@barnardco

What they said

1. Ignoring safe space.
   • Example: he hands over a logo and the client immediately uploads it to social media and the corners get cropped off (shown as Instagram profile mockup with a circular avatar cropping the logo).
   • Fix: the style guide should have a page called "Safe Space": the invisible force field around the logo that nothing may touch, including other logos or website elements.
   • He personally provides clients a customised profile picture that looks good inside a circular frame.
2. Using the wrong logo for the wrong background.
   • They put the dark version on a dark background, or just recolour the logo to white.
   • This works for some logos, but any logo using dark/light sections to represent shadows or highlights is ruined (illustrated with a cartoon face logo of himself).
   • Fix: a dedicated inverted option for dark backgrounds.
   • Example: Premier League logo has a dedicated version for dark backgrounds (screenshot of Premier League brand guidelines: "our negative set of logos. Only use in white..." and "Clearspace for dark backgrounds").
3. Using the wrong logo for the wrong size.
   • There should always be a "full back" (full black, simple) icon that works in the smallest format. Use the small one for the website favicon (browser tab mockup, "Humans: a podcast").
   • Guidelines should have a sizing guide: how small each version may go (minimum width per version).
4. Speed round of don'ts (shown with the "Humans" logo): don't change the colour, don't add a gradient, don't outline the logo, don't stretch the logo, don't change the typeface, don't rotate it, don't put the logo over patterns or busy backgrounds, and "do not add a bloody drop shadow".
   • There should be a guidelines page called something like "Logo Misuse" with all these examples.
5. One tip: find someone in your business whose job is to be your brand protector, making sure these mistakes do not happen. "If you don't know who that person is in your business, then unfortunately, it's you."

Try this

• Brand owners: Make a one-page logo usage guide. Include a safe space around the logo, a version for dark backgrounds, a small icon for tiny sizes, and the minimum width for each version.
• Brand owners: Add a "Logo Misuse" page showing what not to do: recolour, gradient, outline, stretch, rotate, change the typeface, place on busy patterns, add a drop shadow. Send it to every editor, printer and partner.
• Everyone with a profile: Make a profile picture that sits inside a circular crop, and use the small icon version as your website favicon. Check both after every upload.
• Designers and agencies: Ship the usage guide with every logo handover, plus a short note on file formats. Clients say nobody ever explained which file to use where.
• Founders: Name one person as the brand protector. If you do not know who it is, it is you. Make that part of how you onboard anyone who touches your content.
• Creators: A numbered list that stays on screen and fills in as you speak, followed by a quick speed round and a punchline, holds attention well.

Links

• Brand/style guide document (pages: Safe Space, Logo Misuse, sizing guide, dark-background version).
• Customised circular-crop profile picture supplied with the logo package.
• Premier League brand guidelines (example of dedicated inverted logo).
• Example fictional brand "Humans" (eye logo, podcast mockup) used for demos.
• "#logodesign" hashtag; creator says in a comment reply the guide template/materials are "part of my community resources" (a community, no link given).
• Commenters mention a style guide template request ("you publishing a style guide template"); no template link in the reel.