Before I delve into sharing this formula on brand guidelines, it's imperative to have a clear understanding of what you aim to accomplish. So, let’s outline the 5 things you should know before beginning the design of brand guidelines:
Goals:
The primary objective of brand guidelines is to ensure consistent usage of brand elements by all stakeholders and to safeguard the integrity of the brand, thereby continuing to generate value for your company.
Brand guidelines achieve this by elucidating the significance of your brand and detailing how to utilize its elements, such as corporate identity and the brand name.
The Brand guide encapsulates the entire narrative of the brand and its constituent elements. It establishes stringent guidelines for every facet of how a company's brand is managed and presented.
Format:
Brand guidelines come in various formats and sizes, with no standard book size. They may fall under different categories, including:
- Landscape Orientation (1920x1080px)
- A5 (210x148mm / 8.26×5.82 inches)
- A4 (297x210mm / 11.69×8.26 inches)
- US letter (215.9 x 279.4 / 8.5 x 11 inches)
Layout and Grids:
Once a suitable format is chosen, the next step involves selecting a layout to maintain consistency and understanding the principles of grids and layout.
A grid is employed to arrange space and information for the reader, and the essence of any effective brand guidelines lies in how its visual elements are organized and positioned relative to each other. This is the essence of layout design.
Layouts impart meaning to your design and enhance its visual appeal. They ensure balance from page to page or slide to slide, reflecting the brand's intended ambiance.
Tools:
Determining the most suitable software for your needs involves hands-on experimentation with various tools. Each software differs in terms of features, ease of use, performance, cost, and availability.
We have curated several templates using different software, compiling a list of the best graphic design software available today. These tools have been thoroughly tested and can assist you in crafting remarkable brand guidelines designs that will captivate both you and your client:
- Adobe InDesign
- Adobe Illustrator
- Affinity Publisher
- Google Slides
- PowerPoint
- Canva
Inspiration:
For inspiration, you should gather a collection of real brand guidelines examples from around the world. It can be beneficial to observe the different grids, layouts, and details they include.