What is a Brand Style Guide?

A brand style guide is a document that specifies the elements that define a company's look and feel when it presents itself to the world. The guide defines elements like the brand's colors, typography, and overall messaging style to ensure consistency across every marketing and branding collateral the company produces. It serves as a reference for anyone involved in content creation.

More About Brand Style Guide

A brand style guide unravels everything, including the language that needs to be used to convey the company’s narrative and important design components such as the fonts and logo. The guide ensures that in-house members and third-party designers are aware of how to apply prominent and easily identifiable brand aspects.

Everything you create needs to convey your brand appropriately. However, when the infrastructure grows in size, it becomes a challenge to monitor components and ensure that everything is in order. Brand style guides help you create a uniform brand experience, thus making it simpler for customers to identify your key content.

Every brand style guide is unique. It all depends on how well you detail each element of the guide. Here are six key elements in every brand style guide.

  • Brand Story: Every style guide should define a compelling brand story, which would give your customers an idea about how your brand grew and became what it is today
  • Buyer Personas: Describe your target audience. This will help you set the tone of your marketing and overall company initiatives.
  • Mission: What is the purpose of your business? Your style guide should include what your business aims to achieve and provide its consumers.
  • Color Palette: The guide should establish the color palette that rightly defines your brand’s character and vibe. The palette indicates when and where to use the colors on your website or marketing strategies.
  • Fonts and Text Size: Businesses use specific font designs and text sizes in their marketing campaigns. The choice of font affects customers’ emotions and engagement with your brand.
  • Brand Values: What are your brand’s beliefs? How do your company culture and values align with your brand’s mission and vision? It is important to have a clear expression of your brand’s values for your customers.

The following image shows a section of Urban Outfitters’ brand style guide wherein they talk about their font, alignment, and typography.

Brand Style Guide

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the steps to create a brand style guide?

To create a brand style guide, you should follow the following steps:

  1. Research the different brand style guides and get inspiration from them.
  2. Review your existing brand details.
  3. Define the six essential elements for your guide.
  4. Create a list of other brand elements your guide should have.
  5. Design a mood board for the visual elements of your guide.
  6. Create an outline for your brand style guide.
  7. Make it easily accessible.

What is the difference between a brand guide and a style guide?

Brand guidelines center on aesthetic and vocal aspects, ensuring constant brand identity, whereas style guides give specifications for written and visual content, providing an even tone.

Do I need a brand style guide?

Establishing a brand style guide is required not simply for internal interactions but also to maintain consistent communication with your stakeholders, affiliates, and customers.

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