Brand Identity Guide
When to Use This Skill
Use this skill when you need to:
- Document brand guidelines for consistent visual and verbal identity
- Create a brand book for freelancers, agencies, or new team members
- Establish standards for logo, color, typography, and imagery usage
- Formalize brand rules that currently live in the founder's head
DO NOT use this skill for logo design, website design, or marketing strategy. This is for documenting and codifying existing brand identity decisions.
Core Principle
A BRAND GUIDE IS ONLY USEFUL IF IT IS SPECIFIC ENOUGH THAT SOMEONE WHO HAS NEVER MET YOU CAN PRODUCE ON-BRAND WORK — VAGUE GUIDELINES PRODUCE INCONSISTENT BRANDS.
Phase 1: Brief
Required Inputs
| Input |
What to Ask |
Default |
| Brand name |
"What is your brand name?" |
Must be provided |
| Logo files |
"Do you have a logo? Share files or describe it." |
Must have or describe desired direction |
| Colors |
"Do you have established brand colors? (hex codes if possible)" |
Will recommend |
| Typography |
"Any fonts you use consistently?" |
Will recommend |
| Brand personality |
"Describe your brand in 3-5 adjectives." |
Must be provided |
| Audience |
"Who will use this guide? (internal team, freelancers, agency partners)" |
Freelancers and team |
| Existing materials |
"Share any existing branded materials (website, social, packaging)." |
Website URL |
GATE: Confirm brief before proceeding.
Phase 2: Outline
Brand Guide Sections
- Brand overview — mission, vision, values, positioning statement
- Logo — primary mark, variations, clear space, minimum size, misuse examples
- Color palette — primary, secondary, accent colors with hex/RGB/CMYK values
- Typography — heading font, body font, hierarchy, web and print specifications
- Imagery style — photography direction, illustration style, icon guidelines
- Brand voice — tone, vocabulary, dos and don'ts, writing examples
- Applications — business cards, social media, email signatures, presentations
- Do's and don'ts — visual examples of correct and incorrect usage
GATE: Confirm which sections to include and depth level.
Phase 3: Write
Writing Rules
- Include specific values (hex codes, font sizes, spacing ratios) — not "use brand blue"
- Show visual examples: correct usage AND incorrect usage for every element
- Provide file format guidance: which logo file for which use case
- Write usage rules as clear commands: "Always maintain 20px clear space around the logo"
Color Documentation Format
For each color:
- Name, hex code, RGB, CMYK (for print), Pantone (if applicable)
- Accessibility rating (contrast ratio against white and dark backgrounds)
- Usage context (primary for CTAs, secondary for backgrounds, accent for highlights)
Typography Documentation Format
For each font:
- Font name, weight, and style
- Where to obtain (Google Fonts link, Adobe Fonts, or license info)
- Size hierarchy: H1, H2, H3, body, caption with exact sizes
- Line height and letter spacing recommendations
Phase 4: Polish
Final Deliverables
- Complete brand identity guide — all sections formatted cleanly
- Quick-reference card — one-page cheat sheet with logo, colors, and fonts
- Asset checklist — list of all brand assets needed (logo files, font files, templates)
- Handoff notes — what to send freelancers or agencies along with the guide
Example 1: Solo Brand (Personal brand, digital business)
Scope: Logo usage, 4-color palette, 2 fonts, social media templates, email signature.
Format: Google Doc with embedded examples, shareable link for freelancers.
Example 2: Growing Brand (Product company, 5+ team members)
Scope: Full brand book with logo system, extended color palette, typography scale, photography direction, voice guidelines, application mockups.
Format: PDF brand book + Figma component library link.
Anti-Patterns
- Vague color names — "brand blue" without a hex code means every designer picks a different blue. Specify exact values.
- No misuse examples — showing only correct usage leaves room for creative interpretation. Show what NOT to do.
- Guide too long to read — a 60-page brand book nobody opens is worse than a 5-page guide everyone uses. Prioritize brevity.
- Missing digital specifications — print specs without web specs (or vice versa) leaves half the use cases uncovered.
- Static, never updated — brands evolve. Review and update the guide annually.
Recovery
- No logo yet: Document color, typography, and voice guidelines first. Add logo section after design is complete.
- User cannot articulate brand personality: Ask them to name 3 brands they admire and 3 they do not. Extract personality traits from the contrast.
- Inconsistent existing materials: Document the aspirational standard, not the current inconsistency. Flag materials that need updating.
- No budget for professional fonts: Recommend high-quality free alternatives from Google Fonts that match the desired personality.
1---2name: brand-identity-guide3description: Creates comprehensive brand identity guidelines with logo usage, color codes, typography, imagery style, voice, and application examples. Use when documenting your brand standards.4---56# Brand Identity Guide78## When to Use This Skill910Use this skill when you need to:11- Document brand guidelines for consistent visual and verbal identity12- Create a brand book for freelancers, agencies, or new team members13- Establish standards for logo, color, typography, and imagery usage14- Formalize brand rules that currently live in the founder's head1516**DO NOT** use this skill for logo design, website design, or marketing strategy. This is for documenting and codifying existing brand identity decisions.1718---1920## Core Principle2122A BRAND GUIDE IS ONLY USEFUL IF IT IS SPECIFIC ENOUGH THAT SOMEONE WHO HAS NEVER MET YOU CAN PRODUCE ON-BRAND WORK — VAGUE GUIDELINES PRODUCE INCONSISTENT BRANDS.2324---2526## Phase 1: Brief2728### Required Inputs2930| Input | What to Ask | Default |31|-------|------------|---------|32| **Brand name** | "What is your brand name?" | Must be provided |33| **Logo files** | "Do you have a logo? Share files or describe it." | Must have or describe desired direction |34| **Colors** | "Do you have established brand colors? (hex codes if possible)" | Will recommend |35| **Typography** | "Any fonts you use consistently?" | Will recommend |36| **Brand personality** | "Describe your brand in 3-5 adjectives." | Must be provided |37| **Audience** | "Who will use this guide? (internal team, freelancers, agency partners)" | Freelancers and team |38| **Existing materials** | "Share any existing branded materials (website, social, packaging)." | Website URL |3940**GATE: Confirm brief before proceeding.**4142---4344## Phase 2: Outline4546### Brand Guide Sections47481. **Brand overview** — mission, vision, values, positioning statement492. **Logo** — primary mark, variations, clear space, minimum size, misuse examples503. **Color palette** — primary, secondary, accent colors with hex/RGB/CMYK values514. **Typography** — heading font, body font, hierarchy, web and print specifications525. **Imagery style** — photography direction, illustration style, icon guidelines536. **Brand voice** — tone, vocabulary, dos and don'ts, writing examples547. **Applications** — business cards, social media, email signatures, presentations558. **Do's and don'ts** — visual examples of correct and incorrect usage5657**GATE: Confirm which sections to include and depth level.**5859---6061## Phase 3: Write6263### Writing Rules6465- Include specific values (hex codes, font sizes, spacing ratios) — not "use brand blue"66- Show visual examples: correct usage AND incorrect usage for every element67- Provide file format guidance: which logo file for which use case68- Write usage rules as clear commands: "Always maintain 20px clear space around the logo"6970### Color Documentation Format7172For each color:73- Name, hex code, RGB, CMYK (for print), Pantone (if applicable)74- Accessibility rating (contrast ratio against white and dark backgrounds)75- Usage context (primary for CTAs, secondary for backgrounds, accent for highlights)7677### Typography Documentation Format7879For each font:80- Font name, weight, and style81- Where to obtain (Google Fonts link, Adobe Fonts, or license info)82- Size hierarchy: H1, H2, H3, body, caption with exact sizes83- Line height and letter spacing recommendations8485---8687## Phase 4: Polish8889### Final Deliverables90911. **Complete brand identity guide** — all sections formatted cleanly922. **Quick-reference card** — one-page cheat sheet with logo, colors, and fonts933. **Asset checklist** — list of all brand assets needed (logo files, font files, templates)944. **Handoff notes** — what to send freelancers or agencies along with the guide9596---9798## Example 1: Solo Brand (Personal brand, digital business)99100**Scope:** Logo usage, 4-color palette, 2 fonts, social media templates, email signature.101**Format:** Google Doc with embedded examples, shareable link for freelancers.102103## Example 2: Growing Brand (Product company, 5+ team members)104105**Scope:** Full brand book with logo system, extended color palette, typography scale, photography direction, voice guidelines, application mockups.106**Format:** PDF brand book + Figma component library link.107108---109110## Anti-Patterns111112- **Vague color names** — "brand blue" without a hex code means every designer picks a different blue. Specify exact values.113- **No misuse examples** — showing only correct usage leaves room for creative interpretation. Show what NOT to do.114- **Guide too long to read** — a 60-page brand book nobody opens is worse than a 5-page guide everyone uses. Prioritize brevity.115- **Missing digital specifications** — print specs without web specs (or vice versa) leaves half the use cases uncovered.116- **Static, never updated** — brands evolve. Review and update the guide annually.117118---119120## Recovery121122- **No logo yet:** Document color, typography, and voice guidelines first. Add logo section after design is complete.123- **User cannot articulate brand personality:** Ask them to name 3 brands they admire and 3 they do not. Extract personality traits from the contrast.124- **Inconsistent existing materials:** Document the aspirational standard, not the current inconsistency. Flag materials that need updating.125- **No budget for professional fonts:** Recommend high-quality free alternatives from Google Fonts that match the desired personality.
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