Skype have just released their brand book and branding guidelines on the web - if you have any interest in brand design, or great copy then it’s definitely worth checking out.
The brand book has two parts to it - “how we look” and “how we think”. “How we look” is a gorgeous, beautifully written set of design guidelines that most designers would love to work with. Their tone is cheeky, friendly and approachable, and the design guidelines reflect this.
The tone reminds me of the Virgin tone of voice - they have similar styles in that they shun corporate-speak and write like humans, for humans. They’ve written this little gem -
“The best test for copy is still ‘Would my mother understand this?’. If not, try again.”
It’s elegantly simple, everyone can understand it, and gives them fantastic copy.
“How we think” goes more into the philosophy of the company, which again, is admirable and different from the usual corporates. I kind of assumed Skype had the typical Ebay philosphy (staid, a bit dull, etc) but the brand book really gives an understanding into how they work.
Go and check out the brand book if you have any interest in copywriting, brand design or philosophy. It’s a great resource.
This post is tagged under: Design, customer experience, words
Just so you know – it’s been out there for a while. But I’m glad you’ve found it, and do let me know if you have any more questions :)
Thanks Peter. Sorry, I assumed that it only existed when I found it. :)
Great job on the brand book, it’s really inspiring.