Brands, like houses, need a solid foundation to support them in order to thrive. With the right strategy and design, a strong brand becomes an entity that holds emotional connection with customers, offering a sense of familiarity and reliability. With this in mind, imagine your brand strategy as a blueprint, your brand values as the structural frame and your brand style guide as the overall design standard.
Creating a brand style guide can guarantee your visual identity is consistent, cultivates brand identity, fosters loyalty and ensures that all touchstones are speaking the same language. From your logo design ideas to your typography and icons, having this foundational guide will keep everyone on the same page in diverse contexts.
In this article, we’ll go through 19 style guide examples that will show you how this is done.
What is a brand style guide?
A brand style guide is a comprehensive document that outlines the core components of a brand. Sometimes referred to as brand guidelines, a brand manual, brand standards or a brand book, it serves as a universal set of standards for anyone who will interact with your brand assets. It acts as an identity system to guide visual decisions and ensure consistency and effective communication.
By maintaining continuity across every touchstone of your brand, you will build brand trust, which leads to brand loyalty. Strong brand style guides enable a homogenous brand experience, regardless of how a customer interacts with a brand.
Elements of a brand style guide
Style guides can vary in size, ranging from a simple one-page document to a lengthy in-depth book. Regardless of the scope, a style guide should always delineate a clear image of the brand voice and visual language, for both internal and external branding assets.
Most importantly, brand style guides should always embody the brand identity. Here are some essential elements to include in your brand style guide:
Brand story or intro
Logo
Color palette
Typography
Image/photography guidelines
Tone of voice
Other elements to consider include:
Spacing and layout
Clear “do not” guidelines
UI elements
Social media use
Iconography
Grid
Style guide examples
We’ve put together a list showcasing a range of style guide examples to get your creative juices flowing:
01. Wix
As our Wix mission states: we want to inspire smart people to succeed online. We know the importance of an online presence and strive to empower our users. Through clear, concise branding efforts, the Wix brand is easily recognizable and also complementary with others. Our tone of voice is human, empathetic and motivating—we strive to communicate like a conversation between one professional to another.
Our branding assets convey humility and professionalism, which helps build trust with our users as we offer them professional solutions to help them succeed. For example, users that create their websites using Wix website templates, can feel proud to include that their site was built on Wix as part of their brand.
02. Netflix
From the iconic ta-dum intro sound, to the familiarity of the logo that graces approximately 193 million subscribers home screens worldwide, the brand experience of watching Netflix is unmistakable.
The notable wordmark logo exclusively appears in a bold red, and all caps font, which according to their brand assets guide, creates a “premium cinematic feel as we continue to set the industry standard for original content.” Whether it’s simply the “N” symbol, or the entire logo that appears on our screens, or anywhere else, it is undeniably “binge-worthy” and on-brand.
Check out the full Netflix brand style guide.
03. Spotify
Looking to lift the mood, or set the tone for a dinner party? There are artfully curated playlists on Spotify for that. We know that music triggers emotions, so the association to Spotify’s circular green logo may be as diverse as the feelings we experience when listening.
Beyond Spotify’s own strong brand identity, the music platform has also become a part of the branding zeitgeist. Creating custom playlists is a branding asset of its own—even Kentucky Fried Chicken has joined the trend with their ‘Bucket Bangers’ soundtrack. Spotify has a rock-solid visual language, and is an excellent style guide example that shows the value of collaboration and consistency.
Check out the full Spotify brand style guide.
04. Twitter
Like Spotify, Twitter can be a part of other brand strategies and therefore needs a strong and dependable brand identity of its own. This is particularly apparent since the Twitter logo icon appears on many websites, business cards (see our guide on how to design a business card), and plays a major role in personal branding.
Twitter’s style guide has clear guidelines for social icons, logo pairing lockups and spacing. Staying on-brand, the guide itself is short and sweet—a nod to the platform's 280 character count limit. Their distinct blue palette signifies trust, dependability and professionalism, which is precisely what the social platform embodies.
Check out the full Twitter brand style guide.
05. Monday.com
A platform committed to better workflow, transparency and data-driven decision-making needs to look the part. Monday.com’s brand identity is bright and colorful, yet refined. Their color palette is easily recognizable, and helps create associations through visual identity.
As Monday.com puts it in their own blog, “Because brand assets have such a strong influence on how the brand is perceived, everyone in the company should have a good understanding of and easy access to these assets.”
Check out branding assets from Monday.com.
06. TripAdvisor
Any tourism marketer or traveler will agree, the stamp of approval for a hotel or destination is a good rating. As such a highly coveted platform that can dictate decision-making for tourists, TripAdvisor appears both on and offline. Restaurants proudly display good TA reviews on their front entrances, just as websites offer ratings directly on the site or within marketing campaigns.
For a brand that is used internationally, a clear visual identity is essential—especially when oftentimes, there is no common dialect. As such, their brand assets are concisely laid out, down to the last detail, including the bubbles rating system and how it should appear.
This lends itself to the trustworthiness of not only the brand, but also any establishment worthy of a review.
Check out the full TripAdvisor brand style guide.
07. Waze
The trusty navigation app that saves us all crucial minutes on the road, also has an unmistakable brand identity that perfectly perpetuates their brand message. According to the design team from Pentagram, “the system introduces a colorful visual language called ‘Block by Block’ that is inspired by the modular design of the city grid, roads and streets.”
Pentagram helped with the Waze rebrand to freshen up their overall identity and create brand assets that are colorful, engaging and light-hearted. This style guide example brings a sense of playfulness, strengthening their brand identity but also the overall experience.
Check out the full Waze brand style guide.
08. National Geographic
One of the 25 most trusted brands in America, National Geographic is epitomized by the emblematic yellow rectangle. A brand that resonates across generations, their visual branding assets are clearly outlined and consistent across the board. This is precisely what makes their logo so easily recognizable and trusted.
As outlined in their brand style guide, “The entire system is built with three elements: imagery, message and brand volume. Giving priority to one affects how the others are used, but each working in a careful balance is the beauty of this system.” Whether it’s in print, on the big screen or social media, it is always consistent.
Check out the full National Geographic brand style guide.
09. Destination Canada
Canada is known for hockey, maple syrup and of course, politeness. Destination Canada, which is owned by the Government of Canada, is committed to geographical branding, in order to expand tourism and support the local economy.
Using the same red and white color palette as Canada’s flag, and imagery that puts the country’s natural beauty front and center, their assets are impeccably outlined in their brand style guide. They even outline how to integrate geographical coordinates and use inclusive language and imagery, supporting Indigenous communities and accessibility.
Check out the full Destination Canada brand guide.
10. NASA
If the NASA astronaut requirements are any indication of their level of expertise and sophistication, it’s no wonder they are included as an excellent style guide example in our list. Their extensive brand book covers everything from their logo and typography to NASA uniform patches, and of course, the spacecraft markings. The epitome of brand recognition, identifiable even on the moon, NASA’s brand manual has also become a staple coffee table book and conversation piece.
Check out the full NASA brand standards guidelines.
11. Warby Parker
Selling affordable and stylish frames online, Warby Parker is a pioneer of eCommerce and good branding—and a game-changer in the world of prescription glasses and sunglasses. The brand's mission is clear, “To offer designer eyewear at a revolutionary price, while leading the way for socially conscious businesses.”
Through conscientious branding decisions, their visual language is approachable and elegant. Each element of their branding collateral—from their modest wordmark logo to their refined typography and their inclusive and affable imagery, perfectly personifies the brand experience from near-sighted or far.
12. Slack
From their vibrant “octothorpe” logo symbol to their good-hearted tone, Slack’s visual language is just as perceivable as their knock-brush notification sound. The messaging app that strives to streamline communication between individuals and teams is based on brand values like empathy, craftsmanship and playfulness.
These ideas are evident even in the tone and layout of their branding guidelines. The thoughtful and composed manual is peppered with communicative visuals that all reiterate exactly who Slack is, both internally and externally.
Check out the full Slack brand style guide.
13. Starbucks
You can walk into any Starbucks, order your beverage—and rest assured it’ll taste the same, regardless of the location (although we can’t promise your name will be spelled the same way twice). From the smells to the sounds, each part of the Starbucks experience is carefully curated with their brand identity at the forefront.
Even Starbucks recognizes and values their distinct color palette, “Our green is iconic. Visible for blocks. It’s our most identifiable asset, from the color of our aprons to our logo.” Here’s a great style guide example that succinctly, yet thoroughly, outlines the core branding elements for anyone who interacts with their brand.
Check out the full Starbucks brand style guide.
14. The Guardian
The Guardian, which recently celebrated its bicentennial year, is a place where many seek their daily news both digitally and in print. The newspaper, which explores diverse topics— from politics and the environment to sports and culture—has a clearly defined visual identity that is beautifully outlined in their brand book.
A notable element in this style guide example includes the grids and spacing section, which “provides the substrate and unifies how [they] arrange information on all of our digital platforms.” And in their case, the color palette is used to improve the user experience for their readers.
Check out the full Guardian digital design brand guidelines.
15. Formica
Laminate tables may feel like a thing of the past, but this retro brand that dates back to 1913 is just as relevant today. Made popular in the 1950s, Formica tables are crafted from chrome metal plated framing and topped with bright colors and/or patterns —and are still circulating today. It’s a proper vintage gem if sold with the matching chairs.
As home renovation trends come and go, Formica is still an enduring product and brand that has evolved with the times. Their minimalist branding represents dependability and longevity. Here’s a style guide example that is a timeless classic and proof that brand consistency really is key.
Check out the full Formica brand style guide.
16. South Australian Wine Festival
In the wake of the Australian bushfires of 2020, and COVID-19, South Australia’s wine industry was left reeling. In order to boost tourism and the surrounding economy, the South Australian Tourism Commission attempted to make 2021 the “Year of South Australian Wine”.
They cleverly designed their brand identity, with strong assets artfully laid out in their brand style guide. From merchandise including stickers, aprons and wine glasses to full-scale pull up banners, the visual language is consistently long en bouche, and has us dreaming of the region.
17. Casper
The mattress-in-a-box industry has now become the norm, with multiple brands offering air-sealed beds that are delivered directly to a customer’s home. One of the trailblazers of the industry is Casper, who jump started the trend back in 2014. Starting out as an exclusive ecommerce business following a direct-to-consumer (DTC) model, Casper needed to create a strong brand identity to get prospective customers' attention.
Using a friendly, almost conversational tone through their copy, Casper immediately set the stage for who they are, and exactly what they are about. Casper is a great style guide example that shows the importance of a continuous brand experience.
Check out the full Casper brand guide.
18. Dribbble
A hub for creatives and designers, Dribbble is both a sharing and social-networking platform. A common ground for online portfolios and a collection of digital work, Dribbble supports freelance artists, seeking to inspire and promote community.
With so many designers in one space, having a well-defined brand identity is vital. Dribbble’s aesthetic is minimal yet imaginative. For example, using a bold pink in their logo to symbolize freshness, optimism and creativity. Their official color palette showcases a cohesive feel, and gives clear direction of how the hues should be applied and used correctly.
Check out the full Dribbble brand style guide.
19. WhatsApp
Created in 2009, WhatsApp is a free messaging app that connects users via text messages as well as voice and video calls. What makes WhatsApp particularly engaging is that it can be used on any type of device, including computers, enabling easier communication from any location.
As a global communication platform, consistency is arguably most important, as the app is used by a diverse range of people, in multiple languages and locations. For example, the WhatsApp logo doesn’t contain any letters, so it can be used consistently across different languages. On the same note, their logo uses a phone receiver icon, a universal symbol for communication.
As WhatsApp says in their brand manual, “Using [the guidelines] consistently will reinforce our passion and commitment to connect the world through real-time communication.” From their logo to their naming usage, and even a collection of screenshots, their brand style guide is concise and clear.
Check out the full WhatsApp brand style guide example.
