Each and every design has certain duties. Whether it’s on the web or a part of traditional marketing, each piece needs to capture attention and send a message. Now, the ways in which you can do this are abundant. There really aren’t any rules when it comes to design…except one… Stick to the style guide.

What is a style guide?

A style guide is a document that lays out all design aspects of a company’s brand. This can be simple or complex depending on the size and preferences of the company. Style guides can include any information that a company deems as important to their brand design. This can include the following and more:

• Fonts used (designated for headers, sub-headers, paragraph and more)
• Colors used (primary, secondary and tertiary)
• Proper uses of a logo (color variations, using the tagline)
• An icon library
• Proper uses of photography

Below are examples of information to include in a style guide. At Orbit, we like to use visual examples for brand guidelines. This makes each instruction understandable, no matter the reader.\

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Why do I need a style guide?

Style guides are particularly helpful when multiple people or groups will be working on your company’s marketing. Whether you are working with an agency or an internal marketing team, you want to keep your brand and your look consistent.

At Orbit Design, we have worked with a number of universities and colleges. Universities are the perfect example of organizations that need a style guide. With all the different departments creating their own marketing, it is important that each person understands how to keep with the university brand. While each department wants free-reign on their creative work, there are certain unbreakable rules.

How do I stick to a style guide?

Your company’s style guide is your design bible; everything it says is law. If you have questions about using a variety of logos or switching up colors, contact your company’s main marketing team. It’s better to ask for permission with design, rather than completely redoing your work.

Determining what you need in a style guide can be intimidating. Let us help! At Orbit, we can walk you through a thorough branding, defining the design aspects that are important to you. If you already have your brand established, we can help you put together an all-inclusive guide to distribute to your team! Contact our design team today.