA: at least 4.5:1 for body text and 3:1 for large text (24 px, or 19 px bold); AAA: 7:1.
Production
06Chapter
Typefaces, hierarchy and setting text
Typography
Two typefaces, both free and open source. Newsreader gives our headlines the warmth and character of a well-loved cookbook. Inter keeps everything else clear and easy to read, from ingredient lists to opening hours.
Big statements on posters, hero banners and campaign end frames. Regular weight, sentence case, a full stop at the end. One short line, max. eight words.
Good typography is invisible. It guides the eye from line to line, so readers stay with the story instead of the letters. Spacing between lines matters as much as the letters themselves.
A more human tomorrow.
Good typography is invisible. It guides the eye from line to line, so readers stay with the story instead of the letters. Spacing between lines matters as much as the letters themselves.
A more human tomorrow.
Good typography is invisible. It guides the eye from line to line, so readers stay with the story instead of the letters. Spacing between lines matters as much as the letters themselves.
font-family: Newsreader, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;Page titles, section headings and menu items. Medium for H1 and H2; Semibold only at small sizes. Never in all caps.
Good typography is invisible. It guides the eye from line to line, so readers stay with the story instead of the letters. Spacing between lines matters as much as the letters themselves.
Cooking classes in Rotterdam-West
Good typography is invisible. It guides the eye from line to line, so readers stay with the story instead of the letters. Spacing between lines matters as much as the letters themselves.
Cooking classes in Rotterdam-West
Good typography is invisible. It guides the eye from line to line, so readers stay with the story instead of the letters. Spacing between lines matters as much as the letters themselves.
font-family: Newsreader, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;All running text, forms, buttons and UI. Regular for reading, Medium for emphasis, Semibold for buttons and H3. 16–18 px on screen, 9–10 pt in print.
Good typography is invisible. It guides the eye from line to line, so readers stay with the story instead of the letters. Spacing between lines matters as much as the letters themselves.
Bring a container for leftovers.
Good typography is invisible. It guides the eye from line to line, so readers stay with the story instead of the letters. Spacing between lines matters as much as the letters themselves.
Bring a container for leftovers.
Good typography is invisible. It guides the eye from line to line, so readers stay with the story instead of the letters. Spacing between lines matters as much as the letters themselves.
font-family: Inter, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;Eyebrows, dates, kitchen names and prices: Semibold caps, +8% tracking, 12–14 px. Captions: Regular, sentence case, in Stone.
Good typography is invisible. It guides the eye from line to line, so readers stay with the story instead of the letters. Spacing between lines matters as much as the letters themselves.
EVERY THURSDAY · 18:00
Good typography is invisible. It guides the eye from line to line, so readers stay with the story instead of the letters. Spacing between lines matters as much as the letters themselves.
EVERY THURSDAY · 18:00
Good typography is invisible. It guides the eye from line to line, so readers stay with the story instead of the letters. Spacing between lines matters as much as the letters themselves.
font-family: Inter, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;Hierarchy
Seven steps cover everything we make. Each one is set live below in Newsreader and Inter; type your own text to try it. Sizes are in px for screen; for A4 documents, halve them and read them as points (body 17 px ≈ 9.5 pt).
On mobile (below 600 px wide), scale down the three largest steps: Display 44/48 px, H1 34/40 px, H2 26/32 px. Everything from H3 down stays the same, and body text is never smaller than 16 px on screen.
Setting text
Good typography is mostly about leaving things out. These three rules make the biggest difference.
Keep lines between 45 and 75 characters. On wide screens, use a narrow column rather than stretching the text across the page.
Always align left with a ragged right edge. No justified text: it creates gaps that make reading harder, especially in Dutch with its long words.
Sentence case for everything, including headlines and buttons. Caps only for short labels. No exclamation marks. A full stop after a Display line is our hallmark.
Practical details
07Chapter
Shapes, pattern, icons, illustration and frames
Graphic language
Our shapes, pattern, icons and illustrations all come from the same four forms in the mark. Used together, they make a poster or a post recognisable as Common Ground even before you see the logo.
Pattern
Bowls, leaves and sprouts on a loose grid. Use it on Forest as a backdrop for packaging, bags and event banners, never behind text.
Icons
We use Material Symbols, Rounded style, weight 400, in Forest. Rounded corners match the soft shapes of the mark. Search the set, switch sizes and download what you need.
Material Symbols by Google, open source (Apache 2.0)
Illustration
Simple, flat drawings built from the base shapes, in two or three brand colours. They explain (what's in the box, how pick-up works) where a photo would be too busy.
Frames
Three frames, each with its own job. The bowl frame is our hallmark: use it once per layout at most.
08Chapter
Real people, real food, daylight
Photography & image style
Our pictures show what really happens: hands passing bread, a crate of muddy leeks, a volunteer laughing at the stove. Natural light, warm colours and a little imperfection. If it looks like an advert, it isn't us.
What this means: Window light or outdoors. No flash, no studio lamps. Shoot in the morning or late afternoon for soft shadows.
What this means: Mostly calm and attentive, with room for the buzz of a full kitchen.
What this means: Warm whites, wood, greens and terracotta. Correct cold casts; never add a filter.
What this means: People doing something, not looking into the lens. Hands are often enough.
What this means: Close enough to see texture, wide enough to feel the table. Top-down for food.
09Chapter
How we sound, in English and Dutch
Tone of voice
Short sentences. Everyday words. Say what's on the menu, what it costs and when to come. Then stop.
Warm and direct Practical: times, prices, places Honest about what we don't know Happy to laugh at ourselves
Preachy about food or the planet Corporate ('dear customer') Pushy ('last chance!') Cute ('yummy goodness')
Address people as "you". In Dutch we always use je/jij, never u, also with older members.
One idea per sentence. Aim for B1 level: if a 12-year-old gets it, everyone does.
Be specific. "Pumpkin soup, € 4.50" beats "delicious seasonal dishes".
Use "we" for Common Ground, and name people by first name: "Sanne cooks tonight".
No exclamation marks. If something is exciting, the facts will show it.
Before and after
Real examples from our own posters, posts and emails.
Words and slogans
10Chapter
Grids, margins, white space and image-to-text ratio
Layout & composition
White space is our most-used brand colour. Every layout has one clear focal point, aligns to a simple grid and leaves at least a third of the surface empty. Pick a format below to see its grid; the overlay shows it on our homepage.
Max. content width 1440 px. Text columns span at most 6 of 12 columns.
11Chapter
Website, app, social, print and email
Applications
This is where everything comes together. Use these examples as a reference: they follow all the rules in this guide, and most of them exist as templates you can order or download.
Online
One clear message per screen, one Clay button, real food in the picture.
Online
Paper carries the content, Forest marks what matters most and Clay is saved for the one action on each screen.
Social and posters
One sentence, one image, the logo. Posters hang in shop windows, libraries and community centres; posts follow the same recipe.
On stationery the logo sits top left at 45 mm, with the address in Inter on the right. Business cards carry the mark and wordmark large on Forest, with contact details on Cream.
Order
Need business cards, letterhead or posters for your kitchen? Fill in the form and the studio prepares a print-ready file and sends it to our printer. Allow five working days.
Handled by the Common Ground design studio
250 cards, 350 g uncoated, printed on both sides.
A4, 120 g recycled paper, with your kitchen's address.
A3 or A2 poster from our templates: soup night, cooking class or open day.
12Chapter
Downloads, which file for what, approvals and contacts
Files & governance
Always download from this guide: it is the only place where the files are guaranteed to be current. Every logo version, including the reversed ones, in RGB, CMYK and Pantone, is in the colour-mode switch in the Logo chapter.
Governance
This guide: Edition 2026, last updated 24 September 2026. Owner: Noor Bakker, brand manager. Next review: March 2027.
Who to contact
We're happy to help, whether it's a quick check of a flyer or a new kitchen opening in your neighbourhood. We usually reply within two working days.
Ask about: using the brand, partnerships and co-branding, approval of print runs over 500 copies
Ask about: source files, print-ready logos, illustrations, signage for a new kitchen
Ask about: social templates, the website, newsletters, Instagram access for your kitchen
