Your Brand, On Autopilot—Without Losing Control

A great brand style guide is a rulebook and a resource.
It brings together your visual identity and verbal guidelines in one place, helping teams communicate clearly and consistently. From logos to headlines, decks to emails, it’s how your brand stays recognizable everywhere it shows up.

Why it's Important

Maintains brand integrity across channels, creators, and campaigns
Reduces time spent answering repeat questions about fonts, colors, or tone
Improves design and content quality by creating clear standards
Empowers teams to create confidently without constant approvals
Supports onboarding for new hires, agencies, and contractors

How to Implement

Start with a clear table of contents—split into visual and verbal sections
In the visual section, include:
Logo usage and spacing
Color palette with hex/RGB/CMYK codes
Typography hierarchy and pairings
Iconography and illustrations
Image or photography guidelines
Layout examples (web, social, decks)
In the verbal section, include:
Brand personality traits
Tone and voice principles
Messaging dos and don’ts
Boilerplate copy and elevator pitch
Examples for web copy, product UX, and emails
Add real-world examples of correct and incorrect use
Design it for usability—not just aesthetics. This is a working tool.
Make it easily accessible—Notion, Google Docs, Figma, or a dedicated microsite
Update it regularly as your brand evolves
Promote it internally and incorporate it into onboarding

How You Know You Got It Right

Internal teams reference it regularly and follow it consistently
Designers, marketers, and writers produce aligned work faster
New hires and freelancers onboard without brand confusion
The guide helps resolve creative debates quickly
Your brand looks and sounds consistent across platforms
Stakeholders stop asking for logos or hex codes
You improve speed without sacrificing brand quality

Real-World Examples

Slack

Combines voice, color, and UI guidelines in a vibrant, easy-to-use format

Intercom

Known for detailed voice guidance and modular visuals

Spotify

Balances creative freedom with strong core design and tone rules

Make It Better

Use checklists and cheat sheets for quick reference
Include download links for logos, fonts, and templates
Keep it collaborative—encourage teams to suggest improvements
Build it into project kickoffs, reviews, and content workflows
Create short training videos or live walkthroughs for new team members

Don't Make These Mistakes

Making it too long, too rigid, or hard to navigate
Leaving out real examples that show how to apply the rules
Treating it as “just for designers” instead of a cross-functional tool
Failing to update it when the brand evolves
Locking it in a PDF or folder no one can find