You’ve just created your visual identity or you’re in the middle of a branding process? You’ve taken the time (maybe with us!) to choose meaningful colors, design a logo that truly represents you, and define typography that reflects your intentions… You have every reason to be proud of the result.
But here’s the big question: how can you make sure everything stays consistent and properly used over time, no matter who’s working with your brand? The answer is simple: the brand guide.
At Alexem Studio, we believe a clear and well-structured brand guide is a must for any business, big or small. In this article, we’ll walk you through what it is, why it matters so much, and what should absolutely be included.
What is a brand guide, exactly?
A brand guide is a reference document that brings together all the visual and editorial rules to follow to ensure consistency across all your communications—no matter the format or platform. Whether it’s an Instagram post, a PowerPoint presentation, a website, or a printed brochure, your guide acts like a guardrail: it protects your identity and prevents it from being watered down or distorted over time and collaborations.
Usually presented as a PDF, it’s easy to share with your partners, team members, or external collaborators.
Why it’s essential
A strong brand is built on consistency. And that consistency can only happen if everyone who speaks on behalf of your business follows the same rules.
But be careful: Having a brand guide is great. Respecting it is even better.
At Alexem Studio, we’ve seen identities that we’d designed with care… completely distorted on social networks or in ill-adapted campaigns. Logo misused, colors altered, typography replaced, visual ambience incoherent… The result: an unrecognizable brand and a loss of credibility.
That’s why we insist: stick to the guide. And when in doubt, entrust us with your visuals, or have them revised. Autonomy is precious – but it’s better not to take risks. We’d much rather answer a small question or advise you on adjustments than see your image lose what makes it unique.
A brand guide is a framework. Not a prison, but a solid base on which to build and develop your communications.
What you’ll find in a good Marqu guide
A brand guide doesn’t have to be long or complicated. Above all, it should be useful and accessible. Here are the essential sections we recommend to all our customers:
Your story (briefly!)
This introduction should serve to explain the fundamentals that have guided your company’s graphic choices. So we’re talking in the past tense:
- Mission: Why did you launch this project? What problem were you trying to solve?
- Vision: What were (and still are) your medium- and long-term ambitions?
- Values: What convictions have guided your tone, visual style and positioning choices?
- Ton: How did you want to address your audience from the outset?
The aim here is not to detail your entire business strategy, but to provide an overview of the “common thread” behind your branding decisions.
Your visual identity
- Logo: main version, alternatives, rules for use (minimum sizes, margins, prohibitions, etc.).
- Color palette: main, secondary and alternative colors. Provide HEX, RGB, CMYK, Pantone codes.
- Typefaces: For web, print, headlines, body text. With style guidelines where necessary.
- Iconography & visual universe: Illustrations, pictograms, photos. Which style to follow? Which to avoid?
- Application examples: One or two typical layouts to visualize the whole.
Going further with your branding
Are you the kind of person who wants every detail to be consistent – even on your website? We like that too. If you want to push the envelope, consider a UX kit to complement your brand guide. It will enable you to define styles for buttons, form fields, menus, newsletters, animations, etc. – for a user experience perfectly aligned with your visual identity.
And guess what? We can take care of it.
Take inspiration from us (and the greats)
Need some inspiration for structuring your brand guide? Take a look at these examples – some designed by us, others by leading brands:
