The brand guidelines checklist: from logo to handoff

Brand foundations

Start by checking that a new reader can understand the brand without the original presentation. The introduction should describe the audience, positioning, and personality in language that a team can use. Include a contact or owner so questions have somewhere to go.

• □Brand name and a short introduction are correct
• □Purpose, audience, and personality are explained
• □The guide has an identifiable owner
• □Section names make sense to someone outside the design team

Logo system

Review each variation against the actual asset. A thumbnail can look correct while the downloaded file contains an old mark, extra whitespace, or the wrong color. Open the originals and check names as well as appearance. Separate rules you have verified from recommendations still waiting for approval.

• □Primary logo and approved variations are included
• □Icon and wordmark roles are labeled
• □Clear space and minimum size are documented
• □Light and dark background use is explained
• □Incorrect usage examples address likely mistakes
• □Download names identify the version and format

Color and typography

A palette needs usage guidance as well as swatches. Describe which colors are backgrounds, accents, or text and show intended combinations. Check the readability of actual combinations at their intended sizes. If print values matter, confirm them with the production workflow instead of treating automatic conversions as approved specifications.

Typography should identify the exact families and weights, plus where someone can obtain them. A specimen alone does not explain hierarchy: show the relationship between headlines, body text, and captions. If licensing prevents sharing font files, provide the provider link and purchasing instructions.

• □Color names and HEX values match approved artwork
• □Primary and supporting color roles are clear
• □Text/background combinations have been reviewed
• □Font families, weights, and sources are identified
• □Heading, body, and caption usage is demonstrated
• □Font redistribution permissions are confirmed

Imagery and applications

Choose examples that demonstrate repeatable decisions. A social post, a slide, or a business card can show alignment, image treatment, and type scale more clearly than a paragraph of adjectives. Explain which parts of an example are rules and which are just one possible composition.

• □Photography or illustration direction has usable examples
• □Icon style and source are documented when applicable
• □Applications show more than one realistic situation
• □Image credits and usage restrictions are included where needed

Publication and handoff

Do one final review as a visitor. Use a separate browser session to check the intended access, test the guide on a phone, and download a representative file from each collection. For a password-protected guide, share access with the intended recipients and confirm it works before considering the handoff complete.

In brandguide.to, Downloads gathers files from visible source sections and can include supplemental files. Review that collection alongside the source sections so the presentation and file names tell the same story. Keep the final guide link in the handoff message, with an owner and any outstanding actions.

• □All sections contain approved material
• □Individual downloads and grouped ZIPs open correctly
• □The guide works at mobile and desktop widths
• □Public or password access matches the agreement
• □The client knows the guide URL and maintenance owner
• □Font purchases and other dependencies are listed