Brand Guidelines

Brand Guidelines

Core Principle

Consistent brand identity across all outputs. Establish comprehensive brand guidelines once, then automatically apply them across design, development, and testing workflows.

Overview

This skill helps you either:

1. Create brand guidelines from scratch by asking strategic questions
2. Analyze existing branding in a project to document current state
3. Update existing guidelines as the brand evolves

Once established, these guidelines are automatically referenced by other skills (frontend-design, playwright-frontend-testing, etc.) to ensure brand consistency.

When to Use This Skill

• Starting a new project - Establish brand identity before development
• Rebranding - Update guidelines for brand refresh
• Documenting existing brand - Analyze and codify current branding
• Onboarding projects - Document brand for new team members
• Brand audit - Review current brand consistency
• Before design work - Ensure frontend-design has clear guidelines

Prerequisites

For creating new guidelines:

• Brand strategy or vision (if available)
• Target audience understanding
• Competitive landscape knowledge

For analyzing existing brand:

• Access to existing website/application
• Marketing materials (if available)
• Logo files and assets

The Iron Laws

1. GUIDELINES BEFORE DESIGN

NEVER start design work without brand guidelines established.

❌ FORBIDDEN sequence:

Start project → Use frontend-design → Random aesthetic choices

✅ REQUIRED sequence:

Start project → brand-guidelines → frontend-design (with guidelines) → consistent output

Authority: 70% of brand inconsistencies stem from lack of documented guidelines.

2. STORE IN STANDARD LOCATION

Brand guidelines MUST be stored at:

• .claude/BRAND-GUIDELINES.md (primary file)
• .claude/brand/ (supporting assets: color swatches, logo files, etc.)

Why: Consistent location allows automatic discovery by other skills.

3. KEEP GUIDELINES ACTIONABLE

Guidelines must be specific and implementable:

❌ BAD: "Use modern colors" ✅ GOOD: "Primary: #2563EB, Secondary: #7C3AED, Accent: #F59E0B"

❌ BAD: "Professional tone" ✅ GOOD: "Direct and confident. Active voice. Technical accuracy without jargon."

Brand Guidelines Protocol

Step 1: Announce Usage

Template:

I'm using the brand-guidelines skill to [establish/analyze/update] brand identity for this project.

This will create comprehensive guidelines at .claude/BRAND-GUIDELINES.md that other skills will automatically reference.

Step 2: Choose Approach

Option A: Create New Guidelines (Interactive Discovery)

Ask strategic questions to establish brand identity.

Option B: Analyze Existing Brand (Project Analysis)

Review existing codebase, website, or materials to document current branding.

Option C: Update Existing Guidelines

Read .claude/BRAND-GUIDELINES.md and update specific sections.

Creating New Guidelines (Interactive Discovery)

Discovery Questions

Identity & Positioning:

1. Brand Name: What is the product/company name?
2. Tagline: Do you have a tagline or positioning statement?
3. Industry: What industry/category?
4. Target Audience: Who are your primary users/customers?
5. Brand Personality: If your brand was a person, how would you describe them?
   (Examples: Professional, Playful, Bold, Elegant, Technical, Approachable)
6. Differentiation: What makes you different from competitors?

Visual Identity:

7. Color Preferences: Any specific colors that represent your brand?
   - Primary color (main brand color)
   - Secondary color (supporting color)
   - Accent colors (calls-to-action, highlights)
   - Neutral colors (backgrounds, text)
   - Color meanings (why these colors?)

8. Typography Direction:
   - Display/Heading style: (Serif, Sans-serif, Geometric, Humanist, etc.)
   - Body text style: (Readability priority)
   - Technical/Monospace needs: (Code, data, technical content)
   - Character: (Modern, Classic, Playful, Professional, etc.)

9. Visual Style:
   - Minimal or Maximal?
   - Flat or Dimensional (shadows, depth)?
   - Rounded or Angular (border radius style)?
   - Photography style: (Real, Illustrations, Abstract, 3D)?
   - Icon style: (Line, Filled, Duotone)?

Tone & Voice:

10. Communication Style:
    - Formal or Casual?
    - Technical or Accessible?
    - Emotional or Rational?
    - Playful or Serious?

11. Brand Values: Top 3-5 values your brand embodies?
    (Examples: Innovation, Reliability, Transparency, Creativity, Speed)

12. Example Brands: Any brands whose aesthetic you admire?
    (For inspiration, not copying)

Technical Constraints:

13. Accessibility Requirements: WCAG level? (A, AA, AAA)
14. Browser Support: Any specific requirements?
15. Performance Priorities: Speed vs. Visual richness trade-offs?
16. Existing Assets: Logo files, brand book, style guides?

Question Flow

Use AskUserQuestion tool for efficient gathering:

Ask in batches:
- Batch 1: Identity (questions 1-6)
- Batch 2: Visual Identity (questions 7-9)
- Batch 3: Communication (questions 10-12)
- Batch 4: Technical (questions 13-16)

Analyzing Existing Brand (Project Analysis)

Analysis Workflow

1. Scan project structure:
   - Check for existing brand documents
   - Look for style guides, design systems
   - Find logo/asset directories

2. Analyze visual implementation:
   - Extract colors from CSS/theme files
   - Identify font families in use
   - Review component patterns
   - Check spacing/sizing systems

3. Review content:
   - Analyze tone in copy
   - Check messaging consistency
   - Identify voice patterns

4. Document findings:
   - Current state documentation
   - Inconsistencies found
   - Recommendations for alignment

Commands to run:

# Find existing brand/design docs
find . -type f -name "*brand*" -o -name "*style*guide*" -o -name "*design*system*"

# Check CSS for color variables
grep -r "color\|#[0-9a-fA-F]" --include="*.css" --include="*.scss"

# Find font declarations
grep -r "font-family" --include="*.css" --include="*.scss" --include="*.js"

# Look for design tokens
find . -name "*token*" -o -name "*theme*" -o -name "*variables*"

Brand Guidelines Document Structure

Complete Template

Create .claude/BRAND-GUIDELINES.md:

# Brand Guidelines: [Project Name]

**Version**: 1.0
**Last Updated**: [Date]
**Status**: Active

---

## 🎯 Brand Identity

### Name & Positioning
- **Brand Name**: [Name]
- **Tagline**: [Tagline]
- **Industry**: [Industry]
- **Target Audience**: [Primary audience description]

### Brand Personality
[Describe brand as a person - 2-3 sentences]

**Key Traits**:
- [Trait 1]
- [Trait 2]
- [Trait 3]

### Differentiation
[What makes this brand unique - 1-2 sentences]

---

## 🎨 Visual Identity

### Color Palette

**Primary Colors**:
```css
--color-brand-primary: #[HEX];        /* [Usage: Main brand color, CTAs, headers] */
--color-brand-primary-dark: #[HEX];   /* [Usage: Hover states, emphasis] */
--color-brand-primary-light: #[HEX];  /* [Usage: Backgrounds, subtle highlights] */

Secondary Colors:

--color-brand-secondary: #[HEX];      /* [Usage: Supporting elements] */
--color-brand-secondary-dark: #[HEX]; /* [Usage: Contrast] */
--color-brand-secondary-light: #[HEX];/* [Usage: Backgrounds] */

Accent Colors:

--color-accent-1: #[HEX];             /* [Usage: Important CTAs] */
--color-accent-2: #[HEX];             /* [Usage: Highlights, badges] */
--color-accent-3: #[HEX];             /* [Usage: Alternative actions] */

Neutral Colors:

--color-neutral-black: #[HEX];        /* [Usage: Primary text] */
--color-neutral-900: #[HEX];          /* [Usage: Headings] */
--color-neutral-700: #[HEX];          /* [Usage: Body text] */
--color-neutral-500: #[HEX];          /* [Usage: Secondary text] */
--color-neutral-300: #[HEX];          /* [Usage: Borders, dividers] */
--color-neutral-100: #[HEX];          /* [Usage: Backgrounds] */
--color-neutral-white: #[HEX];        /* [Usage: White surfaces] */

Semantic Colors:

--color-success: #[HEX];              /* [Usage: Success messages] */
--color-warning: #[HEX];              /* [Usage: Warnings] */
--color-error: #[HEX];                /* [Usage: Errors] */
--color-info: #[HEX];                 /* [Usage: Information] */

Color Usage Rules:

• Primary color: 60% of interface
• Secondary color: 30% of interface
• Accent colors: 10% for emphasis
• Maintain 4.5:1 contrast ratio minimum (WCAG AA)
• Never use primary on secondary without neutral buffer

Typography

Display/Heading Font:

• Family: [Font name]
• Weights: [List: 700 Bold, 600 Semibold, etc.]
• Source: [Google Fonts/Adobe Fonts/Self-hosted]
• Fallback: [Fallback stack]
• Usage: Headings (H1-H3), Hero text, Prominent UI labels

Body Font:

• Family: [Font name]
• Weights: [List: 400 Regular, 500 Medium, 700 Bold]
• Source: [Source]
• Fallback: [Fallback stack]
• Usage: Body text, Paragraphs, Form labels, UI text

Monospace Font (if applicable):

• Family: [Font name]
• Usage: Code blocks, Technical data, Monospaced numbers

Typography Scale:

--font-size-xs: 0.75rem;    /* 12px - Captions, labels */
--font-size-sm: 0.875rem;   /* 14px - Small text */
--font-size-base: 1rem;     /* 16px - Body text */
--font-size-lg: 1.125rem;   /* 18px - Large body */
--font-size-xl: 1.25rem;    /* 20px - Small headings */
--font-size-2xl: 1.5rem;    /* 24px - H3 */
--font-size-3xl: 1.875rem;  /* 30px - H2 */
--font-size-4xl: 2.25rem;   /* 36px - H1 */
--font-size-5xl: 3rem;      /* 48px - Hero */

Line Heights:

• Headings: 1.2
• Body text: 1.6
• Small text: 1.4

Typography Rules:

• Never use more than 2 font families
• Headings: [Display font] + [Weight]
• Body: [Body font] + Regular (400)
• Emphasis: Same font + Medium/Bold weight (not color change)

Spacing System

--space-xs: 0.25rem;   /* 4px */
--space-sm: 0.5rem;    /* 8px */
--space-md: 1rem;      /* 16px */
--space-lg: 1.5rem;    /* 24px */
--space-xl: 2rem;      /* 32px */
--space-2xl: 3rem;     /* 48px */
--space-3xl: 4rem;     /* 64px */

Usage:

• Component padding: --space-md to --space-lg
• Section spacing: --space-2xl to --space-3xl
• Element gaps: --space-sm to --space-md

Border Radius

--radius-sm: 0.25rem;   /* 4px - Subtle rounding */
--radius-md: 0.5rem;    /* 8px - Standard */
--radius-lg: 1rem;      /* 16px - Prominent */
--radius-full: 9999px;  /* Pills, circular */

Shadows

--shadow-sm: 0 1px 2px 0 rgb(0 0 0 / 0.05);
--shadow-md: 0 4px 6px -1px rgb(0 0 0 / 0.1);
--shadow-lg: 0 10px 15px -3px rgb(0 0 0 / 0.1);
--shadow-xl: 0 20px 25px -5px rgb(0 0 0 / 0.1);

Visual Style

Design Direction: [Minimal/Maximal/Balanced]

Characteristics:

• Shapes: [Rounded/Angular/Mixed]
• Depth: [Flat/Subtle shadows/Pronounced depth]
• Imagery: [Photography/Illustrations/Icons/Mixed]
• Patterns: [Geometric/Organic/None]
• Textures: [Smooth/Textured/Gradients]

Component Style:

• Buttons: [Solid/Outlined/Ghost] with [Rounded/Square corners]
• Cards: [Flat/Elevated] with [Border/Shadow]
• Forms: [Outlined/Filled/Underlined]
• Navigation: [Solid/Transparent/Elevated]

✍️ Tone & Voice

Voice Characteristics

[Adjective 1] | [Adjective 2] | [Adjective 3]

[2-3 sentence description of brand voice]

Communication Principles:

1. [Principle 1]: [Description]
2. [Principle 2]: [Description]
3. [Principle 3]: [Description]

Writing Style

Grammar & Structure:

• Person: [First/Second/Third]
• Tense: [Present/Past/Future preference]
• Active vs. Passive: Prefer active voice
• Sentence Length: [Short/Medium/Varies]
• Formality: [Formal/Professional/Casual/Friendly]

Word Choices:

• ✅ Use: [List of preferred terms]
• ❌ Avoid: [List of avoided terms]

Punctuation Style:

• Oxford comma: [Yes/No]
• Exclamation points: [Frequent/Occasional/Rare]
• Em dashes: [Yes/No]

Content Examples

Headlines:

• ✅ Good: "[Example headline]"
• ❌ Bad: "[Counter-example]"

Body Copy:

• ✅ Good: "[Example paragraph]"
• ❌ Bad: "[Counter-example]"

Call-to-Action:

• ✅ Good: "[Example CTA]"
• ❌ Bad: "[Counter-example]"

Error Messages:

• ✅ Good: "[Example error message]"
• ❌ Bad: "[Counter-example]"

🎭 Brand Values

1. [Value 1]: [How it manifests in design/content]
2. [Value 2]: [How it manifests in design/content]
3. [Value 3]: [How it manifests in design/content]

🚫 Brand Don'ts

Visual:

• ❌ Don't [specific visual anti-pattern]
• ❌ Don't [specific visual anti-pattern]
• ❌ Don't [specific visual anti-pattern]

Content:

• ❌ Don't [specific content anti-pattern]
• ❌ Don't [specific content anti-pattern]
• ❌ Don't [specific content anti-pattern]

♿ Accessibility Standards

Target: WCAG [A/AA/AAA]

Requirements:

• Contrast ratio: Minimum [4.5:1 / 7:1]
• Focus indicators: Visible on all interactive elements
• Alternative text: All images must have descriptive alt text
• Keyboard navigation: Full keyboard accessibility
• Screen reader: ARIA labels on all interactive components
• Color alone: Never rely solely on color to convey information

🔧 Technical Implementation

CSS Variables Export

Copy this into your global CSS:

:root {
  /* Colors */
  --color-brand-primary: #[HEX];
  /* ... (full variable list) */

  /* Typography */
  --font-heading: '[Font]', sans-serif;
  /* ... */

  /* Spacing */
  --space-md: 1rem;
  /* ... */
}

Framework Integration

Tailwind Config:

// tailwind.config.js
module.exports = {
  theme: {
    extend: {
      colors: {
        brand: {
          primary: '#[HEX]',
          // ...
        },
      },
      fontFamily: {
        heading: ['[Font]', 'sans-serif'],
        body: ['[Font]', 'sans-serif'],
      },
    },
  },
};

Styled Components Theme:

export const theme = {
  colors: {
    brand: {
      primary: '#[HEX]',
      // ...
    },
  },
  fonts: {
    heading: "'[Font]', sans-serif",
    body: "'[Font]', sans-serif",
  },
};

📋 Usage Instructions for AI Skills

For frontend-design skill:

• Read this file before generating any UI components
• Apply color palette from Visual Identity section
• Use typography system exactly as specified
• Follow visual style guidelines for all design decisions
• Never override colors/fonts without explicit user request

For playwright-frontend-testing skill:

• Verify brand colors are implemented correctly
• Check typography matches specifications
• Validate accessibility standards are met
• Test component styles match brand guidelines

For content generation:

• Follow tone & voice guidelines
• Use approved word choices
• Match communication style
• Apply content examples as templates

🔄 Version History

Version 1.0 - [Date]

• Initial brand guidelines created
• [List key decisions made]

Last Review: [Date] Next Review: [Date + 6 months]

## Skill Integration

### How Other Skills Use Guidelines

**Automatic Discovery**:
1. Skills check for `.claude/BRAND-GUIDELINES.md` at project start
2. If found, read and apply guidelines automatically
3. If not found, proceed with skill defaults

**frontend-design Integration**:

When frontend-design skill starts:

1. Check if .claude/BRAND-GUIDELINES.md exists
2. If yes: Read color palette, typography, visual style sections
3. Apply brand colors instead of creating new palette
4. Use brand fonts instead of suggesting alternatives
5. Match visual style (minimal/maximal, rounded/angular, etc.)

**playwright-frontend-testing Integration**:

When testing visual elements:

1. Read brand guidelines for expected values
2. Verify colors match brand palette
3. Check typography matches specifications
4. Validate spacing/sizing matches system
5. Report deviations as test failures

## Best Practices

### 1. Start Early
Create guidelines before any design or development work.

### 2. Be Specific
Use exact hex codes, font names, and sizing values.

### 3. Include Examples
Show good and bad examples for clarity.

### 4. Update Regularly
Review and update guidelines every 6 months.

### 5. Version Control
Track changes to guidelines in git.

### 6. Test Application
Verify skills correctly use guidelines after creation.

## Common Patterns

### Pattern 1: New Project Setup

1. Use brand-guidelines skill (interactive discovery)
2. Answer all discovery questions
3. Review generated BRAND-GUIDELINES.md
4. Commit to version control
5. Use frontend-design skill (auto-applies guidelines)

### Pattern 2: Existing Project Documentation

1. Use brand-guidelines skill (analyze mode)
2. Scan project for colors/fonts/patterns
3. Document current state
4. Identify inconsistencies
5. Create guidelines based on best patterns found
6. Fix inconsistencies in subsequent work

### Pattern 3: Brand Refresh

1. Read existing .claude/BRAND-GUIDELINES.md
2. Use brand-guidelines skill (update mode)
3. Modify specific sections (colors, typography, etc.)
4. Update version number
5. Document changes in version history
6. Apply new guidelines across project

## Troubleshooting

### Guidelines Not Being Applied

**Check:**
1. File exists at `.claude/BRAND-GUIDELINES.md`
2. File is properly formatted markdown
3. CSS variables are valid
4. Skills explicitly mention reading guidelines

**Solution:**

Explicitly tell skills to use guidelines: "Use the frontend-design skill, and apply the brand guidelines from .claude/BRAND-GUIDELINES.md"

### Inconsistent Application

**Cause**: Vague guidelines

**Solution**: Make guidelines more specific with exact values

### Guidelines Too Restrictive

**Solution**: Add "flexibility" section allowing creative interpretation within bounds

## Remember

**Brand guidelines are living documents.**

- Start with core essentials (colors, typography, tone)
- Add detail as brand matures
- Update based on real usage patterns
- Balance consistency with creative flexibility
- Make guidelines easy to follow

**Authority**: 75% of brand recognition comes from consistent visual application.

---

**Resources:**
- [Anthropic - Package Brand Guidelines](https://website.claude.com/resources/use-cases/package-your-brand-guidelines-in-a-skill)
- [Brand Style Guide Examples](https://www.canva.com/learn/50-meticulous-style-guides-every-startup-see-launching/)