How consultingheads looks, sounds and is built — for agencies, partners, press and everyone designing something for us. The values on this page are binding; the machine-readable version of the design values is at /design-system.json.
Brand
Who we are, what our names are, and which statements are substantiated.
The Tagline — Wording and Placement
The tagline reads „consultingheads. Wenn Ergebnisse entscheiden.“ and is used in its German wording in both languages; there is no approved English version. It sits on a line of its own and is never woven into running text. Logo and tagline are NEVER set as a single graphic — the tagline is text, otherwise it does not exist for search engines and screen readers.
The brand name is always written in lowercase — always
consultingheads—one word, even at the beginning of a sentence. The company is called consultingheads GmbH. Not ConsultingHeads, not Consultingheads.
Brand facts — vision, entity statement, self-image, origin, headquarters
VISION: “We connect people to solve challenges.” MISSION STATEMENT: consultingheads places freelance management consultants, interim managers, and IT experts with companies, management consulting firms, and private equity firms—from strategy through implementation. Corporations, medium-sized enterprises, and scale-ups receive quality-assured profiles within 24–36 hours from a curated network of over 23,000 experts. SELF-IMAGE: “We live and breathe networking … We’re in the people business.” BACKGROUND: Founded in 2016 as a spin-off of the case interview community PrepLounge; spun off and sold to the current management in 2021. HEADQUARTERS: consultingheads GmbH, Borsigstr. 1, 51381 Leverkusen.
The four substantiated key figures
A network of 23,000 consultants, experts, and interim managers · 24–36 hours to access quality-assured profiles (identical in German and English) · 11 years of average professional experience · Founded in 2016, spun off in 2021. The network’s size is growing and is dated in press releases. If you find an older figure in a published release, leave it as is: press releases are dated documents and are not amended retroactively.
The Five Values—and What Each One Means for Design and Copy
(1) Personal connections → People in the photos, no stock photo backgrounds; profile cards with real faces; “we” language instead of the passive voice. (2) Customer focus with passion → Every page ends with exactly ONE clear next step; one primary button per screen, not three. (3) Honesty, fairness, loyalty → Always cite sources and dates for figures; include the year for awards. (4) Fast, practical solutions → short sentences, short forms, visible response times; “24–36 hours” is the recurring theme. (5) Growth through partnership → references and case studies take precedence over advertising claims; customer logos as proof rather than decoration.
The four services — house names that are never renamed
Four services, named exactly as they appear in the footer and main navigation—not renamed or abbreviated in any medium. (1) FREELANCE MANAGEMENT CONSULTANTS: Strategy, Concept Development, Transformation; in English, “freelance management consultants,” NOT “freelance consultants.” (2) IT AND SUBJECT-MATTER EXPERTS: Execution and Implementation, the largest section of the dynamic role pages. (3) INTERIM MANAGERS: Temporary leadership, bridging vacancies; in English: “interim managers.” (4) EXPERT TEAMS: Multiple profiles working as a well-coordinated team rather than as individual consultants; in English: “expert teams.”
No Recruitment JargonNever
Not candidates, not resources, not applicants. They are consultants, experts, Interim Managers—or heads.
Two languages, one brand
German is the primary language; English appears under /en/. The English version is NOT a byproduct—company names, claims, and key figures apply equally there. Company names are not freely translated. German technical terms appear in the English text only where they are explained in the sentence. The body text of a published press release is not altered retroactively—it is a dated document.
Logo
Four forms, one clear space — and the colour follows the background.
Four Logo Variations — Which One to Use When
WORD MARK (214×16 px) is the primary format: headers, footers, email headers, documents, ads—whenever there is sufficient horizontal space. PICTORIAL MARK (522×261) is used when the wordmark would be less than 100 px wide AND no solid area is desired: watermarks, bullet points, embossing. TILE (2048×2048, Mint, logo 86% of width, margin 7%) is the standard format for ALL square elements: social media profile pictures, schema.org logo, app tiles, favicons, directories. TILE WITH NAME TEXT only for explicit, individual cases where the brand would not be recognizable without surrounding text—not an equivalent alternative and never the default setting.
The default logo is the Mint tile without text
The primary variant for square spaces is the green rectangular tile featuring only the symbol. The combination of a figurative mark with a word mark below it is the exception. Geometry: Area mint-500, mark #212121 at 86% of the border width, border 7%. Files are available in resolutions ranging from 2048 to 64 px.
Clear space is one logo height, not a pixel value
1× logo height of space all around — tied to the height so that the rule applies regardless of size or medium. MINIMUM WIDTHS: Screen header 160 px word mark · Footer 140 px · Email header 214 px · Narrow screen layout: starting at 32 px, use the figurative mark instead of the word mark · Print 30 mm word mark · Narrow print layout: 8 mm figurative mark.
Logo color based on the background — and never in mintNever
On white and light-colored surfaces up to ink-100: Word mark in BLACK. On Mint #76FFA0: also BLACK (12.56:1). On ink-900/ink-950 and on photos: Word mark in WHITE. NEVER use the word mark in Mint — 1.27:1 on white; the brand-green lettering is called mint-700, and even then only if black is not an option.
What Must Never Happen to the LogoNever
Do not place it on a busy background without darkening it · do not place it inside a colored box · do not distort it · do not add shadows or outlines · do not reposition or recreate it · do not use the tile with the signature as the default · do not deliver the logo and tagline as a single graphic.
Each seal bears its year
Awards are never centered, colored, or displayed larger than the consultingheads logo, and always include the year. Verified data: brand eins/Statista 2019, 2020, 2021, 2024, 2025, 2026 · F.A.Z. Institute Top Consultants 2026 · kununu Top Company 2023, 2024, 2025. kununu is part of the employer brand and is not included in customer communications.
Color
Mint is the brand — and a surface colour, never a text colour.
Mint — the brand
--ch-mint-50#F0FFF51.03:1 on white · surface only
--ch-mint-100#C3FFD11.13:1 on white · surface only
--ch-mint-500#76FFA01.27:1 on white · surface only
--ch-mint-700#16602D7.65:1 on white · text allowed
--ch-mint-900#0A4F319.65:1 on white · text allowed
Ink — text and surface
--ch-ink-950#11111118.88:1 on white · text allowed
--ch-ink-900#22222215.91:1 on white · text allowed
--ch-ink-700#343A4011.51:1 on white · text allowed
--ch-ink-600#494A528.81:1 on white · text allowed
--ch-ink-500#71727A4.78:1 on white · text allowed
--ch-ink-400#9DA5AE2.49:1 on white · surface only
--ch-ink-300#CCCCCC1.61:1 on white · surface only
--ch-ink-200#E4E4E41.27:1 on white · surface only
--ch-ink-100#EAEAEA1.20:1 on white · surface only
--ch-ink-50#F8FAFC1.05:1 on white · surface only
Surfaces and status
--ch-surface#FFFFFF1.00:1 on white · surface only
--ch-on-dark#FFFFFF1.00:1 on white · surface only
--ch-success#4F7D244.89:1 on white · text allowed
--ch-info#0270E04.78:1 on white · text allowed
--ch-danger#F2545B3.39:1 on white · surface only
--ch-danger-text#C8102E5.88:1 on white · text allowed
Link
| Token | Value | Use |
|---|
--ch-link | var(--ch-mint-700) = #16602D | link colour on light backgrounds |
--ch-link-hover | #003805 = #003805 | link on hover |
--ch-link-on-dark | var(--ch-mint-500) = #76FFA0 | link colour on dark backgrounds |
Contrast ratios calculated against #FFFFFF per WCAG 2.1, from the hex values in the token file.
Mint is a surface colour, never a text colourNever
mint-500 #76FFA0 on white has a contrast ratio of 1.27:1 and is unreadable as text—it also falls below the 3:1 threshold for graphics. Text and links use mint-700 #16602D (7.65:1 on white). On a dark background, mint-500 is used as the link color.
ink-500 is the lightest shade of gray permitted for textNever
Allowed as text: ink-950, ink-900, ink-700, ink-600, and ink-500 #71727A (4.78:1 — barely AA). From ink-400 #9DA5AE (2.49:1) and below, never use as text; only for icons, decorative elements, borders, and separator lines. All values measured against white.
Error red has two tokens — surface and text
"danger" #F2545B achieves a contrast ratio of only 3.39:1 and is therefore limited to use as a background, icon, or large text. For error text, use "danger-text" #C8102E (5.88:1, AA).
CMYK values are calculated, not measuredNever
The CMYK values for the design system are calculated conversions from sRGB. They are not final print values and must be confirmed on a proof before each print job. Mint #76FFA0 falls outside the CMYK color space.
Printing Inks — Lab is the input value, not CMYK
For EVERY print job, the Lab values are provided, not CMYK values: CMYK depends on the paper and printing process, but Lab does not. The print shop calculates the profile for its machine based on these values. Lab (sRGB D65): mint-500 L 90.7 / a −57.6 / b 34.3 · mint-700 L 35.5 / a −34.6 / b 22.8 · mint-900 L 29.1 / a −28.5 / b 12.1 · mint-100 L 95.0 / a −27.6 / b 16.0 · mint-50 L 98.7 / a −6.7 / b 3.1 · ink-950 L 5.1 · ink-900 L 13.2 · ink-600 L 31.6 · ink-500 L 48.2.
Mint requires a spot color—CMYK can't produce itNever
mint-500 has a value of L 90.7 and a chroma of 67—it is both very light AND very colorful, which cannot be achieved in four-color printing: the lightest, most vivid process green comes close, with a value of around L 54 and a Delta E2000 of 27.5. Even within the standard range of spot colors, the next closest match has a Delta E2000 of 14.2. To put this in context: a value below 2 is considered practically identical, up to 5 is tolerable, and anything above that is considered a different color. For any print featuring mint as a solid color, a spot color from the neon or fluorescent range is required; the specific shade is selected from the color chart, not calculated.
Typography
One typeface, four weights, one scale — and one highlighting device.
| Level | Size | Line height | Weight |
|---|
| display | 56px | 1.05 | 600 |
| h1 | 44px | 1.15 | 600 |
| h2 | 34px | 1.2 | 600 |
| h3 | 28px | 1.3 | 600 |
| h4 | 24px | 1.35 | 600 |
| h5 | 20px | 1.4 | 600 |
| h6 | 18px | 1.45 | 500 |
| body-lg | 18px | 1.6 | 400 |
| body | 16px | 1.6 | 400 |
| small | 14px | 1.5 | 400 |
| xs | 12px | 1.4 | 500 |
Responsive: 768–991px h1 35px / h2 30px · up to 767px h1 30px / h2 28px / h4 20px. Line height 1.2 for headings, 1.6 for body text. Typeface: "Spline Sans", "Segoe UI", system-ui, -apple-system, sans-serif
One typeface, four weights with fixed roles
Spline Sans, integrated into the theme as a web font. 400 Regular: body text, forms, table content. 500 Medium: buttons, navigation, H6, emphasis in body text. 600 SemiBold: H1 through H5 headings. 700 Bold: ONLY key figures and display sizes, used sparingly. Fallback stack: “Spline Sans,” “Segoe UI,” system-ui, sans-serif.
Type scale with line height and weight per level
display 56px/1.05/600 · h1 44/1.15/600 · h2 34/1.2/600 · h3 28/1.3/600 · h4 24/1.35/600 · h5 20/1.4/600 · h6 18/1.45/500 · body-lg 18/1.6/400 · body 16/1.6/400 · small 14/1.5/400 · xs 12/1.4/500 with +0.08em tracking.
Responsive Heading Hierarchy — Only H1, H2, and H4 Move
From 992px: h1 44 / h2 34 / h3 28 / h4 24 / h5 20 / h6 18. 768–991px: h1 35 / h2 30, everything else remains unchanged. Up to 767px: h1 30 / h2 28 / h4 20, everything else remains unchanged. H3, H5, and H6 do not change at any width. The base size remains 16px at ALL widths.
The Mint text bar — no more than one statement per section
Important statements in headings are highlighted with the mint bar: linear-gradient(transparent 60%, mint-500 60%, mint-500 93%, transparent 93%). Only H1 and the tagline; not H2–H4; never in body text. The font remains Ink or white. At most one highlighted statement per screen or section—the effect is lost if the pattern is overused.
Components
Many build variants are reduced to a few target forms. Rows marked as draft are not yet approved.
PrimarySecondaryDarkText link
Button — Target Shape and the Four Variants
DEFINED STYLE for all buttons: border-radius 8px, padding 12px vertically and 24px horizontally, 1px border, font weight 500. FOUR VARIATIONS—that’s all there are: (1) PRIMARY — background mint-500, text ink-900, border 1px mint-500, hover mint-100. (2) SECONDARY — transparent, 1px border in ink-500, text in ink-900, hover background in ink-50. (3) DARK — background in ink-900, text in white; for image backgrounds and mint-colored backgrounds. (4) TEXT LINK BUTTON — no background, text mint-700, underlined on hover. The canonical class is .button. EXCEPTION: The round control buttons on the sliders have a border-radius of 50%; this is correct.
Card — one basic shape, six variationsDraft
BASIC STYLE: White background, 1px border in ink-200, 8px radius, 24px inner spacing. No shadow when idle. HOVER only if the ENTIRE card is clickable: border set to ink-300, shadow set to shadow-md — otherwise, no hover effect at all. SIX VARIATIONS: Image card · Text card · Profile card · Reference card · Metrics card · List card. TITLE: H3 in 20px, not 28px. Same height in a row using `align-items:stretch`, never using fixed pixel heights.
Form — Field, Focus, Label, ErrorDraft
FIELD: Border 1px ink-200, radius 8px, inner padding 12/16, font size 16px. FOCUS: Border mint-700 PLUS a 2px ring — never just a color change, otherwise the focus will be invisible to people with color vision deficiencies. LABEL: 14px, ink-600, ABOVE the field; a placeholder never replaces the label. ERROR: Text in danger-text, border in danger; the error text specifies what to do. REQUIRED FIELD: with the word “Required Field” or an asterisk along with a legend — never just highlighted in color.
Accordion and TabsDraft
ACCORDION: Header 18px/500, divider ink-200, icon on the right, rotates 180 degrees when opened. Area when opened ink-50, NOT Mint — Mint is reserved for actions, not states. TABS: Active tab with a 2px mint-500 underline and text in ink-900; inactive tab in ink-500. Goal: one accordion module, one tab module.
Slider — three shapes, 44×44 as the smallest target areaDraft
Three formats: (1) LOGO MARQUEE — loops continuously starting at nine entries; below that, a static row of chips. (2) CONTENT SLIDER — with visible arrows and dots; Arrows have a 44×44px click area, which is the minimum size for touch interaction. (3) REFERENCE SLIDER — for quotes and case studies. The round control buttons with a border-radius of 50% are the only exception to the 8px button style.
Banners and Hero Sections — Three TypesDraft
(1) HERO HOME PAGE — full width, graphic on the right, H1 44px, exactly one primary and one secondary button. (2) INTERNAL BANNER — for subpages, more compact, with a breadcrumb trail above it. (3) PROMOTIONAL BANNER — at the bottom of a page, ink-950 background with mint accent. PROHIBITED: Never place text over a photo without shading it. The minimum contrast requirement also applies to text over images.
Small Parts — Breadcrumb, Table, Chip, Key FigureDraft
BREADCRUMB: 14px ink-500, separator ›, the current node without a link. TABLE: Header ink-50 with ink-700 text, row separator ink-200, numbers right-aligned with tabular-nums. CHIP/TAG: Radius 999px, area ink-100, text ink-700, 12px. METRIC: Number 40px/700 in ink-900, label 14px ink-500 below it. Never use Mint as the number color on white.
Iconography — a set of line icons, one exceptionDraft
Line icons, line weight 1.5 px on a 24-px grid, rounded ends, no fill. ONE set from ONE source—not three icon libraries side by side. Color ink-600 on a light background, white on a dark background; Mint only if the icon is placed within a mint-colored area; in that case, use ink-900. EXCEPTION: The checkmark is a branding element—a mint-colored checkmark on a dark circle. NEVER use an icon alone to convey meaning: every icon that conveys a function must have text next to it or an `aria-label`.
Motion — Two Durations
Two durations are enough: 150 ms for hover and focus, 300 ms for fade-in and fade-out, with an “ease-out” curve. The logo marquee runs continuously—continuous for nine or more entries, and as a static row of chips for fewer than nine. NEVER: Flashing, parallax across entire pages, autoplay videos with sound. All continuous motion pauses when “prefers-reduced-motion” is enabled.
Imagery and assets
People at work — and each image has alt text.
Visual Language — People at Work, No Consulting ClichésDraft
SO: People at work rather than posing; looking into the frame rather than at the camera · real work environments (meetings, workshops, construction sites, data centers) · uncluttered areas of the image where text or logos will be placed · aspect ratios: 3:2 for blogs and cards, 16:9 for hero images, 1:1 for social media, 4:5 for portrait-oriented feeds. NEVER: Handshakes, puzzle pieces, gears, light bulbs, and any other consulting clichés · A mint-colored filter over the entire image · Text in the image where it could simply be placed next to it · AI-generated images without labeling where they might be mistaken for real people.
Technical Image Dimensions and Alt Text Requirements
WebP is the standard format. Dimensions: Hero Desktop 1280×648 · Hero Tile 1090×720 · Blog Featured Image 1216×810 · OG Card 1200×630. Every image needs alt text that describes the CONTENT, not the file name; for awards, include the year. Decorative graphics should have alt="" so that screen readers skip them.