![\"\"](\"https:\/\/images.crowdspring.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/20185518\/pexels-pixabay-40799.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/images.crowdspring.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/27125439\/cs-200px.png\")
<\/div>\n![\"brand](\"https:\/\/assets.crowdspring.com\/marketing\/landing-page\/brand-archetype-hero.png\")
<\/div>How to create a brand style guide<\/b><\/h2>\n
If you’re starting a new business<\/a> and are ready to work on visual design, this is the perfect time to start creating a style guide.<\/p>\n It\u2019s not as overwhelming as you think.<\/p>\n How many elements and items make up your style guide will be based on the size of your company and your branding needs.<\/p>\n While your list may expand, here are six basic items that should be on your style guide:<\/p>\n What is your brand? What does it stand for? What are your goals and vision for your company?<\/p>\n These are all important things to define early, as they will serve as the guidepost for the overall flavor you want your brand to incorporate.<\/p>\n Image courtesy of CI Studio<\/p>\n Your company logo<\/a> is the most essential element in your brand style guide.<\/p>\n A logo represents the aesthetic of your brand. It’s the first thing people notice, and the symbol they remember later.<\/p>\n A good logo can help define the culture of your company at a glance. A logo should be used consistently wherever it’s shown.<\/p>\n Image courtesy of Apple<\/a><\/p>\n General rules for the logo include specifications about the size, placement, how much negative space is around it, and the places your company considers appropriate usage.<\/p>\n Image courtesy of NASA<\/p>\n There’s a science to color psychology<\/a> and color is a powerful part of your brand identity.<\/p>\n Properly used, color can make your brand feel exciting<\/a>, mysterious, smart, light-hearted, or luxurious.<\/p>\n To make sure your brand\u2019s colors aren\u2019t subjected to an over-zealous designer\u2019s pastel or glow effect, your style guide should have a detailed color palette. It should clearly show what colors are permitted, where certain colors should (and shouldn\u2019t) be used, and what colors should be avoided.<\/p>\n This should include the specific color values (RGB, CMYK, and even Pantone) to remove uncertainty when creating collateral for the web, print, and other media.<\/p>\n Image courtesy of Mailchimp<\/p>\n Your typeface and font are important, as are the rules that you assign to them.<\/p>\n Headers, quotes, copy and any fine print all need the right color choice, sizing, and style, with font choice of critical importance.<\/p>\n Stop that new intern from replacing your carefully chosen typeface with the dreaded Comic Sans MS by detailing all of your brand\u2019s typography in your guide.<\/p>\n Image courtesy of Medium<\/p>\n Your style guide should include image guidelines: what\u2019s allowed, what\u2019s not, and when a specific image should be used.<\/p>\n You can even include instructions on where images should be sourced from, and if you have a particular aesthetic, what form it takes.<\/p>\n Some companies prefer images with people in them, others standardize on sweeping landscapes and vistas. Whatever you\u2019ve decided for your business should be spelled out in your guide.<\/p>\n Image courtesy of Spotify<\/p>\n Style guides aren\u2019t just for visual elements.<\/p>\n The lexicon your company chooses can help define your brand\u2019s personality and can have a profound effect on how your customers interact with you.<\/p>\n Words are everywhere, from social media posts to sales brochures and product information, and serious brands take words seriously. Apple<\/a> and Yahoo!<\/a> both have well-regarded guides for how they use words, and while you don\u2019t need a weighty tome, capturing the general sound of your company\u2019s \u201cvoice\u201d can make the difference between an anything-goes approach and something more measured and unique.<\/p>\n Image courtesy of Google<\/p>\n Ultimately, style guides are not about crafting hard and fast rules for every little piece of your brand. They\u2019re meant to be guidelines that create consistency and help your company project a unified presence.<\/p>\n There are a number of tools available to help you create your own style guide, including Frontify<\/a> and ZippyPixel\u2019s printable brand guidelines template<\/a>.<\/p>\n Like businesses, brands are \u201cliving documents\u201d that evolve and grow over time.<\/p>\n By capturing the essence of your own brand in a style guide, you can maintain and nurture your own brand while ensuring it\u2019s delivered consistently and concisely.<\/p>\n And if you rebrand<\/a>, don’t forget to create a new style guide that matches the new branding.<\/p>\nBrand overview<\/b><\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/images.crowdspring.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/27132002\/red_cross_guide-1.png\")
<\/p>\nLogo<\/b><\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/images.crowdspring.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/27132004\/Screen-Shot-2017-03-20-at-9.40.36-AM.png\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/images.crowdspring.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/27132004\/nasa_insignia.jpg\")
<\/p>\nColor<\/b><\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/images.crowdspring.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/27132004\/mailchimp_brand_colors.jpg\")
<\/p>\nFonts and typography<\/b><\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/images.crowdspring.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/27132003\/medium_style_guide-e1490021666558.jpg\")
<\/p>\nImages<\/b><\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/images.crowdspring.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/27132003\/spotify_images.png\")
<\/p>\nVoice<\/b><\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/images.crowdspring.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/27132003\/google_voice_tone.png\")
<\/p>\nHow to get started<\/b><\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/images.crowdspring.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/06164945\/small-business-blog-master-cta.png\")
<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"