A client needs a comprehensive brand book that codifies their visual identity, voice, and application rules into a single reference document. Common after a rebrand, for startups formalizing their first brand system, or when an existing brand has grown inconsistent across teams and channels.

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How it works

1. You provide the brand name, existing brand assets (logos, colors, fonts, any current guidelines), industry, and target audience
2. The skill builds a full brand guidelines document covering logo usage, color palette, typography, imagery direction, voice and tone, and application examples
3. It returns a structured brand book the client's design, marketing, and product teams can use as the single source of truth for brand consistency

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Prompt

You are building a comprehensive brand guidelines document for a Kate Makrigiannis consulting engagement. Kate helps clients move from ad-hoc brand decisions to a codified system that keeps the brand consistent across every touchpoint. Before writing, read knowledge/voice-tone-guide.md -- use the client-facing voice.

Inputs I will provide:

• Brand name: {{BRAND_NAME}}
• Existing brand assets: {{EXISTING_ASSETS}} (logos, color codes, fonts currently in use, any existing guidelines -- or "starting from scratch")
• Industry: {{INDUSTRY}} (the market context that shapes visual and verbal conventions)
• Target audience: {{TARGET_AUDIENCE}} (who the brand needs to resonate with -- e.g., "enterprise IT buyers," "Gen Z consumers," "nonprofit donors")
• Brand personality (optional): {{BRAND_PERSONALITY}} (adjectives or description of how the brand should feel -- e.g., "trustworthy, modern, approachable" or "bold, disruptive, playful")
• Context (optional): {{CONTEXT}} (what triggered this work -- rebrand, first-time formalization, inconsistency problems, new market entry)

Step 1: Brand overview

Write a concise brand overview section:

• Brand story: 2-3 sentences capturing why the brand exists and what it stands for
• Brand mission: One sentence
• Brand values: 3-5 core values, each with a one-sentence explanation of what it means in practice
• Brand personality attributes: 3-5 adjectives with brief descriptions of how each manifests in visual and verbal expression

If the inputs are thin on brand story or values, flag:

Step 2: Logo usage rules

Define comprehensive logo guidelines:

Primary Logo

• Description of the primary logo mark and wordmark
• Full-color, single-color, and reversed (white) versions

Clear Space

• Minimum clear space rule (expressed as a proportion of the logo, e.g., "1x the height of the logomark on all sides")
• Diagram description showing the clear space boundary

Minimum Size

• Print minimum: [X] mm / [X] inches wide
• Digital minimum: [X] px wide
• If the logo becomes illegible below minimum size, specify a simplified version or favicon alternative

Logo Placement

• Preferred placement on documents, presentations, and web pages
• Co-branding rules (partner logos, sponsorship lockups)

Logo Don'ts

Create a table of at least 8 common misuses:

Don't	Why
Stretch or distort the logo	Maintains visual integrity
Change the logo colors	Preserves brand recognition
Add effects (drop shadows, gradients, outlines)	Keeps the logo clean and professional
Place on busy backgrounds without contrast	Ensures legibility
Rotate or angle the logo	Maintains consistent presentation
Rearrange logo elements	Preserves the designed relationship
Use outdated logo versions	Ensures brand consistency
Crop or partially obscure the logo	The full logo must always be visible

Step 3: Color palette

Define the full color system with precise values:

Primary Colors

For each primary color (typically 2-3):

Color Name	Role	Hex	RGB	CMYK	Pantone (if applicable)
[Name]	[Primary brand color / anchor]	#XXXXXX	R, G, B	C, M, Y, K	PMS XXXX

Secondary Colors

For each secondary color (typically 2-4):

Color Name	Role	Hex	RGB	CMYK
[Name]	[Supporting / accent / functional]	#XXXXXX	R, G, B	C, M, Y, K

Accent Colors

For each accent color (typically 1-3):

Color Name	Role	Hex	RGB	CMYK
[Name]	[Highlight / CTA / alert]	#XXXXXX	R, G, B	C, M, Y, K

Neutral Palette

Color Name	Hex	Use
[Dark neutral]	#XXXXXX	Body text, headings
[Medium neutral]	#XXXXXX	Secondary text, borders
[Light neutral]	#XXXXXX	Backgrounds, cards
[White/off-white]	#XXXXXX	Page backgrounds

Color Usage Rules

• Primary-to-secondary ratio guidance (e.g., "60/30/10 rule")
• Accessibility requirements: all text-background combinations must meet WCAG 2.1 AA contrast (4.5:1 for body text, 3:1 for large text)
• Dark mode considerations if applicable

If color values are provided in the inputs, use them. If not, flag:

Step 4: Typography hierarchy

Define the type system:

Primary Typeface (Headings)

• Font family: [Name]
• Weights used: [e.g., Bold (700), Semibold (600)]
• Licensing: [Web font source / license type]
• Fallback stack: [e.g., "Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif"]

Secondary Typeface (Body)

• Font family: [Name]
• Weights used: [e.g., Regular (400), Medium (500)]
• Licensing and fallback stack

UI / Monospace Typeface (optional)

• Font family: [Name]
• Use case: code blocks, data displays, UI labels

Type Scale

Element	Font	Weight	Size	Line Height	Letter Spacing
H1	[Primary]	Bold	36px / 2.25rem	1.2	-0.02em
H2	[Primary]	Semibold	28px / 1.75rem	1.25	-0.01em
H3	[Primary]	Semibold	22px / 1.375rem	1.3	0
H4	[Primary]	Medium	18px / 1.125rem	1.35	0
Body	[Secondary]	Regular	16px / 1rem	1.5	0
Body Small	[Secondary]	Regular	14px / 0.875rem	1.5	0.01em
Caption	[Secondary]	Regular	12px / 0.75rem	1.4	0.02em
Button	[Secondary]	Medium	14px / 0.875rem	1	0.05em

If fonts are not specified in inputs, flag:

Step 5: Imagery style guide

Photography Direction

• Style: [e.g., authentic and candid vs. polished and staged, warm tones vs. cool]
• Subject matter: [what to photograph -- people, products, environments, abstract]
• Composition: [framing preferences, negative space, crop style]
• Color treatment: [saturation, contrast, filter direction]
• Do's: 3-4 specific guidance items
• Don'ts: 3-4 specific anti-patterns

Illustration Direction (if applicable)

• Style: [line art, flat design, isometric, hand-drawn]
• Color palette usage: how illustration colors map to the brand palette
• Complexity level: [simple and iconic vs. detailed and narrative]
• When to use illustration vs. photography

Iconography Direction

• Style: [outlined, filled, duotone]
• Stroke weight: [consistent weight, e.g., 2px]
• Grid and sizing: [base grid, standard sizes]
• Corner radius: [sharp, slightly rounded, fully rounded]

Step 6: Voice and tone summary

Brand Voice Attributes

Attribute	What It Means	What It Doesn't Mean
[e.g., Confident]	[We speak with authority and clarity]	[We're not arrogant or dismissive]
[e.g., Approachable]	[We use plain language and invite conversation]	[We're not casual to the point of being unprofessional]
[e.g., Forward-thinking]	[We focus on what's next and what's possible]	[We don't chase trends or use empty buzzwords]

Tone Shifts by Context

Context	Tone Adjustment
Marketing / brand campaigns	[More aspirational and bold]
Product UI / help text	[More concise and instructional]
Sales communications	[More outcome-focused and confident]
Customer support	[More empathetic and solution-oriented]
Internal communications	[More casual and collaborative]

Writing Do's and Don'ts

Do	Don't
[Specific example]	[Specific anti-pattern]
[Specific example]	[Specific anti-pattern]

Step 7: Brand application examples

Describe how the brand system applies to key touchpoints:

Business Card

• Layout description (front and back)
• Which logo version, colors, and type styles to use
• Information hierarchy: name, title, contact details, social handles

Social Media Header / Profile

• Recommended dimensions for primary platforms (LinkedIn, X/Twitter, Instagram)
• Layout approach: logo placement, tagline inclusion, color field usage
• Profile image: logo mark or wordmark version to use

Email Signature

• Text-based format (for maximum email client compatibility)
• Information hierarchy and formatting
• Optional: branded banner image specs

Slide Deck

• Title slide layout: logo, title, subtitle, background
• Content slide: header, body, visual area proportions
• Color usage: background colors, accent usage for highlights
• Typography: which type scale elements to use for headings and body

Step 8: Brand asset usage rights

Define who can use brand assets and under what terms:

Usage permissions

Asset type	Internal use	Partner/vendor use	Public use
Primary logo	Unrestricted	With brand guidelines provided	Per co-branding rules only
Brand colors and typography	Unrestricted	With brand guidelines provided	Unrestricted (they're design choices, not trademarks)
Photography and illustration	Per license terms	Sublicense required if stock	Per original license terms
Custom iconography	Unrestricted	With attribution if required	Per brand guidelines
Templates and collateral	Unrestricted	Case-by-case approval	Not permitted without approval

Modification restrictions

• Logo: no modifications permitted (see Step 2 don'ts)
• Colors: exact values required for brand consistency; tints/shades permitted per palette rules
• Typography: only approved weights and styles; no substitutions without brand team approval
• Photography: cropping permitted within composition guidelines; color grading must match brand treatment

Third-party attribution

• Stock photography: maintain license records; note restrictions on use duration, print runs, or exclusivity
• Licensed fonts: verify web, desktop, and app licensing separately; document license type and seat count
• Open-source assets: comply with license terms (MIT, CC-BY, etc.); provide attribution where required
• Client-provided assets: confirm usage rights and any restrictions before incorporating into brand system

Licensing notes

• If the brand guidelines are a consulting deliverable, IP ownership follows the engagement agreement (see knowledge/ip-licensing-guide.md Section 2)
• The brand system as a whole is the client's asset; the methodology used to create it is the consultant's
• Third-party asset licenses (fonts, stock images) are separate from the engagement IP terms and must be maintained independently

Related skills: Uses /style-guide for component-level design system documentation. Pairs with /brand-audit for assessing existing brand consistency. Feeds into /brand-messaging-framework for the verbal identity layer.