We will start this article assuming you already know how important it is to have a brand manual. You probably already have one and are not sure how to use it. A quick Google search will bring up hundreds of posts about how to make one, the things it should include and how important it is. But it’s harder to find someone to tell you how to use your brand manual once you have one.
At Hey Design we specialize in branding and visual identity development and many of our clients receive their final delivery package very happily. However, after a few weeks they ask us “what do I do now?” . The answer is that your logo, graphic elements and brand manual are there for when you have something concrete to do with them.
It may be that you need to create a brochure, a poster, a social media post or a profile on an online platform. Your brand manual will guide you to use the pieces of your graphic identity in the best way without losing visual coherence.
To give you a better idea, every time we develop a new brand our studio delivers more or less the following depending on each project:
1. Logo in vector format
It is an .ai file that you must take care of with your life.
Many people lose this file because they can’t open it (they don’t have the program) but this is the original file that will allow you to use your logo always in the best resolution and size.
It is also the file that any designer you will work with in the future will ask for.
2. Logo in PNG format without background
In all the versions that exist for your brand: monochromatic, horizontal, vertical, black and white, web and print, etc.
These are the files that you will be able to use to create your own designs, to change your profile picture, upload to the Internet or whatever you want according to the context.
3. Graphic elements
Since your brand is not your logo, there are projects whose graphic identity is also seen in collections of icons, graphics, plots and patterns that we also deliver in vector and png format.
These graphic elements will complement your visual identity, allowing all your graphic pieces to be coherent with your brand. You can use them yourself in applications such as Canva or give them to your marketing team, communications or design department.
4. How to use your brand manual
Also known as “Brandbook, Brand Guide or Brand Guidelines” is precisely a guide in PDF format that you should keep together with your vector logo to have always at hand.
As you will see, your brand manual contains a section dedicated to the brand, the values that represent it and the language it uses. Besides all the graphic rules and guidelines to follow. The idea is that this manual is in the possession of all those who work with your brand in one way or another. That includes the marketing team that must generate advertising pieces, strategic partners who must include your logo in their spaces, people who must put together presentations and the web development team. Even if you are just starting out and you are the one who fulfills all those roles, the brand manual will help you to know how to use your logo correctly and the associated graphic elements.
Here are some examples:
- I want to have bags made with my logo, what logo do I use?
- A: Your brand manual will guide you on which logo to use for the best contrast and visibility according to the background (color of the bag).
- We have a stand with a border where to put our brand.
- A: Your brand manual will tell you how to use your logo in the horizontal version (depending on the case, each identity is different).
- In our restaurant we want to make paper placemats
- A: How about making them with one of your brand patterns?
We hope this article has helped you to clarify the purpose and how to use your brand manual and graphic pieces. We understand that in the beginning you are full of anxiety and excitement to use it all and at Hey Design we will be more than happy to help you with the challenges that arise as your business grows. Don´t hesitate to contact us!