Branding
How to build a simple brand style guide for your work
By Courses4Anyone · Published
A style guide is a short document that records the choices that make your work recognisable. For a creator or small studio it does not need to be long. A single well-organised page can keep your graphics, videos and writing consistent without making every project look identical.
What to include in a one-page brand style guide
What should the guide say about audience and tone?
Start with two or three sentences on who your work is for and how it should feel to them. Add three or four words that describe your voice and a sample sentence that shows it in action. This is what later colour and type choices should support.
A sample sentence is more useful than an adjective. 'Friendly and clear' can mean many things, but a line such as 'Here is the quick version, and the detail is below if you need it' shows a collaborator exactly how you sound.
How do you choose colors that work?
Pick a small palette where each colour has a job: one primary, one or two supporting colours and a neutral for text and backgrounds. Check text contrast against the background, since low contrast reduces readability for everyone, and aim for the WCAG minimum of 4.5:1 for body text.
How should you choose fonts?
Use one typeface for headings and one for body text, or a single family with a few weights. Prioritise legibility at small sizes and on a phone screen over novelty. Record sizes and spacing for headings, subheads and captions so you do not reinvent them for each project.
What rules keep the system usable?
End the guide with the practical rules people will actually need:
- — Logo versions, minimum size and clear space.
- — Image style, such as lighting, crops and subject matter.
- — Examples of correct and incorrect use.
- — Where the source files and templates are stored.