cross icon

7 tips to create Brand Guidelines for Startups

Updated on:Dec 7, 2023Read time: 6 min
mainImg

In today's competitive business world, having a strong brand is crucial for success. As a startup, you need to be consistent from the beginning in terms of visual identity. A brand style guide is an important tool that can help you to establish a clear and cohesive brand identity. This guide will show you how to create a brand style guide that looks great and effectively communicates your brand's essence. In this article, we'll discuss 7 tips for creating effective brand style guides.

What is Brand Guide?

A brand style guide is a set of rules and instructions that includes the logo, typography, and color. It must be followed by anyone planning to establish their startup on digital platforms. The guide helps maintain consistency of the brand across all representations. In addition, it provides guidance for designers and marketers on what to do and what not to do.

Why it is important?

An effective yet powerful branding guide would be helpful for not even startups, but also for the big brands. It is always be a guide for all the designs you are creating, not only today but for long term as well. Here are some key-points you should check

  • It shows your brand's core values.
  • It acts as a protective shield for brand's identity.
  • It ensures consistency.
  • It creates reliability.
  • It helps to differentiate your brands from others.

Now, let's dive into the tips to create an effective Branding guide.

Understand your brand's core values

good-design
"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit."
Aristotle

Before creating brand guidelines, it's crucial to define your startup's core values, mission, and vision. These elements shape your brand's personality and guide how it should be perceived by the audience. Your brand guidelines should reflect your startup's desired reputation and values.

You should have answers of following questions before creating brand guides-

  • What is your brand's mission and values?
  • Who is your target audience?
  • What sets you apart from the competition?
  • What tone and personality does your brand exhibit?

Know your target audience

responsive-web

It is also very important to know “Who is your target audience?” When you know your target audience you can communicate in a way that relates with them. It also helps you to build true and genuine relations with them. By knowing your target audience you can allocate your resources easily and you can improve the quality of your product and services by analyzing data.

One of the best ways to determine who your target audience is to look at who already buys your product or service. How old are they, where do they live, what are their interests? A good way to learn this is through engaging on social or distributing customer surveys.

Develop a consistent visual identity

good-design

Developing a consistent visual identity is very important step which should be kept in mind while building an authentic brand style guide. It makes your brand easy to recognize no matter whether it is heard or seen. A consistent visual identity also build trust and loyalty among people. It also simplifies the process of decision making as everyone know what to do or not.

  • Consistency across different mediums increases brand awareness and customer loyalty.
  • A consistent visual identity makes your brand easy to recognize.
  • It builds trust and loyalty among people.
  • It simplifies the process of decision making.
  • It helps establish a strong and recognizable brand image.

Color palette and typography

good-design

Colors can have an impact on how people feel and think. When you use colors to represent your business, it can affect how customers see your brand. The right mix of color and design can change how people think about your brand.

Typography is another way to make a logo look nice and be easy to remember. It helps show what your brand is like visually, which is important for making a strong impression on people. It can also help get your brand's message across effectively. Using the same font styles for all your designs will aid in brand recognition and boost brand value.

Layout and composition

good-design

Layout and composition are important for a good design. They show how things are arranged in a design. The way things are arranged will affect how people interact with the design. Just looking good is not enough, layout and composition make a design better. They also improve the user experience.

Consider the tech giant Apple which is using minimalism and good white space for more than 2 decades in all of their designs. Similarly, Nike has different layouts in it's designs.

Logo usage and placement

good-design

A logo is a visual representation of your brand. It serves as a visual identity that communicates the essence and values of your brand. In many ways, it can be likened to the face of your brand, as it is the first thing people see and associate with your business.

Consider the following checkpoints when

  • Avail multiple formats of logo
  • Set a proper style guide for size and colors
  • Place the logo in the most visible areas to influence brand perception
  • Maintain adequate space around the logo
  • Mention the logo Do's and Don'ts in your Branding guide.

Seek professional help

good-design

Seeking professional help can be an excellent decision for several reasons. First and foremost, it saves you time and effort. Professionals are trained and experienced in their respective fields, which means they can efficiently handle tasks that might take you much longer to complete on your own. By delegating these responsibilities to professionals, you can focus on other important aspects of your life or business.

  • Seeking professional help reduces stress and allows you to relax, knowing the task is in capable hands.
  • Professionals can help you avoid costly mistakes by using their expertise and knowledge.
  • Professionals stay updated with the latest trends and developments, giving you a competitive edge.
  • Have clear goals when seeking professional help to communicate effectively.
  • In conclusion, professionals save time, reduce stress, and prevent mistakes. Define your goals clearly for maximum benefits.

Take a look our recent Branding Guides projects.

Conclusion

Wrapping up, these key tips can boost your brand's success. A lively and updated brand guide is vital in the tough startup scene. It acts as a map for keeping uniformity across all brand points of contact. By sticking to your main beliefs, you build a solid base that clicks with your target market.

Cultivating close ties with your customers breeds loyalty and trust, key for lasting success. Plus, seeking aid when needed isn't weak but a smart step towards growth. Adopting these guidelines lets your brand flourish in the constantly changing business world.

good-design

Keep reading

Stay up to date with all news & articles.

Email address

Copyright @2024 Radial Code Pvt. Ltd. All rights reserved | RadialCode