In a previous post, we talked about the importance of consistency in branding. One of the easiest ways to achieve consistency is the development of a brand guide. Every brand needs a guide that defines the proper usage of their logo and accompanying elements. Your guide should address typography, logos, colors and placement instructions.
Typography
For consistency across all branded material, choose one to two fonts and use them and only them. Consider the types of materials that are distributed by your organization to guide you in determining what types of typography need to be defined. Some of the most commonly used typographical elements are headlines, body text, and bullet points. Once these have been decided, you can start determining font sizes and font weight. For example, you can ask yourself if a headline should appear bold or if your bullet points are the same font size as your body text.
Logos & Colors
How do you want your logo to be represented visually? Take into account the backgrounds that might appear behind your logo. What is the smallest size that your logo can be scaled without it losing legibility? What amount of negative space should surround your logo before text can be butted up against it? We recommend making a do’s and dont’s list on the usage of your logo and creating a visual aid of your list to insert into your brand guide. Show the colors that can appear behind your logo and include their PMS number. If your logo can be rotated, illustrate the angle and mark the degrees.
As a branding expert, Signature Graphics would be happy to offer advice should any questions emerge during your guide development. We’re a trusted partner to some of the most recognizable brands in the world and would appreciate the opportunity to be yours as well.