Visual identity assets are just one of the prerequisites for building a strong brand.
“What people say reflects how they want to be seen. How they treat others reveals who they are.“ - Adam Grant
Brand is not just a logo and colour palette
There are thousands of blog posts in which marketing specialists and designers are talking about challenges arising when logo design, branding and visual identity are being discussed. Here are some common requests marketers get from potential clients:
Could you design just a logo?
Could you figure out our branding from our website? Could you help us generate more leads through social media by designing beautiful and branded posts, as we want to increase our KPI’s?
Could we do a quick re-branding?
All these requests may seem reasonable to non-marketers because the design process is often perceived as an unstructured activity and spontaneous burst of creativity. The development of visual identity assets is usually thought of as a process that includes creating the mood boards, putting together a colour palette and drawing potential brand elements. No wonder many are under the misconception that designers can just figure out the brand style guidelines even where there aren't any to begin with. That is definitely putting the cart before the horse. Designing or redesigning branded content, or even just a logo, without any style guide, research and inputs is like cooking a meal without a recipe from a cuisine you’re not familiar with, and still hoping that the end result will be a Michelin star worthy entree.
Visual identity is aesthetic of your brand identity
Understanding the company values is a foundation of designing a lasting identity
The purpose of visual identity assets is to capture the brand essence, reflect its personality and differentiate the company from its competitors. Development and design of visual identity requires a multidisciplinary approach and collaboration. Designer’s main role is to translate the brand essence into main components of visual identity: logo, colour palette, typography, imagery, graphic elements etc. While designers are responsible for the design, they are generally not trained in brand strategy and base their ideas on marketing strategists’ concepts. Here is an interesting short interview that covers these topics: LINK
Design of visual identity requires understanding of brand identity, and understanding the company values is a foundation of designing a lasting identity. If you look at the history of globally recognized brands, aside from their distinctive visual identities they differentiate themselves with consistency - their actions are always in accord with their values, unique selling proposition, motto, brand personality and key messages.
If you look at the history of globally recognized brands, aside from their distinctive visual identities they differentiate themselves with consistency - their actions are always in accord with their values, unique selling proposition, motto, brand personality and key messages.
Branding
“...Branding is the process of giving a meaning to a specific organization, company, products or services by creating and shaping a brand in consumers’ minds.”
Branding is about business promises, their delivery, and communicating tangible and intangible aspects of a brand - it’s a continuous test in consistency and integrity. Visual identity assets (logo, typography, colours, imagery etc.) are tools used to communicate brand messages, and the non-visual elements like brand associations and voice also play key roles. On the other hand, branding is also about clients and other stakeholders' experiences and perceptions of a company. Nowadays, all stakeholders expect way more than just beautiful visual identity and promises. They expect social responsibility and integrity.
Brand identity, visual identity, brand strategy etc. are often used interchangeably as synonyms for logo, tagline, typography and imagery. The same applies to marketing and visual communications. No wonder that non-marketers are often under a false impression that most or all of these elements can be figured out on the fly.
Conclusion:
If you are starting a business and need help with visual identity or branding, collaborating with knowledgeable marketers will save you headaches in the long run. They should assist you with your brand strategy and identity, and provide you with great inputs for your marketing plan.
