Brand Guidelines in One Page — Field Notes #2
Brand Guidelines in One Page — Field Notes #2. If your brand feels fuzzy to you, it’s fog to your audience. Let’s make it obvious and repeatable.
Content that works trades novelty for usefulness repeated consistently.
Steps
- Document decisions in one page — People use what they can read in two minutes.
- Define the audience and their stakes — Name who loses what if nothing changes; real stakes sharpen choices.
- State the promise in plain words — Avoid poetry; say the outcome a buyer can point to later.
- Design constraints before concepts — Constraints produce coherence; they are not creative jail.
Why this matters: People use what they can read in two minutes. In branding, consistency is a function of decisions captured and reused.
Why this matters: Name who loses what if nothing changes; real stakes sharpen choices. In branding, consistency is a function of decisions captured and reused.
Why this matters: Avoid poetry; say the outcome a buyer can point to later. In branding, consistency is a function of decisions captured and reused.
Why this matters: Constraints produce coherence; they are not creative jail. In branding, consistency is a function of decisions captured and reused.
Toolkit
- Voice ladder — From formal to playful with examples for each channel.
- Palette tokens — CSS variables / design tokens for color and spacing across apps.
- Positioning line — For [audience] who struggle with [problem], we deliver [outcome], proven by [proof].
How to use it: From formal to playful with examples for each channel. Save the final in a shared doc; link from tickets so execution matches intent.
How to use it: CSS variables / design tokens for color and spacing across apps. Save the final in a shared doc; link from tickets so execution matches intent.
How to use it: For [audience] who struggle with [problem], we deliver [outcome], proven by [proof]. Save the final in a shared doc; link from tickets so execution matches intent.
Example
A dev‑tools startup replaced clever taglines with a plain promise and saw demo requests up 34% in six weeks.
Common Pitfalls & Fixes
- Collecting adjectives — Translate adjectives into constraints (type size, palette count, tone limits).
- Logo first — Write positioning before pixels; a logo is a receipt for choices.
- Feature soup — Group features by outcomes buyers feel; features support, outcomes sell.
Fix: Translate adjectives into constraints (type size, palette count, tone limits). Add it to your operating checklist so teams don’t drift next sprint.
Related Articles
- Rebrands Without Burning Goodwill — Playbook #2
- UX Writing That Sounds Like You — Deep Dive #2
- Case Studies with a Plot — Guide #2
- Competitor Teardowns the Right Way — Pro Tips #2
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