Visual identity: logo, brand guidelines, brand book and deliverables

A visual identity is the set of elements that make a brand recognizable: logo, colors, typefaces, imagery and layouts. The logo is only one piece of it, the brand guidelines set the rules for using that system, and the brand book adds positioning, values and tone of voice. This guide gives you the full list of deliverables to ask for, the design process step by step, how to brief a designer and how to make your identity work in video.

01Logo, visual identity, brand guidelines, brand book: what’s the difference?

Agencies don’t all use these words the same way, and “brand book”, “brand guidelines” and “style guide” sometimes describe the same document. Here are the most common definitions:

• Logo: the mark that identifies the brand, as a wordmark (the name drawn as type), a symbol, a monogram or a combination of the two.
• Visual identity: the whole system around the logo (colors, typefaces, shapes, icons, image style, layouts), which makes a post recognizable even when the logo isn’t on it.
• Brand guidelines (or style guide): the user manual for that system, stating which element to use, where, with what spacing, at what size and what’s off-limits.
• Brand book: the broadest document. It usually brings together the brand platform (mission, values, positioning), the verbal identity and the brand guidelines.

Whatever name a quote uses, ask for the exact list of what it includes.

02Logo only, full identity or brand book: what do you need?

• You’re launching a business or a creator account: a logo and its variations, a palette, two typefaces, a short guide and social media templates are often enough.
• Your small business or startup is growing: once several people and suppliers produce your materials, a full identity and detailed guidelines stop everyone from reinventing your colors.
• You work across countries or languages: a franchise, a network of branches, a brand active in Morocco, France or the Gulf. A complete brand book, with bilingual versions and tone per market, starts to pay off.
• You’re rebranding: start with an audit. What customers already recognize (a color, a shape) is often worth keeping: modernize without erasing.

03Visual identity deliverables: the complete checklist

Use this list to compare quotes or check a handover. Not every project needs everything, but every missing item should be a decision, not an oversight.

1. The logo suite

• The primary logo, horizontal and stacked versions, and the symbol on its own for profile pictures, the favicon and app icons.
• Full-color, black and white versions, for light backgrounds, dark backgrounds and photos.
• Clear space (the empty margin around the logo) and the minimum size at which it stays legible, on screen and in print.

2. The color palette

• Primary and secondary colors with their proportions of use and, for each, the HEX code (web), RGB values (screens, video), CMYK values (print) and, if your printer requires it, a Pantone reference.
• Approved text and background pairings. The WCAG 2.2 contrast minimum criterion asks for at least 4.5:1 for body text and 3:1 for large text; logos are exempt, the text on your website and graphics is not.

3. Typography

• A heading typeface and a body typeface with their hierarchy (sizes, weights, line spacing), plus fallback fonts for Word, PowerPoint or Google Docs.
• A license that covers your real uses: logo, web, print, video, app. A font that is free for personal use isn’t necessarily free for a brand.

4. Graphic elements, icons and imagery

• The layout grid, the shapes and patterns derived from the logo, and the icon style (outline or filled, stroke weight, corners).
• The photo and video style: light, framing, colors, subjects, with examples to follow and avoid. This is what stops a website from lining up unrelated stock photos.

5. Tone of voice

Formal or casual, sentence length, words to use and avoid, sample phrasing. For a brand that speaks three languages, define the tone in each one: a joke that works in English doesn’t always land in Arabic.

6. Applications and usage rules

• Templates for social media (posts, carousels, stories, covers), stationery (business card, letterhead, email signature, quotes), a presentation template and, depending on the business, signage or packaging.
• A “don’t” page: stretched logo, altered colors, added shadows or outlines, logo placed on a busy photo, name retyped in a look-alike font.

7. The files to ask for

• SVG for web and screens, vector PDF or EPS in CMYK for the printer, transparent PNG files in several sizes for presentations, social media and video editing.
• Source files (Illustrator, Figma or equivalent) if the quote includes them, the guidelines as a PDF and editable templates, sorted into RGB and CMYK folders with clear names such as logo-horizontal-white-RGB.svg.
• A written transfer of copyright (or license) for the logo and artwork, stating uses, territories and duration.

04The visual identity design process, step by step

1. Discovery: a brief, questionnaire or workshop about your business, customers, competitors, languages and constraints.
2. Research and moodboard: a look at the competition, then two or three visual directions presented as mood boards.
3. Concepts: first logo routes, shown in context (business card, home page, social post, video) rather than alone on white.
4. Refinement: rounds of feedback on the chosen route, with tests at very small sizes, in black and white, over photos and in every language.
5. System and guidelines: variations, palette, typography, applications, then the written rules.
6. Delivery and handover: files, guidelines, templates and a short walkthrough for the people who will produce your content (team, agency, video editor, developer).

Agree in the quote on the number of concepts and revision rounds. Before signing off the name and logo, also check that they don’t clash with an existing trademark: France’s INPI and Morocco’s OMPIC both keep searchable trademark registers, and WIPO’s Madrid System lets you seek protection in several countries through a single international application. When the stakes are high, talk to a trademark attorney.

05How to brief a designer for your visual identity

A good brief fits on two pages and saves a whole revision round. It covers:

• Your business: what you sell, to whom, and what sets you apart, in two sentences.
• Your markets and languages: target countries, languages (English, French, Arabic), whether the logo must be bilingual.
• Your personality: three adjectives that describe the brand and three it must never suggest.
• Your priority channels: a logo built for an illuminated shop sign doesn’t face the same constraints as a TikTok avatar.
• Your references: what you like and dislike, and why. The reason matters more than the picture.
• Your constraints and deliverables: elements to keep, deadline, budget, who signs off, and the checklist above with your boxes ticked.

The method is the same as for a video project: our article on choosing a freelance video editor and writing the brief explains how to give useful references and organize feedback.

06Bilingual identity: Arabic and Latin logos and typography

In Morocco and across the MENA region, brands often communicate in Arabic plus French or English. The Arabic version should be designed alongside the Latin one, not added as a translation at the end. The W3C’s Arabic layout requirements sum up the constraints:

• Reading direction: Arabic runs right to left and, when it’s the main language, the whole layout flips (menus, alignment, arrows). Your guidelines should show both versions.
• Joined letters: an Arabic letter can take up to four forms depending on its position in the word. Software with poor Arabic support shows letters disconnected or reversed, so proofread every export.
• Hierarchy and proportions: Arabic has no capital letters, so hierarchy comes from size, weight and color. At the same point size, Arabic and Latin don’t look the same size, and Arabic letters reach further above and below the line: adjust by eye and allow more line spacing.
• Font pairing: pick a family designed for both scripts, or pair compatible styles, for example a geometric Arabic with a geometric sans serif.
• Numerals and justification: Morocco uses the digits 0-9, while countries such as Egypt or Saudi Arabia also use Eastern Arabic numerals, so set the rule per market. And don’t stretch lines with too much kashida, which makes the text look uneven.

Have every Arabic text checked by a native speaker and test the bilingual logo at small sizes: that’s where the balance between the two scripts is won or lost.

07Visual identity in video: what your brand guidelines should cover

Many brand guidelines stop at print and web, yet your videos are often the first contact people have with the brand. Add a video and motion section that any editor can use:

• Intro, outro and animated logo: a short animation in 16:9 and 9:16, with and without sound. On social media, show the brand early but discreetly rather than opening on a long intro.
• Lower thirds: font, colors, position, animation, maximum length for names and job titles, and a right-aligned Arabic version.
• Motion rules: speed, easing curves, approved transitions, how long text stays on screen. Delivered as templates (Motion Graphics templates, .mogrt, for Premiere Pro, or After Effects projects), they keep every video consistent.
• Captions: font, size, colors, outline or background box, position. In vertical video keep them inside the visible area, as our guide to framing and safe zones for Reels, TikTok and Shorts explains.
• Thumbnails: a template that fixes where the title, face and logo go. For videos, YouTube recommends a 16:9 image at 3840 × 2160 pixels, at least 640 pixels wide, according to its custom thumbnail help page (checked October 2026).
• Color: the palette’s RGB or HEX values for graphics, and reference frames for color grading.

This is what lets a corporate video or brand film look like your website, and a video ad get recognized within seconds, often with the sound off. To plan those films, see our guide to corporate video types, length and structure. On the web, your website applies the palette, typefaces and grid from the guidelines, with a right-to-left Arabic version if you communicate in both languages.

08Common mistakes to avoid

• Starting with the logo and no brief: designs then get judged on personal taste, and revision rounds pile up.
• Copying a trend: it dates quickly and makes you look like your competitors.
• Drawing an over-detailed logo: it becomes illegible as a favicon, a profile picture or a watermark on video.
• Settling for a single PNG: without vector files or one-color versions, every new medium becomes a problem.
• Adding Arabic as an afterthought: with a font picked in a hurry, the Arabic version looks bolted on.
• Writing guidelines nobody opens: a short, visual document shipped with ready-to-use templates does more than an 80-page theoretical PDF.
• Forgetting licenses and availability: a font not licensed for commercial use, a name too close to an existing trademark.

09What drives the cost of a visual identity

There is no standard price, because “visual identity” covers very different scopes. Here is what moves a quote:

• Scope: logo only, full identity, or brand book with a brand platform;
• Research: workshops, competitor analysis, naming;
• The number of concepts and revision rounds;
• Languages: a bilingual version, custom Arabic lettering;
• Applications: social media templates, stationery, packaging, signage;
• Motion: animated logo, lower thirds, caption and thumbnail templates;
• Font and image licenses, the scope of the rights transferred, and the deadline.

To compare offers, request quotes against the same list of deliverables. Our branding and visual identity service treats identity as a complete system, from the logo to the variations used on social media and in video.

10Key takeaways

• The logo is one piece of the visual identity; brand guidelines set its rules; the brand book adds strategy and tone of voice.
• Ask for a written list of deliverables: logo variations, HEX, RGB and CMYK codes, licensed fonts, SVG, PDF and PNG files, rights transfer.
• A clear brief (business, markets, languages, channels, references) beats ten rounds of revisions.
• For a bilingual brand, design the Arabic and Latin versions together and have every text checked by a native speaker.
• Add a video section to your guidelines: animated logo, lower thirds, captions, thumbnails and motion rules.

11FAQ

What is the difference between brand guidelines and a brand book?

Brand guidelines are a visual user manual: logo, colors, typography, layouts and misuse examples. A brand book adds the brand platform (mission, values, positioning) and the verbal identity. A small business can start with guidelines and expand them once several teams or agencies speak on its behalf.

Which logo files should a designer deliver?

At minimum: an SVG for the web, a vector PDF or EPS in CMYK for print, and transparent PNGs, each in color, black and white, for every variation (horizontal, stacked, symbol). Add the source files if the quote includes them, plus the guidelines as a PDF.

How long does it take to create a visual identity?

It depends on the scope and how quickly decisions are made. A logo with short guidelines usually takes weeks rather than days; a bilingual identity with a brand book takes longer. A single decision-maker and grouped feedback shorten a project more than the designer’s speed does.

Can I make my logo with Canva or AI?

For exploring ideas or building a moodboard, yes. For a brand logo, it’s risky: according to its help page on trademarking logos, Canva doesn’t allow a logo made from its templates or library elements to be trademarked, except for its fonts and simple shapes. The legal protection of AI-generated images also remains uncertain and varies by country.

Does a brand in Morocco or the Gulf need an Arabic logo?

Not always, but it often helps if you target the general public, if your shop sign faces the street or if you also sell in the Gulf. Decide at the brief stage: an Arabic version designed alongside the Latin one looks more balanced than a transliteration added later.