A brand identity package should give you more than a logo file. At the very least it includes a logo suite, a colour palette, typography, usage rules and a brand guideline document. Larger packages add imagery direction, stationery, templates and other applications.
What matters is not the length of the list. It is whether the pieces work together, and whether you can use them without going back to the designer every time.
The core of a brand identity package
A logo suite, not one logo
A logo suite is the set of versions you need to use the mark in real life. That usually means a primary logo, a secondary version for tight or tall spaces, and a compact mark for small places such as a favicon or a social profile picture. Each comes in full colour, in black and in white, so it works on light backgrounds, dark backgrounds and photographs.
The aim is a mark that holds up from a browser tab to a shop sign.
A colour palette with real values
A palette is a small set of colours with the codes to reproduce them: HEX for screens, RGB for digital work and CMYK for print. Most identities need a few main colours and a few supporting ones. Without the codes, the colour will drift every time someone recreates it.
Typography
Typography means the typefaces for headings and for body text, and a note on where each one is used. It should also tell you about licensing, because a font you can use in print may need a different licence for a website or an app.
Graphic and imagery direction
This covers patterns, icons, illustration and the style of photography that belong to the brand. Not every package includes it, but it is what makes two brands with similar logos feel different.
Usage rules
Usage rules say how much clear space the logo needs, how small it can be, which backgrounds it can sit on and what not to do with it. They are the difference between an identity your team can apply and one that only the designer can.
What a brand guideline document covers
A brand guideline document, sometimes called a style guide, puts those rules in one place. A useful one covers:
- logo versions, clear space, minimum sizes and misuse examples
- the colour palette with HEX, RGB and CMYK values
- typefaces and how they are used
- imagery and graphic style
- tone of voice, where it is in scope
- a few examples of the identity applied
It does not have to be long. Early on, a short guide that people actually read is better than a long manual that nobody opens. As more people use the brand, such as staff, freelancers, printers and developers, the guide can grow.
Applications: where the identity is put to work
Applications are the real pieces that carry the identity: stationery, social profile assets, templates, brochures, decks, signage, packaging, a website or an app. Some packages include a first set. Others leave them for a separate scope. Neither is wrong, but you should know which one you are buying.
If you want the identity applied across print and digital pieces, see brand assets and collateral.
What you should receive at handover
The files you receive decide how easily you can use the brand later. A complete handover usually includes:
- logo files in vector formats such as SVG and PDF, and in PNG for everyday use
- every logo version in full colour, black and white
- colour values in HEX, RGB and CMYK
- the fonts, or clear guidance on where to get and license them
- the brand guideline document as a PDF
- editable source files, if they are part of the agreement
- the terms on ownership and usage rights, in writing
What is often missing from a cheap package
Very low-priced packages tend to leave out the parts that make an identity usable. Check for these gaps:
- Only one version of the logo, so it fails on a dark background or at a small size.
- No colour codes for print, so printed pieces do not match the screen.
- No guidelines, so every new piece is a guess.
- No editable files, so every small change goes back through the designer.
- Unclear ownership, which becomes a problem when you want to register or reuse the work.
None of these is hard to provide. They just need to be in the scope.
How much do you need?
It depends on where the business is:
- A new business usually needs the logo suite, a palette, typography and a short guideline document, so it can launch consistently.
- A growing business that already has a logo often needs the system built around it: palette, typography, rules and templates, so growth does not turn into drift.
- A rebrand starts with a look at what exists today, then a new identity, then a plan for rolling it out across signs, packaging, print and the website.
Our own projects show the range. The identity for Julia Simpson includes a lotus mark, a second round-frame mark, colourways on light and dark grounds, a palette sheet and a typography sheet. The work for Point shows one mark in four colour versions, applied to business cards and a letterhead.
Questions to ask before you agree a scope
- Which logo versions are included, and in which file formats?
- Are colour values for both screen and print included?
- Is there a brand guideline document, and how detailed is it?
- Which applications are included in the price, and which are extra?
- How many concepts and review rounds are there?
- Are editable source files included?
- Who owns the final work, and is that written down?
- What is not included, such as naming, strategy, printing or a website?
If you want the work done for you, see brand identity design.
Frequently asked questions
What are the elements of a brand identity?
The usual elements are a logo suite, a colour palette, typography, graphic and imagery direction, usage rules and a brand guideline document. Some identities add tone of voice and a set of applications such as stationery and templates.
Is a logo enough for a small business?
A logo is a good start, but on its own it only gives you recognition. Once you have a brochure, a sign, a website and social profiles, you need a palette, typography and rules to keep them looking like the same business. We explain the difference in logo vs brand identity.
Do I need brand guidelines?
If more than one person will ever make something with your brand, yes. Even a one-page guide with the logo versions, colours and fonts will save time and keep your materials consistent. The longer the team and the supplier list, the more a guide earns its place.
How long does it take to create a brand identity?
There is no standard answer, because it turns with the scope and how fast decisions are made. A focused identity takes a number of weeks. A full identity with guidelines takes longer, and a rebrand across many touchpoints can take months. The most useful thing to ask any studio is for the stages and review points in writing before you start.
How much does a brand identity package cost?
The cost depends on what is in the set, how much research sits behind it, how many applications are covered, how many people review each stage and what the rollout needs, such as printing, signage and packaging. Packages with very different prices are often for different work, so compare what each one includes, not only the number.
Who owns the logo and brand files?
Ownership depends on the agreement, so it should be written down before the work starts. Ask who owns the approved final work, whether editable source files are included and what the studio keeps. Copyright in the artwork and a trademark registration are separate things, so get legal advice if you plan to register the mark.
Next step
If you are scoping a brand identity, tell us what you are building and we will reply with what we would include and what we would leave out.