Digital Origami (Brand Bible)

1. Brand Mission & Vision

Mission: To empower individuals to reclaim agency over their information diet by providing transparent, auditable, and customizable news engines. Vision: A future where the “feed that ends” is the norm, and every reader is their own Editor-in-Chief, free from algorithmic anxiety.

2. Core Philosophy: The Origami Paradox & The Anxiety of the Thumbs Down

Fishwrap stands on a deliberate paradox: we apply cutting-edge engineering to the humble, ephemeral nature of “fishwrap” (newsprint). Our inspiration is rooted in Neal Stephenson’s “The Diamond Age,” where a curated newspaper is a sign of societal advancement.

The Problem (The Anxiety of the Thumbs Down): Modern algorithmic feeds (Google News, social media) create fear. Users are afraid to give feedback because the “black box” consequences are opaque and potentially catastrophic. A “thumbs down” on a celebrity article might silence an entire political topic.
The Fishwrap Solution (Granular Consent): We don’t ask for “thumbs down.” We ask for an “Editor’s Note.” Our system empowers users with transparent rules: “Penalty: ‘Golf’ (-20). Boost: ‘Executive Order’ (+20).” This exposes the logic, makes it reversible, and restores agency.

3. Core Principles (The Pillars of the Glass Box)

Transparency (The Glass Box): Every decision is auditable. Trust through clarity.
Agency (Granular Consent): Users curate their reality without fear.
Intentionality (The Anti-Feed): Finiteness is a feature, not a limitation. Quality over infinite scroll.
Empowerment (Editor-in-Chief): The user defines their news, their way.

4. Persona & Tone of Voice: The Enlightened Architect (with a Knowing Wink)

Fishwrap.org is the voice of an experienced architect who, having mastered complex systems, now delights in revealing their elegant simplicity. We speak with:

Intelligence & Insight: Understanding the problem, offering thoughtful solutions.
Empowerment & Respect: Guiding users as capable collaborators.
Transparency & Directness: Demystifying complexity, making the “magic” visible.
Confidence & Vision: Pioneering a better way, articulating a bold vision for the future of news.
Practicality & Action: Providing tools for immediate implementation.
Whimsy & Engagement: Using metaphors, clever microcopy, and subtle visual cues to make the experience enjoyable and memorable.

Tone: Authoritative but never Arrogant. Principled but never Preachy. Evocative but Grounded. Direct, concise, and infused with a dry, witty humor.

5. Key Messages & Taglines

“Fishwrap: The algorithm you can read. The feed that ends.”
“Take back control of your news. It’s not magic, it’s engineering.”
“Your news. Your rules. No more algorithmic anxiety.”
“Finiteness is the new luxury.”
“Stop scrolling. Start reading. Start thinking.”
“Become your own Editor-in-Chief. We built the presses for you.”
“The internet is a firehose of noise. We built a very precise nozzle. Wrap it up, read it, throw it away.”

6. Visual Language & Whimsical Flavor: “Digital Origami”

We lean into the irony of the name “Fishwrap” by applying elegant, precise engineering to humble newsprint, creating a “Digital Origami” aesthetic.

Logo & Primary Motif: The Origami Fish
- Concept: A sleek, geometric origami fish. It literally depicts “Fish” and “Paper” while being modern and sharp.
- Vibe: Technical (clean lines, geometric) and playful (folded paper, a fish).
Color Palette:
- Deep Ocean Blue (#0f172a): The “Tech/Architect” base. Professional, modern, dark mode friendly.
- Newsprint Cream (#fdfbf7): The connection to dailyclamour.com’s paper texture.
- Salmon/Coral (#ff7f50): The “Fish” accent color. Vibrant, warm, used for highlights, CTAs, and a touch of urgent playfulness.
Typography:
- Headlines/Code: Modern Monospace (e.g., JetBrains Mono, Fira Code). Signals precision and code.
- Body: Clean, legible Sans-Serif (e.g., Inter, Roboto). Accessible.
- Philosophical Quotes: A tasteful Serif (e.g., Merriweather, Lora) for a touch of classic gravitas and to echo the “Neo-Victorian” feel.
Web Experience (“The Blueprint”):
- Documentation Theme: Clean, high-contrast theme (like Just the Docs).
- Visuals: Subtle grid patterns, clear sectioning. Icons that feel like old-school technical drawings (magnifying glass, gears, filters, focused eye).
- Microcopy: Engaging phrases elevating the mundane:
  - “Your Dashboard: The Newsroom Control Panel”
  - “Configure Feeds: Chart Your Sources”
  - “Feedback Loop: Author Your Rules”
  - “The Manifesto: Our Declaration of Independence from the Algorithm”
- Imagery: “Victorian Patent Drawings” of software architecture (e.g., an etched diagram of the “News Filtering Engine”).

This unified brand bridges the seemingly disparate concepts of “fishwrap” and “enlightened architecture” into a witty, confident, and distinct identity for Fishwrap.org.

7. Generative AI Prompts (Brand Assets)

These prompts are designed to generate the core visual assets for the Fishwrap brand using tools like Google AI Studio / Imagen.

A. Main Logo (The Digital Origami Fish)

Create a sophisticated, minimalist, and geometric logo for 'Fishwrap'. The core concept is 'Digital Origami' – precise engineering applied to information.

The logo should feature a stylized, abstract **origami fish** as its central motif.
- **Style:** Modern, geometric, clean lines, high contrast. Avoid cartoonish or overly simplistic designs. Think elegant folding patterns, not a cartoon.
- **Color Palette:**
    - Primary: Deep Ocean Blue (#0F172A) - for the main structure.
    - Accent: Salmon/Coral (#FF7F50) - for subtle highlights, lines, or a single folded edge.
    - Neutral: Newsprint Cream (#FDFBF7) - as background or a subtle paper texture.
- **Composition:** The fish should feel dynamic but structured, suggesting movement, but also precision. It should evoke filtering, processing, or a neatly folded artifact.
- **Associated Elements:** Subtly integrate elements that suggest data flow, filtering, or a lens/aperture. The fish could subtly form or interact with a stylized 'F'.
- **Typography:** Use a modern monospace font (e.g., JetBrains Mono, Fira Code) for 'Fishwrap' text.

**Output:** Generate multiple variations in PNG/SVG format, showing the logo alone and with the 'Fishwrap' text.

B. Visual Metaphor (Neo-Victorian Patent Drawing)

Generate an intricate, detailed illustration in the style of a **Neo-Victorian Patent Drawing** or **Steampunk Blueprint**. This illustration should visually represent the internal workings of the 'Fishwrap' engine.

- **Subject:** Depict an abstract 'News Filtering and Processing Engine'. Show elements that suggest:
    - **Input:** Chaotic flow of information (perhaps abstract 'waves' or 'streams' of text/data).
    - **Filtering/Processing:** Gears, cogs, levers, precise mechanical arms, an optical lens (the 'Aperture'), perhaps subtle circuitry.
    - **Output:** Neatly organized, folded paper artifacts (the 'Fishwrap' editions) or a stack of clean newspapers.
- **Style:**
    - Monochromatic or duotone (sepia tones, or deep blue lines on a cream background).
    - Hand-drawn or etched aesthetic, cross-hatching for shading, detailed labels (in a technical serif font) for abstract concepts like 'Fetcher', 'Editor', 'Scoring Logic', 'Printer'.
    - Clean lines, but with a slight 'aged blueprint' texture.
- **Tone:** Scientific, detailed, a bit whimsical, hinting at complex precision. It should evoke 'The Glass Box' – transparent and auditable machinery.
- **Color Palette:** Dominated by Newsprint Cream (#FDFBF7) background with Deep Ocean Blue (#0F172A) or Sepia for lines and details. Use Salmon/Coral (#FF7F50) sparingly for emphasis on one key component.

C. Iconography Set (Minimalist Line Art)

Create a set of minimalist, line-art icons for the 'Fishwrap' documentation. The style should be clean, modern, and geometric, fitting the 'Digital Origami' aesthetic.

- **Icon Subjects:**
    1.  **Magnifying Glass:** (Transparency/Audit)
    2.  **Gear/Cog:** (Engine/Process)
    3.  **Filter/Funnel:** (Filtering/Refinement)
    4.  **Sorted List/Stack of Papers:** (Order/Finiteness)
    5.  **Target/Crosshairs:** (Precision/Tuning)
    6.  **Eye/Lens:** (Vision/Aperture)
    7.  **Pen Nib/Quill:** (Editor-in-Chief/Curate)
    8.  **Lightbulb:** (Insight/Idea)
- **Style:** Pure line art (no fills), single stroke weight, sharp corners or very subtle rounding. Geometric.
- **Color:** Deep Ocean Blue (#0F172A) lines on a Newsprint Cream (#FDFBF7) background, or Salmon/Coral (#FF7F50) for an accent.