What is a Style Guide and why do I need it?

A company style guide is a set of guidelines and standards that govern how a company presents itself to the public, often, covering written and visual communication. Having a well-defined and consistently implemented style guide can offer numerous benefits for a business.

Here are just a few:

1. Consistency: A style guide ensures consistency in all communication materials, both internal and external. This consistency helps establish a strong and unified brand identity, making it easier for customers and stakeholders to recognize and remember the company.
2. Professionalism: A well-crafted style guide reflects professionalism and attention to detail. It sets a standard for quality in all communications, enhancing the company's reputation and credibility.
3. Brand Identity: A style guide helps maintain a consistent brand identity by specifying guidelines for logos, colors, typography, and other visual elements. This consistency reinforces brand recognition and strengthens the overall brand image.
4. Efficiency: With a style guide in place, employees and external partners can create materials more efficiently. They have a clear set of rules to follow, reducing the time spent on decision-making and revisions.
5. Clarity: A style guide provides clarity on how to use language and visuals effectively. It helps avoid ambiguity and misinterpretation by establishing clear rules for writing, formatting, and design.
6. Ease of Onboarding: New employees and team members can quickly get up to speed on the company's communication standards with the help of a style guide. It serves as a valuable resource during the onboarding process.
7. Adaptability: A style guide can be updated to reflect changes in the company's branding, messaging, or industry standards. This adaptability ensures that the company's communication remains relevant and aligned with its evolving goals.
8. Legal Compliance: A style guide can include guidelines related to legal and regulatory requirements, ensuring that the company's communications adhere to industry standards and comply with relevant laws.
9. Improved Communication: Consistent use of language and visuals enhances communication effectiveness. It helps convey messages more clearly and reduces the risk of misunderstandings.
10. Cross-Functional Collaboration: A style guide facilitates collaboration between different departments, teams, and external partners. It provides a common reference point and ensures that everyone involved in creating communication materials is on the same page.
11. Customer Trust: A cohesive and professional brand image, maintained through a style guide, contributes to building trust with customers. Consistency in communication signals reliability and commitment.

In summary, a company style guide is a valuable tool that goes beyond aesthetics; it plays a crucial role in shaping the perception of a company, fostering consistency, professionalism, and trust in its communication efforts.

What do you include in your style guide?

Style guides range from simple to comprehensive, no matter which you choose, the intention is to provide clear and detailed guidance on how a brand or organization should present itself visually and verbally.

Depending on your business type and size, specific components may vary. But by no means is everything required. At a minimum, your company should have a logo, identified brand colors, typographic choices, and representative visual elements. Different companies have different needs and a brand guide is an evolving document that often changes over time as your company grows.

This is a useful list to help you think about what you may want for your company.

1. Brand Overview: Mission, vision statement, core values, and the brand´s positioning.
2. Logo Usage: A section visually showing logo variations, the required space that should be around the logo usage, correct usage of the logo, what not to do with the logo, the minimum size requirements, placement guidelines, and/or color variations.
3. Color Pallete: Primary colors and Secondary colors with their RGB, CMYK, and HEX color codes. Any required usage guidelines.
4. Typography: Typeface/font choices for headings, body text, correct usage, spacing guidelines for bold, italic, and other text formatting.
5. Visual Elements: Photography, iconography, illustration, graphics, chart guidelines.
6. Writing Style: Tone of voice and writing style (formal, informal), grammar and punctuation rules, formatting rules, and any inclusive language guidelines.
7. Editorial Guidelines: Formatting rules for documents and presentations, abbreviations, acronyms, numbers, dates, and capitalization.
8. Web and Digital Guidelines: Website layout and design principles, social media, newsletter, email communication standards, and rules for online advertising.
9. Print Guidelines: Print layout and design principles, paper and printing specifications, and guidelines for marketing material, such as brochures, business cards, etc.
10. Accessibility Standards: Guidelines for creating accessible content and compliance with accessibility standards (e.g., WCAG).
11. Legal and Compliance: Trademark and copyright information, compliance with industry regulations, and privacy policy information.
12. Version Control: Document history and revisions, date of the last update.
13. File Naming Conventions and Versions: Naming files in a certain way that follows a company-wide standard, for example, ProjectName_v1.png.
14. Data visualizations: Showing correct format for data visualizations, charts, graphs, and preferred infographic styles.
15. Email Signature Contact Information: An example of how each employee's email signature should look.

Make It Visual and Impactful

Crafting a brand guide is akin to composing a gastronomic masterpiece. Much like a meticulously curated recipe, it doesn't merely prescribe a visual feast; it artfully assembles captivating images that not only showcase the brand's aesthetic but also stir the emotions of those who lay eyes on it. Just as a well-presented dish elicits a symphony of senses, our brand guide visuals aim to orchestrate a harmonious experience, leaving an indelible impression on our audience.