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What is a brand book?

A brand book is the document that defines how a brand looks and sounds: logo, color, type, voice, imagery and layout, each with rules and examples. Brand book and brand guidelines usually mean the same thing; brand book often means the designed, shareable version. Start from a template, then fill it with your real assets.

Updated Nov 5, 2026 · Guides

02

Color

Monzo

Hot coral (#FF4F40) is the brand, supported by a primary palette of soft white (#F2F8F3) and deep navy (#112231) chosen to make coral pop.

  • Show hot coral in all brand communications; it need not dominate (p.17).
  • Three moods: all-out hot coral, light and breezy with a touch of coral, dark and slick with a punch of coral (p.18).
  • Adverts may go all-out coral; websites need more deep navy for readability (p.18).

Never use multiple colours in typography

  • Hot coral#FF4F40
  • Soft white#F2F8F3
  • Deep navy#112231
  • Mid orange#FE6B1B
  • Pale pink#FFD7F0
  • Neon yellow#C3FF34
Primary palette
Primary palette
03

Type

Reddit

Warm humanist Reddit Sans carries everyday content; heavy geometric Reddit Display adds bubble counterforms at headline scale.

  • Use Reddit Sans for approximately 90% of typesetting, especially captions, attribution and long copy.
  • Use Reddit Display for headlines and large titles; bubble headline examples use ExtraBold.
  • Use Chocolate for subheaders, bylines, marketing and webpages, rather than large headlines.
Display leading
font size × 1
Optional Sans leading
font size × 1.25
Slash angle
67.5°
Display and Sans family overview
Display and Sans family overview
04

Voice

Starbucks

One voice, two modes.

  • Functional doesn't mean sterile; it means clear
  • Make every word count, and write for where the reader is
  • When there's room, tell a passionate coffee story

Never compete for attention with stacked messages

Functional
wayfinding, ordering, menus, app: clear, helpful, product first
Examples on the page
in-store signage (2), Starbucks Rewards, Instagram, website, print ad
Functional: 'Matcha three ways' signage, Pike capitals on House Green
Functional: 'Matcha three ways' signage, Pike capitals on House Green
05

Imagery

Dropbox

Photography carries real customer stories in three subjects: people, content and teams.

  • Photos for real-world examples; product UI to show a function
  • Customer files tell the customer's story through their work
  • Match one accent to each photo
Subjects
people, content (the work itself), teams, customer files
Never
a photo used where an abstract idea needs illustration
Someone making the work, natural light
Someone making the work, natural light
06

Layout

IBM

Everything sits on the 2x Grid: divide space by two (2, 4, 8, 16 columns), build from an 8px mini unit, and space in multiples of the base unit.

  • Pick 1, 2, 4, 8 or 16 divisions and keep them through the design
  • Divide the live area, not the canvas, when using margins
  • Align type to the box padding, never inside it

Never overcrowd

Mini unit
8px (web and product)
Breakpoints
320, 672, 1056, 1312, 1584px
Columns
4, 8, 16, 16, 16
2x Grid with margins
2x Grid with margins

Pages from Unfairly's independent studies, each built from what the company publishes. Not affiliated.

Brand book vs brand guidelines vs style guide

TermWhat it isWhat it holdsStart here
Brand book The designed, shareable document. Story, logo, color, type, voice, imagery, layout and real examples, each with rules. The template below
Brand guidelines The rules themselves. Logo, color, type and voice rules, with a do and a don’t for each. Brand guidelines examples
Style guide Often only the writing rules. Tone, grammar, words to use and avoid. Some teams use it for the visual rules too. One-page template
Brand kit The files. Logo files, fonts, color codes and templates the rules point to. What goes in a brand kit

Brand book template

  1. 01 Story Who it is for, what it promises, and the one idea every piece carries.
  2. 02 Logo Versions, clear space, minimum sizes, and what never to do with it. Duolingo
  3. 03 Color Core colors with HEX, RGB and CMYK, which one means action, and how much of each. Monzo
  4. 04 Type Typefaces, sizes for headlines and body, and open fallbacks. Reddit
  5. 05 Voice How it sounds, words it uses and avoids, with real lines. Starbucks
  6. 06 Imagery Photography, illustration and icons: what to show and what not to. Dropbox
  7. 07 Layout The grid, spacing and how a page is built. IBM
  8. 08 Motion How things move, how fast, and when to stay still. GitHub
  9. 09 In use Real pieces: a deck, an ad, an email, a landing page. Spotify
  10. 10 Checks What to check before anything ships. Figma

Want one page you fill in online? Use the brand guidelines template. Have a website but no book? Draft one from your site.

Brand books from 56 studies: three opened

Figma

The canvas is the brand.

  1. 01Messaging3 rules
  2. 02Voice4 rules
  3. 03Logo6 rules
  4. 04Color3 rules
  5. 05Type4 rules
  6. 06Icons2 rules
  7. 07Illustration3 rules
  8. 08Photography3 rules
  9. 09Motion3 rules
  10. 10Layout4 rules
  11. 11Usage rules4 rules

Spotify

Spotify keeps the page dark and lets green mean "press play".

  1. 01Messaging3 rules
  2. 02Voice3 rules
  3. 03Logo4 rules
  4. 04Color4 rules
  5. 05Type5 rules
  6. 06Icons3 rules
  7. 07Illustration2 rules
  8. 08Photography3 rules
  9. 09Motion2 rules
  10. 10Layout8 rules
  11. 11Usage rules3 rules

Starbucks

Hold the greens and the Siren still so everything else can change.

  1. 01Messaging3 rules
  2. 02Voice4 rules
  3. 03Logo5 rules
  4. 04Color5 rules
  5. 05Type5 rules
  6. 06Icons1 rule
  7. 07Illustration4 rules
  8. 08Photography7 rules
  9. 09Motion1 rule
  10. 10Layout6 rules
  11. 11Usage rules5 rules

Brand book examples

See all 56

A brand book for AI

AI tools read the same chapters. The visual rules go in a DESIGN.md for coding agents. The rest goes in a skill for Claude.

DESIGN.md files to copy Your brand as a Claude skill Make both from your site, free

Brand bookDESIGN.md sectionClaude skill
StoryOverviewWho it is for and what it promises
ColorColorsWhich color means action
TypeTypographyOpen stand-ins for licensed fonts
LayoutLayoutHow a page is built
LogoOverviewClear space, sizes, never-rules
VoiceOverviewHow it sounds, words to use and avoid
ChecksDo's and Don'tsWhat to check before anything ships

Questions

What is a brand book?

A brand book is the document that defines how a brand looks and sounds: logo, color, type, voice, imagery and layout, each with rules and examples. Brand book and brand guidelines usually mean the same thing; brand book often means the designed, shareable version. Start from a template, then fill it with your real assets.

What is in a brand book?

Logo, color, type, voice and imagery at minimum, each with rules, specs and real examples. Strong ones also say what never changes and what to check before anything ships.

How do you create a brand book?

Start from the work you already ship. Write down what repeats: colors with their codes, type sizes, logo spacing, how you sound. Add a do and a don’t for each, then real examples.

Is a brand book the same as brand guidelines?

Mostly. Both hold the rules. A brand book is often the designed, shareable version, with the story and real examples. A style guide often means only the writing rules.

Is there a free brand book template?

Yes. Copy the ten-chapter outline on this page as Markdown. For a one-page version you fill in online and export, use the brand guidelines template.

Can AI tools use a brand book?

Yes, if the rules are written so a tool can check them. The same chapters become a DESIGN.md for coding agents and a skill for Claude.

Are these official brand books?

No. Each is an independent study built from what the company publishes and ships, with its sources linked. None is affiliated with the company.

A brand book only works if every piece follows it.

Book a creative session Work with a design partner Check your site against your book