Is there a difference between a logo and a brand? What is a brand guide? What is it good for? We thought you’d never ask…
Recently we have begun to be asked more about brand guides, what they are and what they are good for. Below are some of the most common questions. But first, we need briefly establish…
What is the difference between a logo and a brand?
To keep it simple, a logo is the visual representation of a brand. Often, when some say “branding” they mean marketing or product design, but this is not a complete definition. A brand is all that your company or organization stands for, how it is perceived and what it looks and feels like to your audience. A logo should capture all of those elements of your brand in a succinct mark; but there is more to your brand’s visual style than the logo. The way a logo is used and presented is just a critical your company’s brand as the design of the logo itself. Which brings us to brand guidelines.
What is a brand guideline?
A brand guideline is a collection of typefaces, colors, rules and tips for the application of your logo and supporting visual style. In each brand guide, or “brand book,” there will traditionally be a section focused entirely on the logo itself: ways it should and should not be displayed, abbreviated and long versions of your logo and restrictions regarding the space surrounding it. A good brand guide will have a list of typefaces available to use and where each would be appropriate. The same goes for colors and any extra artwork you may have: stock photography, illustrations or icons. How each of these elements are applied is key to the visual style of your brand. If followed accurately, that is what a brand guide preserves.
How does it explain and maintain the vision my organization?
If the logo is the visual representation of your brand, the supporting visual style is the book that helps tell its story. The goal of a brand guide is to make sure your logo, typefaces and all supporting artwork is applied consistently in all formats, maintaining a consistent visual style.
Does it put too strict of constraints on my users?
There are two complaints one will sometimes hear against using a brand guide: 1) it is difficult to use for non-designers and 2) it is creatively restrictive…
If you are following a brand guide, every person in your organization (who may or may not be a designer) is required to check their use of your logo or typeface before it leaves the office, or even gets used internally! This can be challenging for someone who is not familiar with branding guidelines or design concepts in general. Fortunately, our branding guidelines are strict, but extremely clear. Someone need not be a designer to understand the goals and applications of your brand elements. If necessary, we can even offer a review of how best to use those elements in your visual style.
Another issue users will sometimes bring up is that of creative restriction. A good brand guide will limit the applications of your logo and typefaces, but they limit the applications to the BEST uses. Any uses outside of the brand guide will be effectively watering down your visual style, and will devalue all the investment in the brand’s visual style. This is a valuable asset you can easily preserve by following a few simple rules.
For one of our local clients, First Hurst, we developed a simple brand guide to help them use their new logo, typefaces and color palette to its best potential. For you to get a good idea of how simple but effective our guides can be, check out the First Hurst Brand Guide. It’s not anywhere as in depth as the 100+ page guidelines we’ve seen with larger corporations, but it does a great job a communicating the basics of the church’s brand vision.
The use of brand guidelines goes both ways. AM Design does work for national brands like AT&T, Direct TV and Sonic Drive-In, all of which utilize guides to preserve their visual “brand equity.” One of our clients, McAfee Antivirus Solutions, commended our ability to create excellent work while following their brand guide and being conscious of their visual goals.
Here at AM Design we want to protect your brand, whether we are creating unique design for an existing company, or helping you define your own visual style. If you are interested in generating a brand guide for your own company, feel free to give us a call.
