Visual Identity Book

What is a Brand Book, and do you require it in Branding Design?

So, you’ve heard about brand books but aren’t sure where to start when it comes to producing your own?
Or perhaps you’re debating if one is necessary and whether it can genuinely add value to your company?
We’ll go off the main components of a successful brand manual in this blog and how to construct and design your own, including color palettes and logos, as well as communicational and informational pieces centered on the brand identity and voice.

What is a Brand Book?

Simply put, a brand book (also known as a brand guide) is a summary of your company’s mission, image, and core beliefs.
Above all, it’s the brand’s identity, a DNA blueprint with layers upon layers of elements extending from the broad such as the brand’s purpose to the finer points, such as color schemes and fonts.
A comprehensive brand handbook emerges when these aspects come along, giving employees and customers a clear picture of the company and its offerings.
Every major brand has a brand book from Apple to Google to Coca-Cola, but even entrepreneurs can benefit from having one.

Is a Brand Book Vital to a Company?

Absolutely! A brand book will help keep things organized for coworkers and portray the company’s most accurate and personal image to the client, regardless of how big or small your company is.
The brand book keeps it simple for designers, whether they’ve recently joined the company or have been there for years.
When developing the website or producing additional style elements, it allows them to refer to the fonts, colors, and logos.
Furthermore, it aids the marketing team in determining what language should be utilized, when and how, and the brand’s story.

Finally, it establishes a relationship with the customer by selecting its most thorough and consistent image, reminding them it is a living, dynamic, and expanding business with its personality and voice. Starbucks’ CEO, Howard Schultz, put it best when he said,

“People’s loyalty will develop once they believe your company shares the same value as theirs.”

How to Develop a Branding Book?

The style and design principles, which can also be interpreted as the brand’s visual and textual languages, are the two main branches of the brand guidelines.

Designing your brand

The design aspects are concerned with the brand’s visual communication with its target audience.
When dealing with visuals, whatever you do, make sure you target your audience in every step of the design process, which appeals to them.

Color palette

Your company’s color palette in the collection of colors and tones used to create the brand’s overall visual appearance.
This color palette will guide the design of all aspects of the brand, including the logo, symbols, visual marketing materials, and, of course, the corporate website.
The key to success when choosing colors is to keep it simple: choose up to five shades, though three is best – these should be a base, an accent, and a neutral.

LOGO

The logo serves as a mini-representative of your brand, a familiar image that the public will identify and associate with your company and product, whether consciously or subconsciously.
The logo section should explain how and where it is to be used and the required color and size.
Keep things basic and to the point when developing the logo, just like the colors: make sure it fits your business and isn’t overly messy or confused.

FONT

Each font, like colors, will have a distinct effect on your audience.
You’re likely to find something that accurately portrays your brand amongst the vast selection of fonts available.
This section of your brand book should include all the details about the fonts you want to apply.

Brand Communication

A brand guide should communicate the business’s personality, objective, approach, and how employees can replicate it.
Customers will form a meaningful relationship with a successful brand book.

Brand Story

Every brand has a backstory, and every business started as a concept.
You can keep this component simple, but the more information you provide, your customers will relate to the brand.
It’s similar to getting to know a person.
Everyone you’ve ever met appeared unfamiliar and distant at first.
Still, after you learned about their personal history and made some connection with it, you couldn’t possibly feel closer.

Some tips on creating a brand book.

Create a book that is as detailed or as basic as you require.
Focus on the elements that matter most to you.
Perhaps fonts aren’t as important to you as the color scheme, but it’s a significant part of your brand.
Of course, the more specific the standards are, the better, but it’s hard to cover everything. Examine essential characteristics in greater detail.
Include technical specifics of the design aspects, though, so that new and experienced designers may quickly refer to them when needed.
This is the one portion in which you should spend some time and effort.

Dedicate a section to the Dos and Don’ts.
It will avoid surprises, ensure that your brand communicates how you want it to be, and stop anyone from being too creative with your logo, color scheme, etc.

Last but not least, remember to maintain consistency throughout the brand book.
Things that may appear irrelevant at first, such as your color palette and typography, should all fit together like jigsaw pieces to create a cohesive, uniform brand image.

Conclusion.

A brand guide or brand book is more than just a condensed version of the brand on paper or electronic.
Above all, it is the company’s soul, the essential core of its existence.
It may seem overwhelming even to consider creating a brand guide if you’re just getting started.
But keeping in mind, it can be as sophisticated and extensive as you need it or simple as you want it, with only the components you need.
Over the years, we are creating our own true brand identity and also making our clients.
We have the knowledge and experience and will willingly guide you on your brand’s journey.
Let us collaborate to make it happen.