When we onboard a new design client, the first thing we do is run through our brand consistency checklist. It's 27 questions, and it usually takes about 45 minutes. By the end, we know more about a client's brand than most of their own team does. Here's the full list, and why each question matters.
Logo and identity (questions 1 to 7)
- Do you have vector files (SVG or AI) of your primary logo? If not, we're working from raster files, and everything we produce will be limited by the resolution of what you give us.
- Do you have a secondary logo or icon mark? Most brands need a compact version for social avatars, favicons, and small-format placements.
- What's your logo clear space rule? This is the minimum breathing room around your logo. If you don't have one, we'll set one.
- Do you have approved logo colour variations? At minimum, you need full colour, single colour (black), and reversed (white).
- What backgrounds is the logo NOT allowed on? Busy images, certain colours, gradients. Knowing the restrictions saves revision rounds later.
- Is there an old logo still in circulation? If yes, where? We need to know so we can flag it when we see it.
- Do you have a favicon and social media avatar that matches your current identity? These are often the most outdated assets in a brand's toolkit.
Colour (questions 8 to 12)
- What are your primary brand colours with exact codes (HEX, RGB, CMYK, Pantone)? 'Blue' is not a colour specification.
- Do you have secondary or accent colours? If you only have two brand colours, everything starts looking the same after a few months.
- What's your colour hierarchy? Which colour dominates? Which is used for accents? Which is for backgrounds?
- Do your colours meet WCAG contrast requirements for text? If you're using light grey text on a white background, we need to talk.
- Are there any colours you explicitly avoid? Competitor colours, colours with negative associations in your industry, or colours that just don't work with your brand.
Typography (questions 13 to 17)
- What are your heading and body fonts? We need font files or confirmed Google Fonts names.
- Are your fonts licensed for the uses you need? Web, desktop, app, commercial use. This catches people off guard more often than you'd expect.
- What are your font sizes and weights for headings, subheadings, and body copy?
- What's your line spacing and paragraph spacing? These details make the difference between looking professional and looking like a Word document from 2008.
- Do you have a fallback font for environments where your primary font can't load?
Voice and tone (questions 18 to 22)
- How would you describe your brand voice in three words? We're looking for adjectives like 'confident, playful, direct' rather than 'professional.' Everyone says professional.
- Can you show us three pieces of copy you're proud of? Existing examples tell us more than a brief ever could.
- Can you show us three pieces of copy that feel wrong for your brand? The negative examples are equally useful.
- Do you use contractions in your copy? 'We're' vs 'We are' sets a very different tone.
- Are there any words or phrases you never use? Every brand has them. Ours is 'crush it.'
Application and process (questions 23 to 27)
- What are your most frequently produced design assets? Social posts, presentations, proposals, ads? This tells us where to focus quality control.
- Who approves design work before it goes live? One person? A committee? This determines our revision workflow.
- Where does your team access brand assets? Google Drive, Dropbox, a brand portal? We need to work within your system.
- Are there any industry-specific compliance requirements for your visuals? Financial services, healthcare, and legal all have rules that affect design.
- When was your brand last reviewed or updated? If it's been more than two years, some of these answers might need revisiting before we start.
