46-brand-guideline-global

# Brand Guideline (Global)

A brand guideline is not a beautiful document to archive — it is a daily working tool. A good one lets everyone produce on-brand work without asking the lead. This is the foundation document: every design skill (42-50) and the Brand Hub read from it.

## Information gathering

Read `.agents/product-marketing-context-global.md`, the logo files, and any existing brand material. If information is missing, ask up to 4 questions:

1. **New or an update?** If an update: what changed recently (new logo, new palette, new tone)?
2. **Scope?** Digital only, print, or both — and which platforms must it cover (Meta, TikTok, LinkedIn, website, email, design tools)?
3. **Who uses it?** Designers only, or content and the wider team?
4. **What assets exist?** Logo files (SVG/PNG), confirmed color values, chosen fonts — send everything available. If colors or fonts are not settled, this skill will propose 2-3 directions with rationale.

## Principles

1. **A guideline is a living document** — update it whenever a brand decision changes, and stamp the last-updated date.
2. **Every rule states when to use it and when not to.** A rule without context gets ignored.
3. **Conflicts between the guideline and a brief go to the lead,** never resolved unilaterally.
4. **New designers read it before touching any asset.**
5. **Every exception is documented.** There are no silent exceptions.
6. **The guideline feeds the Brand Hub:** once approved, push this file into the Brand Hub (`34-ai-marketing-os-global`) so every role and agent reads one source.
7. **Accessibility is part of the brand, not an afterthought.** In the US and EU it is frequently a legal requirement, not a preference.

## Workflow

### 1. Lock the brand foundation

Three precise adjectives plus three adjectives to avoid, and the feeling a viewer should have when they see the work. If positioning is not settled, read `09-customer-insight-global` and the existing positioning first.

### 2. Lock the color system and typography

From the logo and the personality, set the palette (primary, secondary, background, text) and the fonts ([heading font], [body font], plus a fallback). Every color carries usage rules and a contrast check.

### 3. Define logo, visual style, and components

Logo versions and don'ts; photography, icon, and background style; components (button, card, tag, divider) so every asset stays consistent.

### 4. Standardize sizes, naming, and file organization

Asset size table by channel, naming convention, folder tree. Then set up the brand kit in the team's design tool.

## Output structure

File name: `brand-guideline-[brand-name]-[YYYYMMDD].md`. Bracketed values are placeholders — fill them with the brand's real colors and fonts. The illustrative palette below is a neutral EXAMPLE only; replace it.

```markdown
# Brand Guideline — [Brand name]
Last updated: [date] | Owner: [name] | Version: [x.y]

## Part 1 — Brand foundation
Brand personality: [Brand] is [three precise adjectives] — not [three adjectives to avoid].
(Example only: "Sharp, Practical, Empowering — not Corporate, Fluffy, Generic")

Brand voice in visual work:
- Seeing our design, a viewer should feel: [...]
- A viewer should never feel: [...]

## Part 2 — Color system
Primary palette:
| Name | Hex | RGB | Use when | Do not use when |
|------|-----|-----|----------|-----------------|
| [primary color] | [hex] | [rgb] | Headings, CTAs, dominant grounds | Ground for long-form body text |
| [secondary color] | [hex] | [rgb] | Accents, highlights, figures, icons | Large-area backgrounds |
| [background color] | [hex] | [rgb] | White ground, cards, content areas | — |

Secondary palette:
| Name | Hex | Use when |
|------|-----|----------|
| [strong text color] | [hex] | Body text and headings on light grounds |
| [muted text color] | [hex] | Subtext, captions, metadata |
| [light background color] | [hex] | Light section grounds, cards, tags |
| [gradient] | [primary] to [secondary] | Hero, CTA section, covers |

(Illustrative example only — replace with the real brand values: primary navy #0F4C81, secondary amber #F2A104.)

Approved combinations:
- [primary color] ground + light text
- Light ground + [primary color] heading + [secondary color] accent
- Gradient [primary to secondary] + light text
- [light background color] + [primary color] text

Forbidden combinations:
- [secondary color] as a large-area background
- Light text on [light background color] (insufficient contrast)
- Three or more dominant colors in one asset
- Any color outside the palette without approval
- Neon or oversaturated colors that break the brand tone

## Part 3 — Typography
Primary fonts: [heading font] (headings) / [body font] (body). Fallback: [fallback font], sans-serif.

| Style | Weight | Size range | Used for |
|-------|--------|-----------|----------|
| Display | Black 900 | 48-72px | Hero headline, large figures |
| H1 | Bold 700 | 36-48px | Page or post headline |
| H2 | Bold 700 | 24-32px | Section heading |
| H3 | SemiBold 600 | 18-22px | Card heading |
| Body | Regular 400 | 14-16px | Paragraphs |
| Caption | Regular 400 | 11-13px | Metadata, timestamps |
| CTA | Bold 700 | 14-16px | Button text |

Typography don'ts:
- No fonts outside [heading font] / [body font] / fallback
- No ALL CAPS for long paragraphs
- No justified text
- No body text below 13px (print) or 14px (mobile)
- One typeface family, many weights — do not mix families

## Part 4 — Logo usage
| Version | Use when | File |
|---------|----------|------|
| Full logo (color) | Header, cover, first slide, landing page | SVG + PNG @2x |
| Full logo (light/reversed) | On dark grounds or [primary color] | SVG + PNG @2x |
| Icon only (color) | Watermark, favicon, story, avatar | SVG + PNG @2x |
| Icon only (light) | Dark grounds, small sizes | SVG + PNG @2x |

Rules:
- Minimum clear space 16px on every side — never crop tight
- Minimum width 80px (below that it loses definition)
- Place on a light gro