If you’ve been struggling with design tasks in your business, specifically when it comes to customizing Canva templates, then this post is for you!
When it comes to any design task, it is important to get back to the basics of your business brand.
Pulling everything that makes up your brand into a brandboard is a simple yet highly effective way to ensure that you implement your brand correctly so you create visuals that are aligned with your vision and mission.
Even though it’s a one page document, don’t underestimate the amount of time and hassle a brandboard can save you from when logging into Canva!
For this reason, I wanted to break down the different sections to include in your brandboard and how to easily gather your assets so you never end up with off-brand graphics again.
5 things to include in your brandboard document
1. Main Logo
There are 2 reasons I like to add a logo to the very top of a brandboard document. The first reason is to serve as a heading for the document so that anyone who uses the brandboard will know exactly who the owner of it is. This is especially important if you are outsourcing tasks to a designer, VA, or any other professional who needs access to this document.
The second reason for adding the main logo to the top of the document is to have easy access to your logo in situations where you would need your logo file and don’t have the time to go look for it. Usually, your logo files are kept with the rest of your brand assets in an easy to find location. But, there are times when even a few clicks feels like too many steps, and having your logo in your brandboard will be that quick fix you need to get your hands on your logo, fast.
2. Brand Words
I always recommend adding your brand words near the top of your brandboard because it helps you stay within the boundaries of your aesthetics so you can pull yourself back to your core values. This is especially helpful if you struggle with sticking to a consistent brand and want to create a more memorable brand for your audience.
Seeing your brand words allows you to make good choices when it comes to things like stock photos, headlines, or even the way you apply your color palette and fonts. Whenever you’re unsure about a design decision, you can go back to your brand words and ask “Is this look aligned with my brand words?” If the answer is no, you can then make changes better suited to that description.
3. Inspiration Stock Photos (or your own brand photos)
Much like your brand words, a few inspirational stock photos serves as a guide for you to follow when choosing images to add to your graphics or when applying your brand to templates.
By adding stock photos that are on-brand for your business you are giving a visual of the vibe you want to go for with your graphics. This is very helpful because it eliminates anything that does not fit in with that very specific look, keeping you from making choices that will feel inconsistent and end up confusing your audience.
It is therefore of utmost importance that you choose the correct photos for your brandboard, images that perfectly illustrate the vibe of your brand. The images should be on-brand (i.e. fit with your brand style and colour palette) and complement your brand words so everything works together harmoniously.
4. Colour Palette
A big part that makes up your brand is the colour palette, and more importantly, the application of the chosen colours.
Adding your colour palette to your brandboard not only helps you to have your hex codes on hand which is super helpful in Canva, but when using it with your brand words and inspirational photos, it serves as a manual on how to maintain the integrity of your brand when making design customizations.
The way this works is that your brand word will dictate the way you apply your brand colours. And your inspirational photos will be the visual representation of what your visuals would end up looking like. Application of your brand colours is one of the tools that will help you achieve the final look.
5. Application of Brand Fonts
The way you apply your fonts can either make or break the look of your brand. This is why adding your font hierarchy or “application of brand fonts” to your brandboard is so important.
This section will help you (or the person using your brandboard) make good design choices when applying your brand so that the final graphics are consistent with the rest of your visuals.
Usually between 2 or 3 (3 for the most) fonts are chosen for a brand. The brandboard will state exactly when and how each font should be used.
- ‘When’ being the different sections of a design the font will be used. I.e. Headings, subheadings, links, body, call-to-action, etc
- ‘How’ being the exact format the font will need to be applied in. I.e. Bold, Italic, Underline, Capitalization, size, colour
For example: Bold, Uppercase Proxima Nova font will be used for subheadings in cherry red.
When your brandboard is completed successfully, you will find your business looking (and feeling) more aligned and authentic, allowing you to show up fully embodying your vision, values and mission. This is how you’ll build a memorable business, and establish a connection with your audience so you can continue nurturing their trust in you.
Need help putting your brandboard together? I’ve got you!
Simply hit the button below to take the 2 minute Dreamy Biz Brand Quiz and get a fully populated brandboard template which you can customize for your business right in Canva! The results will also give you a detailed report to help you understand the chosen assets so you make good design choices for your brand.
