Branding Guidelines

---
name: branding-guidelines
description: Compile brand strategy, voice and visual identity into one brand guidelines document with application examples, must and must-not rules, and an asset index. Use when the brand strategy, verbal and visual identity are done and the user wants a single brand book others can follow.
metadata:
  argument-hint: "[project] [--skip-checks]"
  workflow: branding
  phase: 5
  artifact: 05-guidelines.md
---

# Brand Guidelines

Compile all brand work for "$ARGUMENTS" into a comprehensive brand guidelines document — the single source of truth for anyone using the brand.

**Arguments.** `$ARGUMENTS` may contain the project name and optional flags. Take the first token as `<project>` and treat `--skip-checks` as a flag; never include flags in file paths. All paths below use `<project>`. If `--skip-checks` is present, skip the prerequisite check and, **before writing any artifact**, append one line to `.singularskills/log.jsonl`: `{"ts":"<ISO timestamp>","skill":"branding-guidelines","workflow":"branding","phase":5,"project":"<project>","event":"skipped","artifact":"05-guidelines.md","note":"<reason or \"none given\">"}`.

## Prerequisites

**Part of a workflow.** This skill is phase 5 (Guidelines) of the Brand Identity Process workflow (`branding`); cross-domain workflows run it too. First check `.singularskills/log.jsonl` for an open run for this project: a `run-started` line with `"project":"<project>"` and no later `run-finished` line for the same `workflow` and `project`. If one exists, the conductor is running you: continue here. Otherwise, if the user asked to start, run, continue or resume a process or workflow rather than this one step, do not continue here: invoke the `workflow` skill with the workflow the user asked for, or `branding` when they named none, followed by `<project>`; it runs this phase in order, asks before it writes and records the run. Otherwise continue here: a later phase runs on its own, behind its gate.

Run this skill's gate before writing: `sh <this skill's folder>/scripts/gate.sh <project> <project root>`, where `<project root>` is the folder that contains `.singularskills/` (use `.` when you are already there). If it exits non-zero, stop and tell the user what it printed, unless `--skip-checks` was given (see Arguments). On a refusal, before you stop, append this line to `.singularskills/log.jsonl` (create the folder and file if missing): `{"ts":"<ISO timestamp>","skill":"branding-guidelines","workflow":"branding","phase":5,"project":"<project>","event":"refused","artifact":"05-guidelines.md","note":"<what the gate printed>"}`. Once the gate has passed, or under `--skip-checks` once you have appended the `skipped` line, append this line before you start work: `{"ts":"<ISO timestamp>","skill":"branding-guidelines","workflow":"branding","phase":5,"project":"<project>","event":"started","artifact":"05-guidelines.md","note":""}`.

Read all prior phase artifacts. If `04-visual.md` does not exist, tell the user:

> Phase 4 (Visual) has not been completed for "<project>". Run `/branding-visual <project>` first, or use `--skip-checks` to bypass.

## Process

1. **Read all prior artifacts:**
   - Read `.singularskills/branding/<project>/01-discover.md` for context
   - Read `.singularskills/branding/<project>/02-strategy.md` for brand platform
   - Read `.singularskills/branding/<project>/03-verbal.md` for voice, tone, messaging
   - Read `.singularskills/branding/<project>/04-visual.md` for visual identity
   - Read `references/brand-guidelines-template.md` for output structure

2. **Compile the brand guidelines** following the template, combining:
   - Brand overview (purpose, vision, mission, values from Strategy)
   - Logo usage rules and variations (from Visual)
   - Color palette with specifications (from Visual)
   - Typography system (from Visual)
   - Imagery and photography guidelines (from Visual)
   - Voice and tone guidelines (from Verbal)
   - Application examples — how the brand appears across key touchpoints

3. **Add compliance rules:**
   - What must always be done (mandatory elements)
   - What must never be done (prohibited uses)
   - Common mistakes to avoid
   - When to seek brand team approval

4. **Reference assets:**
   - Link to all files in `.singularskills/branding/<project>/assets/`
   - List available logo variants, fonts, and imagery

5. **Write the artifact** to `.singularskills/branding/<project>/05-guidelines.md`

## Output

The brand guidelines written to `.singularskills/branding/<project>/05-guidelines.md`. Present a summary to the user highlighting:
- Sections covered
- Number of compliance rules
- Asset inventory
- How other domains can use these guidelines (e.g., `/branding-audit`)

**Record the run.** After you have written the artifact, append this line to `.singularskills/log.jsonl` (the `started` line of Prerequisites, with `"event":"finished"`): `{"ts":"<ISO timestamp>","skill":"branding-guidelines","workflow":"branding","phase":5,"project":"<project>","event":"finished","artifact":"05-guidelines.md","note":""}`.

Open the artifact with this frontmatter (`agent` is the agent you run in, or `unknown`; `gate` is `passed` when the gate ran clean and `skipped` under `--skip-checks`):

```yaml
---
skill: branding-guidelines
workflow: branding
phase: 5
project: <project>
started: <ISO timestamp>
finished: <ISO timestamp>
agent: <the agent you run in, or "unknown">
gate: <passed|skipped>
---
```

End the artifact with `## Decisions` and `## Open questions`, in this shape:

```markdown
## Decisions
- <what was chosen> — <why> — <what was rejected>

## Open questions
- <what the next phase or a reviewer must settle>
```