Checklist
Brand guidelines review checklist
Brand guidelines are a working manual. The review should test whether a designer who did not build the system can use it, not only whether the PDF looks polished. This checklist covers the strategy, the core elements and the applications.
Strategy and story
- Positioning
Check that the positioning, the audience and the personality are stated in words a new designer can apply, not only adjectives.
- Voice
Include examples of the voice in headlines, product copy and support messages. A voice section without examples is hard to use.
- Do and do not
Show real examples of the brand working and failing. The negative examples are often more useful than the positive ones.
Core elements
- Logo
Include the primary logo, the secondary marks, the clear space, the minimum size and the approved backgrounds. Test the logo at small sizes.
- Type
Name the typefaces, the weights, the line heights and the fallback fonts. Include the licence or the link to the licensed files.
- Colour
Give the colour values for print, screen and specification, with the acceptable range. Show the colours on the actual stock where possible.
- Layout
Show the grid, the spacing and the image treatment with at least two real applications. A grid that only works on the cover is not a system.
Applications and handoff
- Real applications
Test the system on a website, a social post, a print piece and a presentation. If the system only works in the guideline layout, it is not finished.
- Asset pack
Deliver the logo files, the fonts or licences, the colour swatches and the templates in the formats the client's team uses.
- Accessibility
Check the colour contrast for text and the alt-text rules for images. A brand colour that fails contrast will fail on the website.
- Approval
Record the approved version, the approver and the date. Brand guidelines change; the record tells the team which version is current.
Questions
How long should brand guidelines be?
Long enough to answer the questions a designer will ask, short enough to be used. A focused 20–40 page system is often more useful than a 100-page book nobody opens.
Should the client receive the font files?
Only if the licence allows it. Otherwise, name the typefaces and the licence the client needs to buy, and include the fallback fonts.
Who approves the brand guidelines?
The client's brand owner or marketing lead, with input from the product and legal teams where the identity appears in regulated contexts.
Sources
Reviewed November 3, 2026. Public pages can change; check the source before relying on a date or a price.