Annotated Guidelines

Published brand guidelines, annotated

Twelve brand guides that companies and public bodies publish, from Mailchimp to the NHS, each with its best rules quoted with notes, and what it leaves out.

Twelve published brand guides each have their own page. Each page says what the guide covers and what it leaves out. It also quotes the best rules word for word, with a note on each. We chose them for variety, and because each guide does at least one part of a guide well. No guide is perfect, and the gaps are as useful as the rules.

GuideWhere it is publishedBest parts to learn from
MailchimpWebsiteVoice and tone, Words and style
GOV.UKWebsiteWords and style, Voice and tone
MicrosoftWebsiteWords and style, Voice and tone
NHSWebsiteLogo, Color
IBMWebsiteColor, Typography
MozillaWebsite (Frontify portal)Positioning and messaging, Logo
SpotifyWebsiteLogo, Color
AtlassianWebsiteLogo, Voice and tone
ShopifyWebsite, with Markdown copiesWords and style, Voice and tone
DropboxWebsite and a legal pagePositioning and messaging, Logo
GitHubWebsite, PDF and Figma filesLogo, Color
ExperianWebsiteUsing AI, Photography and imagery

How to use these pages

Read the guide that is most like yours first: the guide of a software company, of a public service, or of a design system. Then read the part pages, for example voice or logo. These pages put quotes from several guides next to each other.

Every quote links to the page that it comes from, and shows the date that it was checked. Guides change, so follow the link before you depend on a rule.