# Decentralised branding: a how-to guide

As DAO's are a thing of the now, the need for a decentralised brands has emerged. This document aims to describe an approach how to maintain a consistent branding as a collective of non-hierarchical people.

## What is decentralised branding?

A **brand** is an identifying mark. More general, it is a sensory (usually visual) indication of who created the thing that you're interacting with, who manages the environment you are currently residing in.

In a hierarchical centralised organisation, everything that should express the organisation's identity can be controlled top-down: the decision makers determine the specifics, and have the ability to follow up and control if all complies.

In a **decentralised** structure however, multiple things are ongoing simultaneously, members often act on own initiative and different dynamics are at play, leading their own lives, as they should. To keep consistency across all of these actions and their resulting output, a specific approach to branding is required to fulfill its goal, with its own components, characteristics and requirements.

## Components of a decentralised brand
### Visual components

The basic components of a brand are considered:
- logo
- colours
- typography

The **logo** will convey the organisation's most essential message in a very direct way: the name. Also, a logo can express a certain vibe, though, as any brand designer knows, this is always open to interpretation. Ideally a monotype + name is available, and each can be used separately depending on the situation.

A strong set of primary and secondary **colours** is essential, and the ideal balance to find is one between being exeptional/recognisable and useable: if a colour-set is minimalistic and only contain a few very outspoken colours, it is very exeptional and recognisable, but if a colour-set is very general it's easy adaptable to any use. Finding that exact best-of-both-worlds is the challenge.

When defining **typography**, considerations to be made are:
- readability
- availability of the fonts

Readability always tops creativity in fonts. The expression of vibe and identity in a font is always best when it's subtle (this excludes the logo offcourse). And if a lot of different people are going to use a certain font, it's important that they have easy access to it.

Most of these are, in fact, general **best practices** in branding. But in a decentralised organisation, there is no forcing anyone to use the brand. It's a matter of willingsness: enthusiasm is key! And ease-of-use is a very strong factor herein.

### Single Source Of Truth

Styleguide -> votable?

### Governance model

## Characteristics of a decentralised brand
broad

## Requirements to do decentralised branding
tools, voting, ...

## A decentralised branding example: Raid Guild

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## LOOSE THOUGHTS & BRAIN FARTS
to be consumed and written in the text:
- styleguide: not in branding! Neutral so branding can happen afterwards, and be changeable
- ssot: voteable ssot, ideally styleguide
- define brand as more than logo etc. also: as a person, as archetype, as a sentence
- which expression have to have what things in common (with RG: digital products: what in common? what exeption allowed?)