Playing the Long Game with AEC Brand Guidelines

What are your favorite sports teams? What are the logos and colors that make them recognizable, even to your friends who don’t follow sports? This kind of recognition helps the team gain widespread support and other benefits.

For an Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) company, the equivalent is branding. By consistently using the same styles, fonts, logos, and colors, people will start to recognize and remember your company. If your brand is strong and consistent, it will attract more support.

To keep your branding consistent, you need a brand style guide.

What is a brand style guide?

A brand style guide is a manual that outlines how your company's brand should be presented. It covers everything from visuals, like your logo and colors, to the overall feel of your company. This guide ensures that everyone in your company presents a unified and organized image, which is crucial for attracting clients.

Where do you start?

Begin with a mission statement. This statement defines your company's purpose and sets the tone for your branding.

Then, detail the key elements of your brand:

• Logo: Include a high-resolution image of your logo and describe its design elements. Specify the correct and incorrect ways to use it.
  
  
• Color Palette: List your main colors and additional shades for different uses, including color codes for exact matches.
  
  
• Typography: Select main and secondary fonts to maintain consistency while allowing some variety.
  
  
• Imagery and Iconography: If you use specific icons or images, explain their use here. Discuss your preferred style of photography and any favored sources for stock photos.
  
  
• Brand Voice: Describe your company's personality and how it should come across in written content. Decide whether your tone is casual or formal, and guide your communication accordingly.

A brand style guide helps everyone produce content that aligns with your firm's values. For simplicity, create templates for common uses. This guide will streamline content creation, ensuring your company's branding is as recognizable and impactful as a popular sports team's uniform.