# Wellsprings Brand DNA Checklist Read this **before** writing any new page, rewriting any existing one, or picking any image. If a page can't tick every box in the relevant section, it isn't ready to ship. This document is the source of truth. It mirrors `mem://philosophy/brand-dna` and is the human-readable version of it. --- ## 1. The Whole Child framework (architecture) Every page must clearly express one or more dimensions of the Whole Child. Not as a label, but in the language and the imagery. | Dimension | Motto word | Color token | Means | | --------- | ---------- | ----------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------ | | Mind | Think | `--coral-600` | Curiosity, clarity, sense-making — never memorisation | | Body | Build | `--sun-700` | Making, sport, music, movement, doing hard things | | Heart | Belong | `--sage-700` | Known by name, kindness, character, community | - [ ] I can name which dimension(s) this page expresses. - [ ] The dominant accent color matches the dominant dimension. - [ ] If the page covers all three (e.g. homepage, about), they appear in **equal weight** — never one favourite. --- ## 2. Two-tier motto (never collapse) | Tier | Words | Use for | | ------ | --------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Tier 1 | **Think · Build · Belong** | Permanent / institutional: hero, header, admissions, formal contexts | | Tier 2 | **Wonder · Play · Belong** | Warmer / child-facing: pre-primary, parent newsletters, social, soft | - [ ] The page uses Tier 1 OR Tier 2 deliberately, based on audience — not both jumbled together. - [ ] No new slogan has been invented to replace either tier. - [ ] Punctuation is `Word · Word · Word` (thin space + middle dot), never commas/hyphens. --- ## 3. Voice — Human, Observant, Balanced, Honest Every line of copy passes all four tests: - **Human** — written to a parent at a kitchen table, not a board of trustees. - **Observant** — notice the child specifically. Small, real details over grand claims. - **Balanced** — rigour AND warmth, marks AND character. Never one-sided. - **Honest** — no superlatives we can't back. "Award-winning", "1000+ families", "CBSE" are facts; anything else must be true and grounded. - [ ] No generic edtech / brochure phrasing ("world-class", "cutting-edge", "nurturing tomorrow's leaders", "holistic 360° outcomes"). - [ ] No exclamation marks. No emoji. - [ ] Sentence case in all headings, buttons, nav items. - [ ] The headline names a specific, observable thing — not an abstraction. - [ ] If you removed the word "school", would the line still feel like Wellsprings? It should. --- ## 4. Imagery — common-sense rule The image must **match the claim next to it**. If it doesn't, replace the image — never weaken the headline. | Claim | Right image | Wrong image | | ---------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------- | | Award-winning CBSE school | Confident classroom, campus, teaching moment | A child tying a shoelace | | Think | Reading, observing, questioning, working out | A pose, a smile-to-camera | | Build | Making, sport, music, hands-on | A child sitting still | | Belong | Teacher-with-child, group warmth, conversation | A solo portrait | - [ ] Every photograph carries a `` with **Think / Build / Belong** + a one-line observed caption. - [ ] Pre-primary uses Tier 2 captions where appropriate (Wonder / Play / Belong). - [ ] No stock cliché (children pointing at globes, four kids around one laptop, beaming faces). - [ ] Image alt text describes the actual scene, not the marketing claim. --- ## 5. Page template (mandatory shape) Every public page is built from these primitives in `src/components/page/`: - `PageHero` — eyebrow + H1 + intro + tagged hero image, dimension-themed. - `MottoStrip` — Tier 1 OR Tier 2 reminder, always present once. - `MindBodyHeartGrid` — three blocks for content that maps to all three dimensions. - `PhotoTag` — every image, every page. - `SectionEyebrow` — small mono-cap label that carries the dimension color. A page that doesn't use these primitives will drift out of voice. If you need a new primitive, **add it to `src/components/page/`** so the next page can re-use it. --- ## 6. SEO + share - [ ] Unique `title` ≤ 60 chars, with the page's dimension or topic in it. - [ ] Unique `description` ≤ 160 chars, in voice (Human/Observant). - [ ] `og:title`, `og:description`, `og:image` (where there's a hero image) set per route. - [ ] No reused homepage metadata on a sub-page. --- ## 7. Pre-publish gut check (60 seconds) 1. Read the H1 out loud. Does it sound like a thoughtful adult or a brochure? 2. Look at the hero image. Does it earn the headline next to it? 3. Find the motto. Is it Tier 1 or Tier 2 — and is that the right tier for this audience? 4. Skim the body. Is there a concrete, observed scene anywhere — or only abstractions? 5. Find an exclamation mark, an emoji, or a "world-class". Delete it. If any answer is wrong, **don't ship**. Fix it. --- ## 8. Voice & tone — how we address a parent Adopted for the homepage rewrite (Aug 2026). Apply to every parent-facing page. **Do:** 1. **Speak to the parent.** "Your child", "you", "we". The reader is the subject of the sentence, not the school. 2. **Acknowledge the decision.** Choosing a school is a large, anxious choice. Say so plainly, once, rather than skipping straight to features. 3. **Make promises, not claims.** "Your child will be known by name" beats "we offer a nurturing environment". Short declaratives. Say the thing. 4. **One belief line, repeated.** *Every child arrives with something worth growing.* That is the homepage spine. Other pages may echo it; nothing should compete with it. 5. **One primary next step per page.** On the homepage that is **Book your visit**. Everything else is secondary in wording and weight. 6. **Plain, warm words.** known, looked after, welcomed, from the first week. No pedagogical jargon, no institutional register. 7. **Reassurance before proof.** Say what the day feels like for the child first; curriculum, board, and facilities follow as support. **Don't:** - No comparison, explicit or implied ("unlike other schools", "what sets us apart"). Difference is shown by describing what we do. - No superlatives without evidence ("the very best", "world-class", "excellence"). - Don't repeat *Think · Build · Belong* twice within one screen. Use it where it earns its place and let other sentences breathe. - No hedging ("we aim to", "we strive to"). If we can't promise it, don't write it.