Build a brand identity from brief to rules
Turn a brief into a direction, then a logo, colour, type and a set of rules someone else can follow, using Studio and the brand guideline builder.
Intermediate4 min readUpdated 25 September 2026Studio · Brand guideline builder
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An identity is not a logo. It is a small set of decisions (mark, colour, type, space, voice) that let many people make things that look like they came from one place. This article walks through how a designer gets there, in order, and where each step lives in Voidcanvas.
1. Read the brief for the problem
A brief lists what the client wants. Your job is to find what they need. Write down, in plain words:
- Who it is for, specifically. "Everyone" is not an audience.
- What should people think or feel after seeing it: three words at most.
- Who the competitors are, and what they all look like, so you can avoid it.
- Where it will live: signage, app icon, social, packaging. A mark that must work at 16 px and on a van has different constraints.
In Studio, start a job and paste the brief into the Brief tab. See Start a job from a brief.
2. Research and directions
Collect references: other identities, type, photography, textures, anything that carries the feeling. Then group them into two or three distinct directions, each with a name, a one-line idea and a few keywords. Directions let a client choose a route before you spend days on detail, and they stop you falling in love with the first idea.
In a Studio job, the References tab keeps images and pulls a palette from each. The Directions tab holds each route with its references, notes and swatches. See References and palettes and Directions and review.
3. The mark
Common kinds: a wordmark (the name set in considered type), a lettermark (initials), a symbol, or a combination of symbol and name. Wordmarks are often the right answer for new brands, because nobody knows the symbol yet.
- Sketch in black first. If it does not work in one flat colour, colour will not save it.
- Test it small. Shrink it to 16 px and 32 px wide. Fine lines and small counters close up; simplify until it survives.
- Test it reversed. White on a dark or brand-coloured background, and dark on light.
- Test it on photos. It will end up on busy images whether you plan for it or not.
In the Editor you can draw a mark with the Pen (P) and shapes (U), combine parts with Layer, Pathfinder (Unite, Minus front, Intersect and more), and export a path with Export path as SVG…. See Shapes and the Pen.
4. Rules for the mark
Clear space is the empty margin around the logo that nothing else may enter. Define it from the mark itself, not in millimetres, so it scales: a common choice is half the height of the mark (½ H). Minimum size is the smallest width at which it stays legible: typically 16 to 48 px on screen, and roughly 15 to 25 mm in print depending on detail.
The logo should also clear 3:1 contrast against every background you allow, which is WCAG's non-text contrast level. Where the full-colour version fails, specify a reversed (white) or single-colour dark version.
5. Colour and type
Give colours roles (brand, secondary, accent, neutral) and build tints for each. Keep one accent per view. Choose at most two type families with clear jobs and a type scale. The detail is in Choose colours that work on screen and in print and Set type that reads well.
6. Write the rules down
A guideline is what lets someone else use the brand without you. Keep it short and specific: every rule should be something a person can check. Include the logo and its versions, clear space and minimum size, the palette with values and contrast-safe pairings, the type scale, spacing and grid, examples in use, and a few dos and don'ts for voice.
Do it in Voidcanvas
- Open Studio and choose Brand guideline builder.
- On Identity, enter the Brand name and Tagline and Add logo (SVG, PNG or JPG). A flat background is removed so the mark sits on any colour, and the brand colour is taken from the logo if it has one.
- Set Clear space (¼ H, ½ H or 1 H, measured from the height of the mark) and Minimum width (16, 24, 32 or 48 px). The Logo contrast list shows, for each background, whether the full-colour, reversed or dark mono version reaches 3:1.
- Choose a Personality (Bold, Refined, Playful, Minimal, Warm or Technical) and an Art direction (editorial, graphic or systematic). Personality steers the fonts, scale and corners the builder suggests; art direction sets the design principles.
- Work through the Colour and Type tabs. Anything you edit is locked; press New take to regenerate everything unlocked while keeping your decisions.
- Check the header button until it reads "All N checks pass", or fix what it lists.
- On Export, produce the Screen PDF, Print PDF or HTML handoff, tokens for developers, or a .ase swatch file. Save as a client brand in Studio makes it available to jobs.
Once saved, pick the brand on a Studio job and the Editor's Brief panel checks every design against it, flagging off-brand colours and fonts with a Fix button. For everyday work, put the colours, fonts and logos in the Editor's Brand kit too. See Brand guidelines and Brand kit.
Common problems
- The logo only works in colour. Go back to black and white and simplify.
- The client picks bits from every direction. Directions were too similar or too vague. Make them clearly different and explain the idea behind each.
- Nobody follows the guideline. It is too long or too vague. Replace adjectives with numbers: sizes, ratios, hex values, spacing units.