I always start my design process with initial research- who is the company and what do they stand for? Once I answer this question I am able to make a branding and style guide that compliments the company's vision and mission statement. Next I typically gather inspiration for typography, logos, iconography, and UI.

Once I have a good sense of the brand and product strategy, I set out to creating the guidelines in Sketch or Figma. Objects are symbolized so that the style guide can serve as a design library. Typography is also selected and rules are created for print and digital.

Finally the style guide is written to PDF for easy sharing across the company. I also like to include product mockups to give a sense of the company's identity as a living brand.