Rule Hierarchies

Not all brand rules carry equal weight. A hierarchy prevents the enforcement system from treating a minor spacing deviation the same as a wrong brand color. Three tiers.

Tier 1 — Immutable: rules that cannot be violated under any circumstances. Wrong brand color, wrong font family, missing logo, unauthorized imagery. Violation response: reject, no override. These rules define brand identity at the most fundamental level — breaking them means the output is not recognizably the brand.

Tier 2 — Standard: rules that define quality and consistency. Spacing minimums, typography hierarchy, composition grid adherence, color ratio targets. Violation response: flag for review. A Tier 2 violation might be acceptable in specific contexts (a tight layout that requires reduced spacing), but it must be a conscious exception, not an accident.

Tier 3 — Preferred: rules that represent best practice but have legitimate exceptions. Animation timing, glow intensity, gradient angles, shadow depth. Violation response: log and monitor. Tier 3 rules create consistency when followed but do not damage the brand when broken.

The hierarchy prevents enforcement fatigue. If every rule is Tier 1, the system rejects everything, and users learn to override the system — which defeats the purpose entirely.