Branding & Identity Design

Businesses, articles, and even designers often use buzzwords such as branding, brand identity, logo design, corporate identity, and brand strategy. These terms may have varying interpretations, causing confusion. Achieving clarity is essential in navigating the complexities of these concepts and ensuring effective communication with clients regarding the scope and more importantly - managing expectations.

Brand vs identity design

The perception people have of your company defines your brand. It encompasses your reputation and is influenced by various factors such as your values, products, marketing, and customer service. It takes shape through diverse elements like media coverage, the ambiance of your stores, and even the opinions shared by others. Additionally, your brand includes visual representations like your logo, website, and business cards. Every interaction people have with your company, contributes to their overall perception. The whole of this system represents your brand.

A component of a "brand" is its brand identity, also known as identity system. A company's identity design encompasses the visible elements employed in its communication to the masses. Where as “branding” is the perception, “identity design” are the elements. To document this identity, a brand style guide is created. This guide ensures that everyone adheres to the correct usage of fonts, colors, and other elements, thereby maintaining consistency. The identity can be implemented in various applications, such as websites, social media, marketing collateral, packaging designs, and so much more.

You need brand strategy

Sometimes, while browsing the web, you come across a captivating advertisement and can immediately guess the brand behind it solely based on its distinctive style. This exemplifies the power of effective identity design, which extends beyond a mere logo.

Developing this system requires a strategic approach. It starts with understanding the core concept behind your business, your values, and your methods. What personality does your company possess? Who will resonate with your offerings? How can we effectively reach and engage your audience? What are their needs and preferences? By combining insights about your business with insights about your target audience, we can shape your brand identity. When your design successfully connects with your audience, you have achieved the desired outcome.

The overall goal is to inspire them to take action—whether it's signing up, joining, making a purchase, advocating for the brand, or simply falling in love with what the brand represents.

Sounds great… but how much does it cost?

Every business is unique! Your story, your goals, your audience… there is no one size fits all. While I have a very structured processes from years of working with Fortune 500 companies, I customize it to fit your needs, goals, budget - YOU. With a first meeting session, I will be able to create a custom proposal to fit you perfectly.

What is the branding process?

The process of generating a brand for clients involves several key steps. Firstly, brand designers conduct thorough research to understand the client's industry, target audience, and competition. We call this a “customer journey”. This is extremely helpful for designers and clients to identify unique selling points and positioning strategies. Even if the client has a solid understanding of their market, this process helps give clarity and justification to any design decisions. Next, designers brainstorm and create various concepts and visual elements, including logos, typography, and color palettes. These concepts are presented to the client for feedback and refinement. Once a concept is chosen, designers develop a comprehensive brand identity system, encompassing various brand assets and guidelines. The final step involves delivering the brand assets to the client, along with any necessary brand implementation support, ensuring a cohesive and impactful brand identity.

This is a very generic overview of the process simply because every client is unique. Depending on what the client is aiming to achieve with branding, their target market and audience, their industry and capabilities all add a facet to their unique prism.

What are the benefits of a brand designer?

Whether you're a budding small business or an established corporation, the question of revamping your brand identity may come to surface. If your customer base relies solely on local recommendations and you are more than happy with that, investing in a brand designer may not be for you.

However, if you operate in a competitive market or an industry where aesthetics and messaging can drive revenue (such as food and beverage, hospitality, fashion, tech, financial services, health, and wellness), an identity designer's expertise can prove to be beneficial. Consider rebranding if your mission, audience, products, services, competition, or reputation has evolved. If your outdated identity design no longer resonates with consumers, it's time to herald a new era.