Branding and logos - from ideas to implementation
Getting branding right is a difficult process. Often both clients and designers fail to understand what each party needs or is looking for. This article seeks to give some advice on how to issue a brief and issues to consider for small to medium sized enterprises.
Before you contact a designer ¶
Before you contact a designer it is a good idea to think about what you are looking to achieve from your branding / rebranding. Ask yourself some questions:
- What do I want to achieve from branding / rebranding?
- What words do I associate with my business?
- What words do I not associate with my business?
- Who are my customers / audience?
- What are they looking for?
- Do I associate any colours with my business?
- What logos do I like?
- What logos do I not like?
Simplicity pays dividends ¶
Particularly for small to medium sized enterprises a simple well designed logo can provide a strong visual image but also limit overheads.
Consider for example a logo with twelve different colours and a large amount of detail. Printing this logo whether on an office printer or via a professional print firm is going to be considerably more expensive than printing a simple graphical logo with a few colours.
How well will the logo scale? Let’s say for example you have created a logo and you now want to create a website. The logo will need to scale to usually around 10cm. If the logo does not scale well you will have to go back to the drawing board.
Many of the most well known brands are very simple. Look at Nike and Apple for example. They work in almost any environment from a t-shirt to a mobile phone to a website. Keeping things simple means that you will be able to use your branding where you want and when you want.
Working with a designer ¶
Most designers will have their own way of working but all will look at your brief and respond accordingly.
The process at Shape Shed is to:
- Understand the brief and business
- Produce three concept designs - one on brief, one pushing the brief and the other off brief
- Meet with the client to discuss concept designs
- Produce a phase two design based on the meeting
- Produce a phase three design based on feedback if necessary
- Sign off
- Issue branding and guidelines
Using your brand ¶
If you have spent money on branding you will need to make sure that you apply it across your business. For a small business this can have significant cost implications. But it is important that you maintain the same identity wherever you communicate.
Ensure that your branding is applied to:
- Stationary
- Invoices
- Your website
- Brochures and pamphlets
- Business cards
- Advertising
- Transport vehicles
Think about where your customers will see you as a company and make sure your branding is there.
Branding / rebranding can be difficult but it does not need to be. Following a few principles will help you to get branding that works for your business. Branding should enthuse you rather than cause headaches!
Tags
Can you help make this article better? You can edit it here and send me a pull request.