The New York Times recently profiled
Marissa Mayer , vice president of search and user experience for Google. The article is an in depth study of the face behind the Google brand. As one of the early employees at the search giant, Ms. Mayer has influenced everything about the Google user experience -- from the minimalist home page to the bold type face color palette. Thus, I was surprised to read this line from the article:
"SHE sighs when asked if she is bored with giving the same directions over and over. Clearly, that question has been on her mind. She and a team of designers are creating a style guide, she says, so she can quit repeating herself."
Wow. This is Google we're talking about, one of the world's most prominent brands. And in 10 years they still haven't published a definitive guide that outlines how their brand is represented. Surprising, yes. But really, I suspect this is true for many companies** -- even those in the hallowed Fortune 500. The truth is that many companies have a love/hate relationship with the brand style guide. Some people look at it as a series of restrictions rather than a practical guide for usage. However, those who work with the brand on a daily basis recognize why a style guide is not just necessary to protect the integrity of the brand itself, but as the quote above illuminates, helps people be more productive. If done right, a brand style guide will actually facilitate brand delivery rather than serve as a bottleneck. It's like building a structure without foundational blueprints -- you could probably get something up but it's just a matter of time before the foundation starts to give and the whole thing crumbles down on top of you.
If you're in the process of putting your company's brand style guide together, here are a few tidbits of advice that we've gleaned over the years when working with clients to help them develop their own brand style guides:
- Less is More - Just because the style guide is the brand bible, it doesn't mean it has to be the size of a bible. Be realistic about what are the most important attributes of the brand and don't get too mired in the minutiae.
- Make it Widely Accessible - Ideally, once a style guide is published it will be made broadly available across the entire company. Physical books should be created and distributed to groups and individuals who need it. Make a downloadable PDF version available on your Intranet. Put copies in the lunch room. If you want people to use it, make it easy to find.
- Be Flexible - There's a tendency to think that style guides are the irrevocable word of marketing and not subject to change. That's not just wrong, but it also contributes to 'rogue' branding where employees purposely ignore the style guide because it doesn't meet their particular requirements (i.e., there's no approved reversed out logo in the guide but I need one for this new landing page). To ensure that your style guide is a living document, make sure people have a vehicle to express their issues and concerns so they don't take branding matters into their own hands.
What other piece of advice would you share for building a brand style guide?