Write dos and don'ts for non-professionals to follow.

The dos and don'ts section is the most referenced chapter in a set of standards, but it is also the easiest chapter to write incorrectly. The mistakes are not due to a lack of rules, but because the rules are written in a way that non-specialists cannot understand. Sinh Vũ will go straight into how to draft it so that internal teams and partners can apply it correctly without needing to ask again.

Why illustrations are more important than text segments.

Those without a design background do not read standards like reading a book. They skim, search when needed, and make quick decisions based on the first thing they see. When the first thing they see is a five-line paragraph, the likelihood of reading it all is very low. When the first thing they see is two images side by side, one correct and one incorrect, they understand immediately.

Many reputable style guides, from the MIT Brand Guide to major universities, use dos and don'ts with illustrations as the main axis for this reason. This is not about aesthetics; it is a pedagogical decision: learners imitate images faster than they translate words into action.

The proper pair of rules structure.

Each pair of should and should not includes four components, in order:

• Correct example image placed on the left or above, with a clear "Should" label.
• Incorrect example image placed on the right or below, with a clear "Do not" label.
• Short description under each image, a sentence that accurately states what is true or false.
• Reason, a sentence explaining why this rule exists.

The reason often overlooked because it seems unnecessary. But this part helps the person handle unusual cases. If they only know "the logo should not be stretched horizontally" without understanding why, when faced with special requests from partners, they will not know whether to compromise. If they understand that "the logo's distorted ratio affects recognition," they can make their own judgments.

Choose real mistakes as examples of what not to do.

For example, the most ineffective example is an error that has occurred in the actual business, not a hypothetical error. The simple reason: people recognize familiar errors more easily and remember them longer, and the feeling of "I've done this" motivates them to avoid repeating it.

Before drafting this section, you should gather at least instances of brand misuse that have occurred: banners printed in the wrong color, logos used on backgrounds with insufficient contrast, fonts used instead of not having the original files. These mistakes are precisely the content that should be avoided.

If the business is new and has no history of errors, anticipate weaknesses in the current distribution channel. What common mistakes does the team encounter without a designer? Where do printing partners often go wrong? Address those mistakes in the 'do not' section from the beginning.

Common errors when drafting this section

• Only the do's, lacking the don'ts. Readers do not know where the boundaries are, and often understand "if it's not forbidden, it's allowed."
• Writing in long paragraphs without images: skimmers do not read, and readers do not remember which images to imitate.
• Issuing rules without providing reasons. The team applies them mechanically and then gets stuck when faced with situations not covered in the manual, and the final choice is often to guess or ask each time.
• Examples should not be too subtle. Example errors must be clear enough for viewers to immediately recognize they are wrong. Errors that are hard to spot do not serve an educational purpose.

Displaying the logo without explaining how to use it leaves the reader guessing.

brandguide.io · The Do's and Don'ts of Brand Guidelines

Sinh Vũ's viewpoint

Sinh Vũ writes each chapter of the guidelines according to a structure of what to do and what not to do because most brand implementers are internal teams who are not professional designers and external partners. The goal of the entire guideline set is for them to apply it correctly without needing to ask again, so the way of writing the rules must serve that goal first, not serve the comprehensiveness of theory.

In practice, Sinh Vũ places illustrations first, with descriptive text only to complement. If forced to choose between a beautifully laid-out page and a page that people can actually use, Sinh Vũ chooses the latter without hesitation.