With competition against the likes of Google, it makes sense that search engine Bing would have to have a strong set of style guidelines in order to keep their brand strong. Bing deconstructs and explains nearly every fact of their brand, right down to the search bar dimensions and composition. Bing also explains just about every decision to provide a manual that would be easy to follow and rules that are easy to replicate. Read through Bing’s manual over here.

 Style guides are informative tools, so most of the time the function is valued over the form, but this doesn’t mean that your guide has to look bland. Take a leaf from Black Watch Global’s book where informative brand rules meet punchy design. With big type that bleeds from page to page, stylistic typography and unique displays of colour, this is definitely one style guide that you won’t fall asleep while reading through. Check out more of the manual and design via Mash Creative.

 If you’re not as keen on a more adventurous approach as the previous example, a more formulaic layout of a manual can work just as well. This manual by Mike Collinge for Bosphorus lays out each page similarly with a cohesive format that makes digesting the information easy and clear. As always, consider your brand and whether or not a more minimal approach would suit it/the guidelines better. Have a look at Bosphorus’ approach over here.

 Get the simple but professional look with the Geometric Diamond Pattern Brand Guidelines Presentation template.

 Don’t be afraid to get a little experimental with your style guide’s design. This guide for BPR has been executed as a poster. Why? Because it concerns BPR’s internal communications, so using the format makes in-office reference to the rules as easy as a glance over toward a poster. Do consider your own situation though, and what medium would be best for your brand/whoever will be reading your guidelines – a designer doesn’t want to open an A2 poster while at their studio desk just to find which size type to use. But for this instance, a poster is a useful medium. Have a closer look at the poster and well-organised rules via Red Stone.

 If you’re looking for detail, be sure to have a peruse of the style guide for Calgary Chamber. Each element of this style guide is explained, demonstrated and displayed in extraordinary detail, making for a clear and strong set of guidelines toward the brand. This manual groups colours by emotion (intelligent through to energetic), maps out gradients, colour combinations, type combinations, sizes, weights, just about anything any future designer would need. Have a look at the detail of this manual via Iancu Barbărasă.

 When it comes to an event like the Olympics, you want your country to stand out, and what better way to do this than with a meticulously designed and upheld brand. The Canadian Olympic team have a specific branding that is captured and outlined in this detailed and explanatory style guide. An interesting thing to take from this example is the use of translations on each page. Since the dominant languages in Canada are French and English, both languages have been represented in this manual, a clever way to tailor this manual to the audience. Check it all out via Ben Hulse.

 Sometimes less really is best. Check out this simple style guide for concrete distributors Cemento. A minimal palette that coincides with the brand, and big, bold headlines that make flipping through the manual quick and easy. There has been a careful attention to the trademark Cemento pattern and its construction in this manual as this pattern is a large part of the brand. Again, be sure to tailor your style guide toward whichever elements are the most important to your brand. Have a read of the Cemento guide via BP&O.

 Have you got a simple brand? Well, even the simplest of brands needs a comprehensive style guide, just as we can see with the guidelines for Channel 4. While Channel 4’s overall design is fairly simple, this does not mean that the instructions and brand rules are any less detailed. With some pretty specific instructions on placement, type size, logo application and much more, this simple brand is given just as much attention as any complex brand gets. Have a peruse through the manual via Issuu.

 If you thought style guides were purely limited to corporate or retail brands, boy, were you wrong. This manual was created for the video game Child of Light and is as meticulously detailed and compiled as any corporate brand. This guide explains each decision in detail and deconstructs the logo in an understandable way, shedding some light on the process for anyone involved in the game’s creative direction. Remember: wherever there’s a brand there should be a brand manual. Have a look at the guidelines and development via Behance.

 Mininal design with a distinct color palette, like the Purple Minimalist Production Brand Guideline Presentation template, can rock your brand guidelines.

 The last thing you want with your manual is for your explanations to be skimmed over or even worse – completely unread. This manual by Cisco avoids this by putting their reasonings and explanations into an interactive website. Not only do they provide the usually approved color palettes and font type, but they also have a vast library of approved photos, audio, and video that can be used any time without fees.

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 While a majority of brand marks concerns what to do with a brand, just as important is some outlines for what not to do. This manual for charity group Don’t Use Me outlines both the do’s and don’ts when it comes to their brand with some diagrams and examples that make it all pretty easy to understand at a glance. Don’t be afraid to throw in as many visuals as you can, visual examples help avoid any miscommunications, after all. Check out Don’t Use Me’s brand manual here.

 While you may benefit from a simpler design that puts the information in the forefront, don’t be afraid to experiment with using your own rules in your style guide. Check out this manual for Double Knot that uses the established colour scheme and typesetting rules right throughout the manual, making the manual itself a whole example of the brand rules. Have a read of it all via Stylo.

 Add some illustrations or icons to emphasize your brand. Check out the Yellow Notes Blue Brand Guidelines Presentation template.

 When it comes to creating a manual that covers a big brand, it can be tricky to include all aspects of it, not forgetting about all the sub-brands too. For a good example on how to cover all bases, check out this manual by the easyGroup. easyGroup covers a big handful of groups such as easyJet, easyMoney, easyAirtours etc. and each of these subgroups has been discussed and explained in this simple but detailed brand manual. Of course, the bigger the brand, the bigger the manual, so don’t leave out any important elements to keep the manual short. Check out the entire easyGroup manual over here.

 If you’re looking for a sophisticated brand manual design that combines form and function, look no further than the Firebrand logo. A clean, clear and sophisticated design that covers all branding bases, the Firebrand style guide has a design that complements the sleek design of the brand and is easy and pleasant to flip through. For more inspiration on blending stylish design and informative content, check out the Firebrand manual.

 Just as we can see in this sophisticated style guide from Fitt Lab, it’s always a good idea to break down your design elements and deconstruct them for the reader of your manual. This can give readers an idea for how the logotype should look, how to spot irregularities, how to regulate logotype kerning etc. Remember: the more thoroughly you cover your bases, the stronger your final manual will be and the less chance that there will be any mistakes or inconsistencies in your final brand. Check out the Fitt Lab guidelines for some deconstruction inspiration.

 You can use your brand's main color to act as an accent for your design. Check out the Yellow Blocks Brand Listing Presentation template.

 Chances are that your brand is going to be applied on more than one medium, so think ahead, think of any possible or guaranteed branding applications and include them in your manual. This manual for Fogg has done just this, with application examples ranging from letterheads through to smartphone app icons. Your brand won’t be able to grow if your design doesn’t anticipate growth! Get inspired to include an array of applications with Fogg’s brand manual.

 Ever heard the term ‘pixel perfect’? Well, it’s a phrase Google not only use to describe their icons but one that they execute. Google is, of course, a huge brand, so their visual asset manual alone is detailed and meticulous, covering all bases, right down to the way individual pixels should be used when creating icons. Don’t be afraid to hold your brand to a high standard (as long as you have a good reason). Read more about the evolving identity of Google here, and check out the Google Brand Permissions page.

 Don’t be afraid to use some imagery in your manual, as long as it complements and enhances your brand and information. A good example is Hanes’ colour palette page from their own brand manual. By including an image next to the swatches from the primary colour palette, Hanes’ palette is given meaning and a nicely visualised example. Have a look at Hanes’ use of fitting and complementary imagery in their manual.