> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.darcyiq.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.darcyiq.com/settings-and-configuration/design-md.md).

# Design Standards

Set organization-wide design and branding guidelines that DarcyIQ applies to every conversation, agent, and workflow. **Define your brand once with a Design.md, and Darcy uses it everywhere — no more manual formatting passes.**

{% hint style="success" %}
**One source of truth for your brand**: Upload your brand guidelines as a Design.md and every document, presentation, or piece of content Darcy generates will follow your standards automatically.
{% endhint %}

## Overview

Design.md is an organization-wide setting written in Markdown that captures your design and branding requirements. DarcyIQ reads it whenever it produces output — chat responses, generated documents, presentations, charts, and agent deliverables — so the look, tone, and structure stay consistent with your brand.

| Capability                | Description                                                                            |
| ------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Organization-wide**     | One Design.md applies to every user, agent, and workflow in your organization          |
| **Markdown format**       | Plain Markdown — easy to write, easy to review, and easy to keep under change control  |
| **Applied automatically** | Darcy respects the Design.md across chat, agents, and scheduled runs without prompting |
| **Upload or create**      | Start with your existing brand guidelines or build a new one inside DarcyIQ            |

## What to Include

A good Design.md captures everything Darcy needs to know to produce on-brand output. Common sections include:

| Section                | Examples                                                         |
| ---------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Brand Identity**     | Brand name, mission, audience, key value propositions            |
| **Voice & Tone**       | Formal vs. conversational, when to use each, words to avoid      |
| **Typography**         | Heading conventions, casing rules, formatting preferences        |
| **Color Palette**      | Primary, secondary, and accent colors used in charts and visuals |
| **Document Structure** | Standard sections for proposals, reports, briefs, etc.           |
| **Naming Conventions** | Product names, capitalization, trademarks, abbreviations         |
| **Content Rules**      | Disclaimers, legal language, regional variations                 |
| **Visual Guidelines**  | Chart styling preferences, image orientation, layout principles  |

The format is flexible — anything you'd put in a brand-guidelines document can go here. Use headers, lists, and examples liberally so Darcy can follow them precisely.

## Setting Up Your Design.md

{% stepper %}
{% step %}
**Open Organization Settings** Navigate to **Settings → Organization Management** and find the **Design Standards** section.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Create or Upload**

* **Create from scratch** — Start with a blank editor and write your guidelines directly
* **Upload an existing file** — Drag in a `.md` file with your current brand guidelines
  {% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Edit and Refine** Use the built-in Markdown editor to adjust headings, add examples, and tune the language. The editor previews your content as you write.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Save** Click **Save** to publish the Design.md to your organization. It takes effect immediately for all users, agents, and scheduled runs.
{% endstep %}
{% endstepper %}

{% hint style="info" %}
**Pro Tip**: Convert your existing brand guidelines PDF or doc into Markdown first, then paste it in. Darcy follows clearly structured rules better than long prose.
{% endhint %}

## Where Design.md Applies

Once saved, Design.md is loaded automatically across DarcyIQ. You don't need to reference it in your prompts — it's always active.

| Surface                 | How It's Used                                                             |
| ----------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Chat**                | Drives tone, formatting, and structure of Darcy's responses and artifacts |
| **Agents**              | Layered on top of the agent's own role and instructions                   |
| **Workflows**           | Applied to outputs generated by automated workflow runs                   |
| **Scheduled Runs**      | Respected during background agent runs that produce reports or content    |
| **Generated Documents** | Documents, presentations, and battlecards inherit your conventions        |

## Editing and Versioning

Design.md is a living document — update it whenever your brand evolves.

* **Edit anytime**: Open the editor in Organization Management to make changes
* **Immediate rollout**: Saved changes apply to new conversations and runs as soon as they're saved
* **Admin-only**: Only organization administrators and owners can modify the Design.md

## Best Practices

### Writing Clear Guidelines

1. **Use structure**: Break rules into sections with clear headers — Darcy follows structured guidance more reliably than prose
2. **Include examples**: Show what good output looks like ("Use 'partner' not 'vendor' when describing relationships")
3. **Be specific about style**: "Headings in Title Case" beats "Use professional headings"
4. **List forbidden patterns**: Calling out what *not* to do is just as valuable as what to do

### Keeping It Maintainable

| Practice                   | Recommendation                                                                                 |
| -------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Start small**            | Begin with the rules that matter most and expand over time                                     |
| **Review periodically**    | Treat Design.md like any brand asset — review quarterly                                        |
| **Version control**        | Keep a copy in your team's repo or DAM so you can track changes alongside other brand assets   |
| **Test with real outputs** | After updates, ask Darcy to draft a representative deliverable to verify the rules are working |

### Pairing with Other Features

* **Skills**: Use [Skills](/core-features/skills.md) for task-specific instructions while Design.md governs brand-wide rules
* **Blueprints**: Pair Design.md with [Blueprints](/organize/blueprints.md) so generated documents inherit both your template and your brand
* **Agents**: Build [Agents](/core-features/agents.md) without re-stating brand rules — Design.md already covers them

{% hint style="info" %}
**Pro Tip**: If multiple sub-brands or product lines need different treatments, capture them as named sections inside the same Design.md. For example: *"For Acme Cloud content, use blue accents. For Acme Industrial content, use orange accents."*
{% endhint %}


---

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