--- name: brand-systems description: "Brand identity building blocks: positioning, personality, archetypes, logo systems, color palettes, type pairing, voice, and guidelines documentation. Use when creating a brand, rebranding, or turning an existing identity into tokens and rules others can follow." --- # Brand Systems A brand is a promise made visible. Brand systems are the rules that ensure that promise is kept consistently. ## When to Use This Skill - Creating a new brand identity - Rebranding or refreshing an existing identity - Building brand guidelines documentation - Systematizing ad-hoc brand elements - Training others on brand application ## Brand System Components ### 1. Strategy Layer (Foundation) #### Positioning Statement ``` For [target audience] Who [statement of need] [Brand] is a [category] That [key benefit] Unlike [competitors] We [key differentiator] ``` #### Brand Pillars 1. **Purpose**: Why we exist beyond profit 2. **Vision**: The future we're creating 3. **Mission**: How we'll get there 4. **Values**: What we believe (3-5 core values) #### Brand Personality Define 3-5 adjectives with behavioral examples: | Trait | What It Means | What It Doesn't Mean | |-------|---------------|----------------------| | Bold | Take clear positions | Aggressive/reckless | | Approachable | Warm and welcoming | Unprofessional | | Innovative | Forward-thinking | Gimmicky | #### Brand Archetype Choose primary (and optional secondary) from: | Archetype | Core Desire | Voice Character | |-----------|-------------|-----------------| | Sage | Truth | Knowledgeable, analytical | | Innocent | Safety | Optimistic, simple | | Explorer | Freedom | Adventurous, authentic | | Ruler | Control | Authoritative, refined | | Creator | Innovation | Imaginative, visionary | | Caregiver | Service | Nurturing, supportive | | Magician | Transformation | Visionary, charismatic | | Hero | Mastery | Courageous, determined | | Outlaw | Liberation | Rebellious, disruptive | | Lover | Intimacy | Passionate, sensual | | Jester | Enjoyment | Playful, irreverent | | Everyman | Belonging | Friendly, humble | --- ### 2. Visual Identity Layer #### Logo System **Logo Types**: | Type | Description | Example | |------|-------------|---------| | Wordmark | Name as logo | Google, Coca-Cola | | Lettermark | Initials | IBM, HBO | | Symbol | Abstract mark | Nike, Apple | | Combination | Symbol + wordmark | Adidas, Lacoste | | Emblem | Text inside symbol | Starbucks, NFL | **Logo Requirements**: - Works at 16px favicon size - Works on dark and light backgrounds - Recognizable in B&W - No gradients that break in print - Clear space rules defined **Logo Lockups**: ``` [Symbol] [Symbol][Wordmark] [Wordmark] [Symbol] Symbol Horizontal Stacked Only Lockup Lockup ``` **Clear Space**: Define minimum space around logo (typically height of a logo element): ``` ┌──────────────────────────────┐ │ │ │ ┌──────────────────┐ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ LOGO │ │ ← Clear space = 'X' │ │ │ │ (defined by logo element) │ └──────────────────┘ │ │ │ └──────────────────────────────┘ ``` #### Color Palette **Primary Palette**: ``` Primary: Name: [Descriptive name, e.g., "Trust Blue"] Hex: #2563eb RGB: 37, 99, 235 HSL: 221, 83%, 53% Tailwind: blue-600 Usage: CTAs, links, primary actions Accessible on: white (5.17:1), gray-50 (4.95:1) ``` **Extended Palette**: - Primary shades (50-950 scale) - Secondary color (with shades) - Accent color (high contrast) - Neutral scale (gray tones) - Semantic colors (success, warning, error, info) **Color Proportions**: ``` 60% - Dominant (backgrounds, large areas) 30% - Secondary (supporting elements) 10% - Accent (highlights, CTAs) ``` **Dark Mode Considerations**: ``` Light Mode Dark Mode white → gray-900 gray-50 → gray-800 gray-900 → white blue-600 → blue-400 ``` #### Typography System **Type Scale**: ```javascript const typeScale = { xs: '0.75rem', // 12px - captions sm: '0.875rem', // 14px - secondary text base: '1rem', // 16px - body lg: '1.125rem', // 18px - lead text xl: '1.25rem', // 20px - h4 '2xl': '1.5rem', // 24px - h3 '3xl': '1.875rem', // 30px - h2 '4xl': '2.25rem', // 36px - h1 '5xl': '3rem', // 48px - display '6xl': '3.75rem', // 60px - hero }; ``` **Font Pairing Principles**: | Approach | Example | Effect | |----------|---------|--------| | Contrast | Serif heading + sans body | Classic, editorial | | Complement | Geometric heading + humanist body | Modern, friendly | | Superfamily | Same family, different weights | Unified, systematic | **Recommended Pairs**: - **Editorial**: Playfair Display + Source Sans Pro - **Modern**: Outfit + Inter - **Technical**: Space Grotesk + IBM Plex Sans - **Elegant**: Cormorant Garamond + Lato - **Startup**: Cal Sans + Geist #### Imagery & Iconography **Photography Style**: - Subject matter guidelines - Color treatment (natural, saturated, muted) - Composition preferences - Mood and lighting - What to avoid **Icon System**: ``` Style: [Outlined | Filled | Duotone] Stroke weight: [1.5px | 2px | 2.5px] Corner radius: [0 | 2px | rounded] Grid: [24x24 | 16x16] Source: [Lucide | Heroicons | Phosphor | Custom] ``` **Illustration Style** (if applicable): - Style references - Color usage - Line weight - Level of detail - Character guidelines --- ### 3. Voice Layer #### Voice Attributes Define 3-4 constant personality traits: ``` We are: 1. [Trait 1] - [What this means in practice] 2. [Trait 2] - [What this means in practice] 3. [Trait 3] - [What this means in practice] We are NOT: 1. [Anti-trait 1] 2. [Anti-trait 2] 3. [Anti-trait 3] ``` #### Tone Variations Voice is constant; tone adapts to context: | Context | Tone Adjustment | Example | |---------|-----------------|---------| | Welcome | Warm, enthusiastic | "Welcome! We're excited to have you." | | Error | Calm, helpful | "Something went wrong. Here's how to fix it." | | Success | Celebratory, brief | "Done! Your changes are live." | | Tutorial | Patient, encouraging | "Let's walk through this together." | | Legal | Clear, direct | "By continuing, you agree to our terms." | #### Writing Guidelines - Sentence length preferences - Active vs. passive voice - Punctuation style - Capitalization rules - Words to use/avoid - Jargon policy --- ### 4. System Layer #### Design Tokens ```javascript // tokens.js export const tokens = { colors: { /* color definitions */ }, typography: { /* font definitions */ }, spacing: { xs: '0.25rem', // 4px sm: '0.5rem', // 8px md: '1rem', // 16px lg: '1.5rem', // 24px xl: '2rem', // 32px '2xl': '3rem', // 48px '3xl': '4rem', // 64px }, radii: { sm: '0.25rem', md: '0.5rem', lg: '0.75rem', xl: '1rem', full: '9999px', }, shadows: { /* shadow definitions */ }, transitions: { fast: '150ms ease-out', normal: '200ms ease-out', slow: '300ms ease-out', }, }; ``` #### Component Patterns Document common component patterns: ```markdown ## Button ### Variants - Primary: Main actions - Secondary: Alternative actions - Ghost: Tertiary actions - Destructive: Dangerous actions ### Sizes - sm: Compact contexts - md: Default - lg: Prominent placement ### States - Default - Hover - Active/Pressed - Focus (keyboard) - Disabled - Loading ``` #### Layout Patterns - Grid system (12-column, gutters) - Breakpoints - Container widths - Section spacing --- ### 5. Application Layer #### Touchpoint Guidelines Document brand application for: - Website - Mobile app - Email templates - Social media profiles - Presentation templates - Print materials - Packaging (if applicable) - Environmental/signage #### Do's and Don'ts Visual examples of correct and incorrect usage: ``` ✓ DO ✗ DON'T ───────────────────────────────────────── Logo on white background Logo on busy photo Logo with clear space Logo crowded by elements Primary button for CTA Multiple primary buttons Consistent icon style Mixed icon styles ``` --- ## Brand Canvas (Quick Reference) ```markdown # [Brand Name] Brand Canvas ## Who We Are Purpose: [Why we exist] Vision: [Future we're creating] Mission: [How we'll get there] ## Who We Serve [Target audience description] ## What Makes Us Different [Key differentiators] ## How We Sound Voice: [3-4 adjectives] Archetype: [Primary archetype] ## How We Look Colors: [Primary, Secondary, Accent] Typography: [Display font + Body font] Style: [Visual approach in 2-3 words] ## Our Promise [The one thing we deliver] ``` --- ## Resources Read the matching file when a brand task needs more depth than the summary above. - **assets/brand-canvas-template.md**: Fillable brand canvas - **references/logo-design.md**: Logo creation principles - **references/color-palettes.md**: Color theory for branding - **references/typography-pairing.md**: Font combination guide - **references/brand-voice.md**: Voice development framework --- Source attribution: HermeticOrmus Original project: https://github.com/Ormus-Solutions/LibreUIUX-Claude-Code/blob/41a968c41cb9328335444ded8d0436362d0ba50a/plugins/design-mastery/skills/brand-systems/SKILL.md License: MIT License information: https://opensource.org/license/mit Original upstream instructions; downloaded from Dave AI. ## Upstream license notice MIT License Copyright (c) 2025-2026 Hermetic Ormus Copyright (c) 2024 Seth Hobson (the plugins derived from wshobson/agents, listed in NOTICE.md) Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions: The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all copies or substantial portions of the Software. 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