Brand Style Guide Manuals
While having a simple and memorable logo is one of the first steps in gaining brand loyalty—that is, customers who make repeat purchases due to familiarity with the consistency of quality in your products or services—there’s a lot you can do to reinforce your bottom line. A branding style guide is a manual that outlines all of the aesthetic facets that identify a company, product, or service, including fonts, colors, logos, and any other design element you could imagine.
A great logo is like a brand new toy, exciting and brimming with possibilities. However, this potential can disappear rapidly without having coherent guidelines on how to use it. Now step into the brand style guide: the unsung savior that makes sure your logo shines through consistently.
A brand style guide tells you which design elements—as well as how not to use them. Having a style guide allows you to keep a consistent, identifiable look that your customers will become accustomed to and pair with your product or service. Establishing your brand guidelines with a style guide will provide you with a systematic approach to enhancing your visual identity, and will ensure that your customers recognize your brand—wherever it’s represented (e.g. online, in print, etc.). The quality of how you communicate your brand begins with a clear definition of your character, and it’s our job to convey that character by creating a cohesive and informative style guide for your company.
Basically, a design manual is a rulebook for your business brand’s visual identity. It encompasses everything from the right choice of logo to color palette as well as typography and imagery. In relation to this, a style guide is important for some reasons especially about a new logo:
Consistency: The proper use of your logo must be exercised in all platforms such as the website social media or even printed materials. This enhances brand awareness and trust.
Protection: A style guide acts as a shield against any form of misuse or dilution of your logo. It sets clear rules aimed at preventing improper or unauthorized use.
Guidance: It ensures that designers and marketers get accurate instructions so that they are all on the same track therefore producing quality materials.
Evolution: Your style guide can change with your growing and changing business portfolio. It remains an active document helping to maintain brand equity over time.
Creating an elaborate style guide takes both time and effort but it is an investment for the growth of your brand. Thus, it serves as the groundwork upon which you build a powerful visual identity while ensuring consistency in branding.