Brand book: what brand guidelines must include to actually get used

A brand book (brand guidelines) exists for one thing: getting other people to reproduce the brand the right way — the social media agency, the printer, the developer, the salesperson building a presentation. If it doesn't answer those people's questions, it doesn't get used.

The 10 chapters

1. Who we are — purpose, positioning and personality on one page. It's the context for every rule.
2. Logo — symbol, logotype and versions (horizontal, vertical, reduced, monochrome, reversed). When to use each.
3. Clear space and minimum size — the space around the logo and the smallest legible size, in millimeters and pixels.
4. Incorrect uses — distorting, changing color, placing on busy backgrounds. Showing what's wrong prevents more problems than describing what's right.
5. Colors — primary and support palette with HEX, RGB, CMYK and Pantone. Usage proportions.
6. Typography — families, weights, hierarchy (title, subtitle, body) and substitute fonts for those without the license.
7. Graphics and icons — elements derived from the symbol, patterns, icon system. How to use them and in what dose.
8. Photography — style, light, framing, what's in and what's out. With examples.
9. Tone of voice — how the brand writes, with examples of right and wrong sentences.
10. Applications — business card, email signature, post, presentation, uniform, storefront. Ready templates are worth more than descriptions.

Format

PDF is the minimum. A browsable web version — that opens on the salesperson's phone and has the files for download — multiplies usage. And deliver organized source files: SVG, PNG, licensed fonts, templates.

The most common mistake

An 80-page brand book nobody reads. Prefer 25 clear pages with examples over a treatise. The brand is used by people in a hurry.