Thinking inside the box - Are branding guidelines a restriction on creativity?

All designers will know that when designing for a client there can be some perceived pit falls, namely the dreaded creativity destroying, 'brand guidelines'... Brand guidelines can seem like such a restriction on ones imagination, you always have to stick to the guide. You're never allowed to 'think outside the box' or 'push the envelope' so to speak. Yet is having guidelines such a restriction? Are they terribly detrimental to the overall design?

I have always found having a simple set of rules to govern or guide my design work, an aid rather than a hindrance. I often find myself setting out simple rules for myself when I begin a project, that way I can focus on what the client really wants. This way it stops me from getting carried away with what I really what from it, and there is often a big difference between the two. Remember rules can give order, direction and a purpose to a design.

So next time you're given 'brand guidelines' or restrictions from a client, boss or even a friend don't think of them as a hindrance. They're there to focus your design talents on what is really needed from the finished product, customer satisfaction.