Brand guidelines

In modern marketing, where every interaction matters, brand guidelines stand as the beacon guiding consistent and coherent communication.

This document encapsulates the essence of a brand's story, providing a road-map for maintaining cohesion across various touch-points. Whether you're launching a startup or revitalising an established brand, creating a comprehensive brand guideline document is essential for fostering recognition, trust, and loyalty among your audience. Here's a step-by-step guide to crafting a brand guideline document that captures the essence of your brand and ensures consistency in every communication.

Define Your Brand Story

Begin by defining your brand's story, drawing insights from the results of brand development exercises.

Identify the key elements of your brand's personality, writing style, and visual style. Your brand's personality should reflect its values, mission, and unique identity. Determine the appropriate writing style—whether it's formal, conversational, or playful—to communicate with your target audience effectively. Additionally, establish a visual style that resonates with your brand's personality, incorporating elements such as imagery, typography, and color schemes.

Present Your Official Brand Name

Introduce your official brand name, providing insights into its origins and significance.

Share the story behind the company name and logo, including pronunciations and proper usage guidelines. Illuminate the thought process behind the design of your logo, highlighting its symbolic meaning and visual elements. Specify how the logo should be used, including guidelines for size, spacing, and placement. Additionally, showcase any secondary logos, marks, or symbols associated with your brand, outlining their usage and significance.

Outline Logo Details

Delve into the specifics of your logo design, explaining its composition and elements.

Provide guidelines for its usage across different mediums and formats, ensuring consistency and clarity. Highlight any variations of the logo, such as secondary logos or marks, and specify their appropriate usage scenarios. Outline size and spacing requirements to maintain visual integrity and legibility across various applications.

Outline logo colours

Specify the colour palette associated with your brand's logo, including primary, secondary, and accent colours.

Provide hex codes or Pantone references for each colour to ensure accurate reproduction across different platforms and materials. Emphasize the importance of consistency in color usage to maintain brand identity and recognition.

Outline Colour Palette

Highlight the broader colour palette used in your brand's visual identity, including primary, secondary, and extended accent colour palettes.

Explain the significance of each colour and its role in conveying the brand's personality and message. Provide guidelines for colour combinations and usage to maintain visual harmony and consistency in all brand communications.

Typography Selection

Select primary and secondary fonts for use in various brand communications, specifying font weights, styles, and colours.

Ensure that typography reflects your brand's personality and enhances readability across different mediums. Provide guidelines for font pairing and usage to maintain visual coherence and consistency.

Outline Icons and Illustration Styles

Define the style and usage guidelines for icons and illustrations associated with your brand.

Specify the visual characteristics, such as line weight, style, and colour palette, to ensure consistency with your brand's overall aesthetic. Provide examples and guidelines for incorporating icons and illustrations into brand communications effectively.

Outline Photographic Style

Define the photographic style that aligns with your brand's visual identity, including composition, lighting, and subject matter.

Specify guidelines for image selection, editing, and usage to maintain consistency and authenticity in visual storytelling. Provide examples and inspiration to guide photographers and designers in capturing images that reflect your brand's personality and values.