Brand Guidelines in One Page
Brand Guidelines in One Page. The goal isn’t clever—it’s clarity people can repeat after hearing it once.
Personas are forecasts, not fiction. Use jobs, pains, and proof—never stereotypes.
Steps
- Design constraints before concepts — Constraints produce coherence; they are not creative jail.
- State the promise in plain words — Avoid poetry; say the outcome a buyer can point to later.
- List three proof points — Social, data, demos. Proof turns belief into trust.
- Define the audience and their stakes — Name who loses what if nothing changes; real stakes sharpen choices.
Why this matters: Constraints produce coherence; they are not creative jail. 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: Social, data, demos. Proof turns belief into trust. 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.
Toolkit
- 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].
- Voice ladder — From formal to playful with examples for each channel.
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.
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.
Example
A founder started writing one LinkedIn tip daily; inbound doubled in 90 days without ads.
Related Articles
- Finding Your Brand Voice — Playbook #2
- Palette Systems: Color With a Job — Pro Tips #2
- Logo Systems vs. One‑Off Marks
- Taglines: Short, Sharp, True — Field Notes #2
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