'the big ideal' - or your purpose."įor a great example of a succinct, tangible corporate purpose, check out this statement from Apple: This is what your company delivers at its prime," says Jackson. In the other circle, is your brand's best self. This is what is happening in the world that's relevant to you. Jackson explains the diagram this way: "In one circle, you have cultural tension. A process called Purpose, Position and Personality is useful for answering these questions (we'll talk more about personality in the next section).Īccording to Arielle Jackson, startup founder and Google veteran: "Your purpose is how you want to change the world for the better." Jackson also recommends this diagram as a guide for determining your purpose: Defining these will inform your strategy as you create a logo, decide on a color palette, etc. Brand positioning is the naming of who your product is for and why your product is a better option than the competitors. The brand purpose is the big reason for your existence. The first part of establishing a brand identity is determining what your purpose and positioning is.
With these definitions in mind, what follows is an overview of the 7 key design elements you need to create a brand identity that is strong, consistent, and attractive. Brand identity design is the actual process of creating the logo, color palette, typography, etc. So what is brand identity design, and how do you create a brand identity?īasically, it's brand identity applied. Components of this system might include a style guide, brand management software, and employee training. To manage brand identity, organizations should invest in a brand management system that helps them stay consistent while still having the flexibility and the speed necessary to succeed in today's market. Because it's representing and reinforcing the emotions of a brand, the message portrayed by brand identity components needs to be clear, and it needs to be the same no matter where it's displayed. It's vital that brand identity be consistent. Brand identity attracts new customers to a brand while making existing customers feel at home. As discussed in the previous section, a brand is an emotional and even philosophical concept, while brand identity is the visual component of a brand that represents those larger ideas.īrand identity includes logos, typography, colors, packaging, and messaging, and it complements and reinforces the existing reputation of a brand. What is brand identity?īrand identity is the face of a brand. It's an experience that separates different products and services in a world where quality is often comparable or the same. It's emotional, visual, historical, and human. Seth Godin has a great definition of brand that addresses this point: "A brand is the set of expectations, memories, stories and relationships that, taken together, account for a consumer's decision to choose one product or service over another."Ī logo, packaging, typography, and personality all represent a brand, along with customer service, price, product quality, and corporate responsibility, but a brand is a bit more intangible. It's a symbol that represents a deeper emotional tie. For example, people might use the word "brand" to talk about logos, though a logo is just one part of a brand. The word "brand" is used pretty loosely these days.
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Get a head start on digital brand management with our free eBook: How to build your brand in 2021īefore we go over the 7 elements of brand identity design, we need to align on a few key definitions. I've boiled it down to 7 elements that you'll need to include as you create your own brand identity design and work toward the larger goal of building a well-loved brand. In this post, I've assembled information that's scattered across the web to provide an authoritative guide to corporate brand identity design.