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Brand guidelines: contents, structure and example

What brand guidelines (or a brand manual) should contain, page by page, and the usage rules that prevent logo reproduction mistakes.

Published on By The azokroma team2 min read
Brand guidelines: contents, structure and example

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What brand guidelines are for

Brand guidelines bring together the rules for using your visual identity. They let anyone (you in six months, a graphic designer, a printer, a developer) reproduce the brand identically. When they extend to tone of voice and values, we talk about a brand manual (brand book).

The contents, page by page

  1. Introduction: mission, values, positioning in a few lines.
  2. Logo: main version, variations (horizontal, vertical, symbol), light, dark and monochrome versions.
  3. Clear space: the minimum empty space to keep around the logo.
  4. Minimum size: for example 24 px on screen and 15 mm in print.
  5. Colours: palette with HEX, RGB, CMYK and, if needed, Pantone.
  6. Typefaces: fonts, weights, hierarchy of headings and text.
  7. Don’ts: distorting, changing colours, adding a shadow, placing on an unreadable background.
  8. Images and icons: photographic style, pictograms, patterns.
  9. Tone of voice: principles, examples of phrases to say and to avoid.
  10. Applications: business card, letterhead, e-mail signature, social networks.

Logo usage rules

RuleWhyExample
Clear spaceKeep the logo legible and sharpMargin equal to the height of the first letter
Minimum sizeAvoid losing detail24 px wide on screen
Allowed backgroundsGuarantee contrastLight version on a dark background
Do not distortRespect the proportionsNever stretch
Do not separateKeep recognitionSymbol and name together on official documents

And for developers?

Modern guidelines include tokens: CSS variables for colours and fonts, and a Tailwind theme. The design updates in a single place and teams stop copying HEX codes at random.

The azokroma Brand identity pack provides a brand board, the usage rules and the CSS variables.

See the pack

Frequently asked questions

Brand guidelines or brand manual?

Guidelines describe the visual look. A brand manual (brand book) adds strategy, values and tone of voice.

How many pages for guidelines?

For a small organisation, six to twelve pages are enough. What matters is that they are clear and used.

Who should have the guidelines?

Anyone who produces material in your name: team, freelancers, printers, developers, agencies.

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