Brand guidelines: how to set your logo, colors, fonts and voice
Brand guidelines are one document with the rules for your logo, colors, fonts, imagery and voice, so anyone who makes something for your project uses them the same way. Write them once your concept is ready and your name is settled, before you make ads, a site or packaging.
A branch of the project map: Marketing · Packaging
Where to start with brand guidelines
Define your brand identity and audience
Write down who you sell to and what your brand should feel like to them. The term «What Is Brand Identity?» in the library explains what belongs here and what comes later.
Set the logo, colors and fonts
Pick a logo, a color palette with exact codes, and one or two typefaces, then write the rules for their use. The «Logo and brand identity» group covers each of these.
Write your voice and tone
Describe how your brand talks, with sample phrases you use and phrases you avoid. The guide on brand voice and tone sits in the same group.
Put it into one document
Start from the Brand guidelines template and collect references for imagery on the Brand Mood Board Template. Keep the file where everyone who writes or designs for you can open it.
Decide what to hand off
The Brand stage of Go to market covers your name and its domain, then the visual side and the voice; it costs $99 once and needs your concept first. Registering a trademark stays your job.
Ask FoxGuides by topic
A guide with a link is written and checked by the editor; one marked «soon» is being written.
Logo and brand identity
The logo, colors, fonts and voice: what you need from day one.
- How to Create Brand Guidelines Step by StepBuild brand guidelines from your identity, logo, colors, fonts, and voice into one document your team actually uses.soon
- Brand Guidelines Examples From Brands That Get It RightStudy real brand guidelines from well-known companies and see what you can borrow for your own brand book.soon
- Brand Guidelines vs. Style Guide: What's the Difference?How brand guidelines, a style guide, and brand identity differ so you know which document you need.soon
- How to Define Your Brand Voice and ToneDefine how your brand sounds, and adapt your tone across platforms without losing a consistent voice.soon
- How to Choose a Brand Color PalettePick primary and accent brand colors, set the codes, and write rules for how you use them.soon
- How to Choose Brand Fonts and TypographyChoose a font pairing for your brand and set clear typography rules for headings, body text, and the web.soon
- How to Design a Logo for Your BrandGo from a brand idea to a simple, memorable logo, whether you design it yourself or brief a designer.
- How to Name a BusinessBuild a long list, test each name five ways, check it against local rivals and clear it before you register.
- Logo Usage Guidelines: Rules for Using Your LogoSet clear space, minimum size, color versions, and do-and-don't rules so others use your logo correctly.soon
- How to Set Imagery and Photography GuidelinesDescribe the photos, illustrations, and icons that fit your brand so every visual feels like it belongs.soon
- How to Define Your Brand PersonalityDescribe your brand as a person with clear traits that guide your visuals, voice, and every customer touchpoint.soon
- How to Create a Brand Mood BoardCollect colors, images, and type samples into a mood board that sets the visual direction for your brand.soon
- Common Branding Mistakes to AvoidSpot the branding mistakes that make small brands look inconsistent, and learn how to fix them early.soon
- When and How to Update Your Brand GuidelinesKnow when your brand guidelines need a refresh, and update them without breaking consistency across channels.soon
- Brand Guidelines for AI-Generated ContentWrite rules for using AI tools on your brand's copy and visuals so the output stays on brand.soon
- How to Share Brand Guidelines With Freelancers and AgenciesPackage and share your brand guidelines so freelancers, agencies, and new hires can create on-brand work fast.soon
The topic's terms and templates
One library for the whole site: the terms live in the Glossary, the files in Templates.
Terms
Templates
What does the step for you
The Lab's tools and Go to market on the section's topic.
Go to market: brand
- Brand — the name, the domain, the logo, the colors, the voice.
The concept comes first. Go to market is built on the concept of a checked idea: first the check and the concept, then Go to market.
What stays yours: registering a trademark — we do not file it
Questions
What should a small business brand guide include?
At minimum it has your logo and its usage rules, your color palette with exact codes, your fonts, your imagery style and your voice with examples. The Brand guidelines template in the library has a section for each of these.
What is the difference between brand identity and brand guidelines?
Brand identity is the set of elements people recognize: the name, logo, colors, type and voice. Brand guidelines are the written rules for using those elements. The terms «What Is Brand Identity?» and «What Is a Style Guide?» in the library define both.
Should I write brand guidelines before I have customers?
Yes, a short version is enough at launch. It keeps your site and your ads consistent from the first day, and you can revise it after you see how buyers respond.
Do I need a trademark before I finish my brand guide?
You can write the guide first, but check that your name and logo are free to use before you print or spend on ads. Registering a trademark stays your job; we do not file it.
Who should own the brand guidelines on a small team?
Give one person the final say, often the founder, and let everyone else suggest changes to that person. Date each version so freelancers and contractors know which file is current, and store it with the other files of the library.
Can I get a logo, colors and voice made for me?
The Brand stage of Go to market makes the name, the domain, the logo, the colors and the voice as part of 13 steps, for $99 once. It needs a finished concept, and the details are under «What Go to market makes» on this page.
How we made this page. The list of guides is our map of this sub-hub's topics: a guide with a link is built and checked by an editor, and the others are marked planned on their cards. The terms and templates come from the site's one library, «Glossary» and «Templates», and this page lists the ones brand work needs. The section on what Go to market makes states the Brand stage and its price from our price list, plus what stays your job. Prepared on 14 October 2026.
Kirill Smolin, editor
It all starts with a check
Check an idea for free, get a concept and go to market — and the project gets its map.