Brand design is the development of the brand strategy and its comprehensive design in such a way that it corresponds to the values that your company professes. Brand design will help you to enter the market, or strengthen your position on it, but also facilitate effective communication with customers and build their trust. How?
Brand design – branding or rebranding?
In Papajastudio we work with brand design in two areas – branding and rebranding. Branding is work on the design of the brand, which has never functioned before, is completely new and needs a comprehensive service, which on the part of the branding agency will include work on visual identity and visual communication with customers. This includes aspects such as working on the logo, company colors, but also the design of packaging, labels or templates for posts in the social media space. In addition to the visual layer, the work also focuses on naming, or how the brand sounds – logo, company slogan (tag line) or product names.
In the process of rebranding, we can also work on the visual layer and ways of visual communication as well as on the brand sound. Rebranding differs from branding in that it is carried out for companies that are already present on the market. However, they express a desire to change, update their image and strategy. This process is otherwise known as brand redesign.
Visual identification is a guarantee of brand visibility and its positive perception
At the very beginning we focus on analytical work. Thanks to it, together with our Client, we search for goals, identity, values and brand features. On this basis we create brand strategy and its visual identity.
This is what helps the brand to prosper on the market and facilitates communication with customers. What are its elements?
First of all, we work on a logo/logotype, i.e. what is immediately visible, what you can be interested in. It is important that the logo is well thought out and reflects the values of the brand. While working on a logo we develop a sign design quide, which is a set of rules and principles for using a logo in visual communication, projects and marketing materials. Colors and typography of the brand, with their use are created further, more advanced elements of visual communication.
Key visual, the key to visual coherence. Thanks to it, the brand, even if it does not use a logo, will be recognizable, differentiated from others. Key visual fits into the overall communication of the brand, uses its colors, characteristic elements or even logo design.
The leitmotif, similarly to key visual, ensures brand consistency, uses similar type of graphics, as well as their elements, which can function both online (social media, website), but also in the reality (product layout, catalogs). Important elements that we work on are designing graphics for social media and website design. In times when the Internet is the main medium of communication, they cannot be omitted.
All the elements discussed above are placed in the brand book. It is the book that gathers all the rules of identification and visual communication developed with the brand. The primary function of the brand book is to present the rules of using the visual identification of the brand. It guarantees consistency of the look and feel of the company regardless of the circumstances. Each brand book may differ, as each brand has a different image and marketing strategy, however it is worth having it at hand, especially at the beginning of your business activity.
Naming – a brand needs to be heard
Visual identification works on the sense of sight, but what about hearing? A brand needs to be heard. We can help with it by developing naming, i.e. the brand name, and the tag line, i.e. the brand slogan. Naming also means, of course, working on the names of the products offered by a brand.
These are multistage, not easy processes. Similarly to logo creation, they require getting to the essence of the brand and putting it into words.
So how should a brand name be constructed?
- First of all, it is necessary to match the brand name with the scope of its activity, as well as the adopted strategy. At this point it may turn out to be helpful to work out the findings from the strategic workshops with the company.
- A brand name should be a certain novelty, original and well-sounding as well as well-written. It cannot be a copy of another name!
- The brand name should be understandable, so take into account the linguistic and cultural context. It should be associative, avoiding confusion.
- When creating a name you should take into account its reservation in the patent office. You should also remember to verify that the brand name you want to give is not already used by another company.
- A brand name should provide the brand with continuous development opportunities. Therefore, it cannot limit the company or be too literal.
What should the name be to meet all these conditions? These qualities can be a guideline:
- simplicity and minimalism
- originality
- easy to associate
- timelessness
In Papajastudio, in cooperation with our clients, we go step by step through all the stages of creative work with attention to every, even the smallest detail. Because it is the details that build a coherent image, which facilitates effective operation and brings the brand the expected business results.
If you already know what brand design is, you also know how important professionalism is in its creation. We invite you to cooperate with us. We offer professionalism, experience and effectiveness.
See our case study.
See also brand consulting and packaging design.
Papajastudio, branding agency Krakow, Warsaw.