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Raising an Update Request is the canonical way for a team member to propose a change to the brand record. This page is the team-side walkthrough. The brand owner’s side is on Reviewing and approving.
Update Requests are available on Keeper and Guardian. On Scout, the atlas is read-only.

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When to raise an Update Request

Five situations where raising is the right action:
  1. The brand record is missing something the team needs. A new use case has emerged; the atlas does not cover it.
  2. The brand record contradicts itself. Two sections give different answers for the same question.
  3. A value is out of date. A typeface licence has expired, a colour has changed at the brand owner’s instruction, a partner contact has moved on.
  4. A misuse has been seen in production. The brand has been used incorrectly somewhere visible; the team thinks the atlas should flag it as a “don’t” example.
  5. A team-side improvement has emerged. A pattern, template, or rule that the team has been informally following and that should be canonised.
If the question is “what is the rule on this?” and the rule should exist somewhere obvious, raising the request points the brand owner at the gap.

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Where the button is

A persistent Raise Update Request button sits at the foot of every standard section and every Horizon you can read. The keyboard shortcut R opens the request panel from any section page.
The Raise Update Request button at the foot of the Colour System section.

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Step by step

1

Open the request panel

Click Raise Update Request or press R. A panel slides in from the right. The section you are on is prefilled.
2

Describe the proposal

In What is proposed, write what you think should change. Be specific. “Add a hex value for our purple” is more useful than “the colour section needs work.”Aim for a sentence or two. If you have written more than three paragraphs, you may be carrying two requests at once; consider splitting.
3

Add the reason

In Why, write a sentence on the reason. Useful context. “Our agency partner asked for the value and the section does not list it.” or “I saw three different blues used in last week’s posts; one of them needs to be the canonical one.”
4

Attach supporting material (optional)

Drag in a file or paste a link. A screenshot of where you saw the issue, a draft of what you propose, a PDF from a partner. Anything that helps the brand owner decide.
5

Suggest wording or a value (optional)

If you have a specific suggestion, include it in Suggested wording. The brand owner can accept the suggestion as-is, edit it, or replace it. Suggestions are not commitments; they are starting points.
6

Submit

Click Submit. The request enters the brand owner’s Inbox. You see the request in your own Inbox as Pending.
The request is submitted. You will be notified when it changes state.

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How to write a good Update Request

Five habits that make requests easier to act on:
  1. Lead with the proposal, not the problem. Brand owners scan their Inbox; the first sentence should be what you want, not the story behind it. The story belongs in Why.
  2. Be specific. “Add Caslon Italic to the Typography section in the heading hierarchy at weight 400” is actionable. “We need better headings” is not.
  3. Attach evidence. A screenshot of the problem in production is worth more than a paragraph describing it.
  4. Raise one thing per request. Two changes in one request makes the response harder. Split into two requests; they will both move faster.
  5. State your preferred outcome but accept the brand owner’s call. Your role is to surface the gap; the brand owner’s role is to decide. Both are necessary.

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What happens after you submit

Three things, in order:
  1. The request enters the Inbox. The brand owner sees it within seconds. If they are configured for email notifications, they receive an email.
  2. The brand owner reviews. Within a working day or two. If the brand owner needs clarification, they will comment on the request; you will be notified.
  3. An outcome is reached. Approved, approved with edits, rejected with a reason, or escalated. You are notified in all cases.
If a request has been pending for more than five working days with no comment, it is reasonable to check in. Brand owners are sometimes overrun; a polite reminder is helpful.

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Following up on your own requests

Open Inbox → My requests to see the requests you have raised, their state, and any comments. You can:
  • Add a comment. Useful when you have new information that affects the request.
  • Withdraw. If the request is no longer relevant, withdraw it. The brand owner is notified.
  • Resubmit. If a request was rejected and you have new evidence, you can resubmit with the new material referenced.

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What not to do

Two patterns to avoid:
  • Raising the same request twice. If a request is open, do not raise a second one for the same change. Add a comment instead.
  • Treating a rejection as personal. A no is a decision about the brand, not about you. The brand owner’s job is to keep the brand coherent; some good proposals are still the wrong fit for the moment.

What Update Requests are

The concept.

Reviewing and approving

The brand-owner side.

Escalating to MadeBy_

When the request reaches beyond the atlas.