How to Create a Brand Identity Board (Step-by-Step Guide)

Your brand is more than a logo. It's the colors, typography, imagery, and overall feeling that people associate with your business. But how do you capture all of that in a way that's clear, shareable, and actually useful?

Enter the brand identity board—a single visual reference that defines how your brand looks and feels. Whether you're starting a new business, rebranding, or just trying to bring consistency to your marketing, a brand identity board is one of the most valuable assets you can create.

In this guide, we'll walk through exactly how to build one from scratch.

What Is a Brand Identity Board?

A brand identity board (sometimes called a brand board or brand style board) is a visual summary of your brand's key design elements. Think of it as a one-page brand guidelines document—but visual instead of written.

A typical brand identity board includes:

• Logo variations (primary, secondary, icon)
• Color palette with hex codes
• Typography (headings, body fonts)
• Photography style examples
• Texture or pattern elements
• Brand voice keywords

Unlike a full brand guidelines document (which can run 20+ pages), a brand board is compact enough to reference quickly and share easily with designers, contractors, or team members.

Why You Need a Brand Identity Board

Consistency Across Touchpoints

Every time someone sees your brand—on social media, your website, packaging, or ads—they should recognize it instantly. A brand board ensures everyone working on your brand is using the same visual language.

Faster Design Decisions

When you're creating new marketing materials, you shouldn't be reinventing the wheel. A brand board answers questions like "what blue do we use?" or "what font goes with our logo?" immediately.

Professional Client Communication

If you work with freelancers, agencies, or contractors, a brand board is the fastest way to get them up to speed. Instead of lengthy explanations, you hand them one visual document.

Clarity for Yourself

Even if you're a solo founder doing everything yourself, a brand board forces you to make decisions. Once it's created, you stop second-guessing your choices and start executing consistently.

Brand Board vs. Mood Board: What's the Difference?

These terms get confused often, but they serve different purposes:

The typical workflow: Create a mood board first to explore directions, then distill your decisions into a brand identity board.

What to Include in Your Brand Identity Board

1. Logo Variations

Your logo system should include multiple versions for different contexts:

• Primary logo: Your main, full logo
• Secondary logo: A stacked or horizontal variation
• Submark/icon: A simplified version for small spaces (favicons, social profiles)
• One-color versions: For situations where full color isn't possible

Show all variations on your brand board so it's clear which to use when.

2. Color Palette

Your colors are one of the most recognizable parts of your brand. Include:

• Primary colors (1-2): Your main brand colors used most frequently
• Secondary colors (2-3): Supporting colors for accents and variety
• Neutral colors (2-3): Backgrounds, text, and subtle elements

For each color, include:

• Color swatch
• Hex code (for web)
• RGB values (for digital)
• CMYK values (for print)

Pro tip: Name your colors. "Sunset Orange" is more memorable than "#FF6B35" and helps team members reference them in conversation.

3. Typography

Fonts carry personality. A tech startup might use clean sans-serifs; a luxury brand might use elegant serifs. Include:

• Heading font: For titles and headlines
• Body font: For paragraphs and long-form text
• Accent font (optional): For special callouts or decorative use

Show each font in use with example text. Include the font name, weights you'll use (Regular, Bold, etc.), and where to get the font if it's not standard.

4. Photography Style

Images shape perception. Define your photography style by showing 3-5 example images that represent:

• Subject matter (people, products, landscapes)
• Lighting style (bright and airy, dark and moody)
• Color treatment (vibrant, muted, black and white)
• Composition preferences

You don't need to own these images—they're references for the style you want to achieve.

5. Graphic Elements

Beyond the basics, many brands use additional visual elements:

• Patterns: Repeating designs for backgrounds or accents
• Textures: Paper, grain, or organic textures
• Icons: Custom icon style for UI or marketing
• Shapes: Recurring geometric elements
• Lines and dividers: Border styles and separators

6. Brand Voice Keywords

While primarily visual, adding 3-5 brand personality words helps connect the visuals to your messaging:

• "Bold, Modern, Approachable"
• "Elegant, Trustworthy, Refined"
• "Playful, Creative, Energetic"

These words should feel true when you look at your visual choices.

Step-by-Step: Building Your Brand Identity Board

Step 1: Gather Your Brand Assets

Before you start arranging anything, collect everything you have:

• Logo files (all variations)
• Color codes from your logo or existing materials
• Fonts you've used or want to use
• Photography you've taken or purchased
• Any existing brand guidelines or notes

If you don't have some of these yet, that's okay—part of this process is making those decisions.

Step 2: Choose Your Tool

You need a flexible canvas where you can arrange visual elements freely. Options include:

For most small businesses and solo founders, you don't need professional design software. A visual workspace like Kladdo lets you drag, drop, and arrange elements quickly without a learning curve.

Step 3: Define Your Color Palette

If you don't have established colors yet, here's how to choose:

1. Start with one color that feels right for your brand

2. Use a tool like Coolors or Adobe Color to generate complementary colors

3. Test your palette by mocking up a simple design—does it feel right?

4. Check contrast to ensure text is readable on backgrounds

Common palette structures:

• Monochromatic: Variations of one hue (sophisticated, cohesive)
• Complementary: Opposite colors on the wheel (bold, energetic)
• Analogous: Adjacent colors on the wheel (harmonious, calm)

Step 4: Select Your Typography

Font pairing is an art, but here are reliable approaches:

Safe pairings:

• Sans-serif heading + serif body (modern but readable)
• Serif heading + sans-serif body (traditional with clarity)
• One font family, different weights (clean and unified)

Where to find fonts:

• Google Fonts (free, web-ready)
• Adobe Fonts (included with Creative Cloud)
• Font Squirrel (free commercial-use fonts)

Stick to 2-3 fonts maximum. More than that creates visual chaos.

Step 5: Curate Photography References

Gather 5-10 images that represent your ideal photography style. Look for:

• Consistent lighting and mood
• Colors that work with your palette
• Subject matter relevant to your brand
• A feeling that matches your brand personality

These don't need to be photos you own—they're references. You can source images from Unsplash, Pexels, or Pinterest for this purpose.

Step 6: Arrange Your Board

Now bring everything together on your canvas:

Layout tips:

• Put your primary logo prominently at the top or center
• Group related elements (all colors together, all fonts together)
• Leave white space—don't cram everything in
• Create visual hierarchy so the most important elements stand out
• Keep it to one page/view if possible

Common layouts:

• Grid: Organized rows and columns, clean and professional
• Collage: Overlapping elements, creative and dynamic
• Sections: Clear divisions between logo, colors, type, and imagery

Step 7: Add Specifications

Transform your visual board into a usable reference by adding:

• Hex/RGB/CMYK codes next to each color
• Font names and weights next to typography
• Labels for logo variations ("Use for social profiles")
• Any usage notes ("Don't stretch the logo")

Step 8: Export and Share

Save your brand board in multiple formats:

• PNG/JPG: For quick sharing and reference
• PDF: For printing and professional sharing
• Native file: So you can edit it later

Share it with anyone who creates content for your brand: designers, social media managers, copywriters, print vendors.

Brand Identity Board Examples by Industry

Tech Startup

• Clean, minimal layout
• Sans-serif typography (Inter, Roboto)
• Blue/purple color palette
• Abstract geometric shapes
• Product screenshots and lifestyle imagery

Local Restaurant

• Warm, inviting layout
• Mix of serif and script fonts
• Earth tones with one bold accent
• Food photography and interior shots
• Textured backgrounds (paper, wood grain)

Creative Agency

• Bold, dynamic layout
• Strong typographic choices
• High-contrast color palette
• Artistic photography
• Distinctive graphic elements

Personal Brand / Coach

• Approachable, professional layout
• Friendly fonts with personality
• Warm, human color palette
• Professional headshots and lifestyle images
• Clean, uncluttered design

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Using Too Many Colors

More colors doesn't mean more personality—it means more chaos. Stick to 5-6 colors maximum, with clear primary and secondary designations.

Inconsistent Logo Usage

If your brand board shows inconsistent logo treatments, your actual usage will be worse. Decide on your variations and stick to them.

Choosing Trendy Over Timeless

That ultra-thin font might be trendy now, but will it feel dated in two years? Aim for choices you can live with long-term.

Forgetting Accessibility

Ensure sufficient contrast between text and background colors. A beautiful palette that's unreadable helps no one.

Never Updating It

Brands evolve. Revisit your brand board annually or when you notice drift in your materials.

How to Use Your Brand Board Day-to-Day

Once created, your brand board should be:

1. Easily accessible: Keep it in a shared drive or workspace where everyone can find it

2. The source of truth: When there's a question about brand usage, the board is the answer

3. Referenced constantly: Pull it up before creating any new design work

4. Shared with new collaborators: First document any designer or contractor receives

Some teams print their brand board and pin it in their workspace. Others keep it as the first document in their project management tool. The format doesn't matter as long as it's visible and used.

From Brand Board to Full Guidelines

A brand identity board is a great starting point, but larger organizations may eventually need comprehensive brand guidelines that cover:

• Detailed logo usage rules (clear space, minimum sizes)
• Extended color palette with specific use cases
• Typography hierarchy with exact sizes
• Photography dos and don'ts
• Voice and tone guidelines
• Social media templates
• Email signature standards

Start with a brand board. Expand to full guidelines only when you need that level of detail.

Start Building Your Brand Identity

A brand identity board isn't just a nice-to-have—it's the foundation for consistent, professional branding. Whether you're a solo founder or building a team, having your visual identity documented in one place will save you time, reduce inconsistency, and make every piece of content you create feel unmistakably *you*.

The best time to create your brand board is before you need it. Start today, and you'll thank yourself every time you design something new.

Create your brand identity board with Kladdo