To the uninitiated, the process of designing a brand may seem as simple as just creating a logo – however this is just one small part of creating a memorable brand. Good brand design is a comprehensive process of creating the name, logo, imagery, packaging, and other visual elements that represent a brand. The overall goal of designing your brand is to create visual assets that communicate the brand’s identity and help connect emotionally with its target audience.
When designing a brand identity, several key factors need to be considered:
- Target audience – The ideal target audience must be researched and understood. Design choices should appeal specifically to this demographic.
- Brand personality – Brands project a certain personality through their visual identity – in other words a set of human characteristics you attribute to that brand. [reference]. The design should reflect characteristics like youthful, elegant, adventurous, or dependable.
- Competitors – Analyse how competitors’ brands are positioned in the marketplace. The new brand design should differentiate itself while appealing to the target audience.
- Brand values – According to Zest Creative Co, The visual identity should align with the core values of the brand. For example, an eco-friendly brand should have earthy, natural design elements.
- Visual identity – Colour palette, fonts, shapes, and other graphical elements should be cohesive and recognisable. Consistent use reinforces the brand in the audience’s mind. According to Canva, you should choose colour combinations which evoke the feelings you want your customers to associate with your brand.
- Adaptability – The brand identity should be flexible enough to work across different media, contexts, and applications without losing impact. Iconic brands like Nike and Starbucks maintain recognisability even when simplified.
- Memorable – Strong brand designs are highly memorable. Elements like a distinct logo, symbol, or typeface make the brand easily recognisable.
- Timelessness – Trends come and go, but brand design should withstand shifts that happen over time. A sense of longevity makes customers feel more connected to the brand.
The Brand Design Process
The brand design process starts with research to gain insight into the target audience and competitive landscape. Brand strategy sets objectives for the visual identity and branding guidelines. With strategy in place, logo design and other visual assets are created. Implementation rolls the brand design out across media touchpoints and materials. Periodic refreshment updates the look while retaining brand equity.
Effective brand design is not just visual appeal. It makes strategic choices to convey the brand’s purpose and values. When done right, brand design builds familiarity and trust between a company and its consumers. It turns them into loyal advocates for years to come.
