Name and visual identity

First you need to develop a visual concept to represent yourself effectively. Come up with a suitable name to represent you or your company. Your name is just as important as your visual identity – it needs to be snappy and memorable, without appearing contrived or pretentious.

Trial a variety of ideas and look at how letter forms work together. Inspiration can come from the most unlikely places, but remember that once you’ve settled on a name, it has to stand the test of time. After you’ve started promoting your identity, you don’t want to find yourself re-branding a year later.

Think about how you want to be perceived by potential clients, and start to develop a concept for your brand – your chosen name might suggest a visual. Once you’ve settled on a name and have a wedge of research, start scribbling down ideas for visual. At this stage, you need to start thinking practically about how your logo is going to work. For example, a one- or two-colour logo will be cost-effective to reproduce on printed materials.

Your corporate mark should be versatile and designed to work effectively in a range of environments. Ask yourself how it will look on screen, on newsprint, screen printed on a t-shirt… are there any possibilities of bringing the logo to life by means of animation? What’s the big idea that’s going to drive your brand? What is the style of execution going to say about you or your company?

Application of ideas

Once you’ve developed and refined your corporate identity to a level that you’re happy with, stick it on the wall and digest it for a few days. Ask your peers for feedback and take their comments on board. Ultimately though, it’s most important that you’re happy with it. Think of it as a tattoo that’s going to be part of you for a long time.

If you’re having doubts, repeat the process until you’re 100 per cent satisfied with the outcome. If there is anything niggling you, it’s better to iron it out now while you still have the chance. Spending a few more hours on it at this stage is better than spending lots of money on reprinting business cards and stationery.

Consider the characteristics of the paper on which you are going to print. Silk stocks make useless letterheads or comp slips as they don’t absorb ink, an pen will smudge; a gloss business car will be durable, but can appear cheap. Your chosen print house will offer advice and paper types an provide you with samples.

A little about Colour Symbolism

When choosing the colours for your logo, you need to think of your audience. Is it is a global audience? Is it primarily Western? Eastern? Are they older? Younger? Male? Female? Once you understand your audience make up, you can create a color scheme that suits them.

Some examples of colour symbolism: In the USA, many hospitals dress their nurses in light blues and pale pinks. This is because these are calming, smoothing colours, and upset patients relax a little in their presence. Another example – more highly educated classes tend to prefer colours that are more obscure, like taupe, azure and mauve. In saying that though, colours, like everything else in design, go through ins and outs in popularity.

In summary

Your brand is a face, a voice, a belief, a personality, a history – and a whole lot more. Creating a unique, proprietary identity that will distinguish you for years requires a rock-solid strategic foundation and the very sharpest design acumen. Decisions as small as typography and as large as brand name will have a lasting impact on what your brand means to your customers.

When you build a house, you don’t just put up the walls and paint the outside: you do the electrical, the plumbing; you pick out furniture and light fixtures. Make sure that you build a brand that you can live and grow in. Good brand architecture doesn’t just allow for growth; it demands it.

Careful preparation and a coherent brand package is the key to a happy ending.