Brand Guidelines
A single source of truth for guidelines that make brands consistent and alive.
What are brand guidelines, and why do they matter?
Brand guidelines are the playbook for how your brand shows up in the world. They connect logos, colors, typefaces, and tone of voice into a unified identity that feels consistent and recognizable across every touchpoint. At their best, guidelines don’t just protect the brand — they make it easier for teams to bring it to life.
What are the risks of not having proper brand guidelines in place?
- Inconsistent visuals that make your brand feel less trustworthy.
- Marketing teams wasting time reinventing layouts and assets.
- External partners “guessing” your brand voice or colors.
- Harder to scale campaigns and content without creating brand debt.
In what formats can brand guidelines be delivered?
That depends on the client’s preference. Our default is a digital brand guide — a living space on your own site (e.g. website*.com/brandguide*). Unlike a static PDF, this format:
- Feels exciting to explore and easy to share.
- Stays up to date as your brand evolves.
- Makes guidelines accessible to anyone — no searching through old files.
We can also deliver traditional PDF if that’s what your team prefers.
What’s included in a typical brand guideline?
- Logo usage and variations
- Color palette and typography
- Imagery, iconography and graphic elements
- Tone of voice and messaging principles
- Examples of good and exciting brand applications
How do brand guidelines help internal teams and external partners?
They give everyone the same book to play by. For internal teams, that means less time debating colors or styles and more time focusing on content and campaigns. For external partners, it shortens onboarding and ensures work feels on-brand from day one. Ultimately, guidelines save time, reduce errors, and keep the brand recognizable no matter who touches it.
What is your approach to balancing consistency with creative flexibility?
We see guidelines as guardrails, not handcuffs. They set the boundaries that keep a brand recognizable, while leaving room for creativity inside those lines. And because we treat them as living systems, they can evolve over time – adapting as the brand grows without losing its core identity.
How is Oimachi’s approach to brand guidelines different from others?
Two things set us apart:
- We don’t just hand over a PDF. We build living, digital guidelines on your own website — powered by our own unique component system. This makes them easier to use, more engaging to explore, and directly connected to the design system behind your site.
- Because we both design and implement websites, our guidelines aren’t abstract. They’re tied to the actual components, assets, and workflows your team uses — making them far more actionable than a typical brand book.
