You don't need six months for a coherent identity. A "minimum viable" guideline can be built in two days.
- The essentials: logo, palette, typography, tone of voice, a few components.
- Goal: be recognisable and consistent everywhere, from the site to your materials.
- You refine with use, instead of freezing everything upfront.
An identity isn't a logo. It's a system that makes a brand recognisable and consistent, everywhere. And contrary to the cliché, the essentials are set quickly, in two days, as long as you aim at the right scope.
The minimum viable scope
The logo and its variants
A main version, a compact version (favicon, avatar), spacing and minimum-size rules. Not ten variations: the ones you'll actually use.
The palette
One primary colour, one or two accents, neutrals (backgrounds, text). With exact codes and contrasts checked for accessibility.
The typography
A heading font, a body font, and a scale (sizes, weights, line-heights). Two well-tuned families are enough to structure an entire brand.
The tone of voice
How you speak: direct or institutional, warm or technical. Three adjectives and two "we say / we don't say" examples prevent 90% of inconsistencies.
A few components
Buttons, cards, quotes, captions. The blocks you reuse on the site and materials, so everything breathes the same brand.
Guidelines aren't an 80-page book. They're a manual you actually open.
Why 2 days is enough
Because we don't chase frozen perfection, but useful consistency. We lay the foundations, apply them straight away on a real case (often the site), and refine with use. Faster, cheaper, and far more sustainable than a perfect guideline no one opens.
Frequently asked questions
Two days, isn't that too short for a brand?
Do I need a logo already?
Are the guidelines a separate deliverable or part of the site?
Want a site, or an ecosystem, truly built for this? 60 minutes, no strings, to talk it through.