If you’ve ever struggled to keep your brand looking and sounding the same across different platforms, a brand style guide is exactly what you need. It’s not just a nice-to-have—it’s your blueprint for consistency.
So how do you create a brand style guide?
Start by understanding what it’s for. A brand style guide is a document that lays out the rules for how your brand should be presented. It’s used by designers, writers, developers, marketing teams, and even you—especially when you’re handing off tasks or collaborating with others. It helps everyone stay on the same page.
At the most basic level, your guide should include your logo, color palette, fonts, and some direction on imagery. But a great brand style guide goes deeper. It explains not just what your brand looks like, but how it feels and sounds.
Here’s what to include when you’re creating yours.
First, your logo usage. Show all variations of your logo—main logo, stacked version, icon, black and white version, etc. Include rules for spacing, sizing, and backgrounds. Make it clear what’s okay and what’s not. If you’ve ever seen a stretched or pixelated version of a logo on someone’s website, you know why this matters.
Next, your color palette. List all your brand colors with HEX, RGB, and CMYK values. Group them by role if possible—like primary colors, secondary colors, and accents. Include suggestions on how to combine them and when to use each one.
Your typography section should list your brand fonts and explain how they should be used. One font for headlines, one for body copy, and maybe a third for accents. Add examples for spacing, sizing, and alignment if needed. Also include backup fonts in case your brand typefaces aren’t available.
Now, include imagery guidelines. This can cover photography style, icon styles, illustrations, and any other visuals you use regularly. Show examples of what feels on-brand and what doesn’t. If you’re a wellness brand, you might favor soft natural light and earthy tones. If you’re a tech startup, you might lean into bright colors and clean product shots.
Add graphic elements like patterns, textures, shapes, or any visual flourishes you use in your designs. Show how they should be used and how they support your visual system without overpowering it.
A strong brand guide also includes a section on voice and tone. Describe how your brand speaks. Is it playful, professional, bold, calm, conversational? Give examples of preferred phrases, writing do’s and don’ts, and even a short “this, not that” list to help clarify the vibe.
If you work with multiple audiences, consider adding messaging guidelines. These can include your mission, tagline, elevator pitch, or even example bios and brand blurbs. This helps ensure your brand is described consistently across social profiles, press releases, and emails.
Once you have everything in one place, format the guide in a way that’s easy to understand and share. PDF is fine, but tools like Notion, Figma, or Canva can also work well—especially if you want something easy to update over time.
And remember: your brand style guide isn’t set in stone. It should evolve as your brand grows. What matters most is that it gives you (and your team) a clear, reliable reference point for how to express your brand at every touchpoint.
At Why Workshop, we build brand style guides that are both beautiful and practical. They help brands stay aligned, even as they grow, evolve, and hand things off to new collaborators. Whether you need a full guide or just a cleanup of what you already have, we’re here to help.
Start with a free brand audit and we’ll take a look at your current branding, then recommend the right pieces to help you feel more confident and consistent.
