Last updated 2022.07.29
Brand Guidelines is a rulebook for creating consistency in your brand. It is an essential document for managing brand criteria, helping you build your brand, and onboarding designers, writers, marketers, and new employees.
Brand Guidelines have 2 major components: Brand Strategy and Visual Identity.
Brand Strategy crafts your brand’s narrative of how your brand came to be, what sparked its inception, and how it inspires your actions today. It includes your brand’s vision statement, mission statement and core values. Learn more about Brand Strategy here.
Visual Identity determines how your brand “looks and feels”. It consists of elements like Logo, Color, Typography and Photography. Together, they make a harmonious brand identity from which you can create consistent designs.
Benefits of Brand Guidelines
Quality Control
Avoid having a messy and disjointed look. Following the brand guidelines set for your business will help you create a more impactful, memorable, and consistent look. Create guidelines and have everyone follow the rules in order to prevent confusion and provide a better experience for your customers.
Increase Comprehension
To have consistency in messaging, the guidelines help inform others of the tone of voice and convey the Brand DNA. Once unified, communicating the brand personality will be easier.
Better Brand Recognition
It's easy to know the difference between brands by aligning with your brand identity. This includes your brand colors, fonts, logos and more. These design elements help you become more memorable in the consumer’s eyes.
Increase Trust
Customers begin to have an expectation associated with your brand. It’s important you continue to show up and be consistent when meeting their needs.