branding guidelines

Because we have to do branding guidelines in our project i went on to google to find out what to include in branding guidelines. branding guidelines are a set of rules that the brand uses to keep the identity of the brand exactly how they want it. when they contact designers or retail sellers they are given a set of the branding guidelines to cohere too. these help designers/customers/visitors/retail to identify with the brand and these will include a series of indepth rules for people to follow. I then went on to research about BG's and found smashingmagazine.com which had an in-depth article on what to include and examples of brands that have done them effectively. here are some of the main points: 

STRATEGIC BRAND OVERVIEW

This should be short and sweet. In as few words as possible, make clear the vision for this design and any keywords people should keep in mind while designing. Most people will probably flip straight to the picture pages, but they may read a few sentences here.

 this is an example of Kew's branding guidelines - strategic brand overview

LOGOS

For print and Web, most brands revolve around the logo. Make sure you provide logo variations and clarify minimum sizes.

Provide logos with different colors, and specify which colours are allowed. Think Brick gives designers a lot of options with its design. The point is to allow flexibility while maintaining consistency.

SHOW EXAMPLES OF WHAT AND WHAT NOT TO DO

You’re a professional, and you know better than to mess around with logos. But many others will try and think they’ve done a good job. They are so wrong. You must make clear what they can and cannot do with a design.

this is an example of ' I love NY' branding guidelines - don'ts

SPACing

Many non-designers underestimate the need for white space. Include a spacing reference, especially for the logo. Rather than specifying inches or centimeters, use a portion of the logo (a letter or a shape) to set the clearance. This way, whether the logo is big or small, the space around it will be sufficient.

COLORS

Always include color palettes and what the colors should be used for. And include formats for both print and Web: CMYK, Pantones (if they exist) and RGB (or HEX). Always include a CMYK alternative for Pantones because sometimes matching is hard (especially when Pantone printing is not possible). Specify primary and secondary colours and when and where to use them.

FONTS

You’ll need to define the typefaces to use: sizes, line height, spacing before and after, colors, headline versus body font, etc. Make sure to include Web alternatives for non-Web fonts.

this is an example of 'Yales' branding guidelines - Fonts

IMAGERY

Many designers have established a particular tone in their photographs and images. Show your clients examples, and explain why they are good choices. Show them in the context of your design, and explain why they were chosen for that context.

this is an example of 'Zopa' branding guidelines - illustration imagery

note: all points taken from smashingmagazine.com

these points have helped me to better understand what is expected in my branding guidelines. whilst making a set of branding guidelines other points to consider are: 

• Identity - logotype byline and how your brand is visualised
• Copywriting and Tone of Voice
• Graphic Devices
• Layout and Grids
• Applications
• Overview with examples
• Further Information
• Contacts

although there are a lot of points to cover in branding guidelines they are put in place to make sure that the brand stays consistent and looks clean, professional and it isn't changed in any way. companies invest alot of time and money to make sure that their brand stands out in the marketplace. a lot of brands succeed in doing this but some brands decide they don't need the guidelines and it can all go pear shaped for them.