Create a Brand Guideline the Right Way

Timothy Johnson

May 21, 2023

5

min read

R

eady to make your mark in the business world? Creating a brand guideline is the compass you need.

It's more than just a logo; it's your brand's aesthetic, voice, and persona all wrapped into one clear, concise document.

Your brand guideline will make sure everyone, from your marketing team to external vendors, stays true to your brand's identity.

It's a living document, constantly evolving with your brand.

So, let's dive into the journey of creating a brand guideline the right way, ensuring it not only meets industry standards but also captures the unique spirit of your brand.

Understanding Brand Guidelines Importance

While you may initially overlook the significance of brand guidelines, it's crucial to understand that these 'rulebooks' play a pivotal role in maintaining brand consistency, streamlining design workflows, and setting quality standards.

In creating a brand guideline the right way, you're ensuring a constant representation of your brand's identity across all platforms. This brand style guide ensures your creative work maintains a uniform look, even when outsourced.

So, understanding brand guidelines' importance isn't just about rules, but about creating a coherent brand image that's instantly recognizable. These brand identity guidelines become your quality control, keeping your designs on brand and your teams aligned.

Essential Elements of Brand Identity

Building on the importance of brand guidelines, you should understand the essential elements of brand identity, which act as the foundation of your brand guideline. When you create a brand style, you're crafting a visual language that includes your logo, color palette, typography, and imagery.

Your brand identity helps to communicate your company's core values and personality, and brand style guides ensure this is done consistently. It's crucial to remember that your brand guidelines help to maintain this consistency across all platforms. They include detailed instructions on logo use, tone of voice, and even templates for business cards and letterheads.

As your company evolves, so should your brand guidelines, reflecting changes in messaging and visual elements.

Steps for Building Brand Guidelines

To create effective brand guidelines, you'll need to follow a series of crucial steps that ensure both clarity and consistency in your brand's representation.

Begin by gathering necessary identity elements, including logo variations, typography, and imagery. Then, assemble these into a comprehensive style guide, updating regularly to reflect brand evolution.

Next, conduct brand training to emphasize the importance of consistency. Make your brand guidelines easily accessible by distributing them to your audience through clear communication channels.

Implementing and Distributing Guidelines

Once you've created your brand guidelines, it's time for you to implement and distribute them effectively. This is crucial in creating brand consistency and making sure everyone is on the same page.

Here's how:

Make your brand guidelines available online, this will make it easier for everyone to access and use.
Create a brand book, which can act as a physical reminder of your guidelines.
Train your team on implementing and distributing guidelines to ensure they understand the importance of brand consistency.

Evolving Your Brand Over Time

As your business grows, it's essential that you keep your brand guidelines up-to-date, reflecting any changes in your company's mission, vision, or values. This is a critical step to evolve your brand and ensure your brand identity remains relevant.

Your brand guidelines are the backbone of your brand strategy, shaping how your company presents itself to the world. Any alterations in your marketing strategy or company culture should prompt a revision of these guidelines. Regular updates demonstrate your commitment to consistency and growth.