Brand Style Guides

Every brand, from the smallest startup to a corporate giant, need a set of branding guidelines to maintain their identity. 
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A brand style guide is a rulebook containing specifications on everything that plays a role in the look and feel of your brand. Everything from the design of a logo and how it can be used, to what typefaces, colours and type of images to use. It lets everyone know exactly how to present your brand to the world. 

A great brand style guide will also include the brand story; the vision and the mission of the brand, the core value, the target audience and the tone of voice of the brand.

There are some brand style guides that are over 100 pages, and some that are as short as one single sheet.

Here’s a list of what I believe is essential information for a brand style guide.

A simplified brand story 
Mission and vision
Write a mission statement about why your company exists and a vision statement about where you want your brand to go. 

Brand personality/tone of voice
Make a list of 3 to 5 adjectives that describe what your brand is and what your brand is not.
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To see the SKYPE brand style guide, click on the image below.

Logo size and placement
​Your logo is the simplest thing people have to identify your brand. Make sure you maintain a consistent use of it by dictating exactly how to use it by showing examples of usage. It’s also helpful to show how not to use the logo.
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To see the SPOTIFY brand style guide , click on the image below.

Typography  
It’s essential to be consistent with your typography throughout any collateral you produce. Choose fonts that reflect your unique identity, but keep it simple. Stick to one or two fonts and dictate which goes where and how to use it.
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To see the PFIZER brand style guide,  click on the image below.

Brand voice
A brand voice is just as important as the brand style. Your brand should sound and look a certain way. This applies to everything from the headlines in an ad to the way blog posts are written.
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To see the PUMA brand style guide,  click on the image below.

Images
Guidelines for images are about more than just whether you will rely on photography or illustrations. It should explain the style, black and white or color, what way they should be edited, cropped etc. 
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To see the ORANGE brand style guide,  click on the image below.

That’s it for the essentials. A more detailed style guide should include: Core value: Describe who you are and how you behave in the world.

Target audience:
Describe who your customers are and describe how your products or services solve their problems. 

It should also include samples of letterhead and business card design, design layouts and grids for print and web-based projects, brochure, signage and outdoor advertising guidelines along with visual examples with proper and improper use.
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The purpose of the visual style guide is to create a distinct and unified presence for your brand. And it should inspire its user to create greatness!

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