How can you easily follow brand identity guidelines?

2 Use templates and presets

One of the easiest ways to follow brand identity guidelines is to use templates and presets that are already aligned with the brand's standards. Templates and presets are pre-designed layouts, formats, and styles that you can apply to your graphic design projects with minimal adjustments. They can save you time and effort and ensure consistency and quality. You can create your own templates and presets based on the brand identity guidelines or use the ones that the brand provides or recommends. Some popular tools that offer templates and presets for graphic design are Canva, Adobe Spark, and Figma.

3 Check your work

After you finish your graphic design project, you need to check your work against the brand identity guidelines and make sure you followed them correctly. You can use tools and techniques that can help you verify your work and spot any errors or inconsistencies. For example, you can use a color picker tool to check the exact hex codes of the colors you used, a font identifier tool to check the fonts you used, or a grid system to check the alignment and spacing of your elements. You can also ask for feedback from the brand or a peer to ensure that your work meets the brand's expectations and goals.

4 Be creative and flexible

Following brand identity guidelines does not mean that you have to sacrifice your creativity and flexibility as a graphic designer. On the contrary, you can use these guidelines as a foundation and a source of inspiration for your graphic design projects. You can experiment with different combinations, variations, and adaptations of the brand elements, as long as you respect the core values and principles of the brand identity. You can also suggest improvements or changes to the brand identity guidelines if you think they are outdated, unclear, or ineffective. The key is to communicate and collaborate with the brand and find the best solutions for each project.

5 Learn from others

Another way to easily follow brand identity guidelines is to learn from other graphic designers who have worked with the same or similar brands. You can look for examples of graphic design projects that follow the brand identity guidelines and analyze how they applied them. You can also ask for tips, advice, or feedback from other graphic designers who have experience with the brand or the industry. You can find these examples and graphic designers on online platforms, forums, blogs, or social media. Learning from others can help you improve your skills, avoid mistakes, and discover new ideas.

6 Update your knowledge

Finally, you need to update your knowledge and skills as a graphic designer and keep up with the latest trends and developments in the graphic design industry. You also need to update yourself with the changes and updates in the brand identity guidelines, as brands may evolve and adapt over time. You can do this by reading articles, books, magazines, newsletters, or blogs about graphic design, taking online courses or workshops, attending webinars or events, or joining online communities or networks of graphic designers. Updating your knowledge can help you follow brand identity guidelines more easily and effectively.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?