A style guide — sometimes called a brand book or brand guidelines document — is the rulebook that ensures consistency across every touchpoint. It takes everything you have developed through strategy, voice, mood boards, and visual design and codifies it into a reference that anyone on the team can follow.
Why You Need a Style Guide
Brands grow. New team members join. External agencies and freelancers get hired. Without a documented style guide, every person who touches the brand makes their own interpretation of what it should look like and sound like. Over time, small inconsistencies accumulate until the brand feels fragmented.
A style guide prevents this by providing clear, specific rules. It is not a creative constraint — it is a framework that ensures coherence while still allowing flexibility.
What to Include
Logo Usage
Document every version of the logo and when to use each one:
- Primary logo (full color, horizontal)
- Secondary logo (stacked or compact version)
- Icon or mark only (for small spaces like favicons and app icons)
- Reversed version (for dark backgrounds)
- Minimum size (the smallest dimensions at which the logo remains legible)
- Clear space (the minimum padding around the logo)
Include visual examples of correct usage alongside examples of what not to do: do not stretch, do not recolor, do not add effects, do not rotate, do not place on low-contrast backgrounds.
Color Specifications
List every brand color with precise values across color models:
- HEX for web and digital (e.g., #E21B1B)
- RGB for screens (e.g., 226, 27, 27)
- CMYK for print (e.g., 0, 88, 88, 11)
- Pantone for spot color printing, if applicable
Define primary colors, secondary colors, neutrals, and accent colors. Show each color as a large swatch with its values listed clearly. Include guidance on color ratios — for example, "the primary color should be used sparingly as an accent, with neutrals making up the majority of any layout."
Typography
Specify the typefaces the brand uses:
- Primary heading font (name, weights, sizes for H1 through H4)
- Body text font (name, weight, recommended line-height and paragraph spacing)
- Monospace or accent font, if applicable
- Fallback system fonts for web and email
Include examples of the type scale in context — show a heading, subheading, body paragraph, and caption together so users can see the hierarchy in action. Note any specific typographic rules, like minimum font sizes for accessibility or maximum line lengths for readability.
Imagery and Photography
Define the style of photography and illustration the brand uses:
- Subject matter (people, products, landscapes, abstract)
- Lighting and color treatment (bright and airy, moody and dramatic, desaturated)
- Composition preferences (centered, off-center, close-up, wide shots)
- What to avoid (stock photography cliches, overly staged poses, cluttered backgrounds)
Include three to five example images that represent the ideal style, and three to five examples of what does not fit.
Voice and Tone Summary
Include a condensed version of the voice and tone guidelines from your brand strategy:
- The three to four voice adjectives with "but not" pairings
- A brief tone guide for key contexts (marketing, UI, support, social)
- Word choice preferences and words to avoid
Layout and Spacing
If applicable, document grid systems, standard spacing values, and layout patterns that the brand uses across web and print materials. This is especially useful for teams building websites and marketing materials.
Dos and Don'ts
Every section benefits from explicit dos and don'ts with visual examples. Showing the wrong way alongside the right way is far more effective than describing rules in text alone. People remember what they see.
Common don'ts to include:
- Do not use unapproved colors
- Do not set text below the minimum font size
- Do not use the logo at sizes below the minimum
- Do not combine the brand fonts with unapproved typefaces
- Do not crop or modify the logo
Keeping the Guide Alive
A style guide is not a one-time deliverable that gathers dust. It should be:
- Accessible — hosted digitally where everyone can find it (a shared Figma file, Notion page, or dedicated web page)
- Maintained — updated as the brand evolves
- Enforced — referenced in design reviews and content approvals
The best style guides are living documents that grow with the brand. Start with the essentials and add detail over time as new situations arise. A concise, well-maintained guide is far more useful than an exhaustive document that no one reads.