A practical checklist of what brand guidelines should include, from logo files to tone of voice.
The visual identity
These are the parts people ask for most often, so put them first:
- Logo versions - full, icon, light and dark - with clear space and minimum size
- Colours with HEX, RGB and CMYK values
- Fonts, their weights, and where each one is used
- Imagery: photo style, illustrations and icons
- Examples of correct and incorrect use
The words and the foundation
Guidelines are not only visual. Write down why the brand exists and how it speaks: its mission, vision and values, who it is for, its key messages and taglines, and its voice and tone. These keep copy as consistent as design.
How Melon Cut Guidelines organises them
Melon Cut Guidelines has a place for each part: asset libraries of colours, fonts, images, videos, documents, text and links; usage sections that explain them; 16 kinds of brand foundation, from About and Mission to Voice & Tone and Legal & Compliance; and systems - complete looks with colour slots, fonts and logos.