Have you had a custom typeface created for your brand? Or are you using a typeface in a specific way? If you are, it’s a good idea to provide some guidelines as to how somebody should ideally use it. Phone company Optus rebranded themselves in the previous few years, moving from a corporate aesthetic to one that is “brutally non-corporate”, and with that came a two custom typeface. Since these typefaces are more organic and handcrafted, each letter has 3 alternatives to avoid repeating letterforms and make written communications appear hand written. This typeface is given specific instructions and examples for use throughout the manual to ensure proper and consistent use. If there are any specific settings or techniques to any of your brand elements, be sure to specify them in as much detail as necessary. Have a read of the Optus manual via Behance.
Sometimes bigger is better when it comes to style guide information. Be sure to check out this style guide for the Irish Red Cross, where each element is given a large scale, and yet the overall layout remains minimal and simple with plenty of room to breathe – both these factors drawing attention to the focus of each page. The Red Cross covers all branding bases in this simply designed style guide, that is definitely one to look at for inspiration on both style guide compilation as well as style guide design. Get inspired with this manual via Creative Inc.
This style guide is a simple two page set of guidelines completed as a ‘rethink’ of the Royal Mail guidelines. While it’s not an official guide, the two pages manage to communicate the tone, aesthetic, and overall brand of this version of Royal Mail. For those of you keen on producing a brand manual, but aren’t keen on delving deep into detail, this is a great starting point, with all the basic elements of a brand – logotype, brand mark, signatures, colour, typography and vehicle livery – captured in just two pages. Have a closer look at the Royal Mail ‘rethik’ via Identity Designed.
We’ve discussed how your manual’s layout and design should somewhat reflect your brand, but what about the text? Chances are your style guide has quite a bit of type within it for instructions and explanations, so a good way to strengthen your brand’s tone of voice is through these instructions. Skype’s brand manual does just this, interjecting a little humour, and a colloquial and friendly tone into the explanations through instructions that are worded like “Never abuse our logo, it doesn’t have arms so it can’t fight back (our lawyers however, are another story).” Figure out your brand’s tone and consider introducing this to the manual in a unique way that doesn’t compromise the information but enhances it. Have a readthrough and a laugh with the Skype brand guidelines via Issuu.
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For another example of just how meticulous certain brands are, here’s an entire style guide dedicated to Sony’s tagline “like.no.other”. This manual runs down clearance space, positioning, sizing, background and type colour combinations, dimensions, it goes into unbelievable detail about each facet of the tagline, putting great importance on its construction and display. Check out this manual if you want to see just how in-depth the big brands like Sony get with their branding. You can find it over on Issuu.
Sometimes it’s best to just say it large and loud. This style guide by Stihl puts the main instructions for each page in simple terms and huge type, making each direction impossible to ignore. By using simple colloquial language like “Use this colour with this colour”, nothing is lost in translation and any reader would get the general idea of how to maintain the brand by just flipping through the pages. By using real and easy to follow visual examples, this guide is one that makes brand consistency easy. Check it out via Behance.
This is another set of brand guidelines that keep things ultra simple and extremely minimal while still communicating the foundations of the brand. If you’re looking for another example of a brand starter kit, you can’t go wrong with this one. With the logo, colours, type and iconography/patterning specified, the main brand is established. While such a simple set of guidelines may not work for every company (as many require detail), in this case, the minimal elements leave a little flexibility in the branding and applications. To check out these application examples and the project in more detail head over to Behance.
The Swedish Armed Forces has a detailed brand guidelines that includes a section explaining the concept and thought behind the main logo and the sub-brand logos. This manual also delves deeply into imagery–both the way it should be shot, and the colours, but also the subject matter that should be depicted as a part of the brand values–for example on the “don’t” list is “images that romanticize war”. Have a read through and a look at the detailed instructions over at Issuu.
This is another brand manual that puts content in the forefront, with simple and comprehensive visuals and complementary explanations and descriptions, this is another simply designed but cohesive and detailed brand manual. Be sure to check out the pages on vehicle livery that ensure every angle of the vehicle is represented and exemplified with attention to detail. Check the whole thing out at Visual Bits.
Are you designing for a more corporate-oriented brand? If so, have you considered specifying how some of the visual assets should look? From graphs and diagrams to charts and tables, if you will be presenting it to consumers or business partners, perhaps consider tieing it somehow into your style guide to keep it all cohesive, professional and branded. Check out this manual for Truth that specifies just this. Using the signature pink and sleek graphics, this manual has exemplified how each type of visual asset should look and work, which is guaranteed to make that process a lot easier for the brand in the long run. Have a closer look over at Mash Creative.
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Download Free Background TemplatesThere are a lot of arguments about whether or not printed brand manuals are a dying art. While the argument is strong on either side, some brands have opted for digital and publically accessible versions. One example is Twitter who have made their style guide accessible to everybody. A smart move on Twitter’s part, as their brand is applied just about everywhere over the internet, and while it’s not always applied in the right way, by providing the brand rules, they have a higher chance of having it presented right. Visit Twitter’s branding website page right here.
Università della Svizzera Italiana has an intricate brand mark that is built on specific degrees of rotation and alignment, all of which are specified in this brand manual. Using a grid to explain the alignment of elements, each element of this brand is highlighted and given reason. This manual is also given a comprehensive introduction that outlines the fundamentals and values of the brand which keeps the brand focused. Check it out via the official Moving Brands site.
Yet another imagined brand manual for a brand ‘rethink’, this time, it’s for the airline Varig. This manual presents the rethought brand in a simple and concise way, specifying brand applications, uniforms, communications, logos, signatures, patterns, the whole nine yards. An airline has a lot of communications and branding opportunities within it, and this imagined example covers many of those bases with a beautifully designed and incredibly well thought out style guide. Have a read of it in whole via Abduzeedo.
Looking for a piece of style guide inspiration that walks the line between fun and trustworthy? Well, check out Walmart’s style guide. Walmart’s manual is colourful and dynamic while still maintaining their trustworthy and professional retailer vibe. This manual covers all the bases of Walmart’s brand and looks good while doing it – yet another example of a brand manual that practises what it preaches by using their signature colours and type within the manual itself. Download the guide to flip through at your leisure over here.
Let your information breathe. When it comes to creating your brand manual, ensure that you include plenty of examples, but not to the point where the manual becomes overcrowded. Why? In short, overcrowded pages don’t get read. Check out this manual for Yogen Früz that spaces out the examples and information over various spreads to make for a design layout that puts the focus on the content. Read the manual in full over here.
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