What is a brand book and why your business needs it?

Artem Dovgopol

Brand book helps you understand how your business should be perceived in the eyes of customers. It doesn’t limit, but opens up opportunities for growth and brand development, laying the foundation for its true uniqueness 😉

Key takeaways👌

Introduction

So we’ve all been there, right? Jumping into a website and seeing all the…mess – weird logo, a very interesting choice of the main font and color palette – like you’re in some retro-design museum. One of the bad ones, though. That’s why you need a brand book – designers can easily go wild, and this set of rules should keep them in check. Brandbook usually includes all the elements of the brand, including crucial UI buttons, as well as less important chat windows and sound effects.

With its help, team members, developers, and designers can create a unified and professional image of the company.

Some of the things that you can find in an average brand book: Specifications for logo, What colors to apply to UI elements, What fonts to use, And even how to communicate with the clients (ToV, in other words)

So yes, it’s not only about the visuals, but the whole idea of how clients see you and your brand, how understandable it is, and how recognizable.

Why do you need a brand book?

Now that we’ve got the main gist of what exactly a brand book is, let’s look into why you actually need it:

• Keeping brand consistency stable. Strict rules can help your team keep your project same and comfortably familiar no matter the platform. Consistent brands create a sense of trust and professionalism – both are very good for profits.
• Communicating with partners in a simpler manner. If your team uses outsourcing design or developing agencies, a proper brand book will make your interactions much easier – you won’t have to explain every feature and element a dozen times.
• Fortifying the brand’s ideas and values. Each business should have a certain idea or philosophy to it, even if it’s a simple shawarma stand. Brand book carves this philosophy in one, physical carrier, allowing teams to focus on creating unified and consistent content.
• Building the brand’s professional image. A proper brand book can make even the beginning companies professional and well-versed. First impression is everything, you know.

Imagine your brand as a ship sailing through the vast ocean of the market. Without a clear plan and a map, it will drift aimlessly, losing its course. A brand book is your navigational chart, guiding your brand with confidence and certainty while strengthening customer trust.

Brand book’s elements

Brand books can be big. Like, really big. It can include everything from interface elements depending on what business is all about. Some features, however, a widely present in almost every brand book you’ll encounter:

• Logo and how it’s supposed to be used. The logo is one of the most important parts of the brand, there’s no denying that. The brand book must contain info on how it should look, feel, smell, and how it can be modified for different platforms. Restrictions are also often mentioned, with things like unacceptable background or placement.
• Color palette. Colors are important. The brand book must contain acceptable colors, their codes (HEX, RGB, Pantone, etc), their combinations, and their allowed combinations in different content – from messenger avatar icons to website.
• Typography. Fonts can be a difference between recognition and complete visual chaos. The brand book contains all the info on what fonts can be used, how they can be colored, and how they change in different parts of the text – headers, paragraphs, etc. Sometimes it goes as deep as including technicalities such as intervals between paragraphs, line height, and other intricacies. NO MORE COMIC SANS on the first page of your brand book also counts.
• ToV of communication. How does your brand communicate with its clients? Are you all chill and friendly like our style at Toimi, or something more formal and cold? The first one might work for modern youth-orientated companies, but won’t work for private-jet rental – you’ve got the idea. The brand book should contain all the relevant information on to what phrases use, how to structure them, and how to communicate with the clients.
• Photographic style. This one might look like a Pinterest moodboard, but is also vital. What images and photos can your brand use? What photographic spirit does your brand have, if any at all? Keeping harmony between text and visual info is as important as a functional website.

And a bit more about colors…

Read our Color and psychology: How to choose the right palette for your website if you want to get a hang of color theory without expensive courses

How to create a brand book?

Smaller companies that just starting out spend days calibrating and adjusting their brand books and for a good reason – this process requires your utmost attention and a very good understanding of both your brand and your audience. Here are the main steps you should take in consideration:

• Understand your brand’s main idea and goal. First things first - have a clear understanding of what your project is all about. What are its philosophy and values? Who’s the target audience, and what are their pains? This will hugely impact the way people interact with your brand. 
• Develop a visual identity. Logo, fonts, colors – everything that determines how the brand looks. 
• Determine the ToV of communication. How will your brand interact with the clients? Do you consider your “brand” formal, casual, easy-going, or maybe friendly? Acceptable amount of jokes and witty remarks – everything communication-related goes in this section.
• Establishment of all standards. When the main elements are there, strict rules must be developed to help the team use them. Acceptable combinations of elements, fonts, color schemes, and backgrounds.
• Finishing touches. Gather everything together, throw in some glue and some good intentions, and finally put your final draft for the team’s debate. Check with all the partners and team members – is it understandable, clear, and easy to follow? Adjust if necessary.

Conclusion

A brand book is not just a document that sits in an archive. It is a strategic tool that ensures your business remains recognizable, professional, and consistent. Without it, your brand may become diluted and lose its value in the eyes of customers. That’s why creating a brand book is a crucial step that shouldn’t be postponed.

Think of it as an investment—one that maintains harmony and success for your brand at all levels. Be sure to update it as your business and market evolve.

Recommended reading 🤓

"Building a StoryBrand", Donald Miller

A guide to crafting a strong brand using storytelling techniques to capture customer attention and build trust.

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"The Brand Gap", Marty Neumeier

Explains how to bridge the gap between brand strategy and design to create an effective and recognizable brand.

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"Designing Brand Identity", Alina Wheeler

A comprehensive guide to building and managing a brand’s visual identity, from strategic planning to execution.

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