Brand guidelines
The written rules for using a brand's logo, colour, type and voice.
Brand guidelines document how a brand should be applied so it looks and sounds consistent wherever it appears. They usually cover the logo and its clear space, colour values, typefaces and sizes, imagery, tone of voice, and examples of correct and incorrect use.
Their real job is to let people who were not in the room apply the brand correctly: a new hire, an agency, a developer building a product screen. Useful guidelines are short, specific and include the files people need.
Key characteristics
- Logo use, colours, type, imagery and voice.
- Shows correct and incorrect use with examples.
- Includes the source files people need.
- Keeps the brand consistent across people and channels.
Example
A startup's guidelines fit on a few pages: the logo in light and dark versions, six colours with contrast notes, two typefaces with a size scale, and five rules for tone of voice.
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Frequently asked questions
Are brand guidelines the same as a style guide?
They overlap. Brand guidelines cover the whole identity; a style guide often focuses on writing or on a product interface.
Should brand colours meet accessibility rules?
Yes. Colours used for text should reach 4.5:1 contrast under WCAG 2.1 AA, and buttons and meaningful icons 3:1.
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