What brand guidelines are, and what makes them work
Brand guidelines are the rules and real files that keep a brand consistent. What a guide contains, who reads it, and one published guide annotated.
Brand guidelines are the rules and files that tell people how to present a brand. They cover the logo and how to use it, the colors and fonts, and the kind of pictures. They also cover how the brand sounds and the words that it uses. Other names for them are a brand guide, a brand book, and a style guide. With good guidelines, a person who never met the brand team can make work that looks and sounds right.
What a guide contains
Most guides cover the same ten parts, in approximately this order. Each part has its own page on this site.
- 01Positioning and messagingWho the brand is for and what it says about itself.2 excerpts
- 02LogoVersions, clear space, minimum size and misuse.8 excerpts
- 03ColorExact values for screen and print, and how much of each color to use.8 excerpts
- 04TypographyFonts, weights and sizes, and where to get the files.7 excerpts
- 05Photography and imageryWhat to show and what to avoid.5 excerpts
- 06Icons and illustrationStyle rules and the source files.3 excerpts
- 07Voice and toneHow the brand sounds, and how that changes by situation.8 excerpts
- 08Words and styleSpelling, product names, and words to use and avoid.8 excerpts
- 09Layout and templatesGrids, spacing and the templates to start from.2 excerpts
- 10Using AIWhich tools to use, what AI can make, and who checks the work.8 excerpts
A guide does not need all ten parts on the first day. A small company can start with the logo, color, typography, and voice. It can add the other parts when people need them.
Who reads it
- Designers and writers in the company, who make everyday work.
- Agencies, freelancers, and partners, who see the brand from outside and cannot ask a colleague.
- Developers, who need values that they can paste: color codes, font names, and spacing.
- AI agents such as Claude, ChatGPT, and Cursor, which now make more of the everyday work. They read the guide literally. What changes when agents read it.
What makes a rule work
A rule works when a person who was not in the meeting can follow it. Six things make that possible. They are an exact value, a right and a wrong example, where the rule applies, the reason, the real file, and a date. More on each.
One published guide, annotated
The NHS identity guidelines cover almost every part of a guide. Here are some of its rules, each with a note on what makes it work.
Logo
For digital applications, the exclusion area is equivalent to half the height of the NHS logo. This area must always be kept clear.
Has: exact value, where it applies. Sets a smaller clear space for screens than for print, measured in logo heights so it scales.
Logo
The NHS logo cannot be reversed out of any colour other than NHS Blue. This is because NHS Blue is the colour that the public expect, and recognise, to represent the NHS.
Has: right and wrong, reason. States the rule and the reason, beside pictures of acceptable and unacceptable backgrounds.
Color
Pantone: 300 CMYK: 99/50/0/0 RGB: 0/94/184 #005EB8 RAL: 5017
Has: exact value. One color in five systems, with RAL for paint and signs. On the page, the values are on separate lines.
Color
Our research shows that patients and the public strongly associate the NHS with the colours blue and white. 87% of people spontaneously recall these two colours when asked about the NHS Identity.
Has: reason. Grounds the blue and white rule in a survey figure rather than taste.
Typography
The core NHS font is Frutiger and the secondary font is Arial. These fonts should be used for all NHS communications. No other fonts should be used, even if your NHS communications are aimed at a specific target audience (e.g. children).
Has: exact value, where it applies. Names both fonts and closes the special-audience exception before anyone asks for it.
Photography and imagery
Where possible, photography should feature real NHS patients and staff. Ensure the appropriate consent is obtained and records are kept.
Has: exact value. Says who to photograph and adds the consent step, but the page shows no example photos.
Voice and tone
If you are writing to patients and the public, make sure your style is both personal and direct. Your written communication should be capable of being spoken out loud and sound as if it is being addressed to an individual.
Has: exact value, where it applies. Gives a test a writer can run: read it aloud as if to one person.
Layout and templates
Any other formats should be sized proportionally, or should replicate the size and margin of the closest format shown here. For example, a square A4 format (210mm x 210mm) should use the size and margin guidelines for A4.
Has: where it applies, exact value. Covers the formats the size table leaves out, with a worked example.
The full page is NHS identity guidelines, annotated.
Do you want a tool to write the first draft?
Some tools write a first draft from your website or from a few answers. Guidelines Tested runs those tools on the same brand and compares what each tool gets right. Use the ten parts and the six things on this site to find the gaps in the draft.