Building brand consistency without expensive tools

You don't need Frontify or Bynder to maintain brand consistency. Here's how to do it practically.

The simple brand asset system

Create one folder with everything:

```

Brand Assets/

├── Logo/

│ ├── Primary/

│ ├── Dark Background/

│ └── Favicon/

├── Colours/

│ └── colour-codes.txt

├── Fonts/

│ └── (font files or Google Fonts links)

└── Templates/

└── (any document templates)

```

Store this in Google Drive, Dropbox, or Notion. Share the link with everyone who needs it.

The one-page brand guide

You don't need 50 pages. You need one document covering:

Logo usage
  • Primary logo file locations
  • Minimum size (don't go smaller than X)
  • Clear space rules (keep this much space around it)
    • Colours
  • Primary colour (hex code, RGB)
  • Secondary colour if you have one
  • Black and white versions
    • Typography
  • Primary font name and where to get it
  • When to use bold vs regular
  • Standard sizes for headings and body
    • Dos and don'ts
  • 3-4 examples of correct usage
  • 3-4 examples of what not to do

    • One page. That's it.

    Maintaining consistency

    Audit quarterly. Check your website, social, and materials. Fix drift.Create templates. For anything you make repeatedly, create a template.Limit decision makers. Fewer people changing things means more consistency.

    Free tools that help

  • Figma (free tier): Design templates others can duplicate
  • Canva (free tier): Brand Kit feature saves your colours and fonts
  • Notion: Document your brand guidelines
  • Google Drive: Store and share assets

The real secret

Consistency comes from discipline, not tools. The simplest system you actually use beats the sophisticated system you ignore.