For some professional designers, creating a style guide is one of the most challenging parts of the job. It can be difficult to compose a complete guide that encompasses all of the required information and maintains consistency for the brand. New graphic designers may struggle to understand exactly what a style guide should contain and the best practices for composing this set of “rules” for the document. This comprehensive article will cover all the elements of a style guide, including key components of these documents and how to create your own guide.
What is a Style Guide?
A style guide is a set of rules or guidelines set by a brand or company to ensure consistency across the entire brand identity. The guides are either created by the company and distributed to all design professionals who will work on the content that represents the brand. Style guides are also referred to as brand guides or brand manuals, though each of these terms refers to the same type of document.
It is crucial that all brands have a style guide that clearly lists all of the rules and practices around brand identity. These comprehensive guides work to ensure that a brand has a consistent look, message, and presentation, even if a handful of different designers are working on content. There will be no major differences in crucial brand content when a style guide is provided. This can help to build engagement and a solid reputation with clients, as consistency and a cohesive presentation are important in the design field.
Key Components of a Style Guide
When creating a style guide, there are six key components you should ensure are in the document. These areas will often be determined by the company such as any existing content and overall goals. It’s the job of a Designer to take these six key components and transform that information into brand content that accurately represents the organization and its core values. The six main components that should be in every style guide are:
- Brand Story
- Logo
- Color Palette
- Typography
- Image Guidelines
- Tone of Voice
While these components are crucial for any style guide, there may be additional elements to focus on depending on the company goals and marketing efforts. If you are a Designer who is working with an existing guide, be sure to refer back to the six key components when crafting your work to ensure you meet each important area the company requires with branded content.
5 Helpful Tips for Creating a Style Guide
Creating a style guide can be challenging, especially if it is for a new brand or feels out of your comfort zone. Nearly every Designer faces these challenges at some point, but it’s important to remember there are steps you can follow to help ensure your guide contains all of the vital elements for future creative professionals to follow when crafting content. Some helpful tips for creating a style guide include:
1. Start with an Outline
Once you have the brand goals and creative vision, one of the first steps is to create an outline for the style guide based on the six key components. This can seem overwhelming, so many designers suggest creating a table of contents to help organize the creative process. The table of content should feature sections for strategy, applications, and downloads, along with the key components. Designers should also finalize any details on how the guide will be finalized to help prepare for how it will be presented.
2. Be Precise and Specific
When creating a style guide, being precise and adding in details is extremely helpful when it comes to keeping yourself organized, presenting a professional final product, and ensuring there is enough information for any future designers. Be sure to add a written overview of the guide, while clearly stating any important information. Clearly explain any rationale for specific typography, color, or tone of voice.
3. Provide Visual Examples
One of the best ways to ensure your creative vision is communicated effectively and professionally is to provide examples of any completed content like brand logos. This will ensure that any future designers use the logo as intended, while also helping to prepare the content for evolution over time.
4. Clearly State Deliverables
With something as important as a style guide, you want to ensure there is no ambiguity to the rules found in the document. Explain sections with clarity, focusing on a “fewer is more” approach. Essentially, this means that you should be straightforward in your presentation and make it clear what is expected with branded content.
5. Provide Brand Assets
At the end of your style guide, be sure to reiterate any visual examples by providing downloadable links to any branded content. This can be anything from logos, graphics, and product labeling to a collection of PDFs that accurately represent the goals of the company.
Stay Current with Software and Trends
Many graphic designers choose to use the software in Adobe Creative Cloud to help create a style guide with consistency and a clear set of guidelines. Adobe offers a helpful explanation on creating a brand guide with their Creative Cloud software, specifically focusing on tools like Adobe Stock, Photoshop, InDesign, and Behance. There are many other software options that designers can utilize when creating a style guide for a brand, though this will depend on the company’s mission and overall goals. When creating a completely new style guide for a client, be sure to highlight their unique core values and personality in your presentation.
Creating a successful style guide requires the use of industry software, though these programs can update as technology advances over time. Those who are new to the field of design should consider taking graphic design classes to ensure they have the fundamental software skills needed to create a professional style guide or follow the rules set in with an existing guide. Designers who are working to create a style guide for a brand should ensure their resume and information is up-to-date, as this can help with your credibility and reputation.
If you are new to creative design or it’s been some time since you’ve had to craft a style guide, consider signing up for a live online graphic design bootcamp class. These courses are held remotely, meaning students can learn from home and eliminate the need for stressful commutes. Bootcamp courses are different from other class options, as they provide an immersive curriculum that even beginners can take to help prepare them for a career change into the design industry. If you are ready to refresh your design skills or want to switch careers, start by searching for graphic design bootcamps in your area to get an idea of what options are available for you.