Image rules and AI prompts in standards
Images are where brands can easily deviate, which typography and color cannot save, while AI commands are only stable when human image rules are clear first.
Image rules should exist if your brand tells stories through images. This is where consistency is most easily lost, which colors or fonts cannot compensate for. The command for the AI assistant should be added when the team has frequently used AI to create images, as AI cannot read the standard file and will invent styles if not described in words. If the team has not yet used AI for image creation, focus on the rules for photography first, so the AI command can be updated later.
- brand selling through images like cosmetics, F&B, travel
- the team is using AI to create visuals weekly
- many people create images in parallel, needing a common base command
- Your team hasn't used AI to create visuals for the next update.
- Limited imagery in brand content
Comprehensive brand guidelines typically include sections on color, typography, and logos. However, images are where brands can quickly deviate and become unrecognizable. You can use the correct colors and fonts but still appear as two different brands if each person chooses a different style for images. The command for the AI assistant is a newer layer, but the logic is the same: if the style is not described in words, AI will make it up.
Two layers need to be distinguished clearly
Image rules and AI prompts are two different things, although closely related. Image rules tell humans how to shoot, whether the tone is light or dark, how the layout should be, which images are on-brand, and which are off-brand. AI prompts communicate similar instructions to machines in a language they understand. AI prompts are only effective when human image rules are clear beforehand, as AI amplifies ambiguity rather than filling it in.
AI command (for machines): translate the above principles into reusable text descriptions when creating visuals with AI assistants. Only valuable when the image rules are clear.
When image rules are mandatory
If your brand sells through images, image rules are not optional. Industries like cosmetics, F&B (food and beverage), travel, and fashion rely on images to create the first impression with customers. Without rules, each person on the team will shoot and select images according to their own taste, causing the brand to dilute gradually without you knowing exactly why.
Minimum image rules should include: overall style (authentic or staged, bright or dark, close or distant), color tone for image processing, and preferred composition. At least one set of example images should be included with explanations of why they are correct.
When to add AI commands
AI commands for image generation assistants (like Midjourney, ChatGPT, or similar tools) should be added to the guidelines when the team has frequently used AI for image creation, meaning at least a few times each week. The simple reason is that AI cannot read your standard file. Without a standard command to reuse, each person will type spontaneously and produce images in different styles each time.
AI commands are a translation of visual principles into machine-readable text. They only hold up when human visual rules are clear beforehand; otherwise, AI amplifies ambiguity.
Practical experience.
Common mistakes when missing these two layers
- Omitting image guidelines so that each team member takes and selects photos in their own style, gradually losing brand consistency without anyone identifying the cause.
- Expecting AI to intuitively understand brand style without verbal description, resulting in images that vary in tone each time.
- Copying AI prompts from another brand may look appealing, but it reflects that brand's personality, not yours.
- Writing AI commands before having image rules leads to ambiguous commands that each person interprets differently.
The correct order is: finalize the image rules for people first, test for a while, and then if the team is using AI to generate images, translate those rules into a standard command set. Reversing this order builds on an unstable foundation.
If you are unsure whether your team will use AI for image creation in the long term, do not rush to add the command section to the guidelines. A concise guideline that is truly used is better than a comprehensive guideline that the team overlooks because it is too lengthy.
Decision checklist
Topic: Should we add image guidelines and AI commands to the brand standards? Sinh Vũ guide, sinhvu.com
Tick each item that applies or that you can already answer, then print or save as PDF to take with you.
If you have marked most of the signs above, this is the time to discuss in more detail. Sinh Vũ can help you review and propose a direction.
References
Bynder · Brand Guidelines Definition; Google Cloud · Ultimate prompting guide for Nano Banana; Sinh Vũ's practical experience.
Frequently asked questions
Can AI commands replace creative briefs?
No. The AI command is a translation of the creative brief into a language that machines understand, not the brief itself. If the brief is vague, the command will amplify that vagueness instead of resolving it. Finalize the image rules for humans first, then write the command.
If you copy the AI command of a famous brand, can it be used?
The result will produce images that reflect the personality of that brand, not yours. The AI command needs to be written based on your brand's specific image principles; otherwise, the output will be off-key even if it looks beautiful.
A small team, with only one person doing photography, is there a need for image guidelines?
Necessary, but it can be more concise. The issue is not just the number of people but the number of image sources and the time frame. When that person is on leave, when adding collaborators, or when you use AI for image creation, existing image rules will maintain the style without drifting.
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