Let's Talk

Simple Brand Style Guide Template (And Why You Need One)

A Clear Identity Builds Recognition and Trust

Consistency matters more than perfection. When your visual and written style is cohesive across your website, email, social media, and marketing materials, your audience starts to remember you — and trust you.

That’s why a brand style guide is essential. It doesn’t have to be complicated or corporate. A simple 1–2 page guide can help you define the basics of your brand so that everything you create looks and feels aligned.

In this post, you’ll get a free, fill-in-the-blank style guide template plus guidance on how to use it.

What Is a Brand Style Guide?

A brand style guide is a document that defines the look, feel, and tone of your brand. It typically includes:

  • Color palette
  • Typography (fonts)
  • Logo usage
  • Tone and voice
  • Photo and graphic style

You don’t need to be a designer or marketer to create one. This guide keeps your visuals consistent — and that makes your brand more memorable and professional-looking (Moreno et al., 2022).

Why Solo Professionals Need One

Even if you’re a one-person business, a style guide helps you:

  • Stay consistent from page to page and platform to platform
  • Make design decisions faster
  • Communicate clearly with web designers, graphic designers, or virtual assistants
  • Present yourself as polished and intentional

If your brand feels scattered, disjointed, or inconsistent, a simple style guide can be a game changer.

What to Include in Your Simple Brand Style Guide

Here’s a breakdown of what your guide should cover — and what to jot down as you go:

1. Your Logo (or Wordmark)

Include your main logo or wordmark, along with simple guidelines:

  • When to use the full version vs. icon-only
  • Any minimum size recommendations
  • Background color preferences

Tip: Even a simple text-based wordmark counts as a logo. Just document how it should appear!

2. Color Palette

Choose 3–5 colors:

  • One or two main colors
  • A light neutral background
  • A dark neutral for text
  • An optional accent

Write down each color’s hex code (e.g., #1A1A1A) so you can reuse them consistently across your website and graphics.

🎨Top 3 Color Palette Generators

  1. Coolors
    • Quickly generate cohesive palettes
    • Explore trending schemes or start from a photo
    • Great for exporting and saving palettes
  2. Adobe Color
    • Powerful tool with color harmony rules
    • Integration with Adobe Creative Cloud
    • Great for advanced users needing precision
  3. Khroma —
    • Learns your color preferences to generate tailored palettes.
    • Helps match colors to your brand’s tone (e.g., bold, calm, trustworthy).
    • Great for standing out with non-generic, visually striking combos.

3. Typography

Define your type hierarchy:

  • Headline Font (e.g., Raleway Bold)
  • Body Font (e.g., Lora Regular)
  • Accent Font (e.g., Montserrat Semi-Bold)

Note where and how to use each one — headlines, buttons, quotes, etc.

Top 3 font selection and pairing websites

1. Fontjoy

  • Uses AI to generate font pairings for headlines, subheadings, and body text
  • Lets you lock fonts and regenerate others
  • Great for balancing contrast and harmony

2. Google Fonts Pairings

  • Free and widely used web fonts
  • Shows suggested pairings for each font
  • Easy to preview and implement in web design

3. Typ.io

  • Curated examples with live demos
  • Showcases real websites and the font combinations they use
  • Great for visual inspiration in practical context

4. Tone & Voice

Describe how you want to sound when writing:

  • Friendly? Formal? Warm and professional?
  • Confident? Technical but approachable?

Write 2–3 example sentences that reflect your tone. It helps keep your voice consistent across pages and posts.

5. Imagery & Graphics

What kinds of images feel “on brand” for you?

  • Abstract or literal?
  • Clean, bright, muted, or bold?
  • People-focused or product-focused?

Add a few examples or a short list of descriptive adjectives.

Grab the Free Style Guide Template

You don’t need to start from scratch.
👉 Download the free Brand Style Guide Template here

It’s fill-in-the-blank and designed for solo professionals like consultants, coaches, and expert service providers.

What Happens When You Use It

Once you have your guide, you can:

  • Use the same styles across your entire website
  • Match your email marketing and social posts to your brand
  • Speed up decisions about graphics, images, and formatting
  • Communicate your preferences clearly if you hire help

It’s a simple step with a big payoff.

Ready to Build a Website That Reflects You?

Your brand style guide is just the beginning. If you want a site that looks and feels like you — while showcasing your expertise — let’s talk.

📣 Book a Free Consultation »
I’ll help you build a credible, professional website that works for your goals.

APA-Style References

Moreno, M., Castelló, A., & Pons, J. M. (2022). Branding consistency and consumer trust: A cognitive and emotional perspective. Journal of Business Research, 141, 24–34. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2021.12.051

Let's Talk More About This