How to Create Brand Guidelines Your Team Will Actually Use
"I think I have a brand guidelines somewhere..."
It's a phrase we hear all the time, usually followed by a frustrated search through old emails trying to find that PDF that got delivered six months ago. You know the one – that impressive-looking document full of complex design rules that's been opened exactly twice. Once when it was delivered, and once when someone needed a logo for a t-shirt.
Let's be honest about brand guidelines for a minute.
Most of them are written as if their primary purpose is to demonstrate how sophisticated and complex brand design can be. They're full of detailed rules about clear space and color values and acceptable logo usage. And sure, those things matter – to designers. But here's the thing: professional designers already know not to stretch logos or use comic sans. And the people who might actually do those things? They're probably not going to crack open a 47-page PDF about brand standards.
What Actually Makes Guidelines Useful?
Think about how your team really works. When someone needs to create something – a social post, a presentation, an email – what do they actually need to know? Not the technical specifications of your logo's clear space. They need to know:
"How do I make this look like our brand?" "What fonts can I actually use in PowerPoint?" "Which colors go together?" "How should I lay this out so it doesn't look amateur?"
Real guidelines should answer these practical questions. They should be less about what not to do, and more about how to do things right.
A Different Approach to Brand Guidelines
Instead of creating a document that sits in a drawer, what if your guidelines actually taught people how to design like your brand? What if they focused less on rules and more on principles?
Here's what that looks like:
Start with the basics that people actually use. Yes, include your logo files – but organize them by what they're for. "Use this one for social media." "This one's for PowerPoint." "Here's the one for that t-shirt you're trying to print."
Show how your brand really works. Not abstract color theory, but actual examples. "Here's how we use these colors together." "This is how we lay out our Instagram posts." "When you're making a presentation, start with this template."
Teach the simple design principles that make a difference. You don't need to turn everyone into a designer, but showing people how to use a grid or create clear type hierarchy can dramatically improve their work.
Making Guidelines That Get Used
The best guidelines we've seen share some common traits:
They're organized by need, not theory. Instead of chapters on "Typography" and "Color Theory," they're structured around common tasks. "Creating Social Media Posts." "Making Presentations." "Designing Emails."
They show more than they tell. Rather than explaining abstract rules, they provide real examples and templates. "Here's how we would design this." "Here's a template you can actually use."
They focus on the essential. Instead of trying to cover every possible scenario, they tackle the things your team actually needs to create on a regular basis.
A Real Example
Recently, we worked with a client who had the most beautifully designed, completely unused brand guidelines you've ever seen. The document itself was a work of art. It was also utterly useless for their team's day-to-day needs.
We rebuilt their guidelines around how their team actually works. Instead of theoretical rules, we created practical tools. Social media templates that maintained brand consistency while being easy to edit. Presentation layouts that looked professional but could be created in PowerPoint. Email designs that anyone could replicate.
The result? Their team started actually using their brand guidelines. Not because they had to, but because it made their work easier and better.
Applying this to your brand
If you're thinking about creating (or updating) your brand guidelines, start by asking different questions:
What does your team actually need to create on a regular basis? What tools would make their work easier? How can you make your brand guidelines something people want to use, not have to use?
The goal isn't to create the most impressive brand guidelines. It's to create guidelines that actually help your team create better work.
Ready to rethink your brand guidelines? Let's talk about building something your team will actually use.
"I think I have a brand guidelines somewhere..."
It's a phrase we hear all the time, usually followed by a frustrated search through old emails trying to find that PDF that got delivered six months ago. You know the one – that impressive-looking document full of complex design rules that's been opened exactly twice. Once when it was delivered, and once when someone needed a logo for a t-shirt.
Let's be honest about brand guidelines for a minute.
Most of them are written as if their primary purpose is to demonstrate how sophisticated and complex brand design can be. They're full of detailed rules about clear space and color values and acceptable logo usage. And sure, those things matter – to designers. But here's the thing: professional designers already know not to stretch logos or use comic sans. And the people who might actually do those things? They're probably not going to crack open a 47-page PDF about brand standards.
What Actually Makes Guidelines Useful?
Think about how your team really works. When someone needs to create something – a social post, a presentation, an email – what do they actually need to know? Not the technical specifications of your logo's clear space. They need to know:
"How do I make this look like our brand?" "What fonts can I actually use in PowerPoint?" "Which colors go together?" "How should I lay this out so it doesn't look amateur?"
Real guidelines should answer these practical questions. They should be less about what not to do, and more about how to do things right.
A Different Approach to Brand Guidelines
Instead of creating a document that sits in a drawer, what if your guidelines actually taught people how to design like your brand? What if they focused less on rules and more on principles?
Here's what that looks like:
Start with the basics that people actually use. Yes, include your logo files – but organize them by what they're for. "Use this one for social media." "This one's for PowerPoint." "Here's the one for that t-shirt you're trying to print."
Show how your brand really works. Not abstract color theory, but actual examples. "Here's how we use these colors together." "This is how we lay out our Instagram posts." "When you're making a presentation, start with this template."
Teach the simple design principles that make a difference. You don't need to turn everyone into a designer, but showing people how to use a grid or create clear type hierarchy can dramatically improve their work.
Making Guidelines That Get Used
The best guidelines we've seen share some common traits:
They're organized by need, not theory. Instead of chapters on "Typography" and "Color Theory," they're structured around common tasks. "Creating Social Media Posts." "Making Presentations." "Designing Emails."
They show more than they tell. Rather than explaining abstract rules, they provide real examples and templates. "Here's how we would design this." "Here's a template you can actually use."
They focus on the essential. Instead of trying to cover every possible scenario, they tackle the things your team actually needs to create on a regular basis.
A Real Example
Recently, we worked with a client who had the most beautifully designed, completely unused brand guidelines you've ever seen. The document itself was a work of art. It was also utterly useless for their team's day-to-day needs.
We rebuilt their guidelines around how their team actually works. Instead of theoretical rules, we created practical tools. Social media templates that maintained brand consistency while being easy to edit. Presentation layouts that looked professional but could be created in PowerPoint. Email designs that anyone could replicate.
The result? Their team started actually using their brand guidelines. Not because they had to, but because it made their work easier and better.
Applying this to your brand
If you're thinking about creating (or updating) your brand guidelines, start by asking different questions:
What does your team actually need to create on a regular basis? What tools would make their work easier? How can you make your brand guidelines something people want to use, not have to use?
The goal isn't to create the most impressive brand guidelines. It's to create guidelines that actually help your team create better work.
Ready to rethink your brand guidelines? Let's talk about building something your team will actually use.
