How to Create a Brand Style Guide: Step-by-Step Guide

Want to make your brand stand out and stay consistent? A brand style guide is your answer. It’s a simple document that ensures your logo, colours, fonts, and tone are used correctly across all platforms. Here’s how to create one:

• Define your basics: Mission, vision, values, and target audience.

• Set your tone: Decide if your voice is formal or conversational and tailor it for different platforms.

• Organise your visuals: Include logo rules, colour palettes (with HEX codes), and font styles.

• Write clear guidelines: Cover tone, vocabulary, and writing style.

• Keep it updated: Review quarterly and adapt as your brand evolves.

Why does this matter? Consistency boosts recognition, builds trust, and sets you apart. Ready to create yours? Let’s dive in.

How to Create a Brand Style Guide?

Before You Start

Set the foundation for your guide by defining these key elements.

Brand Basics

Mission statement
Clarify your organisation's purpose to ensure all messaging aligns with a unified goal.

Target audience
Develop detailed buyer personas to understand exactly who you're speaking to and how to resonate with them.

Brand Voice

Shape your brand's personality by focusing on:

• Tone: Decide whether your communication will be formal or conversational.

• Perspective: Choose between first-person or second-person narration.

• Key phrases and vocabulary: Identify consistent language that reflects your brand.

• Channel-specific adjustments: Tailor your voice for different platforms.

Equip your content creators with:

• A summary of your audience

• Insights into their core challenges

• Preferred communication channels

• How your brand addresses their needs

• Clear style guidelines

After defining your voice, gather relevant research and materials to back up your decisions.

Research and References

Base your brand's voice and visuals on solid research.

Industry analysis
Examine current trends and best practices in your field. This ensures your guide stays relevant while maintaining a distinct identity.

Documentation
Organise all existing brand assets, including logo variations, colour palettes, typography samples, and marketing materials. This will serve as a reference point for your guide.

Main Style Guide Sections

With your research and brand voice established, organise your guide around these key components. These sections turn your brand's goals and assets into practical guidelines for your team.

Brand Background

Outline your brand's core elements to set the stage for all visual and verbal decisions. Include:

• Your brand purpose, vision, and mission

• Core values and principles

• Key personality traits, such as voice and tone

"A style guide is a road map that helps you to communicate your brand's character and voice accurately, authentically and consistently." – Sophie Grant

This section ensures your team understands the reasoning behind your design and messaging choices.

Logo Rules

Set clear rules for how your logo should be used to preserve brand consistency:

• Minimum and maximum logo sizes for both print and digital formats

• Approved colour combinations with HEX codes

• Typefaces that pair well with the logo

• All logo variations and lockups

Brand Colours

Your colour palette serves as a visual cornerstone of your brand identity. Include:

• Primary (2–3 colours), secondary (complementary), and neutral shades with their official HEX codes

Font Selection

Specify your primary and secondary typefaces, and provide examples of how and when to use them.

Writing Style

Clarify your tone using these scales:

• Formal vs. Conversational

• Humorous vs. Serious

• Accessible vs. Exclusive

Creating Your Guide

Once you've identified the key elements, it's time to organise them into a well-structured document.

Document Setup

Start by outlining your guide with clear sections, such as:

• Brand story: Include your mission, vision, and values.

• Logo guidelines: Cover versions, spacing rules, and common misuse.

• Colour palette: Provide PANTONE, CMYK, RGB, and HEX values.

• Typography: Specify font families and their appropriate uses.

• Image guidelines: Detail rules for photography, illustrations, and icons.

• Brand voice: Define tone, style, and usage dos and don'ts.

Decide on a format - whether it's a PDF, an online version, or a printed document - and apply consistent styling throughout. Add tailored sections, like packaging or social media guidelines, depending on your needs.

Working with Design Teams

Collaborate effectively with your design team by following these steps:

• Choose a designer who understands and aligns with your vision.

• Share your brand's core values, story, and any existing assets.

• Keep communication open to ensure all stakeholders can provide feedback.

• Track recurring revisions and update the guide to address these patterns.

Guide Maintenance

To keep your guide relevant:

• Review and update it every quarter to include any new elements.

• Store all decisions and updates in a central location for easy access.

• Collect team feedback on any challenges and incorporate solutions directly into the guide.

Tools and Support

Once your guide is ready, it's time to choose tools that make managing and sharing it easier.

Software and Templates

Digital asset management software can help you organise assets, templates, and guidelines in one place. Look for software that includes:

• Asset management tools to store and organise files

• Collaboration features to work seamlessly with your team

• Version control to track changes and updates

• Options for distributing guidelines digitally

Cornish Hue Services

Cornish Hue offers tailored services to enhance your brand style guide. Their expertise spans strategic planning, digital marketing campaigns, responsive design, SEO, and user experience. They also provide customisable brand style guide templates, training sessions, and long-term support to ensure your guide stays effective.

Professional Design Help

Hiring design professionals can save you time and ensure your brand remains consistent across all platforms. They bring:

• Knowledge of scalable brand systems and the latest design trends

• Skills in cross-platform implementation and technical design

Consider professional help in situations like:

• Launching a new brand

• Rebranding your business

• Expanding into new markets

• Managing complex brand systems

• Needing specialised design expertise

These resources ensure your style guide remains practical and adaptable as your brand grows.

Next Steps

Summary

A strong brand style guide can make a big difference - research shows that consistent presentation can boost revenue by 23%. This guide should establish clear rules for your logos, colours, typography, and tone, while also adapting as your brand grows. As Adobe explains:

"Your brand style guide is the rulebook for everything your brand designs and creates, from what fonts to use to how logo treatments work with different color schemes".

Once these guidelines are in place, share them with your team and ensure they stay up to date.

Getting Started

Create your guide using Google Slides, distribute it to your team, and provide training on how to follow it. Set up regular check-ins to review and update elements like logos and colours as needed.

FAQs

What mistakes should I avoid when creating a brand style guide?

When creating a brand style guide, one common mistake is neglecting consistency, which can weaken your brand's identity. Ensure that all visual and verbal elements, such as logos, typography, and tone of voice, align seamlessly across every platform.

Another frequent error is failing to provide clear usage guidelines. Include specific instructions on how to use your brand's assets, such as logo placement, acceptable colour variations, and typography rules, to avoid misrepresentation.

Lastly, avoid making your guide overly complicated or incomplete. A comprehensive yet easy-to-follow guide ensures that team members and collaborators can implement your brand identity effectively.

How can I involve my team in creating a brand style guide effectively?

To ensure your team is actively involved in creating a brand style guide, start by encouraging collaboration from the beginning. Invite input from key team members, such as designers, marketers, and content creators, to reflect a well-rounded perspective of your brand.

Once the guide is drafted, organise a presentation or workshop to walk your team through its key elements - like typography, colour schemes, logo usage, and tone of voice. This helps clarify expectations and ensures everyone understands how to apply the guide consistently. Additionally, consider using shared tools or platforms to make the guide easily accessible and to manage editing permissions, ensuring updates are controlled and transparent.

What are the best tools for managing and updating a brand style guide?

To effectively manage and update your brand style guide, consider using specialised tools designed for brand consistency. Standards is a popular choice for creating, publishing, and maintaining brand guidelines online. Another excellent option is Frontify, which offers comprehensive brand management features to ensure your visual and verbal identity remains cohesive across all platforms.

Both tools are user-friendly and suitable for businesses looking to streamline their branding processes, helping you maintain consistency as your brand evolves.