Branding

Guidance for creating and maintaining consistent brand identity.

Brand Identity Components

Visual Elements

• Logo: Primary mark, variations, clear space

• Color Palette: Primary, secondary, accent colors

• Typography: Heading and body fonts

• Imagery Style: Photo style, illustrations, icons

• Patterns/Textures: Supporting visual elements

Brand Voice

• Tone: Formal/casual, serious/playful

• Personality: How the brand "speaks"

• Values: What the brand stands for

• Messaging: Key phrases and taglines

Color Palette Structure

Primary Colors

Main brand colors (1-2):

Primary: #2563EB (Blue) Primary Dark: #1D4ED8 Primary Light: #3B82F6

Secondary Colors

Supporting colors (2-3):

Secondary: #10B981 (Green) Accent: #F59E0B (Amber)

Neutral Colors

For text, backgrounds, borders:

Gray 900: #111827 (Text) Gray 600: #4B5563 (Secondary text) Gray 400: #9CA3AF (Placeholder) Gray 200: #E5E7EB (Borders) Gray 100: #F3F4F6 (Backgrounds) Gray 50: #F9FAFB (Light backgrounds)

Semantic Colors

For feedback states:

Success: #10B981 Warning: #F59E0B Error: #EF4444 Info: #3B82F6

Typography System

Font Selection

Heading Font: Display/impact

• Sans-serif: Inter, Poppins, Montserrat

• Serif: Playfair Display, Merriweather

Body Font: Readability

• Sans-serif: Inter, Open Sans, Roboto

• Serif: Georgia, Source Serif Pro

Font Pairing Examples

Modern Tech: Inter (headings + body) Professional: Montserrat + Open Sans Editorial: Playfair Display + Source Sans Pro Friendly: Poppins + Nunito

Logo Guidelines

Logo Versions

• Primary: Full logo with wordmark

• Compact: Logo mark only

• Horizontal: Wide layout

• Vertical: Stacked layout

Clear Space

Minimum padding around logo:

┌─────────────────────┐ │ X │ │ ┌─────────┐ │ │ X │ LOGO │ X │ │ └─────────┘ │ │ X │ └─────────────────────┘ X = height of logo mark

Logo Don'ts

• Don't stretch or distort

• Don't change colors arbitrarily

• Don't add effects (shadows, gradients)

• Don't place on busy backgrounds

• Don't rotate or flip

Brand Voice Guidelines

Tone Spectrum

Formal ←————————————→ Casual Serious ←———————————→ Playful Technical ←—————————→ Simple Reserved ←——————————→ Enthusiastic

Writing Style

Do:

• Use active voice

• Be concise

• Address user directly ("you")

• Use contractions for casual tone

Don't:

• Use jargon unnecessarily

• Be condescending

• Use passive voice

• Over-promise

Example Messages

Context Too Formal On Brand Too Casual

Success "Operation completed successfully" "Done! Your changes are saved" "Yay! Nailed it!"

Error "An error has occurred" "Something went wrong. Try again?" "Oops! That broke"

Brand Guidelines Document

Structure

Brand Guidelines

Brand Story

• Mission
• Vision
• Values

Logo

• Primary logo
• Variations
• Clear space
• Incorrect usage

Color

• Primary palette
• Secondary palette
• Usage examples

Typography

• Font families
• Type scale
• Usage guidelines

Imagery

• Photography style
• Illustration style
• Icon style

Voice & Tone

• Brand personality
• Writing guidelines
• Example copy

Applications

• Business cards
• Social media
• Website
• Email templates

Implementation Checklist

• Logo files in all formats (SVG, PNG, various sizes)

• Color palette documented with hex/RGB values

• Typography defined with web fonts

• Brand guidelines document created

• Templates for common uses

• Asset library organized