Brand Building 101 — Process Overview
Introduction
This post covers our standard phased approach to visual identity design. No matter the scope of the project, we rarely will only deliver a logo without some level of discovery and brand strategy.
There are three core phases to any branding project:
1. Discovery & Brand Strategy — Brand foundations
2. Creative — Crafting the logo & brand
3. Future-proofing — Ensuring brand consistency
Branding is a necessary part of setting up and positioning a business. Rebranding is an active action or reactive response to various situations a company may come across. The process of branding or rebranding is not forcing a client towards a particular solution.
Branding is a process of understanding and being sensitive to the client’s brief and finding possible solutions. If rebranding, the client’s brief might include problems that the current visual identity is creating. Perhaps the branding does not scale well, perhaps the colours or forms are not contrasting in digital applications, perhaps the logo is part of a trademark dispute, or the company has gone through a merger and name change. Whatever the reason for rebranding, the approach remains the same.
1. Discovery & Brand Strategy
— Brand foundations
The first phase is for getting to know our new client and their company. During our discovery meetings, we interview key stakeholders and often help our clients curate a small project team who are responsible for decision-making throughout the project.
We use our brand questionnaire (free tool available here) to help us ask the right questions, so we can be fully informed for the next phase, brand strategy.
By defining the brand strategy, we are building the design brief. We research the company including stakeholder interviews, where we can understand the client, their industry, competitors, key points of leverage and understand any issues facing a company’s current branding.
During the brand strategy workshop, we investigate up to eight key topics that formulate the brand strategy and design brief. We first audit the existing brand, then look at the Brand DNA, Positioning, Vision, Core Values, Brand Personality, and Mission and finally create a brand identity design brief.
After the strategy workshop, we collect and digest our findings in the brand strategy document.
2. Creative
— Crafting the logo & brand
Once the brand strategy phase is digested, we move to the creative part of the process. Putting pencil to paper and ideating.
During the creative phase, we create the logo and visual identity that will be a vessel to translate your company’s purpose and mission to the world. The brand identity will be formed from a visual language system of logomark, logotype, visual assets, illustrations, patterns, colour palettes and typography. During the design process, there will be a large focus on functionality to ensure the brand translates it’s purpose and personality consistently, across every physical and digital brand touchpoints.
We begin this phase by creating three distinct visual identity concepts. For each direction, we present contextual moodboards to introduce each concept, followed by three fully fleshed-out brand identity concepts including logos; logotype wordmark; lockup options; brand assets; typography and colour palette. To visualise and illustrate the functionality of each brand identity direction, we present mockups across appropriate deliverables such as stationery, signage, social media profiles, etc.
Three to five fully fleshed-out visual identity concepts are presented to the client. We dissect and discuss the concepts with the client. The visual identity concept is dissected and revised through three stages of revision.
Once a visual identity concept is chosen we usually work through three stages of critique and revision. The logo is then finalised and signed off.
Once the logo is approved, we then hand over all logo files, RGB for digital and social media, 4C, and Pantone ready for print. We upload and host the files on your individual, client portal, where you can log in and download the files anytime.
3. Future-proofing
— Ensuring brand consistency
During this phase, we future-proof your visual identity with a comprehensive brand guideline and brand touchpoints.
The brand guidelines are developed, including but not limited to:
— Logo, logotype, and full lockup construction, usage, and misuse
— Colour palettes, primary and secondary
— Typography, primary and secondary English and Chinese
— Identity elements, pattern assets, construction, usage, and misuse
— Identity Applications, stationery including, name card, letterhead, envelope, eDM, e-Banners, email footers, advertisement layouts
Print and digital-ready artwork templates usually include:
— Digital templates, such as social media and presentation templates, logo animations
— Print templates such as corporate stationery, marketing materials, and branded collaterals