Creating a Brand Style Guide
How to document your brand’s colors, fonts, images, messaging, and design rules so every page stays visually consistent.
What You’ll Learn
- What a brand style guide is and why your website needs one.
- The essential components: colors, typography, icons, spacing, imagery.
- How to organize rules in a clear, reusable format.
- How to document brand voice, messaging, and tone.
- How to apply the guide across WordPress + Elementor consistently.
What Is a Brand Style Guide?
A brand style guide is a single reference document containing all design rules and visual elements that define your brand. It ensures consistency across your website, marketing materials, social media, and anything new you build later.
A good style guide answers:
- What colors do we use?
- Which fonts and text sizes are allowed?
- What type of images should we choose?
- How should we format spacing, buttons, icons, and layout?
- What is our brand voice and writing style?
Core Sections of a Brand Style Guide
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Brand Identity Overview
Describe the foundational elements of your brand.
- Brand purpose: Why you exist.
- Target audience: Quick description of who you serve.
- Brand personality: 3–5 adjectives (e.g., friendly, modern, bold).
- Brand message: 1–2 sentences summarizing what you deliver.
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Color Palette
Document exact color hex codes and rules for using them.
- Primary color: CTAs, buttons, links, highlights.
- Secondary color: Supporting accent or section highlights.
- Neutral palette: Backgrounds, borders, text.
- Usage rules: Show examples of where each color is applied.
- Contrast requirements: Accessible combinations for text.
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Typography
Define your type hierarchy for headings, body text, and UI elements.
- Font families: Primary + secondary fonts.
- Heading scale: H1–H6 sizes, weights, spacing.
- Body text: Size (16–18px), line height, paragraph spacing.
- Usage examples: Headline + subheadline + paragraph example blocks.
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Imagery & Photography Style
Explain how to choose and edit images to maintain consistency.
- Lighting style (warm, cool, neutral).
- Editing style (saturation, contrast, clarity).
- Composition (rule of thirds, negative space, framing).
- Aspect ratios for heroes, blog images, cards.
- Examples of on-brand and off-brand photos.
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Icons and Graphics
Document the rules for icon usage and visual consistency.
- Icon style: stroke or fill.
- Stroke weight (e.g., 1.5px) and corner radius.
- Icon sizes (e.g., 16, 20, 24, 32px).
- Color rules (inherit
currentColor). - Where icons should and shouldn’t be used.
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Layout & Spacing System
Define your structural layout patterns and spacing rules.
- Section padding (e.g., 40–60px).
- Column padding (e.g., 24–40px).
- Component spacing scale (8, 16, 24, 40, 60px).
- Grid width (content max width: 1100–1200px).
- Alignment guidelines: left-align for long text.
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Buttons & UI Components
Document design tokens and UI rules.
- Primary button (shape, color, hover state).
- Secondary button.
- Form field styling: border radius, padding, focus state.
- Checkmarks, badges, alerts.
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Brand Voice & Writing Style
Your website’s messaging should follow the same tone everywhere.
- 3–5 adjectives describing your tone (e.g., encouraging, expert, conversational).
- Grammar rules: contractions, sentence length.
- Formatting rules: bullets, headings, CTA wording.
- Examples of on-brand vs off-brand writing.
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Logo Usage Rules
Ensure your logo always appears clean and readable.
- Safe space around the logo.
- Minimum display size.
- Approved variations (full color, white, black).
- Background rules to maintain contrast.
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Real-World Examples
Show your brand rules in action.
- Homepage layout example.
- Service card example.
- Hero section example.
How to Format Your Brand Style Guide
- PDF Version: Great for sharing with teams or contractors.
- Web Page Version: Ideal if you update often (use Elementor).
- Notion or Google Doc: Quick to maintain and link assets.
- Brand Folder: Store logos, icons, presets, and templates.
Implementing Your Guide in WordPress + Elementor
- Set Global Colors: Add your full palette in Site Settings.
- Set Global Typography: Apply heading scale + body text rules.
- Save Reusable Components: Buttons, cards, icons, forms.
- Document Templates: Save page layouts to reuse the same spacing system.
- Image Guidelines: Apply consistent crops and overlays for hero sections.
Hands-On: Build Your Style Guide (15–30 minutes)
- Create a new blank page in WordPress or Canva.
- Add your color palette and hex codes.
- Add your font families and heading scale.
- Create example image blocks showing on-brand photos.
- Add icons and button styling.
- Include a sample hero section that reflects your brand’s layout and tone.
Quick Style Guide Checklist
- Documented color palette with usage rules.
- Typography scale clearly defined.
- Image style with examples.
- Icon style (stroke, weight, color).
- Button & form styles documented.
- Spacing & layout system defined.
- Voice, tone, and messaging rules.
- Logo usage guidelines included.