Logo usage, color palette, typography, voice and tone, imagery style. What every brand guide needs to be useful.
What Brand Guidelines Are (and Aren’t)
Brand guidelines are a reference document that ensures everyone representing your brand — designers, writers, partners, vendors — does so consistently. They’re not a design portfolio or a marketing strategy. Good guidelines are practical: they show exactly how to use your brand elements, with clear do’s and don’ts. If someone can’t pick up your guidelines and produce on-brand work without asking questions, the document isn’t doing its job.
Logo Usage Rules
Include your primary logo, secondary marks (icon-only, horizontal, stacked), and any approved variations. Specify minimum sizes, clear space requirements (how much empty space must surround the logo), and acceptable background treatments. Show examples of incorrect usage: stretching, rotating, recoloring, or placing on busy backgrounds. Provide logo files in SVG, PNG, and PDF formats.
Color Palette
Define your primary colors (1–2 used most often), secondary colors (2–4 for accents and variety), and neutral tones. Include exact values in HEX, RGB, HSL, and CMYK. Specify which colors pair well together and which combinations to avoid. Define a dark mode palette if applicable. Your colors should work at WCAG AA contrast ratios for accessibility.
Typography
Specify your heading typeface and body typeface, with fallback fonts for web and email. Define the type scale: sizes, weights, and line heights for headings (H1–H6), body text, captions, and labels. Show examples in context. If you use a paid font, specify where to purchase licenses. Always include a free fallback for cases where the brand font isn’t available.
Voice and Tone
Voice is your brand’s personality — it doesn’t change. Tone is how that personality adapts to different situations. Define 3–5 voice attributes (e.g., “direct, knowledgeable, approachable”) with do/don’t examples. Show how tone shifts between a marketing email, an error message, and a social media post. Include a word list: terms you always use, terms you never use, and any industry jargon to avoid.
Photography and Imagery Style
Define the visual mood of your brand photography: lighting style, color grading, subject matter, and composition preferences. Include example images that match your brand and examples that don’t. Specify illustration or icon styles if used. This section prevents the most common brand inconsistency — random stock photos that feel disconnected from your identity.
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