brand-guidelines

Brand Guidelines

Apply consistent brand standards across all creative work, including visual identity, color usage, typography, and voice guidelines.

Purpose

Enable Claude to apply consistent brand standards across all creative work. This skill provides both a framework for brand consistency and a customizable template for organization-specific guidelines.

When to Activate

Use this skill when:

• Creating any branded content or communications
• Reviewing work for brand compliance
• Making design decisions that affect brand consistency
• Generating copy that needs to match brand voice
• Working with Open Session colors (Aperol, Charcoal, Vanilla)

Brand Identity Framework

Brand Essence

One sentence that captures what the brand stands for.

Core Values

1. [Value 1] - Brief description
2. [Value 2] - Brief description
3. [Value 3] - Brief description

Brand Personality

List 3-5 personality traits that define how the brand communicates.

Visual Identity

Color Palette

Primary Colors

| Name | Hex | RGB | Usage | |------|-----|-----|-------| | Primary | #000000 | 0, 0, 0 | Headlines, CTAs | | Secondary | #000000 | 0, 0, 0 | Supporting elements |

Accent Colors

| Name | Hex | RGB | Usage | |------|-----|-----|-------| | Accent 1 | #000000 | 0, 0, 0 | Highlights | | Accent 2 | #000000 | 0, 0, 0 | Secondary highlights |

Neutral Colors

| Name | Hex | Usage | |------|-----|-------| | Dark | #000000 | Text, backgrounds | | Light | #FFFFFF | Backgrounds, contrast |

Typography

Primary Typeface

• Name: [Font name]
• Weights: [Available weights]
• Usage: Headlines, key messaging

Secondary Typeface

• Name: [Font name]
• Weights: [Available weights]
• Usage: Body text, UI elements

Type Scale

| Element | Size | Weight | Line Height | |---------|------|--------|-------------| | H1 | [size] | [weight] | [line-height] | | H2 | [size] | [weight] | [line-height] | | Body | [size] | [weight] | [line-height] |

Voice & Tone

Voice Attributes

1. [Attribute 1] - Description and examples
2. [Attribute 2] - Description and examples
3. [Attribute 3] - Description and examples

Tone Variations

| Context | Tone Adjustment | |---------|-----------------| | Marketing | How voice adapts | | Support | How voice adapts | | Error messages | How voice adapts | | Celebrations | How voice adapts |

Writing Guidelines

Always:

• Use active voice
• Be concise and direct
• Lead with value

Never:

• Use jargon without explanation
• Be condescending
• Overpromise

Vocabulary

Preferred Terms: | Instead of... | Use... | |---------------|--------| | [Word] | [Preferred word] |

Banned Words:

• Words/phrases to avoid

Application Guidelines

Digital Applications

• Web: consistent color tokens, typography scale
• App: maintain brand feel across platforms
• Email: branded templates, consistent voice

Social Media

• Platform-specific adaptations
• Maintain visual consistency
• Voice can be more casual

Photography & Imagery

• Style guidelines
• Subject matter
• Treatment and editing

Compliance Checklist

When creating branded content, verify:

• [ ] Colors match brand palette
• [ ] Typography follows type system
• [ ] Logo used correctly (if applicable)
• [ ] Voice and tone are consistent
• [ ] Imagery style matches guidelines
• [ ] Terminology uses preferred vocabulary

Examples

On-Brand Example

Content that correctly applies brand standards with appropriate voice, colors, and typography.

Off-Brand Example

Content that deviates from guidelines — useful for training recognition.

Questions to Ask

When unsure about a brand decision:

1. Does this feel like the brand?
2. Would this be recognizable without the logo?
3. Does this align with core values?
4. Is this how we want to be perceived?

Related Skills

• brand-voice
• frontend-design
• design-system-quality

Version: 1.0.0