Screenshot this & don't forget to add it to your next brand design guidelines:
Color usage ratio!
Instead of only presenting a set of color swatches, show the palette in proportion. Because colors are not just a list of options. They form a system. This is why I sometimes include literal pie chart in brand guidelines. (this one was made with Framer!)
The chart makes visible how the brand is meant to behave over time.
-> The largest slice represents the default surface.
-> The medium slices support and structure the system.
-> The smallest slice is the accent, an intentional interrupt that only works when used sparingly.
When this logic isn’t made explicit, teams are forced to guess, accents slowly turn into backgrounds, and backgrounds lose their quiet role. And the brand drifts without anyone noticing.
Most brand guidelines tell you what colors exist.
Very few tell you how they should behave.
Screenshot this & don't forget to add it to your next brand design guidelines:
Color usage ratio!
Instead of only presenting a set of color swatches, show the palette in proportion. Because colors are not just a list of options. They form a system. This is why I sometimes include literal pie chart in brand guidelines. (this one was made with Framer!)
The chart makes visible how the brand is meant to behave over time.
-> The largest slice represents the default surface.
-> The medium slices support and structure the system.
-> The smallest slice is the accent, an intentional interrupt that only works when used sparingly.
When this logic isn’t made explicit, teams are forced to guess, accents slowly turn into backgrounds, and backgrounds lose their quiet role. And the brand drifts without anyone noticing.
Most brand guidelines tell you what colors exist.
Very few tell you how they should behave.
