Graphic Standard Manual

Visuals

Visual elements and photos are subtle yet have a powerful impact and may be used to enhance a wide range of documents and materials. For example, what could be rather bland letterhead stands out and has a layer of depth with the addition of a watermark of an Aleut hunting hat. The approved visuals below were made to honor traditional Aleut art; the ocean waters that surround and, in many ways, define our island home; and the swirling gusts we’re known for. After all, we come from an island where legend says the wind was born.

Cultural elements

The watermarks below are inspired by traditional Aleut art designs, which are, in turn, inspired by our natural world. The face pattern is based on the tattoo of a current TDX shareholder. Facial tattooing is an ancient tradition in the Aleut culture and was used by women to signify that they had reached maturity. In addition, it could be used to indicate higher standing in society; i.e., more aristocratic women had facial tattooing.

The wave art represents the ocean waters that both surround our home and provide the vast majority of our traditional foods. St. Paul Island, being a small island in a northern ocean, is characterized by strong, persistent wind, and the swirl design represents the blustery, constantly moving air.

Last, the hunter’s hat is unique to Aleut culture and was a visor worn to block sunlight, rain and ocean spray. It also served to hide the hunter’s eyes as he approached prey. Our ancestors believed an animal would give itself willingly to the hunter who had the most elaborate hat, so Aleut hats became highly designed works of art in addition to being functional tools.

We can take each of these cultural elements as a visual metaphor of our modern corporation: the face pattern signifies the strong, unique people behind TDX; the wave art signifies the ocean of possibilities surrounding us; the swirl design signifies the means to fly far in any direction; and the hunter’s hat signifies our ability to design the right tools to meet challenges.

Photography

TDX has a bank of pre-approved photos for use in promotional materials or earned media. Please call the TDX Corporation communications office at (907) 278-2312 to request images.

If you provide your own images, please follow these best-practices guidelines:

Photo composition.
A photo’s composition should be strong and focus the eye on the area intended. Use of foreshortening and depth-of-field helps photos be more dynamic.
Sample photo showing a bit of angle
Rather than shoot a subject straight on, or balanced, use a subtle angle. Spaces should be clean and organized.
Sample photo showing a bit of angle
People at work should be treated as an element in the photo, not the whole photo or primary focus. Cropping faces in the composition makes the photo about the action not the person.
Sample photo showing building composition
Sample photo showing building composition
When photographing architecture, use the natural lines of a building to create interest. Use the sky as negative space. When patterns or textures are available, use them to your advantage.