Branding forms a fundamental part of any organisation’s identity. This should communicate to customers in clear, visual terms exactly what the business stands for, its culture and its personality, even before users start engaging with its website, videos, social posts or print media. 

In order to be successful, this brand identity must be consistent and recognisable across all channels. This is where brand guidelines come in. This documentation should set out clearly how you put the principles of your brand design into practice, dos and don’ts that are understood by everyone inside the business and beyond it, and easy-to-follow instructions for all asset creation.

Developing a set of brand guidelines takes time and effort, but the value it brings is immense. In this guide, we’ll highlight why this matters, highlight some essential steps you need to follow and showcase some examples of businesses that have done this right. 

Put simply, brand guidelines are the rules that tell everyone how your business is presented to the world. Sometimes referred to as a brand style guide, they dictate everything from the colours and typefaces used in your marketing to the tone of voice of your written content. This all comes together to provide a clear, consistent image of your company to partners, customers and investors. 

Components such as a clear logo, consistent colour palettes, typography and use of imagery all go into this. Together, they help build trust and recognition for a brand.  

Why does this matter? According to one study by Demand Metric, brands that present themselves consistently are 3.5 times more likely to enjoy excellent brand visibility than those with an inconsistent presentation. This translates directly into higher customer awareness, better engagement and, ultimately, higher revenue. 

However, while a consistent, familiar set of brand guidelines is integral to the success of a brand, this shouldn’t come at the expense of practical realities. It’s important to remember that guidelines are a roadmap rather than a rigid set of rules to be followed without exception. They’re the building blocks that empower your brand’s creativity, not stifle it. 

At The Graphic Design House, this pragmatic approach is a key part of our philosophy. The brand designs we create are developed with the real-world in mind, with our experts ensuring all assets look and work the same in printed materials as they do on digital platforms. 

Great brand guidelines examples (and what you can learn from them)

Brand guidelines aren’t internal-only documents. Many major brands publish their own style guides online for use by stakeholders, employees and third parties like the media. This means if you need some inspiration, there’s no shortage of resources you can look to for ideas. Here are a few that do this especially well – and what takeaways they offer for your own efforts. 

Herman Miller

Storytelling matters, and Herman Miller understands this. Its guidelines set out the who, why and what of the furniture brand, as well as offering straightforward instructions for usage broken down by section with dos and don’ts. Downloadable templates for both digital and physical assets also make sure this 100-year-old company always remains up to date. 

Klarna

Bold, colourful visuals give a clear first impression of what this disruptive fintech is about – inventive, modern and not too serious – but it doesn’t compromise on the practical details. An easy-to-use navigation sets out how the brand looks and speaks in plain, unadorned language that maintains its tone of voice throughout. 

Stihl

There are lots of benefits to tangible, printed materials – and this applies as much to brand guidelines as it does your marketing. Power tools maker Stihl gets this right with its printed manual, full of bold, straightforward usage guidance that’s almost impossible to get wrong. 

Varonis

Professional firms like cybersecurity provider Varonis need to appear trustworthy, so this style guide sets out what it is – and is not – as well as where it sits in comparison to other well-known firms. It also emphasises the importance of protecting the brand, just as the brand protects its clients, with examples of incorrect usage and how to use terms related to legislation and industry regulations. 

Bang & Olufsen

When your design aesthetic is at the heart of your brand, as is the case with premium audio equipment maker Bang & Olufsen, you can’t compromise on guidelines. Its online instructions take a design-first approach, with clear sections for print and digital applications and a powerful search function that lets users find what they want quickly. 

Nasa

A classic of branding, Nasa’s design guidelines make it clear it’s not just another government agency. Its resources explain clearly how to translate a complex, yet instantly recognisable logo across various backgrounds, sizes and colour palettes, as well as where it may and may not be used.

Creating your brand guidelines: a step-by-step framework 

Now you’ve seen a few examples of how some of the world’s most vibrant and notable brands present themselves, this should give you some ideas about what’s needed and what’s possible when crafting these principles for your own business.  

While every firm has its own unique needs and tone of voice that must be conveyed in its brand guidelines, there are a few key steps that every organisation should make sure they follow throughout this process. Here’s a detailed run-down of what’s involved, based on the tried and tested processes we go through with our own brand design clients. 

Step 1: Understanding the business 

Our first step is to gain a clear understanding of what the business is, the image it wishes to project to customers and the long-term aims of the branding. This includes stakeholder interviews, a competitive audit to establish how the company compares to others in the sector, and brand workshops to build a complete picture of the culture and identity. 

Step 2: List the essential brand elements to include 

Once you’re sure everyone knows the brand aims, start the design process by outlining the core visual components that your guidelines need to cover. Each of these should have a dedicated section within the final document. This typically includes:   

• Logo variations and usage 
• Colour palettes 
• Typography 
• Iconography 
• Imagery and photography style 
• Layout principles 
• Tone of voice 

Step 3: Establish clear logo rules 

Your logo is the central feature that customers will associate your brand with, so you need to make sure it’s being used correctly everywhere it appears. Include all approved variations (such as stacked, monochrome, inverted), spacing requirements, minimum sizes and placement guidance, with clear examples of correct and incorrect use. 

Step 4: Document your colour palette in full 

Once you’ve settled on your brand’s primary and secondary colours, the guidelines should include exact references in numerous formats, such as HEX, RGB, CMYK and Pantone. It’s important to clarify when and where each should be used. For instance, you’ll need to state which are for print or digital to account for differences in how they may appear, or when to use accent colours versus brand colours. 

Step 5: Set out typography usage 

List your approved typefaces for headings, body text and calls to action, along with weights, sizes and line spacing. Include fallback fonts for web or email use – especially if your primary options are custom designed. Consider showing examples of hierarchy and layout to bring this section to life. 

Step 6: Define imagery and iconography styles 

Imagery is another essential aspect of a firm’s brand identity – and this extends beyond illustrations and icons. Outline preferred photography styles, treatments (such as overlays, filters), and usage rights. For iconography, specific factors like sizing, stroke weight and placement need to be included. 

Step 7: Specify tone of voice guidelines 

Even if covered separately elsewhere, tone of voice guidance should feature in your brand usage guide. Define key principles, with examples of tone in practice across headings, social copy and CTAs. It’s also critical that the brand guidance itself follows the correct style, appearing exactly as it would to customers. This is crucial in ensuring all employees understand the tone of any communications. 

Step 8: Package and distribute your guidelines 

Create a downloadable, well-structured document or microsite. Include links to asset libraries (e.g. logo files, templates) and share them internally and externally to ensure consistent brand application across every touchpoint. It’s also important to make sure these guidelines are easy to update. Brand design is not a static process that can be expected to last until the next major overhaul. Minor tweaks and refreshing of assets need to be done regularly to keep a brand up-to-date, so it must be straightforward to reflect this in the guidelines. 

Common mistakes to avoid when building your guidelines 

Even the most visually striking brand guidelines can fall short if they’re unclear, outdated or difficult to use. Avoid these common pitfalls to ensure your guidance is both practical and effective: 

• Relying solely on PDF documents: Static files are rarely updated and can quickly become obsolete.
• Overlooking digital vs print needs: Failing to specify usage differences leads to inconsistent execution. 
• Lacking flexibility: Rigid rules can hinder creativity and adaptability across channels. 
• Providing vague instructions: Ambiguous language around logo or colour use creates confusion. 
• Failing to include examples: Without visual references, rules are harder to understand and apply correctly. 
• Not distributing guidelines effectively: If people can’t easily access or find the style guide, they won’t follow it. 

An effective set of brand guidelines ensures that wherever your business appears – online or in print, it will be instantly recognisable to customers and convey who you are. Get in touch today to find out more about how we can help you build an identity that stands out.