Brand Identity Design
Branding, identity design, and logos: what’s the difference?
Business articles are sprinkled with terms like branding, brand identity, logo design, corporate identity, and brand strategy. Different terms can describe the same thing. Sometimes the same term is used to describe different things. Confusing!
As a brand identity designer, I want to be clear with my clients about what I do (and also what no designer can do for you.)
What is a brand?
A brand is the perception of a company.
Your brand is what people think of when they think about your company. It’s your reputation. It’s influenced by your values, your products, your marketing, your customer service. It’s shaped by magazine articles about you, how your stores smell inside, and what your neighbor’s mom said about you at the grocery store. And yes, it includes your logo, website, and business cards. Everything people encounter when they interact with your company adds to their perception of you. This is your brand.
What is an identity?
A brand identity is a brand’s set of visual and verbal elements.
A subset of a “brand” is the brand identity (also called corporate identity or identity system). The key word is identity. Just like with people, checking an ID proves you’re you and not somebody else. The tangible elements you can see when a company communicates with you make up its identity design:
Logo, colors, fonts, taglines, photography style, illustration style, patterns, icons, messaging.
A brand style guide is a document that records this identity. It keeps everyone on the right track, using the right fonts, colors, and more. Applications, or places where this identity can be “applied,” include websites, business cards, brochures, signs, packaging, vehicles, and more.
What is a logo?
A logo is a mark that represents a company.
Of all the parts that make up your brand identity, your logo is the most visible point of recognition. It doesn’t need to tell the world everything you do. It’s simply a tag or identifier. A red bullseye doesn’t reveal all the clothing, housewares, and food you can buy at Target. But it works as a quick mental trigger for everything you’ve learned about Target over time. And if you knew absolutely nothing about Target, you could still make some guesses about the style and personality of the company by looking at the logo.
Why Hire a Brand Identity Designer
If you’re in a competitive market or an industry where aesthetics and messaging can increase your revenue (think food and beverage, hospitality, fashion, tech, financial services, health, wellness, etc.), you can benefit from the work of an identity designer.
01
SPARK DESIRE
Customers are drawn to visual appeal and a company that clearly gets them.
02
LOOK ESTABLISHED
Even if you’re new, there’s no need to look like you launched yesterday. The right brand identity design can convey stability and longevity.
03
BE MEMORABLE
Strong identity design differentiates you from the other choices. You stick in customers’ minds.
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