Overview
This playbook describes the complete internal process for creating a Brandbook at Oase Creative. The Brandbook forms the visual and strategic foundation of a brand. Because not every client books a full Brand Discovery, there are two entry routes:
- Route A — With Brand Discovery
- Route B — Without Brand Discovery (only intake form via Slack)
Both routes ultimately lead to the same Brandbook process, but with different preparation and information flows.
Step 1: Determine Entry Route
Route A — Brand Discovery has been executed
Use the following documents:
- Stylescapes (approved)
- Discovery report
- Target audience analysis
- Brand personality
- Tone of voice findings
- Strategic insights
Checkpoints
- Are all stylescapes approved?
- Are all strategic components filled in?
- Have revisions from the presentation been processed?
- Are all files accessible in Google Drive?
For some assignments, the client only provides the submitted Branding Intake Form.
This form arrives via Slack.
Check if the form contains the following information:
- Company name + short description
- Target audience
- Competitors
- Color preferences
- Style preferences (modern, minimalist, playful, luxury…)
- Tone of voice preference
- Uploads (logos, moodboards, references)
Missing crucial information?
Then send a follow-up email with additional questions.
Mini-Discovery questionnaire
- Describe your brand in 3 words.
- What should the customer feel when seeing your brand?
- What should the brand definitely not convey?
- What makes your product or service unique?
- What is your most important message?
- Name examples of styles you find beautiful.
- Are there brands you draw inspiration from?
- What will you mainly use the branding for? (print, packaging, social, website)
Purpose of the mini-discovery
- Determine direction without a full session
- Align expectations
- Concretize visual preferences
Step 2: Internal & External Planning
Communication to client
Send an email with:
- Start confirmation Brandbook journey
- Planning + revision moments
- Overview of required files (if not yet received)
- Expectations regarding delivery formats
Internal planning
- Sprint 1 — Logo concepts
- Sprint 2 — Visual identity
- Sprint 3 — Brandbook structure
- Sprint 4 — Revision rounds
- Sprint 5 — Final delivery
Step 3: Logo Development
Logo Design Steps
- Analysis (Discovery / Intake Form)
- Create moodboard(s)
- Sketch phase (3–5 directions)
- Digital execution in Illustrator
- Determine color systems
- Logo grid and proportions
- Build variations:
- Primary logo
- Secondary logo
- Icon
- Horizontal / vertical
- Monochrome versions
- .AI
- .EPS
- .SVG
- .PNG (transparent)
- .JPG
Step 4: Typography
Components to determine
- Title typography
- Body typography
- Accent typography
- Use of capitals
- Weight & style (Regular, Bold, Light, Italic)
- Guidelines for letter-spacing and line-height
Test moments
- Readability on mobile
- Readability on desktop
- Readability on print
Step 5: Color Palette
Structure of the color palette
- 1 primary color
- 2 secondary colors
- 3–5 additional tints
- Dark & light variants
Deliverables
Tip: Test contrast for accessibility according to WCAG guidelines.
Step 6: Visual Style
Part of the visual identity:
- Photo style (studio, lifestyle, warm, cool, 3D, etc.)
- Iconography
- Illustration style
- Patterns & shapes
- Atmosphere & texture
- Layout grids
Ensure the visual style consistently aligns with the chosen direction in the intake form or Discovery document.
Step 7: Tone of Voice
Creating the ToV
- Core values → translate to tone
- Words that are used
- Words that are not used
- Writing style (formal, informal, playful, business)
- Spoken vs. written language
Tone of voice examples
- Example sentences
- Social media captions
- Website headings
- Advertisement texts
Step 8: Brandbook Structure
Standard Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Logo + guidelines
- Color palette
- Typography
- Photography guidelines
- Iconography
- Layout & grid systems
- Tone of voice
- Examples & applications
Logo section must contain:
- Primary logo
- Secondary logos
- Construction / grid
- Safety space
- Minimum size
- Incorrect use (don’ts)
Colors section must contain:
- Primary palette
- Secondary palette
- Tertiary colors
- Color examples in use
Layout section must contain:
- Margins
- Grid
- Template examples
- Social media and print templates
Step 9: Present to Client
What you present
- Direction A/B (depending on intake/Discovery)
- Logos + variants
- Color palette
- Typography
- Tone of voice
- Visual style
- Mockups
During the meeting
- Note feedback directly
- Check if expectations align
- Plan revision round(s)
Step 10: Process Revisions
Revision checklist
- Is all feedback completely processed?
- Did an alternative direction need to be created?
- Do stylescapes need to be adjusted?
- Is everything updated in the Brandbook document?
- Is the team informed via Slack?
Maximum 2 revision rounds unless otherwise agreed.
Step 11: Final Delivery
Delivery folder contains:
- All logos in all formats
- Brandbook (PDF + Figma link)
- Color palette files
- Typography guidelines
- Source files (.AI, .EPS, .SVG)
- Mockup files
- Social media templates (if part of the assignment)
Internal delivery
- Upload to Google Drive
- Slack update in #projects channel
- Short summary of the end result
Best Practices
- Always work in vector.
- Use consistent folder structure.
- Keep grids and margins identical throughout document.
- Test all colors on screen and in print.
- Ensure the tone of voice stays consistent in all examples.
Workflow Summary
- Determine entry route
- Planning & client contact
- Develop logo
- Determine typography
- Create color palette
- Define visual style
- Create tone of voice
- Compile Brandbook
- Give presentation
- Process revisions
- Final delivery
Important: Update team members in Slack at each step.
