ARTICLE SUMMARY: As designers we love guidelines, they provide structure, consistency, and clarity throughout the design process. Guidelines help speed up production and helps teams scale their work efficiently. What’s not to love?
While brand guidelines are still at the top of the list when it comes to branding, are guidelines enough, or is there more that designers can do to help their brand succeed. The answer to that question is yes. To do more you need a “Brand Playbook,” something that will amplify your brand mission and vision, core values, and brand personality. You want to develop actions that convey your brand position that reflects your core values.
“Your Brand Guidelines Are Not Enough” by Michelle Wiles takes a deeper look at why brand guidelines, while important, are not enough to ensure success. In an effort to help you increase your chances of success, Michelle gives you the tools to create your own brand “play book”. She talks about:
- Why most brand guidelines aren’t very good
- From Brand Guidelines to Brand Playbook
- How to build a Brand Playbook
A brand playbook is the single source of how a brand should look, sound and behave. It makes sure there is brand consistency, clarity, and cohesion across all platforms, teams, and customer interactions. The goal is to build a well-defined brand that feels more professional, memorable, and trustworthy.
Michelle Wiles reminds us, “As your you execute new ideas, your Brand Playbook should update as well with the latest campaigns, products, and activations. Over time, your Brand Playbook will get stronger. And every new team member will have a better idea of how to make it more distinctive.”
This is a great article with good advice and examples to follow. Let us know what you think in the comments.
