Colour the parent mark in the deep tone of the AKRIBIS teal

Context and Problem Statement

The parent mark “akribis group” (ADR-0011) needs a colour that tells the company apart from the AKRIBIS unit, which now sits on the signature band in teal (ADR-0013). Ink was proposed first and declined. A free hue slot would make the company look like a tenth unit and spend a slot meant for expansion.

Considered Options

• The AKRIBIS hue at a deep tone (L 0.44)
• A teal-tinted ink (L 0.28, chroma 0.03)
• Ink

Decision Outcome

Chosen: the AKRIBIS hue at L 0.44, #005e65, chroma by the band’s rule.

The number is not arbitrary. The wheel’s teal slot (204°) at L 0.44 reproduces the delivered AKRIBIS teal #005e6e within ΔE 1.5. The colour everyone already recognises as AKRIBIS is the deep tone of the system’s teal, so:

• the company keeps the recognised colour, and the unit joins its eight siblings on the brighter band;
• company and unit share one hue, as brand-architecture.md intends (AKRIBIS is both), and are told apart by tone (ΔE 12) and by the word “group”;
• no tenth hue, no free slot spent;
• the parent colour reads 7.5:1 on white, so it serves text as well as the mark.

It is generated (brand/src/palette.ts, parentSignature) from brand/colour.yaml (parent.lightness) and the AKRIBIS unit’s hue slot; when the ramps exist it will be the AKRIBIS ramp’s deep step.

Consequences

• Good, because the historical teal is kept where it carries the most meaning.

• The parent mark is published in colour, ink and white at /marks/akribis-group/.

• AKRIBIS One stays ink plus the nine signatures; the three AKRIBIS marks (company, unit, One) are now each distinct: deep teal, band teal, ink with the ring.

  Note, 2026-10-04. ADR-0016 proposes the third tone: AKRIBIS One at step 950, the teal ink, so the three marks are three steps of one ramp (500, 800, 950).