On your search for a brand designer, you may have stumbled across the word "brand guidelines" under the description of the package, as found on my service page as well. So today we will talk about brand guidelines, and no brand guidelines are not just for the pleasure of aesthetically pleasing colours and layouts but instead are also a very critical resource for business owners. A lot of people really don't understand why brand guidelines are important for their business but in this blog post I will clarify what brand guidelines are, what information is included in brand guidelines, why it's important, how to use brand guidelines, how to improve your brand and so much more.

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What are brand guidelines?

Brand identity guidelines are your brand bible! The brand guidelines document is designed to explain brand messaging and visuals and how to use them correctly setting rules and protocols. Brand guidelines guide you and anyone else in your company about how to present your brand and this is what builds consistency and memorability in the eyes of a consumer. And yes small businesses also need them! Often times guidelines are mistaken as being too corporate or irrelevant to a small business.

What does brand guidelines include?

These are the 7 core elements found in brand guidelines, but this may vary from one designer to another.

• Information about your brand
• ‍Logo design variations‍
• Logo do's and don't's
• Typography & hierarchy
• Colour palette
• Brand photography
• Brand in used

Extra things you could find is also brand patterns & elements and social media usage.

And some guidelines even include information on tone or voice—how they want their written content to sound, which can be useful if you're working with copywriters or bloggers who need to represent your brand in writing this is the verbal brand identity covered in branding

Examples of brand guidelines

1. Logo design variations

2. Logo do's & dont's

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3. Brand colour palette

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4. Brand typography & hierarchy

5. Brand photography

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Why are brand guidelines important?

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Brand guidelines serve an important purpose in ensuring your brand is communicated correctly, this allows you to be consistent. By following your guidelines you can over time become memorable in the eyes of consumers as your brand identity will be recognized and stand out from the competition. Brand guidelines also allow you to have a common understanding of what makes your brand unique.

The brand guidelines pdf document is designed for anyone involved in the communication of your brand, it is concise and easy to read.

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How to create brand guidelines for your own brand?

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• To create brand guidelines for your own brand, start by thinking about what rules or instructions you think are most important to follow when it comes to representing your brand.  
• Next, write down those in a document that is accessible to anyone who may need them (ie. employees).
• And lastly, make sure you keep using those rules consistently!
• It's never too late to create a set of brand guidelines for your own business

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As a part of the brand design process, a brand designer created brand guidelines for your business. So the best way to create brand guidelines is to go to a professional who will not only create a powerful and strategic brand but guide you with these guidelines on how to maintain this powerful brand identity. If you'd like to skip to the chase and partner, let's chat now!

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Thanks for reading!

Kami x

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