Brand book or style guide: what your team actually needs
A brand book is not a coffee-table object. It is a working tool for sales, HR, printers and agencies. This is how we structure one so people use it.
- A brand book explains why; a style guide explains how. Most companies need both in one document.
- Write it for the people who will use it, not for designers.
- Keep it short, visual and updated.
What is the difference?
A brand book describes the idea: positioning, values, tone of voice and the story behind the identity. A style guide describes the rules: logo use, colour values, typography, grids and examples. For a manufacturer the two belong together, because the person ordering a fair stand needs both the reason and the rule.
What every brand book should contain
- Positioning and brand values on one page
- Logo versions, clear space and minimum size
- Colour values in CMYK, Pantone, RGB and HEX
- Typefaces, hierarchy and rules for other scripts
- Graphic elements, photography and illustration style
- Do and do not examples on real materials
- A file list: where to find the master files
Write it for the user, not the designer
The people who open a brand book most often are sales managers, HR, printers and external agencies. Short sentences, real examples and clear numbers work better than design theory. If a printer can match the colours without calling you, the brand book is doing its job.
If a printer can match the colours without calling you, the brand book works.
Keep it alive
Add new applications as they are produced: a new packaging line, a vehicle, a uniform. A brand book that grows with the company stays the single source of truth.
Questions
How many pages should a brand book have?
As few as possible. For most manufacturers 20 to 40 pages are enough.
PDF or website?
Start with a PDF. A brand portal makes sense when many partners use the brand every week.