Brand guidelines: 15 real examples, a copyable template, and what to include
What brand guidelines are, what to include, 15 real published examples from NASA to Spotify, and a section-by-section template you can copy.
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Quick answer: what are brand guidelines?
Brand guidelines are the rulebook that tells everyone how to present a brand: logo usage, colour values, typography, imagery, tone of voice and real application examples, with clear do's and don'ts. They keep every team, agency and partner consistent. Good guidelines also include templates, downloadable assets, accessibility checks and a named owner who approves exceptions.
Five teams, three agencies, one brand that looks slightly different everywhere. The sales deck uses an old logo, the social team picked its own green, and the new packaging supplier guessed the font. Brand guidelines fix this, but only if people can find them, understand them and use them in their daily work.
This guide gives you:
- a plain definition, and how guidelines differ from a brand book, an editorial style guide and a design system;
- the 11 sections every set of guidelines needs, each with a real example;
- 15 published brand guidelines you can study, each linked to the brand's own page;
- a copyable template (full and one-page versions);
- an eight-step process to create and roll out your guidelines.
Every example below links to the organisation's own published guidelines, not to a screenshot or a third-party PDF.
What are brand guidelines?
Definition
Brand guidelines (also called a brand style guide) are a documented set of rules that define how a brand looks, sounds and behaves across every touchpoint, so anyone creating content for it gets the same result.
Brand guidelines are not new. One of the best-known early examples is the NASA Graphics Standards Manual from 1975, designed by Richard Danne and Bruce Blackburn of the studio Danne & Blackburn. It set out how the NASA logotype, known as the "worm", should appear on everything from stationery to spacecraft. The manual has since been reissued as a book by the publisher Standards Manual, which states that the edition is independent and not endorsed by NASA (Standards Manual).
Brand guidelines vs. style guide vs. brand book vs. design system
These four terms overlap, and many companies use them interchangeably. The table shows how they are most often used, so you can decide what your organisation actually needs.
| Document | What it covers | Who uses it | Typical format | Real example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand book | Why the brand exists: mission, values, positioning, story | Leadership, new hires, agencies | Short PDF or printed book | Usually internal, rarely published |
| Brand guidelines / brand style guide | How the brand looks and sounds: logo, colour, type, imagery, voice, applications | Marketing, design, agencies, partners | PDF, online guide or brand portal | Dropbox brand guidelines |
| Content or editorial style guide | How to write: voice, grammar, word choices, formatting | Writers, marketers, support teams | Website or wiki | Mailchimp Content Style Guide, GOV.UK style guides |
| Design system | Coded UI components, design tokens and usage rules for digital products | Product designers, developers | Website plus code and Figma libraries | Porsche Design System, GOV.UK Design System |
In practice, most mid-sized companies need brand guidelines first, with a voice-and-tone section inside them. A separate design system becomes worth it once you run several digital products. We cover that decision in design systems for mid-market companies.
Why brand guidelines matter
Brand guidelines matter because a brand is only recognisable if it is repeated consistently, and consistency does not happen by accident once more than a handful of people create content. We make the longer case in why brand consistency matters more than logos. In short, good guidelines give you:
- Consistency across teams, agencies and markets. A designer in London and a freelancer in Vancouver produce work that looks like it came from the same company.
- Faster onboarding. New hires and new agencies can start without a week of back-and-forth.
- Fewer approval loops. When the rules are written down, reviewers check against the rules instead of personal taste.
- Trademark protection. Clear rules on how partners may and may not use your marks make it easier to spot and stop misuse.
- Accessibility by default. If contrast and type sizes are checked once in the guidelines, every team inherits accessible choices.
We have deliberately left out "consistent brands earn X% more revenue" figures. Most of these numbers come from vendor surveys without published methods. The case for guidelines does not need them.
What to include in brand guidelines: the 11-section checklist
Use this checklist to audit existing guidelines or to plan new ones. Each section lists what to define and a real brand that does it well.
| # | Section | Must define | Real example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brand foundation | Purpose, positioning, values, personality | Dropbox "Framework" |
| 2 | Logo | Versions, clear space, minimum size, misuse | Spotify |
| 3 | Colour | Values in every format, hierarchy, contrast | Spotify, IBM |
| 4 | Typography | Fonts, fallbacks, hierarchy, licences | BBC GEL, IBM Plex |
| 5 | Imagery, illustration, icons | Style, sources, do's and don'ts | Wikimedia, IBM |
| 6 | Voice and tone | Personality in words, tone by situation | Mailchimp |
| 7 | Layout, grid, motion | Grid, spacing, motion principles | BBC GEL |
| 8 | Applications and templates | Decks, social, email, packaging, signage | Wikimedia "Create" |
| 9 | Do's and don'ts | Visual examples of misuse | Spotify |
| 10 | Legal and partner use | Trademark rules, third-party use | NASA, Apple |
| 11 | Ownership and versioning | Owner, approvals, version, contacts | Swiss CD Bund |
1. Brand foundation: purpose, positioning, values, personality
Start with a short page that explains what the brand stands for, who it serves and how it should feel. Without it, every later rule looks arbitrary. Keep it to one or two pages; the full strategy can live in a separate brand book.
Example: the Dropbox brand guidelines open with a "Framework" section before moving on to voice and tone, logo, typography, iconography, colour, imagery and motion. The order itself teaches the reader that the visual rules follow from the idea.
2. Logo: versions, clear space, minimum size, misuse
Define every approved version (primary, stacked, icon only, monochrome), the clear space around it, the smallest size it may appear at, and which backgrounds it may sit on.
Example with exact numbers: Spotify's design guidelines for partners set the logo's clear space at half the height of the icon. The full logo must never be smaller than 70px in digital or 20mm in print, and the icon alone never smaller than 21px in digital or 6mm in print (Spotify for Developers). Numbers like these remove guesswork for anyone placing the logo.
3. Colour: values and hierarchy
Give every colour in every format your teams use: Pantone for spot printing, CMYK for process print, RGB and HEX for screens. Then say which colours dominate and which only support. A palette without a hierarchy leads to layouts where every colour fights for attention.
Example: Spotify states that its green logo should only be used on a black or white background, and that any other background requires a monochrome logo: black on light backgrounds, white on dark ones (Spotify for Developers). The IBM Design Language publishes its own colour specifications as a downloadable resource.
Accessibility check. For digital text, the W3C's Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.2, success criterion 1.4.3) require a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text. Text that is part of a logo or brand name has no contrast requirement (W3C). Put the contrast ratio of each colour pair (for example, brand blue on white) directly in the guidelines, so nobody has to test it again.
4. Typography
Name the primary typeface, a fallback for systems where it is not installed (email, Office documents, some web contexts), the type hierarchy (headline, subhead, body, caption) and who holds the licence. Missing font licences are one of the most common reasons agencies and partners substitute fonts.
Example: the BBC's Global Experience Language (GEL) has a typography guideline covering its own typeface, BBC Reith, with guidance for teams still using Helvetica (BBC GEL Foundations). IBM documents its open-source IBM Plex typeface, including type basics and a type scale (IBM Design Language).
5. Imagery, illustration and iconography
Describe the photographic style (subjects, lighting, cropping, what to avoid), the illustration style, and the icon set. Link to approved image libraries, so teams do not default to generic stock photography.
Example: the Wikimedia Foundation's brand pages have separate sections for logo, typography, colours, imagery and attribution. The IBM Design Language splits illustration into line, flat, isometric and hybrid UI styles, and covers photography, pictograms and data visualisation separately.
6. Voice and tone
Voice is the brand's consistent personality in words; tone is how that voice adjusts to the situation (a product launch versus an error message versus a complaint reply). Give three to five voice traits, each with a "we are / we are not" pair and a before-and-after sentence.
Example: the Mailchimp Content Style Guide is a widely cited reference. It covers voice and tone, grammar and mechanics, writing for accessibility, writing for translation, social media and a word list. It is public and licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0, so teams can read it and adapt it for non-commercial use under that licence's terms.
7. Layout, grid and motion
Define the grid for each main format (web, social, print), spacing units, margins and, if your brand appears in video or interfaces, how things move.
Example: BBC GEL Foundations cover a flexible, percentage-based grid, spacing units, three key motion design principles, the Reith icon suite and typography. Each guideline shows when it was last updated, which helps readers trust it is current.
8. Applications and templates
This is the section people actually use. Show the identity applied to real formats: business cards, presentation decks, email signatures, social posts, website pages, packaging, signage and merchandise. Then provide editable templates for the formats your teams produce every week. If you sell physical products, include packaging rules (see our packaging design service).
Example: Wikimedia's brand pages include a "Create" section with templates for building logos, social media content and presentation decks (Wikimedia).
9. Do's and don'ts
Show misuse visually: a picture of a stretched logo is understood faster than a paragraph saying "do not distort".
Example: Spotify lists its logo don'ts explicitly: do not rotate the logo, fill its lines, stretch or alter its shape, use it in a sentence or as a letter, use it to make new shapes, or place it in a busy or low-contrast area (Spotify for Developers).
10. Legal and partner use
Say who may use your marks, for what, and how to ask. Include trademark notices, credit lines and rules for co-branding.
Examples: NASA's Brand Center states that the NASA insignia, logotype and seal should not be used as branding devices or in advertising on third-party websites or communication materials, and that, as a government entity, NASA does not license the use of NASA materials (NASA Brand Center). Apple's App Store marketing guidelines tell developers to use trademark symbols on the first body-copy mention of an Apple trademark in US-only communications, and not to suggest a false association with Apple (Apple Developer).
11. Ownership, approvals, versioning and contacts
Name the person or team who owns the brand, how to request an exception, the current version number and date, and where the latest files live. Most templates skip this section, and it is the main reason outdated PDFs keep circulating.
Example: the Swiss Federal Administration has used one corporate design (CD Bund) since 1 January 2007. Individual logos are allowed only for federal campaigns, programmes, products or services, and approvals are granted by the Conference of Secretaries-General (Swiss Federal Chancellery). That is a clear owner and a clear exception process.
15 brand guidelines examples (real and published)
We opened each page below and checked its content on 11 November 2026. We link to the guidelines and describe them in our own words; we do not reproduce their artwork.
1. NASA Brand Center and the 1975 Graphics Standards Manual
- Link: nasa.gov/nasa-brand-center · the reissued 1975 manual
- What it does well: groups the insignia, seal and logotype ("worm") under one set of rules tied to US federal regulation, with unusually direct third-party rules.
- What to copy: a short, plain statement of what partners may not do with your marks.
2. Spotify Design Guidelines (for partners and developers)
- Link: developer.spotify.com/documentation/design
- What it does well: precise, measurable logo rules (clear space, minimum sizes in px and mm, background colours) plus a short list of don'ts and attribution rules for partner apps.
- What to copy: numbers instead of adjectives. "Never smaller than 70px" is enforceable; "keep it legible" is not.
3. Mailchimp Content Style Guide
- Link: styleguide.mailchimp.com
- What it does well: a complete writing guide, from voice and tone to grammar, accessibility, translation and a word list.
- What to copy: the structure of the voice and tone section, and the idea of a word list for terms your teams often get wrong.
4. BBC GEL (Global Experience Language)
- Link: bbc.co.uk/gel
- What it does well: guidelines as a living website, with foundations (grid, spacing, motion, icons, typography), design patterns and how-tos, each dated.
- What to copy: visible "last updated" dates on every guideline.
5. GOV.UK style guides and GOV.UK Design System
- Link: GOV.UK style guides · design-system.service.gov.uk
- What it does well: the Government Digital Service (GDS) separates writing rules (an A to Z style guide and a technical A to Z) from a design system of styles, accessible components and patterns for common tasks.
- What to copy: the split between "how we write" and "how we build", each with its own owner.
6. Wikimedia Foundation brand
- Link: meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Brand
- What it does well: open guidelines that a global community can use, with templates for logos, social content and decks, and a direct link to the trademark policy.
- What to copy: a "Create" section with ready templates, placed next to the rules.
7. Porsche Design System
- Link: designsystem.porsche.com
- What it does well: an open-source design system with Figma libraries, web components and guidelines, with wrappers for React, Angular, Vue and plain JavaScript. It states that the coded components are the source of truth.
- What to copy: naming one source of truth when design files and code disagree.
8. IBM Design Language
- Link: ibm.com/design/language
- What it does well: a deep visual language covering philosophy, typography (IBM Plex), colour, the 2x Grid, logos, iconography, illustration, photography, data visualisation, layout and animation, with downloadable tools and templates.
- What to copy: the breadth of imagery guidance, especially separate rules for illustration styles and data visualisation.
9. Atlassian Design System foundations
- Link: atlassian.design/foundations
- What it does well: 13 foundations in three groups (design tokens, guidelines such as accessibility and content, and styles such as colour, typography, spacing, grid, iconography, illustrations and logos).
- What to copy: design tokens, which Atlassian calls "the single source of truth" for naming and storing design decisions.
10. Dropbox brand guidelines
- Link: brand.dropbox.com
- What it does well: a clean, web-based brand guide that moves from framework to voice and tone, logo, typography, iconography, colour, imagery and motion.
- What to copy: putting the brand framework and voice before the visual rules.
11. Apple App Store marketing guidelines
- Link: developer.apple.com/app-store/marketing/guidelines
- What it does well: partner rules with exact specifications. The App Store badge must be at least 10mm high in print and 40px on screen, with clear space equal to one quarter of its height; it may not be modified, angled or animated.
- What to copy: a dedicated section for partners and resellers, including credit lines and trademark notices.
12. German Federal Government style guide
- Link: styleguide.bundesregierung.gov.de
- What it does well: an online style guide with basic elements, media templates, downloads and an FAQ with tools and guides. It states that the corporate design is based on a federal cabinet decision of 2 June 1999.
- What to copy: downloads and FAQ in the same place as the rules (the site is in German).
13. Swiss Federal Administration (CD Bund)
- Link: bk.admin.ch/de/cd-bund
- What it does well: one identity for the whole federal administration since 1 January 2007, with a named body that approves exceptions.
- What to copy: a written exception process. It stops sub-brands from appearing without anyone deciding they should.
14. NHS Identity Guidelines
- Link: england.nhs.uk/nhsidentity
- What it does well: a public guide for every NHS organisation, with rules, featured examples and FAQs on hard cases such as third-party providers, partnerships and suppliers. NHS Blue (Pantone 300, #005EB8) and white are the dominant colours because, according to NHS research, 87% of people spontaneously recall these two colours (NHS colours). Frutiger has been the core font since the identity was introduced in 1999, with Arial as the secondary font and no other fonts allowed (NHS fonts).
- What to copy: an FAQ for edge cases (who may use the identity, and how), next to the core rules.
15. European Commission visual identity
- Link: commission.europa.eu: European Commission visual identity
- What it does well: a short, partner-facing page that explains the logo's three elements, sets clear terms of use and offers the logo in print (CMYK) and digital (RGB) versions in the 24 EU official languages. Third parties may use the logo only if permission is requested and granted before use, and the use must not suggest endorsement by the Commission.
- What to copy: written conditions for third-party logo use, plus one place to request permission.
Summary table: all 15 examples
| # | Brand | Type | Public or gated | Best for copying |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | NASA | Identity + partner rules | Public | Third-party use rules |
| 2 | Spotify | Partner rules | Public | Exact logo specs |
| 3 | Mailchimp | Voice and writing | Public (CC BY-NC 4.0) | Voice and tone |
| 4 | BBC GEL | Design system | Public | Grid, motion, dated guidelines |
| 5 | GOV.UK (GDS) | Writing guide + design system | Public | Plain writing rules, components |
| 6 | Wikimedia | Identity + templates | Public | Templates, trademark link |
| 7 | Porsche | Design system | Public, open source | Source-of-truth rule |
| 8 | IBM | Identity + design language | Public | Imagery and typography depth |
| 9 | Atlassian | Design system | Public | Design tokens |
| 10 | Dropbox | Identity + voice | Public | Framework-first structure |
| 11 | Apple App Store | Partner rules | Public | Badge specs, legal lines |
| 12 | German Federal Government | Identity | Public | Downloads and FAQ |
| 13 | Swiss CD Bund | Identity + governance | Public | Exception process |
| 14 | NHS | Identity + FAQs | Public | Edge-case FAQs, colour and font rules |
| 15 | European Commission | Identity + partner rules | Public (logo use needs permission) | Third-party terms of use |
Public or gated?
Publishing your guidelines is optional. Public guidelines help partners, press and freelancers get it right without asking. Some organisations keep partner material behind a sign-in instead; Google's partner brand portal is one example (Google Partner Marketing Hub). A common middle ground is to publish the basics (logo, colours, voice) and gate the source files and templates.
Brand guidelines template (copy this structure)
Copy the template below into a document or a page in your wiki, and replace every square bracket. The sections mirror the 11-section checklist above.
Want the full template as a file? Request it here and our team will get back to you.
Brand guidelines template (copy this)
BRAND GUIDELINES: [Brand name]
Version [1.0] · Last updated [date] · Owner [name, team, email]
1. BRAND FOUNDATION
Purpose: [why we exist, one sentence]
Positioning: [for (audience) who (need), we are the (category) that (difference)]
Values: [3–5 values, each with one line on what it means in practice]
Personality: [3–5 traits, e.g. "confident, not arrogant"]
2. LOGO
Primary logo: [file link] · Secondary / stacked: [file link]
Icon only: [file link] · Monochrome black / white: [file link]
Clear space: [x = ... e.g. height of the icon]
Minimum size: [... px digital] / [... mm print]
Approved backgrounds: [list]
Misuse (show visually): [stretch, recolour, rotate, add effects, busy background]
3. COLOUR
Primary colours: [name · Pantone · CMYK · RGB · HEX]
Secondary colours: [name · Pantone · CMYK · RGB · HEX]
Hierarchy: [which colours dominate, approximate share of a layout]
Contrast: [each text/background pair · ratio · passes WCAG 4.5:1 / 3:1?]
4. TYPOGRAPHY
Primary typeface: [name · weights · licence holder · where to download]
Fallback typeface: [for email, Office, systems without the font]
Hierarchy: [H1 / H2 / body / caption · size · weight · line height]
5. IMAGERY, ILLUSTRATION, ICONS
Photography style: [subjects, light, cropping, what to avoid]
Approved image library: [link]
Illustration style: [description + examples]
Icon set: [link · stroke · grid size]
6. VOICE AND TONE
Voice traits: [trait · we are ... / we are not ... · example sentence]
Tone by situation: [launch · support · error message · social · legal]
Word list: [preferred terms · terms to avoid · product names and spelling]
7. LAYOUT, GRID, MOTION
Grid: [columns · margins · gutters per format]
Spacing unit: [e.g. 8 px base]
Motion: [principles · durations · easing] (if relevant)
8. APPLICATIONS AND TEMPLATES
[Presentation deck · email signature · social posts · business card ·
website pages · packaging · signage · merchandise] → [template links]
9. DO'S AND DON'TS
Do: [5 visual examples]
Don't: [5 visual examples]
10. LEGAL AND PARTNER USE
Trademarks: [registered marks · ® / ™ rules]
Partner and co-branding rules: [who may use the logo, how to request]
Credit lines: [exact wording]
11. OWNERSHIP AND VERSIONING
Brand owner: [name / team]
Exception requests: [how, to whom, response time]
Latest files: [single link, e.g. asset library]
Change log: [version · date · what changed]One-page "lite" version for startups
If you are a startup or a small team, start with one page and grow it later:
Brand on a page (one-page lite version)
[Brand name] BRAND ON A PAGE · v[1.0] · [date] · Owner: [name] LOGO: [primary file] · [icon file] · clear space [x] · min size [px / mm] 3 COLOURS: [name · HEX · RGB · CMYK] x 3 · contrast checked: [yes/no] 2 FONTS: [headline font] · [body font] · fallback [font] 5 VOICE RULES: 1. [...] 2. [...] 3. [...] 4. [...] 5. [...] 5 DON'TS: 1. [...] 2. [...] 3. [...] 4. [...] 5. [...] FILES: [link to logo, fonts, templates]
A template gives you structure. The content (your positioning, your logo, your voice) still has to be your own.
How to create brand guidelines, step by step
- Audit what exists. Collect every live touchpoint: website, decks, social profiles, packaging, signage, email templates, ads. Note every logo version and colour actually in use.
- Lock the strategy first. Agree positioning, personality and audience before anyone designs. Guidelines built on an unclear strategy get rewritten within a year. Our branding process starts here for that reason.
- Define the core system. Logo, colour, typography, imagery and voice. For companies with many product lines, define how sub-brands relate to the parent brand (see brand identity systems for FMCG companies).
- Test on real applications. Apply the system to the website, a deck, social posts, packaging and signage. Check every text and background pair for contrast.
- Write the guidelines. Use the checklist above, show do's and don'ts visually, and build the templates teams need most.
- Choose a format. See the comparison below.
- Roll out. Train the teams who create content, set up an asset library, name an owner, publish a request process and start a version log.
- Review on triggers, not on a timer. Update when something changes: a new market, a merger, a new product line, a new channel, or accessibility problems.
PDF, online guide or brand portal?
| Format | Pros | Cons | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fast to make, easy to send, works offline | Copies go out of date, hard to search, no live templates | Startups, single-market brands | |
| Online guide (website or wiki) | Always the current version, searchable, linkable | Needs an owner to keep it updated | Growing teams, several agencies |
| Brand portal or design system | Guidelines, assets and templates in one place; can include coded components | Higher cost and set-up effort | Multi-brand, multi-market and digital-product companies |
Common mistakes
- Guidelines without templates. Rules alone do not stop people from improvising; editable templates do.
- Print-only thinking. Many guidelines still treat the website, social video and email as afterthoughts.
- No contrast check. A colour palette that fails WCAG contrast on text forces teams to break the rules.
- Missing font licences. If partners cannot license the font, they will substitute it. Name a fallback.
- No owner. Without a named owner, nobody approves exceptions and nobody updates the file.
- Outdated PDFs circulating. Put one canonical link in every email signature and onboarding pack.
- No partner or trademark rules. Distributors and resellers will improvise unless you tell them what is allowed.
How UnFoldMart helps
UnFoldMart is a branding and digital agency. Our branding service covers brand strategy, identity design (visual and verbal), brand guidelines, asset library set-up, templates, team training, rollout and a brand governance handoff. A full engagement runs 10 to 12 weeks in three phases: strategy and architecture, identity and asset systems, then activation and governance.
What that means for your guidelines:
- Guidelines built from a real strategy, not just a logo sheet.
- Templates your teams use every week, delivered with the guidelines, plus an organised asset library.
- Accessibility built in, with contrast checked on every colour pair.
- A named owner and a handoff, so your team can keep the guidelines current after we finish.
If your guidelines need to live online, we can build them into a website or brand portal, and combine branding with Webflow site builds, packaging design and SEO/AEO/GEO. For budget planning, see how much branding costs; for past work, see our case studies.
We work from 10 offices: Frankfurt, Zürich, London, Amsterdam, Paris, Madrid, Warsaw, Singapore, Vancouver and Gurugram. Teams in the UK and North America can work with our branding team in London or Vancouver.
Need guidelines your team will actually use? Tell us what your brand needs in a free briefing call.
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FAQs
Got Questions? We’ve Got Answers – Clear, Simple, and Straight to the Point
Can I use a brand guidelines template?
Yes. A template gives you a proven structure, but the content (your strategy, logo, colours, fonts and voice) has to be your own.
Do brand colours need to meet accessibility standards?
For digital text, yes: WCAG 2.2 requires a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text. Text that is part of a logo or brand name is exempt.
Should brand guidelines be public?
Publishing brand guidelines is optional. Many organisations publish them, including NASA, Spotify and the BBC, while others keep partner material behind a sign-in, as Google does with its partner brand portal.
How often should brand guidelines be updated?
Brand guidelines should be updated whenever the brand or its channels change, for example after a new product line, market entry, merger or new channel. Keep a version number, a date and a change log.
Who creates brand guidelines?
Brand guidelines are usually created by the agency or in-house design team that developed the identity. Afterwards, a named owner, typically in marketing or brand, maintains them and approves exceptions.
How long should brand guidelines be?
Brand guidelines should be as long as they need to be to cover the essential sections, and no longer. A one-page version works for startups; large organisations often use online guides or brand portals with many pages. There is no standard page count.
What's the difference between brand guidelines and a style guide?
The terms are often used interchangeably for the same document. "Style guide" can also mean a writing or editorial guide, such as the Mailchimp Content Style Guide, which covers words rather than visuals.
What should brand guidelines include?
Brand guidelines should include the brand foundation (purpose, positioning, values, personality), logo rules, colour values, typography, imagery, voice and tone, layout and grid, applications and templates, do's and don'ts, legal and partner use, and ownership with version control.