Brand guidelines in practice: logos, colour, type, house style and consistency checks
For marketing coordinators, content specialists, office and administrative staff and anyone who produces documents, slides, emails, signs or social posts that carry the organisation's brand. No prerequisites; 'Social media responses and brand voice' and 'Checking claims in ads and copy' cover tone and claims, while this course covers visual identity and house style. You'll learn why brands separate consistency (core elements applied the same way everywhere) from coherence (flexing to the context), apply logo rules, choose colour and text combinations that meet WCAG 2.2 contrast minimums, apply house style and trademark symbols, and check a draft against the guidelines before it goes out. The public example is the GOV.UK Brand Guidelines, which are for UK government teams: study them as an example, but use your own organisation's guidelines and files. Trademark symbol rules quoted are US (USPTO); this course is not legal advice.
- Level
- Beginner
- Length
- About 100 minutes
- Contents
- 5 lessons · final exam
- Status
- Published · updated 10 Oct 2026
Skills you'll practise
- Explain the difference between brand consistency and coherence, and find the rule that applies in your brand guidelines
- Apply logo rules: approved files, clear space, minimum size, colour versions and the misuses to avoid
- Choose brand colour and text combinations that meet WCAG 2.2 contrast minimums, using palette tokens instead of copied values
- Apply house style and trademark symbols consistently in writing, including abbreviations, dates, ampersands and the ® and ™ marks
- Check a draft against the brand guidelines, record each issue with the rule it breaks, and send exceptions to the brand owner
Course outline
- 1.Explain brand consistency and coherence, and find the rule that appliesLesson · 14 min
- 2.Apply logo rules: approved files, clear space, minimum size and colour versionsLesson · 18 min
- 3.Choose colour and text combinations that meet WCAG 2.2 contrast minimumsLesson · 18 min
- 4.Apply house style and trademark symbols consistently in writingLesson · 15 min
- 5.Check a draft against the brand guidelines and send exceptions to the brand ownerLesson · 15 min
- 6.Brand guidelines in practice: logos, colour, type, house style and consistency checks: knowledge checkKnowledge check · 13 questions
- 7.Brand guidelines in practice: logos, colour, type, house style and consistency checks: practical exerciseKnowledge check · 1 question
- 8.Final exam10 questions · passing it completes the course, so people who already know the material can test out
Sources it draws on
The lessons and questions are written from these references, so learners can go back to the original.
- GOV.UK Brand Guidelines: Brand in use (consistency and coherence)
- GOV.UK Brand Guidelines: Logo system, logo elements
- GOV.UK Brand Guidelines: Logo system, brand hierarchy and lock-ups
- GOV.UK Brand Guidelines: Colour
- GOV.UK Brand Guidelines: GOV.UK is a blue brand (colour rules)
- GOV.UK Brand Guidelines: Typography
- GOV.UK Design System: Colour
- U.S. Web Design System: Using color
- W3C WAI: Understanding Success Criterion 1.4.3 Contrast (Minimum), WCAG 2.2
- GOV.UK content and publishing guidance: A to Z style guide
- USPTO: What is a trademark? (including the TM, SM and ® symbols)
See it with your own jobs and topics
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