All successful brands start somewhere. From concept to marketing, your brand should build a strong identity that resonates with consumers. That’s where brand guidelines come in. This set of rules outlines how to use written and visual elements in your content for public perception.

Our guide will explore what brand guidelines are, their benefits, and what to include in your own brand guidelines document. Develop comprehensive style guides and get each member of your team up to speed with logo and font templates from Adobe Express.

What are brand guidelines?

Brand guidelines, or brand style guides, are a set of clearly defined standards and rules that summarise your brand’s identity. Think of it as a handbook filled with all the key details about your brand – including how it should look, sound and be viewed by consumers.

Brand guidelines encompass your brand’s values, unique selling points (USPs), mission statement, vision and more. This helps to create a consistent message and feel across your entire business – from your products and packaging to your website and social channels.

Why are brand guidelines so important?

Brand guidelines ensure that everyone is on the same page when it comes to your brand’s identity – both internally and externally. This results in strong, unique branding that customers are more likely to trust.

A brand guidelines document can also:

• Improve brand consistency across different channels. Brand guidelines that cover colour palettes, logo usage, imagery and more can ensure consistency. They also help to maintain a coherent identity when creating branded content across all communications and designs.
• Build brand recognition with existing and potential customers. Consistency across voice, visuals and behaviour set out in your brand guidelines helps to build brand recognition. An instantly recognisable brand holds more authority, which can help to grow your audience.
• Boost internal engagement across the business. Your brand guidelines can be easily accessed and shared by team members. This not only aligns everyone’s vision with the brand, but it also gives employees a greater sense of ownership and the ability to create independently.

What to include in your brand guidelines.

All brand guidelines should act as a comprehensive rulebook for establishing your brand. This ensures that it’s represented consistently across all channels and touchpoints. Here are some of the most common elements to include.

Your brand’s values, vision and mission.

Your values, mission statement and vision shape the backbone of your brand. So, it’s only right these are clearly outlined at the start of your style guide to make sure everyone is on the same page. Think about your brand’s principles, purpose and aspirations and build a solid foundation for your brand identity guidelines.

Logos with approved variations.

Your brand guidelines document should explain how to correctly use your company logo, including formats, colour variations and placements. Provide an example of your logo on a plain background versus a patterned one, or social media channels versus the website.

Colour palette.

Brand guidelines should also focus on colour palette for consistency and brand recognition. This includes swatches and colour codes with the relevant CMYK, HEX and RGB codes for accuracy. It’s especially crucial for team members designing for print and digital.

Fonts and typography.

Fonts and typography are a huge part of your brand guidelines. You’ll need to identify which fonts you’re going to use, the text alignment, spacing considerations, sizing and more. Whatever your typography design, it should be standard to your brand.

Key images and icons.

Image guidelines ensure that your brand carries a consistent photographic or illustrative style throughout. Include aspirations and best practice examples in a variety of contexts that have performed well for your brand in the past. You can also include examples of what images to not include.

Tone of voice.

Tone of voice is crucial for your brand guidelines as it strongly impacts the way consumers connect and associate with your brand. Reinforce your brand’s core values and provide a house style guide of your visual tone, including content marketing, slogan use and email etiquette.

6 editable brand guideline examples.

How to create your own brand guidelines in 5 steps.

Ready to create your own brand guidelines? Whether you’re creating this golden rulebook for a new company or rebranding an existing one, you’ll need a clear picture of what your brand represents. Design your brand style guide with the following steps.

1. Establish your brand identity.

Arguably the most important step, your brand identity is what will inform your brand guidelines document. Outline your company’s mission, values, vision, character and voice. What sets you apart? How do you want to be perceived? These attributes will allow you to curate your brand’s image and positioning.

2. Design a mood board.

Hone in on your brand identity with a mood board. This will allow you to gather your best branding visuals and assets in one place. It can act as a source of inspiration and brainstorming. Work with colour, texture, style, image, text and more to tell a visual story about your brand.

3. Develop key brand elements.

Consider the use of brand elements for visual and written communication across different channels. Information such as logos, typography, illustrations, icons and colour should all be established here, as well as grids and white space. These specifications will provide clarity when creating on-brand content and keep everyone aligned.

4. Share with your team.

Once you’ve confirmed your brand guidelines, they should be communicated to employees and relevant stakeholders. Compile your brand guidelines into a PDF document or a presentation and announce the new changes in an official launch. You may also create a brand identity toolkit to share across the company. This can include the brand style guide, visual assets and how to use them.

5. Adapt to growth and change.

Your brand guidelines are a reflection of your brand. When your brand grows, so does your brand style guide. These should be revisited periodically, especially if there’s a shift in focus, a change in products or services, or an expansion into new markets. Keep your brand guidelines updated and current for consistency.

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Good to know.

What is the difference between brand identity and brand guidelines?

Brand identity is the combination of a company’s values, vision and mission. This is the very core of a company and informs its design, colour, logo and other visual elements. Brand guidelines are a set of instructions and rules that explain how the brand’s identity should be expressed across different platforms and channels.

What is the mission statement of a brand guideline?

A mission statement is a summarising statement that describes your brand’s goals and aims. They are punchy and no longer than a paragraph, including crucial elements that make your brand unique. Mission statements play a vital role in your brand strategy and will often serve as the introduction of your brand guidelines document.

How long should your brand guidelines be?

Your brand guidelines are unique to your business, so they can vary in length. You may create one page of brand guidelines, a few pages, or a whole book. However, your brand style guide should always include your brand proposition, visual elements and tone of voice to ensure consistency.

Is Adobe Express free?

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