Find a template that works for your brand board, or use design software to create an outline drawing
There is a variety of Brand Board templates available online, or you can use design software to create your own. Brand Board templates can help to ensure that your branding is consistent across all materials.
Adobe Creative Suite
Adobe Creative Suite is a popular design software that can be used to create Brand Boards. Adobe offers a variety of templates and tools that you can use to create your Brand Board.
Save and share your Brand Board
Once you have completed your Brand Board, be sure to save it so you can access it later. You can also share your Brand Board with others so they can see your branding. Brand Boards are a great way to keep your branding consistent across all materials.
What to include in a brand board
As I mentioned above, most brand boards include the brand’s primary logo, logo variations, color palette (with hex codes), fonts, and image style. Some also include icons, patterns, illustrations, and even mockups. What you include in your style guide depends on how fleshed out you want your brand to be. You can always start with the basics and add on more elements later on as your brand grows and evolves.
Below is an example of a brand board I created when branding my course, Blog Money Magic. You can view many more beautiful examples over on my brand design board on Pinterest.
How Does A Brand Board Help Your Business?
Here are some examples of brand boards:
Your company needs a single uniform brand board because it will ensure your logos, fonts, colors, and patterns remain consistent. Even if your marketing executive goes on vacation, or your web developer hires a subcontractor, or a new staff member needs to create slides for a presentation… if you provide them all with the same brand board that details the guidelines for fonts, colors, and style, their work will look consistent.
What Should Be Included? Let’s Make It Fun!
Now, let’s get to the fun stuff: what actually goes on your Brand Board? I’ll break it down into easy-to-digest, not-boring chunks!
This is your brand’s main character. Your logo is what sets you apart, and it’s featured everywhere: your website, social media, stationery…you name it. It’s like your business’ superhero cape! You want it to stand out and shout “I’m here, and I’m fabulous!” across all your branding materials.
Not all logos fit in every space, and that’s where your secondary logo comes in. It’s a slightly altered version of your main logo—maybe it’s more compact, vertical instead of horizontal, or has a fun little icon. Think of it as your logo’s cool sidekick, always ready to step in when your main logo might not fit. It gives your brand that extra oomph and flexibility, like a trusty backup dancer.
We all love a little variation, and your submark logo is the fun-sized version of your main logo. It’s usually smaller and less detailed (hello, monograms and initials!), but it’s perfect for small spaces. Think social media profiles, favicons, and even watermarks on photos. It’s a playful way to add a personal touch without overwhelming the design—like a little heart on top of a cake!
The color palette is like your brand’s fashion style. Is it pastel and soft, bold and daring, or sleek and corporate? Whatever vibe you’re going for, your palette will include around 5 colors that match your brand personality. And don’t forget the HEX codes—because, trust me, you’ll want to know exactly how to match that perfect shade of blush pink for your next Instagram post. A well-thought-out color palette can instantly give your brand that polished, cohesive look.
TIP: An easy tool to create color palettes: coolors.co
What does your brand sound like? Well, typography is the visual answer to that question. Your primary font is for bold headlines, while your secondary font is for body text and captions. Bonus points if your logo font doesn’t match your brand’s main font—this keeps things interesting! Fonts can be your brand’s secret personality, so choose wisely.
If your brand uses fun patterns, icons, or illustrations, slap them onto your Brand Board! These are the little things that make your brand feel unique. They tie everything together and help you stay consistent across your website, social media, and marketing materials. Maybe you have a custom icon, a special illustration style, or a pattern that screams “That’s SO you!” Add these to your board for that extra creative flair. ✨
How to create a brand board
If you’re working with a professional designer to create your brand identity, your designer will more likely than not create a brand board for you. Some designers, myself included, also provide in-depth brand guidelines, which are multiple pages long and go into detail on how to actually apply your visual brand elements. But if you’re DIYing your brand, you can easily create a brand board using Canva, Photoshop, or InDesign (I personally use InDesign).
To start out, you’ll simply need to assemble all the visual elements of your brand. Then you can neatly arrange them in a one-page document. I recommend including hex codes for your colors, so you can easily copy and paste them when you need to. You could also include some filler text for your heading and body fonts so that you can really visualize how they’ll look when applied. If you’re starting completely from scratch, I recommend creating a mood board before diving into your other brand visuals–read this post to learn more about mood boards and how to create them.
Once you’re done creating your brand board, export the file as a PDF, and that’s it! You’re one step closer to creating an intentional brand that attracts your ideal clients.
Looking for a professional touch to help take your brand to the next level? Get in touch to schedule your free consultation.
What Is A Brand Board Template?
A brand board template is a pre-designed framework that provides a structured layout for showcasing the visual elements of a brand’s identity. Typically used by businesses and designers, this same brand board template offers a clear and organized space to display key components such as the primary logo, color palette, typography, iconography, patterns, and any other brand-specific visuals.
A brand board template acts as a starting point, allowing users to easily plug in their specific brand element. Using a brand board template ensures that all vital branding elements are presented in a cohesive and comprehensive manner, making it a valuable tool for maintaining consistency and guiding branding decisions across various marketing materials and platforms.
What Is A Brand Board?
A brand board is a concise visual summary of a brand’s key elements, including logos, color palettes, and typography. A brand board ensures consistent representation across all marketing materials and serves as a quick reference guide to maintaining a cohesive brand identity.
Click the link to make a copy of this free brand board template (no email required).
Here’s an example of the Samantha Digital brand board:
