Visual Branding Guidelines

A Brand Guidelines Manual (also called a Brand Style Guide) is the rulebook and instruction manual for your brand’s identity. It ensures that anyone who uses your brand—employees, partners, vendors—does so correctly and consistently.

• Purpose: Sets the stage and explains the "why" behind the visuals.

• What's Inside:

  • Brand Story/Mission/Vision: The core message and purpose.

  • Brand Values & Personality: Is the brand playful? Authoritative? Innovative? This defines its character.

  • Target Audience: A brief on who the brand is speaking to.

• Purpose: To protect the integrity of the most recognizable brand asset.

• What's Inside:

  • Primary Logo: The main, preferred version.

  • Secondary Logos: Alternative horizontal or stacked versions for different layouts.

  • Clear Space: The mandatory empty area that must surround the logo.

  • Minimum Size: The smallest allowable size for reproduction.

  • Improper Usage: Crucial section! Shows common mistakes (e.g., stretching, rotating, adding effects, using wrong colors).

• Purpose: To ensure color consistency everywhere, from digital screens to printed brochures.

• What's Inside:

  • Primary Color(s): The main brand color(s).

  • Secondary Color(s): Supporting colors for variation and hierarchy.

  • Neutral Colors: Blacks, whites, grays for text and backgrounds.

  • Color Values: Each color is specified in multiple formats:

    • HEX: For web and digital design.

    • RGB: For screens and monitors.

    • CMYK: For professional printing.

    • Pantone (PMS): For spot-color printing (e.g., merchandise).

• Purpose: To maintain readability and visual harmony through consistent font usage.

• What's Inside:

  • Primary Typeface: The main font family for headlines and display text.

  • Secondary Typeface: The font for body copy and long-form text.

  • Hierarchy & Styles: Examples of how to style headings (H1, H2, H3), body text, captions, and buttons (including font weights and sizes).

• Purpose: To define the style and "feel" of all visual content.

• What's Inside:

  • Photography Style: Guidance on subject matter, lighting, composition, and editing (e.g., bright and airy vs. dark and moody).

  • Do's and Don'ts: Examples of good vs. bad photo choices.

  • Iconography: The style of icons that should be used (e.g., line icons, filled icons, specific corner radius).

• Purpose: To ensure the brand sounds as consistent as it looks.

• What's Inside:

  • Brand Voice: The personality of your writing (e.g., expert but approachable, witty but not sarcastic).

  • Tone Shifts: How the voice might adapt to different situations (e.g., a celebratory social post vs. a serious customer service email).

  • Key Messaging: Taglines, value propositions, and boilerplate "About Us" text.

For larger brands, the manual often extends into specific applications:

• Layout & Grids: Principles for spacing, composition, and using a grid system in designs.

• Data Visualization: How to style charts, graphs, and infographics.

• Templates: Direct links or instructions for accessing approved templates for:

  • PowerPoint/Google Slides

  • Social Media Graphics

  • Business Cards & Letterhead

  • Email Newsletters

• Web-Specific Elements: Guidelines for buttons, form fields, and navigation styles.

• Motion & Sound: Rules for animating the logo and using sonic branding.