What is a design manual?
The design manual helps to ensure a consistent visual identity for your business. Let us explain what it is and why a design manual is so important!
A design manual, also known as a design handbook, is an instruction that describes the use of a company's design profile. It is an overview of the visual identity of the business, consisting of logo, typography, symbols, images and other visual characteristics.
Why use a design manual?
The purpose of the manual is to ensure that the visual identity of a business is established and maintained in a specific way. It's simply about how to use it in practice and how to present it in different channels.
It is a design agency that most often designs a company's visual profile. Over time, someone else may take over and without a specific design profile, the visual identity may take new directions. This is often undesirable unless a new visual profile or concept is being developed.
How to create a design manual?
When creating a design manual, there are a few things that most people have in common. Let's take a closer look at some examples:
- Logo use - Description of the logo and font. How should the logo look with symbols and company name? Are there different versions of the logo? Which logo should be used when and on what background? What should it not be used for?
- Color usage - Description of colors in the design profile. Which colors should be used? What are the color codes? What is the main color? What other colors can be used?
- Typography use - What is your company's main font? How should they be used? What other fonts can be used? Are there separate fonts and rules for this?
- Photography and image use - Description of images that can be used. What kind of expression should illustrations or photos have? What is the desired image size, cropping and strength? Which images should not be used?
- Additional visual elements - Description of other decor elements that can be used to strengthen the design profile.
Example of a design manual
There are many examples of design manuals out there. Design manuals can often vary in both content and size. Most small companies can manage with a few instructions, but for large international companies, it's good to have clear rules to prevent the style from slipping in different countries.