Jake Bell
Case Study 04

Forbes Brand Playbook

Hero Image
Intro
Overview
When digital membership launched in 2023, it sparked rapid growth and an avalanche of design requests. But with no real brand system in place, every new asset felt like reinventing the wheel. Creative output often looked different depending on which designer picked it up, making it tough to build a consistent, unified identity. Recognizing this challenge, we took the opportunity to proactively build a comprehensive brand playbook that would bring structure, consistency, and speed to our design process.

After two months, the end result was a 52-slide set of guidelines covering everything from logo usage and typography to layout principles and content styling. Beyond establishing a shared visual language and streamlining our production process, these guidelines have also made it easier to steer creative conversations and guide stakeholders back on-brand when needed.

  Timeline

Q2 2024

  My Role

Design Lead/Art Director

  Team

3 designers

Objectives
Business Goals
Strategic objectives that guided the development of the guidelines.

  Define a Cohesive Visual Identity

Our top priority with the playbook was locking in a clear visual system, with set rules on color, type, logo usage, and imagery. We wanted everything we put out to feel instantly recognizable and on-brand, so whether it’s a paid ad or an email campaign, it all works together to build trust and loyalty.

  Create a Scalable Framework

These guidelines were built with scalability in mind, designed to grow with the brand as it evolves into new verticals and initiatives. We needed to provide a flexible framework that keeps things consistent and aligned, without limiting creativity.

  Align Tone and Messaging

We also used this as an opportunity to firmly define how the brand should sound across membership, brand marketing, and social campaigns, ensuring all messaging follows the same structure.

Guidelines
The Brand Playbook
The full set of guidelines currently used across all marketing touchpoints.
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Marketing Examples
Guidelines In-Use
A selection of growth marketing examples that follow the playbook.
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