BRAND GUIDELINES DEVELOPMENT

Brand guidelines are generally unique to the organization they represent, taking into account the style and tone that best matches that business. However, all useful guides should feature at least some of the following brand assets:

• Key information or guidance on how to use the guide,
• Logo or lockup details,
• Color palette (primary and possibly secondary) to be used in branded collateral,
• Typography selections (featuring a few styles and use cases),
• Graphic elements and photography examples,
• Brand voice examples,
• Templates that might be used by the company for branded communications,
• And more.

Each of these brand assets point to more consistent and unique branding, and they form the foundation for the brand style guide services we offer to our clients at Waltz.

Brand guidelines are only valuable when they're actually used. That's why we focus on creating practical, accessible documents that teams can easily reference and follow. Rather than developing complex manuals that sit on shelves, we build guidelines that serve as reliable working tools for maintaining brand consistency across all your communications.

For every brand guidelines development project we take on, we start with a comprehensive discovery phase. This helps us understand your existing brand elements, assess what's already been established and identify any gaps or inconsistencies in your guidelines.

Then, we conduct a detailed audit and workshop with your stakeholders to understand how your brand is currently used across different departments and touchpoints. This reveals where clear guidance is most needed.

The next step involves organizing and codifying all your brand elements into a comprehensive, user-friendly document. We take your established logo, colors, typography, voice, and other brand assets and create clear rules for how they should be applied consistently.

The final phase focuses on making the guidelines practical and actionable. We work with your team to ensure the document includes real-world examples, do's and don'ts, and templates that make it easy for anyone in your organization to maintain brand consistency. And for those who prefer online brand guidelines, we can build an online brand portal, like our own Waltz Creative online brand guide.

We know brand guidelines are only valuable if people actually use them, so we create documents that are both comprehensive and accessible, ensuring your brand maintains its integrity across every touchpoint when that proverbial curtain rises.