I recently jumped in to help some friends with a big conference project that involved brand design, social media, and content creation. Not my usual strategy work, but friends help friends, right? When I asked if they had a brand guide or style guide, the answer was no to both. That experience reminded me how many businesses operate without these foundational tools, unaware of what they are or how they can improve efficiency and professionalism.
So that's the Kōkua Notes topic this week. Brand Guides and Style Guides.
Let's dive in.
A brand guide is a document that defines how your business should look visually. It covers your logo usage, colors, fonts, spacing, and imagery style. Think of it as the rulebook for anyone creating materials for your company.
A solid brand guide includes:
Most businesses need multiple versions of their logo to work across different contexts:
Primary logo: Your full logo with company name and any tagline. Use this on business cards, letterhead, and when you have plenty of space.
Horizontal logo: Company name next to the logo mark. Perfect for website headers, email signatures, and wide spaces like banners.
Stacked logo: Logo mark on top, company name below. Works well on social media profiles and square formats.
Icon or symbol only: Just your logo mark without text. Use when your brand is well-established and people recognize the symbol alone, or when space is extremely limited.
Reverse/white version: Your logo designed for dark backgrounds. Essential for professional materials and versatile marketing.
Each variation serves a purpose. A cluttered logo that works on a billboard will be unreadable on a business card. A detailed logo that looks sharp on your website might disappear when printed small on a pen.
Your brand guide should include your colors in multiple formats because different applications require different color systems.
HEX and RGB are for screens. These color formats use light to create colors on computer monitors, phones, and tablets. HEX codes look like #1B4332 (that deep green from Kukui Growth logo). RGB stands for Red, Green, Blue and uses numbers like (27, 67, 50) to create the same color.
CMYK is for print. This format uses ink on paper. CMYK stands for Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Key (black). The same green might be CMYK (58, 0, 25, 74). Print shops, business card vendors, and merchandise companies need CMYK values to match your brand colors accurately.
Why the difference matters: A color that looks perfect on your computer screen can print completely differently on business cards or brochures. That vibrant blue might turn purple. Your rich red could become muddy brown. This happens because screens create color with light, while printers use ink or toner.
Which fonts to use for headlines, body text, and captions. Include both primary fonts (your brand fonts) and fallback options for when brand fonts are not available.
Understanding font weights: Most professional fonts come in multiple weights, which refer to how thick or thin the letterforms appear. Common weights include:
Light or Thin: Delicate, elegant appearance. Good for large headlines or when you want a sophisticated look. Can be hard to read in small sizes or on screens.
Regular or Normal: The standard weight. Most readable for body text, emails, and general content.
Medium or Semi-Bold: Slightly heavier than regular. Good for subheadings, captions, or when you need emphasis without going fully bold.
Bold: Strong, attention-grabbing weight. Perfect for headlines, important callouts, or when you need maximum contrast.
Extra Bold or Black: The heaviest weight. Use sparingly for major headlines or logo text when you want maximum impact.
Why this matters for your brand: Consistency in font weights creates visual hierarchy and professionalism. Your brand guide should specify which weights to use where:
Common mistake: Many businesses only specify the font name (like "Montserrat") without indicating weights. This leads to inconsistent usage where one person uses Montserrat Light for headlines while another uses Montserrat Bold for the same purpose.
Consideration for Maui Businesses: If your business uses Hawaiian language content, ensure your chosen fonts properly display diacritical marks (ʻokina and kahakō) at all weights. Some fonts handle these marks better than others, and the quality can vary between different weights of the same font family.
How much clear space should surround your logo (usually measured in logo widths). This prevents your logo from looking cramped or competing with other elements.
Clear examples of what never to do with your brand elements:
Don't stretch or distort your logo. It breaks the proportions and looks unprofessional.
Don't use your logo on busy backgrounds where it becomes hard to read. Your logo needs breathing room to be effective.
Don't change your logo colors randomly. Stick to approved color combinations to maintain recognition.
Don't make your logo tiny. Every logo has a minimum size below which it becomes illegible.
Do maintain consistent spacing around your logo. This creates a professional, polished appearance.
Do use high-resolution logo files. Pixelated logos immediately signal amateur work.
A style guide governs how you write and communicate. It ensures consistency in your voice, tone, and mechanics across all content.
Large companies and media organizations often follow established style guides like AP Style (Associated Press) or Chicago Manual of Style. These comprehensive guides cover everything from comma usage to how to write numbers and abbreviations. While these are valuable references, small businesses do not need that level of detail to start.
Your business style guide should focus on:
Voice and tone (formal or conversational? Friendly or authoritative?)
Capitalization rules:
Headline and subheadline punctuation: Do your headlines end with periods? Question marks only when asking questions? No punctuation at all? Consistency matters across all your marketing materials.
Industry terminology (is it "e-commerce" or "ecommerce"? "Website" or "web site"?)
Number formatting: Do you spell out numbers under ten or use numerals? How do you write phone numbers - (808) 555-1234 or 808.555.1234?
Hawaiian language usage (correct diacritical marks, spelling, capitalization)
Common business terms (how you refer to customers, clients, or guests)
Contact information format (how you write phone numbers, addresses, hours)
Abbreviations and acronyms (when to spell them out, when to use them)
Date formats: 12/15/2024, December 15, 2024, or Dec. 15, 2024?
For Maui businesses, style guides are especially important because they often address Hawaiian language content. Incorrect diacritical marks or inconsistent spelling undermines your credibility, especially with local customers who notice these details.
Consistency Builds Trust When your website, business cards, and social media all look different, customers notice. Inconsistency makes you appear less professional and less established.
Efficiency Saves Money Without guides, every new project becomes a guessing game. Your designer spends billable hours figuring out which shade of blue to use. Your copywriter rewrites content to match previous pieces. Clear guides eliminate this waste.
Better Vendor Relationships When you hire a designer, web developer, or marketing agency, guides make their job easier. They can focus on strategy and creativity instead of hunting for your correct logo file or guessing your brand voice.
Scaling Without Chaos As your business grows, you will work with more people. Guides ensure that your summer intern, contract designer, and social media manager all represent your brand consistently.
You do not need a 50-page document. Start with these basics:
Brand Guide Minimums:
Style Guide Minimums:
Canva Brand Kit (Free to $15/month) Upload your logo and colors. Canva creates templates using your brand elements automatically. Simple but effective for small businesses.
Google Docs or Word Create a shared document with your brand colors, fonts, and writing preferences. Not fancy, but accessible to everyone who needs it.
Figma (Free for basic use) More sophisticated design tool. Good if you want to create comprehensive visual guidelines with precise measurements and examples.
Local Design Help Work with a Maui-based designer to create professional guides. Expect to invest $1,000 to $3,000 for comprehensive brand and style guides.
The best brand guide is useless if no one follows it. Here are ways to ensure adoption:
Keep it accessible. Store guides in shared folders (Google Drive, Dropbox) where team members and vendors can find them easily.
Make it visual. Show examples of correct and incorrect usage. Pictures communicate faster than paragraphs.
Start small. A one-page brand summary beats a complex guide that nobody reads.
Update regularly. As your business evolves, your guides should too.
Local businesses often work with diverse audiences, from tourists to residents to business partners across the Pacific. Consistent branding and messaging help you communicate clearly with all of them.
If you work with other local businesses, having clear brand guidelines makes collaboration smoother. Everyone knows how to represent your brand respectfully.
Brand and style guides are not vanity projects. They are business tools that save time, reduce confusion, and build trust with customers.
You do not need to hire an expensive agency. Start with the basics, document them clearly, and share them with anyone who creates content for your business.
Your business deserves that efficiency from day one.