Here’s how to create an extremely easy, bulletproof guide to help build your own set of brand identity guides. These could be for your next client, your own company, or even yourself. These guidelines pull in all the necessities that a modern brand needs, to enhance brand value by being consistent and of the forefront of modern design standards. They’re a great additional extra for your client too.
Who, What, Why?
Before starting your brand identity guidelines, you’ll need to establish the following:
- Who will be the end user of the guidelines?
- What mediums will they use them with? (Web, Brochures, Full Marketing Collaterals)
- Why are the guidelines are being produced? (Inconsistent brand across mediums, team using different logos etc.)
We Will Create Guidelines That:
- Allow for flexibility
- Are displayed in a positive manner that people will feel calm using
- Are designed in the same style as the brand
- Allow the user to use the correct colours for print and web
- Allow the user to use the company typeface(s)
- Include the do’s and don’ts on company logo use
- Help the end user implement their brand with ease and keep it consistent
Front Page: Keep it clean, simple and impactful. Include the main brand identity logo, with the title of the document. You may wish to include the date created or version number for future referencing.
Contents Page: This needs to be nicely arranged and easy to read, people need to find out their desired page number, quickly!
Introduction Page/Logo Showcase: Let them know the logos, in as many formats as you wish, and where they are used. It’s a good idea to make notes beneath them, because we can all forget at times which logo is right for what.
Indicate the Clear Space: Design team, client, they both need to know what your thoughts were when creating the logo. There’s nothing worse than damaging a brand’s logo by introducing cluttering objects. Keep clear! The margins represented below are a minimum, encourage more space if needs be (varies per logo).
Colours: Stamp out those “Is that the right colour?” comments before they even start! After creating your logo, make sure you take into account the colours you’ve used. Keep it simple, a CEO doesn’t know what Pantone 10-C is. If your guides are for a design time, it’d make sense to add the Pantones.
Typography: It’s always best practice to include the font you’re using to let others know they’re probably not going to have it installed, and that they should never replicate the main logo with the typeface if they choose to download it. You can even include licensing information about the font, and even where to get it.
Social Media: This is a definite include, and we can implement a logo suite below to show all the custom logos for the Social Media accounts. You could include “Where to find them” for shared drive usage.
How to Use: Possibly the most important part of the brand guidelines. If you haven’t learned by now, people love to be designers when they’re not! Tell them the do’s and don’t's of using the logo.
Getting Creative
As with everything, there is always room for ‘getting creative’. You may be working with a copywriting team and bounce ideas off eachother on the best way you can iterate your brand identity messages through tone of voice. You might be working alone, or with a design team. Whichever the way, remain consistent and do a great job. Your clients will reap the rewards, and so will you when they keep coming back.
About Todd Motto
Todd is a English Designer with a passion for Branding, Web and Code. He's a digital enthusiast with a love for sharing knowledge and connecting with new people.
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