Apply your company's brand identity to any artifact—presentations, documents, reports. Covers colors, typography, design rules, logo usage, tone. Or create brand guidelines from scratch. Trigger on: apply brand, brand consistency, style guide, brand guidelines, match our brand, design system...
Instrucciones de origen · Vista previa de solo lectura
name
Brand Guidelines
description
Apply your company's brand identity to any artifact—presentations, documents, reports. Covers colors, typography, design rules, logo usage, tone. Or create brand guidelines from scratch. Trigger on: apply brand, brand consistency, style guide, brand guidelines, match our brand, design system...
dependencies
[]
author
Harmony
version
1.0.0
icon
sparkles
cover
screenshots
[]
category
Marketing
Purpose
Brand consistency builds trust and professionalism. But translating brand guidelines into actual presentations, documents, and reports is often overlooked, leaving artifacts looking disconnected or amateurish. This skill helps you apply your company's brand identity consistently—from color palettes and typography to layout and tone of voice. If you don't have formal guidelines yet, this skill also walks you through defining one from scratch.
Highest level (H1): Largest, boldest, most color emphasis (e.g., deck title, document title)
Section headers (H2): Medium size, slightly less emphasis, consistent color (usually primary or neutral dark)
Sub-headers (H3): Smaller, lighter weight, same family, clear distinction from H2
Body text: Most readable size (typically 10-14pt), neutral color (dark gray or black), generous line-height (1.4-1.6)
Captions/labels: Small, lighter weight, secondary color or neutral gray
Test readability: print your artifact at actual size and stand 3 feet away. Can you still read the hierarchy?
7. Lock Down Spacing and Layout
Consistent spacing builds visual rhythm. Define your grid:
Margins: All sides [Xpx] or [Xcm] (e.g., 1 inch on all sides for documents, 0.5 inch for slides)
Padding inside boxes/cards: [Xpx] (e.g., 16px inside a callout box)
Space between sections: [Xpx] (e.g., 32px between major sections)
Space between elements within a section: [Xpx] (e.g., 12px between list items)
Use a consistent grid (e.g., 8px or 12px) so all spacing is a multiple of your base unit.
8. Apply Logo and Visual Identity
Documents: Logo in header (top left or center), small size (0.5-1 inch wide)
Presentations: Logo on title slide (prominent), footer on all other slides (small, bottom right)
Reports: Logo on cover page and header/footer of each page
Dashboards: Logo in top-left corner (small) or omit if space is constrained
For imagery (if applicable):
Use consistent photography style (if it's portraits, all portraits; if it's lifestyle, all lifestyle; if it's abstract, all abstract)
Apply consistent filters or tone (if moody, all moody; if bright, all bright)
Ensure images support your positioning and tone
9. Ensure Tone is Consistent
Review your copy:
Are headers in active voice and action-oriented?
Are you using your defined voice (formal, conversational, etc.)?
Are you avoiding jargon (unless audience is technical)?
Are you using second-person ("you") when appropriate?
Do key phrases match your brand voice examples?
Rewrite anything that feels off-brand.
10. Audit and Iterate
Before finalizing:
Print or view at actual size (not just on screen)
Check all headings for readability and hierarchy
Ensure color contrast meets accessibility standards (AA or AAA)
Verify logo placement and sizing
Confirm spacing is consistent throughout
Get feedback from someone who knows your brand; do they recognize it?
Take a screenshot and compare side-by-side with other branded artifacts; does it match?
Fix any inconsistencies before sharing.
Output Format
Brand Toolkit (to save and reuse)
# [Company Name] Brand Guidelines## Color Palette**Primary Color:** [Name] #[HEX]
- Use for: Main CTAs, key headlines, brand emphasis
- CMYK: [values] | RGB: [values]
**Secondary Color:** [Name] #[HEX]
- Use for: Supporting elements, secondary CTAs, section dividers
- CMYK: [values] | RGB: [values]
**Accent Color:** [Name] #[HEX]
- Use for: Alerts, callouts, important data highlighting
- CMYK: [values] | RGB: [values]
**Neutrals:**- Light Background: #[HEX] (name: [e.g., Off-White])
- Body Text: #[HEX] (name: [e.g., Dark Gray])
- Supporting Gray: #[HEX]
## Typography**Headings:** [Font Name] ([font-family])
- H1: [Size]pt, [Weight], Line Height [X], Color: [color]
- H2: [Size]pt, [Weight], Line Height [X], Color: [color]
- H3: [Size]pt, [Weight], Line Height [X], Color: [color]
**Body:** [Font Name] ([font-family])
- Standard: [Size]pt, Regular, Line Height [X], Color: #[HEX]
- Small/Caption: [Size]pt, Regular, Color: #[HEX]
*Example heading:***H2 example text in your heading font***Example body:* This is an example of your body font at standard reading size.
## Logo Usage**Primary Logo:** [Filename or description]
- Use when: Horizontal space available, professional context
- Clear space: [Xpx] minimum on all sides
- Minimum width: [Xpx]
**Icon Logo (Mark Only):** [Filename or description]
- Use when: Small spaces, favicons, app icons, social media avatars
- Minimum size: [Xpx]
**Don'ts:**- Do not stretch or distort
- Do not change colors
- Do not rotate
- Do not add effects or shadows
## Voice and Tone
We talk like [3 adjectives]: [e.g., "friendly, expert, action-oriented"].
**Our voice:**
[Provide 3-5 sentences that exemplify how you talk. E.g., "We use active voice and second-person pronouns. We explain complex ideas simply. We're optimistic but not cheesy. We use contractions."]
**Avoid:**- [e.g., Corporate jargon and passive voice]
- [e.g., Overly casual slang]
- [e.g., Negative framing]
## Application Guidelines
| Artifact | Primary Color Use | Typography | Logo | Spacing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Presentation | Section dividers, CTAs | H1 on title slide, H2 for sections | Title slide + footer | 1 inch margins, 0.5 inch between sections |
| Document/Report | Headers, callouts | H1 for doc title, H2 for sections, body 11pt | Header or letterhead | 1 inch margins, 12pt between sections |
| Dashboard | Data highlights, status | H2 for section titles, small labels | Corner (optional) | 16px card padding |
| Email | CTA button, accent text | Subject line bold, body 12pt | Signature | Standard email margins |
---
Last Updated: [Date]
Contact: [Brand Manager Email]
Application Checklist (for any artifact)
# Brand Application Checklist## Colors- [ ] Primary color used for main CTAs and key emphasis
- [ ] Secondary color used for supporting elements
- [ ] Neutral text is dark enough to meet WCAG AA contrast standards
- [ ] Color palette is consistent with other branded artifacts
- [ ] No unexpected colors introduced (rainbow effect avoided)
## Typography- [ ] H1 is used for main title only
- [ ] H2 and H3 follow logical hierarchy
- [ ] Body text is in approved font and size (readable at intended size)
- [ ] All fonts are from approved list (no random substitutions)
- [ ] Line heights are generous (1.4-1.6 for body, more for headers)
## Logo- [ ] Logo is present (and sized appropriately for artifact type)
- [ ] Logo has adequate clear space around it
- [ ] Logo is not stretched, rotated, or color-modified
- [ ] Logo is high resolution (not pixelated)
## Layout and Spacing- [ ] Margins are consistent (e.g., 1 inch on all sides)
- [ ] White space is adequate (not cramped, not empty)
- [ ] Section spacing is consistent throughout
- [ ] Grid is visible and organized (no random positioning)
## Voice and Tone- [ ] Copy is in active voice
- [ ] No jargon that audience wouldn't understand
- [ ] Key phrases match brand voice examples
- [ ] Tone is consistent with audience and context
- [ ] Headers are action-oriented and clear
## Overall- [ ] Artifact is recognizable as part of [Company Name] brand
- [ ] Artifact matches other recent branded work
- [ ] Artifact will be readable when printed or viewed at actual size
- [ ] No accessibility issues (contrast, text size, color-blind friendly)
Example
Input:
Company: TechForce (fintech startup)
Positioning: "Banking made simple for small businesses"
Audience: Small business owners (non-technical)
Brand: Friendly, expert, action-oriented. Color: Navy blue (primary), Teal (secondary), Orange (accent)
Artifact: Monthly company update presentation (12 slides)
Output: Branded Presentation with Guidelines Applied
---
title: "TechForce Monthly Update — February 2026"
brand: TechForce
apply-guidelines: "Typography (H1 on title, H2 for sections), Colors (navy primary, teal secondary), Logo (footer on each slide), Spacing (0.5 inch margins, 32pt between sections)"
---# Slide 1: Title Slide
[Full-width background: Teal gradient, TechForce logo prominent in top-left corner, white text]
# TechForce Monthly Update
February 2026
> What's shipped. What's coming. What we're grateful for.
---
## Slide 2: Progress Overview
[Background: White, navy footer strip]
### Here's what we shipped
✅ **Instant reconciliation for Square merchants.** Synced 3,200 TechForce users' Square accounts this month. Auto-reconciliation now runs overnight; merchants wake up to balanced books. (Used to take 45 minutes of manual work per week.)
✅ **Improved mobile app stability.** Crushed 12 high-impact bugs from user reports. App crash rate dropped from 0.8% to 0.2%. App store rating improved from 4.1 to 4.4 stars.
✅ **Hired our first customer success manager.** Meet Maya. She's triaging support tickets, identifying patterns, and building a knowledge base so we scale support better. Already cleared a backlog of 47 repeat questions.
[Visual: 3 cards in teal accent boxes, each with icon + headline + 1-2 sentence detail]
---
## Slide 3: What's Coming in March
[Background: White, navy footer strip, navy headers]
### Planning for next month
→ **Payroll integration.** Connecting to ADP and Gusto so payroll syncs automatically into TechForce. Ships mid-March.
→ **Customizable reports.** Merchants keep asking for reports formatted their way. New feature: drag-and-drop report builder. Beta with 20 customers in March.
→ **Android app launch.** Currently iOS-only. Android version is feature-parity and ready for testing. Rolling out to 500 beta users next week.
[Visual: 3 sections with H3 headers, bullets, small orange accent line under each section title]
---
## Slide 4: Metrics + Key Data
[Background: White, navy footer strip]
### How we're tracking
| Metric | This Month | Last Month | Target |
|---|---|---|---|
| Active Users | 12,400 | 11,200 | 15,000 by Q2 |
| App Rating (iOS) | 4.4 ⭐ | 4.1 | 4.5 |
| Support Resolution Time | 18 hours | 22 hours | <12 hours |
| Churn Rate | 2.1% | 2.8% | <1.5% |
[Design: Teal headers, navy text, white background, orange highlight on key number (12,400)]
---
## Slide 5: Grateful For...
[Background: Navy gradient, white text]
### Our team + customers**Maya Chen (new CSM):** For diving in on day 1 and organizing our support chaos. Already seeing patterns that will make the product better.
**Riverside Accounting:** For giving us detailed feedback on the reconciliation feature. Their suggestion to add batch-edit saved merchants 45 minutes per month.
**Investors:** For the follow-on funding (announced today). This accelerates hiring and product roadmap.
[Visual: 3 testimonial-style boxes in teal, white text, company names and roles highlighted in orange]
---
[Remaining slides follow same pattern: H2 section headers in navy, teal accent elements, orange highlights on key CTAs or data, TechForce logo in footer right, 0.5 inch margins]
## Footer (all slides except title):
[Small TechForce logo, bottom-right corner | "techforce.io" link, bottom center | Slide number, bottom-right]
---
**Brand Checkpoints Applied:**
✅ Primary color (navy) used for headers and emphasis
✅ Secondary color (teal) used for section dividers and callout boxes
✅ Accent color (orange) used sparingly for CTAs and key data
✅ Typography: H1 on title slide only, H2 for section headers, consistent body font throughout
✅ Logo on every slide (footer)
✅ Spacing: 0.5 inch margins, 32pt between major sections, consistent card padding (12pt)
✅ Voice: Active voice ("Here's what we shipped"), action-oriented headers, second-person friendly ("Our team")
✅ Overall: Recognizable as TechForce branded work; matches brand toolkit
---
**Now what?**- Export as PDF or .pptx
- Share in Slack #updates
- Post to company wiki
- Link in all-hands invite
Edge Cases
No brand guidelines exist yet: Use the "Audit" step to gather brand elements from founders, marketing, or product. If those are vague, start with the positioning questions and color/tone research. Document it as you go; this becomes your first brand toolkit.
Brand has changed or evolved: Update the brand toolkit first. Then audit existing artifacts for outdated elements. You don't need to re-brand everything retroactively; moving forward, use the new guidelines.
Different artifact types have competing space constraints: Prioritize readability. For tight spaces (social media graphics, dashboards), use logo sparingly or use icon-only version. For expansive spaces (reports, presentations), give brand more breathing room.
Your artifact needs to work on light AND dark backgrounds: Test both. If primary color (e.g., bright orange) doesn't work on dark background, use a lighter variant or switch to secondary color. Document the rules for both.
You have no in-house design system or Figma file: Create a simple PDF or Google Doc brand toolkit (template included above). Update it as you go. Share it with anyone creating company artifacts.
Color-blind accessibility matters: Test your palette with a color-blind simulator (e.g., Coblis). Avoid red/green pairs without additional distinction (e.g., shape, pattern, text label). Use WCAG contrast checker for text.
