Establish consistency with a brand handbook

A brand handbook is essential in establishing consistency within a brand. It is an internal document that conveys the company mission, vision, and visual standards. The following is a little bit more about the handbook:

What’s in it?

A brand handbook can contain various things. In general, it should have at least the following:

  • Cover
  • Table of contents
  • About the company
  • Mission
  • Vision
  • Values
  • Logo Usage – where and how the logo will be seen
  • Color specifications – Pantone, CMYK, RGB, Web Hex
  • Uses and Misuses of the logo
  • Typography – including font type, alignment, headers, sub-headers, etc.
  • Design Elements and/or variations of the logo
  • Publication examples
  • Contact information

Why is it important?

A brand handbook is important to have because it lays down rules for the elements that visually represent a brand. It is a resource for the ways in which a logo should and should not be used, what colors represent the brand, stock imagery that should be used in association with the brand, and what the company stands for.

The brand handbook also reflects the foundation and essence of a company. The brand handbook should serve as inspiration for not only marketing and design projects, but for strategic decisions about the growth and goals of the company.

Why standardization?

The elements in a brand handbook are important to standardize because these elements are the pillars supporting the brand. Standardizing the elements in a brand handbook ensures that their usage aligns with brand messaging, and that the brand is not diluted by inconsistencies. Logos, fonts, typeface, and layout are easy to distort, and if a brand doesn’t regulate the usage of these elements, the brand’s core message of  is harmed.

Establishing standards can also help reduce research and design time.  While still permitting certain creative liberties, standards ensure that messaging is consistent.

More on brand handbooks here and here

Posted by Miss Details Design on July 22, 2011 1 Person spoke their mind... How about you?
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Going green? Font matters

 

 

 

 

 

 

10 Sustainable tips for print and graphic design

1. Print in Century Gothic. Century Gothic uses 30% less ink than Arial, and is considered one of the most frugal fonts.

2. Use recycled paper. each 20 cases of recycled paper saves 17 trees, 390 gallons of oil, 7000 gallons of water, and 4100 kwh of energy. It also eliminates 60 pounds of air-polluting emissions and saves 8 cubic feet of landfill space. That’s a LOT of saving. (Bonus: some recycled paper products have an interesting texture creating a sensory design element!)

3. Buy paper derived from a sustainable forest. These trees are actually grown to be used for consumer products. The initiative has helped curb illegal logging and destruction of forests in North America.

4. Use soy based ink. It might dry a little slower, but soy based ink is much more environmentally friendly than it’s alternative which is petroleum based. (Bonus: provides more accurate colors!)

5. Alcohol free printing.

6. End product recyclable or biodegradable. Try to use products that are good for the environment even when you are done using them.

7. Shop locally. There are less transportation costs and resources used when you buy from the supplier down the street versus the supplier on the other side of the country.

8. Use digital options. Send out coupons through e-mail, and let consumers show their inboxes on their cell phones instead of asking them to print the e-mail.

9. Print double sided. Use less pages when possible.

10. Utilize page space. Why do you need margins that are 1.5 inches wide? Utilize the space on every page by decreasing margins and using a smaller font size.

Do you have any sustainability tips?

Posted by Miss Details Design on July 6, 2011 2 People spoke their mind... How about you?
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Establishing a brand image that stands out

 

 

 

A quick quiz (don’t worry, you pass):

1.    What’s red, made it so Santa Clause was jolly and round, likes polar bears, is a tasty drink and “Gives the world a ….”?

And for question #2, same genre, different product. Good luck!

2.    What’s green, adventurous, male, a daredevil, and energizing? “Do the…”

Did you figure it out? Coca-Cola and Mountain Dew have established great brand images and consumer expectations. But can companies without multimillion dollar marketing budgets do the same? Here are a few tips:

  • Establish consistent colors. Your website, blog, and Twitter account should all look and feel similar. Reinforce your brand through every media outlet.
  • Logo: design (preferably hire a professional to design) a logo for your company. Put it on everything, even in-house documents.
  • Induce emotion: make sure everything associated with your company name makes your potential consumer feel the way you want them to feel. (link to Article on logos)
  • Use social media: tweet, blog, and update Facebook about things that are relevant to your field
  • Develop a mascot (follow ours on twitter: @doggydetails )
  • Follow through with your customer. Make sure they are getting what they were promised, in terms of experience, service, and products.
Posted by Miss Details Design on June 29, 2011 Speak Your Mind
Filed Under: branding, design 101 | Tagged: Tagged With: , , , , , ,