Brand Book / Brand Board: Complete guide to mastering your visual identity | Glossary

Design and UI/UX

Visual Identity

What is a Brand Book/Brand Board?

A Brand Book, also known as a Brand Board, is a reference document that compiles all the essential elements of a brand's visual identity. It brings together graphic codes, colors, fonts, logos, authorized uses and variations, as well as rules for application.

The Brand Book serves as a guide to ensure consistency in visual communication across all media, whether print, digital, or promotional.

This document is often intended for marketing and design teams as well as external partners, providing them with a clear framework for implementing the brand image.

Why use a Brand Book/Brand Board and what are its benefits?

Using a Brand Book or Brand Board is essential for maintaining strong visual consistency. This helps preserve the brand's unique identity and strengthen its recognition among the public.

This document prevents errors and inconsistencies in the use of graphic elements. It facilitates collaboration between various internal and external stakeholders by providing clear and precise guidelines.

The Brand Book also improves team productivity by reducing back-and-forth communication related to corrections to graphic elements, and helps build a professional and credible image.

How does the Brand Book/Brand Board work in practice?

The Brand Book is structured around clear sections that present each key element of the graphic charter. It usually includes variations of the logo, the color palette, fonts, rules for use, and examples of application.

It is designed to be a document that is easily accessible and understandable to everyone, often in PDF format, printed or in an interactive digital version.

Marketing teams, graphic designers, designers, and partners refer to the Brand Book to ensure that all visual creations comply with established standards. This guide sometimes evolves over time to adapt to the needs and evolution of the brand.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of the Brand Book/Brand Board?

Advantages:

Ensures strong visual consistency and strict adherence to brand identity.
Facilitates communication between teams and with external partners.
Reduces the risk of errors and inconsistencies in the application of graphic elements.
Improves productivity and speed in the creation of media.

Disadvantages:

May require an initial investment of time to create and update.
Risks of rigidity if too many strict rules limit creativity.
May be underutilized if teams are not trained or made aware of its importance.

Concrete examples and use cases of Brand Book / Brand Board

A fashion company uses a Brand Book to precisely define the colors of its logos, the fonts to be used, and the style of photos on its marketing materials.

A digital start-up implements an interactive digital Brand Board accessible to all its employees to ensure visual consistency across its websites, applications, and social media channels.

A communications agency creates a comprehensive Brand Book for a client to provide clear guidance to various service providers (printers, web designers, advertisers) on how to adhere to the defined visual identity.

The best resources and tools for Brand Book / Brand Board

FAQ

What are the differences between a Brand Book and a Brand Board?

A Brand Book is often a comprehensive and detailed document that includes all the rules for using the brand, while a Brand Board is generally a more visual, concise, and accessible medium, sometimes consisting of a single page.

Can a Brand Book be used for a small business?

Yes, a Brand Book is useful for businesses of all sizes because it ensures that the visual identity remains consistent, which is essential even for small organizations wishing to professionalize.

How to effectively update a Brand Book?

Updates to a Brand Book should be planned regularly, in consultation with the teams concerned, in order to incorporate changes to the brand and new visual media.