If you're building a brand, a branding board is your new best friend. Here's what it is, why it matters, and how to make one you'll love.
Whether you're DIYing your brand or working with a designer (hi, it’s me 👋), creating a branding board is a must for any small business. It's like your brand’s cheat sheet—a visual summary of your entire look and feel in one tidy, beautiful place.
I include a branding board (sometimes called a brand lookbook) with my Elite Experiences and offer a mini-brand addon to my other packages, because it’s that important for showing up consistently and confidently online.
What is a Branding Board?
A branding board is a one-page reference that shows all the key visual elements of your brand at a glance. It usually includes your:
- Primary logo
- Alternate logos or submarks
- Brand colors
- Font pairings
- Photography or imagery style (optional)
Think of it as your visual brand bible. It keeps your identity cohesive across everything—from your website to your Instagram stories to your email signature.
Why a Branding Board is So Helpful
Here’s why I always include a branding board in my client projects:
1. Instant Consistency
No more second-guessing your hex codes or font combos. Your branding board keeps everything aligned.
2. Easy to Share
Working with a designer, social media manager, or VA? Hand them the branding board and boom—they’ve got everything they need to keep your visuals on-brand.
3. Total Vibe Check
Your branding board makes sure your visuals always match the vibe you’re going for, whether that’s whimsical, modern, luxe, cozy, or cool.
What to Include on Your Branding Board
Here’s a simple breakdown of what to add:
1. Logos: Your main logo, secondary logo, and submark.
2. Color Palette: 4–6 colors with hex codes.
3. Fonts: One heading font and one body font (and maybe an accent).
4. Extras: Patterns, icons, or mood images that add personality.
Want to see an example? Check out this one from my Allure template branding board 👇
(Insert image of one of your Showit template branding boards here!)
How to Make One
You can create your branding board in Canva, Illustrator, or even PowerPoint. But if you want to keep things easy, grab a free Canva branding board templates—they’re plug-and-play! Just search for ‘brand board' in Canva and you'll see tons to choose from.
Here's one that I really like!
💡 Pro Tip: Use your branding board as a background on your desktop, or print it out and pin it near your workspace. And remember to take it to any brand photoshoots you do in the future!
Related Articles:
The Power of Personal Branding: Why Your Website Needs to Reflect YOU
Tips for Your Next Personal Branding Shoot
Building a Personal Brand and Why It Matters for Women in Business
4 Reasons to Invest in Branding & Web Design
Ready to Create Your Own?
A branding board is one of those little things that makes a big difference. It keeps you focused, polished, and confident—because your brand finally feels like you.
Need help creating yours? Let's work together!
