13 Jan Strong corporate Branding and Visual Identity 2021
Corporate branding and visual identity are relevant for both the company and the designer. On the one hand, the presence of a visual identity, including a logo, is critical to a company’s success. A more thorough study of the theoretical foundations of visual identity enables the designer to work more consciously in graphic design.
Most companies provide some type of product or service face competition in the marketplace. In addition to a high-value proposition, a distinctive and memorable corporate branding identity must be designed for a brand to give it a competitive edge. Visual identity can help to differentiate a brand from others and convey its philosophy to the customer. A visual identity that distinguishes the company and relates to the field of activity and its consistent use increases credibility in customers’ eyes and is memorable.
Corporate branding, visual identity and style book
A brand is more than a company name or logo. It is an association between the consistency and quality of a service or product that a consumer sees when they see a company name or logo – it creates an emotional connection between the consumer and the company.
Visual identity is an essential part of corporate branding, as it gives the company a face and is the primary point of contact between the potential customer and the company. It helps a company communicate its industry, values , and message to its customers through visual solutions. The company’s values, mission, communication, and tone of voice with customers, quality of service, reliability, and visual elements play a role in the development of brand perception. Branding is an ongoing process, and to achieve a sharp brand image, it must be continuously worked on and kept up to date.
An entrepreneur who offers a product or service competes with other companies to find customers and sell products and services. Corporate branding and visual identity are an essential part of an organization because to stand out in the business market and provide value; one must also consider creating a prominent brand and a complete visual identity. The purpose of the visual identity is to create a distinctive and sustainable presence and position in the company’s market.
The visual identity must also be up-to-date and, at the same time, easily adaptable over time. The company’s visual identity is documented in a style book (brand book, logo book, etc.). The stylebook is a sound output for creating a visual identity and brings together the graphic elements of a company’s visual identity, including a logo, typography, color palette, pictorial language, explanations of their use cases, rules, and examples of practical solutions. An example of how different parts of an identity program look on different surfaces is added to the stylebook. These include business cards, sample advertising, brochures, document headers, and promotional items.
Depending on the size of the company and its marketing strategy, style books can be very voluminous or, conversely, a few pages long. Large style books need to be justified, small businesses usually don’t need large style books. Style books that are too voluminous and have detailed rules can have the opposite effect and are difficult to use. When compiling a stylebook, the most critical details must be set, and the designer reading the stylebook must be allowed to make creative decisions.
It is crucial to describe the rules that include the prohibited use of the logo, alternative methods, the protected area, and the minimum sizes, which in turn ensures the consistency of the use of the company logo and graphic elements.
Well-thought-out design and documenting its use in the form of a stylebook ensures consistency when used correctly and helps the company present itself to the world in a unified style. A stylebook can be a document in PDF format, a web page, or a print. It is vital that the company is available and can be distributed to designers and printing houses.
The creative process of creating a logo and creating a stylebook consists of several stages, which vary to some extent from one designer to another. The creative process starts with an understanding of a project or company problem. The creative process ends with the transfer of what has done to the customer.
Creative Brief
A creative brief is a document that describes the initial task and purpose of a design. This document is for the designer or design team. The first step in creating a brand is to find out the information needed for the design process, so you should be familiar with, for example, the company’s values, mission, and field of activity before interviewing a company representative. Information can be requested by phone and e-mail, but the most effective way to obtain information is face-to-face communication.
When creating a logo and a complete visual identity, which is part of the brand, one must first understand the project, the creative problem, and the company’s wishes, and in cooperation with the company, describe and document the initial task.
Different versions and forms of creative briefings can be found on the Internet and in the literature. The various examples of briefings by designers and design agencies provide recurring patterns and questions that can be used to create a visual identity.
A creative brief is a one- to two-page document consisting of the following parts:
• introduction of the company – a summary of the company’s activities and history;
• business problem-reason why the design work is commissioned;
• Aimed target group, i.e., who is the consumer;
• what is to complete and how it is to done;
• mandatory elements, parts of the company’s brand that must use in the design;
• the company’s competitors;
• Practical outputs to be prepared and time frame.
The data collected by the brief helps to understand the company’s goals, values , and the nature of the organization and provides an overview of the company’s competitors. Together, this is the basis of the creative process.
Competitor Analysis
For a company and corporate branding to be successful, it is necessary to analyze the competitors and the company’s location with them. When creating a visual identity, as a result of analyzing and observing competitors, one can relate to the field and find the information essential for creating a design.
By comparing competitors’ logos and color choices, it is possible to create a prominent logo and visual identity spoken to the target group. This is the best way to get inspiration. The competitor analysis process can consist of three points:
1. Compilation of a list of the company’s competitors and brands with similar activities. If the checklist is long, prioritize the findings should and the 5-10 largest competitors selected for analysis.
2. Familiarization with the target group, i.e., in the role of the customer, company websites, social media posts, parts of visual identity and all sample material, and collection of samples. You must consider logos, images, the typography used, graphic elements, shapes, and colors.
3. Analysis of the elements of competitors’ visual identity and their use.
The study provides an overview of the companies’ field of activity and supply and enables a better understanding of the target group. To create a distinctive but simultaneously matching visual identity in the area, it is possible to identify what should be avoided and what could be repeated as a result of the observation.
When analyzing corporate branding identity, one should look at word marks, the typography used, and the color choices used, the analysis questions are:
• Which shapes and symbols are most used in the design of competitors’ logos?
• Which colors are the most popular in the industry?
• How have competitors differentiated themselves when using the font?
• What is the image language of the competitors, how are the images used?
• What emotions do competitors’ logos evoke?
• What is the user experience of the websites?
• What is the nature of brands?
• How successfully have competitors used the sequence of cognition?
When designing a logo, different psychological nuances must be taken into account, as the use of different colors and shapes directly affects how people interpret creation. In his creative work, the designer can use subconscious perception and sequence of cognition theory to create a design that speaks to the target group.
Cognitive psychology studies how people perceive and interpret sensory stimuli. The cognitive sequence consists of three stages:
1. image perception – the brain first recognizes the image;
2. color perception – colors evoke emotions and associations;
3. understanding of content and meaning.
Therefore, designing an iconic or combined logo makes it crucial to create an easy-to-understand image that creates a clear connection with the company’s field of activity.
After designing the image, suitable colors must be chosen that evoke positive emotions in the consumer, are ideal for the company’s field of activity, and associate the company with reliability and quality. Lastly, design the text – choose a font that matches the visual and is easy to read.
Inspiration Gathering – Mood Boards and Collages
Before starting the creative process, the designer must understand the target group of the design to be created to create a design that speaks to them. Therefore, a creative brief is prepared, and research is carried out before starting to design. Competitors are examined, and the direction and tone of the design, i.e., the mood that speaks to the target group, is determined. Sample materials are collected and analyzed. Often a mood board is created that is associated with that tone. The mood board is a collage composed of various visual elements, such as images and colors, which convey the theme, style, and emotion of the design work being created.
With the mood board, a designer can experiment with different colors, images, and typography that convey this emotion. The mood board helps the designer combine his thoughts, information from the initial task, and the collected inspiration material into a single whole. With the mood board’s help, it is possible to present to the company what emotions the visual identity created for it will create for the target group. You can also search for inspiration on the Internet and create a collage of logos of companies with similar activities.
Logo
After compiling the initial task, carrying out the research, and concentrating the ideas, the practical side of the creative process begins. One of the most critical parts of a stylebook is the company logo. The logo is a visual representation of corporate branding with a simple design, consisting of images, colors, and text. It reflects the company’s values, the field of activity, and the reliability of the offer. An excellent logo is an original creation that stands out from its competitors, with few details, and its meaning is immutable and understandable over time.
Successful logo design must fit into the company’s field of activity and solve visual problems, for example:
• Does the logo speak to the target audience?
• Is the logo attractive, memorable, and at the same time, simple in form?
• Is the style chosen appropriately for the field?
• Is it timeless or following the latest trends?
• Is the logo telling a story?
• Is the logo cleverly designed, does it have any meaning?
• Is it usable in different media on different surfaces?
• Does it have a powerful effect?
The first point of contact between the customer and the company is the company logo. Different logos create different associations. Regardless of the direction chosen, the logo must be simple, low-detail, functional, and readable in both small and large formats on various surfaces. Logos can be classified into seven different logotypes:
• monograms are typographic logos consisting of the initials of a company name;
• wordmarks are typographic logos consisting of the name of a company;
• a pictorial sign is an illustrative logo, an icon that symbolizes a company, its product, service or values;
• an abstract sign is a graphic sign, the meaning of which is not unambiguous, but is an abstract geometric shape in form;
• the mascot, or the symbol of the illustrated figure, is a character symbolizing the company;
• the combined logo is a combination of illustrative and typographic logos;
• An emblem is a combined logo with text inside an icon or symbol.
Illustrative logos and symbols that symbolize the company’s values, meaning, or directly describe the product or service the company offers and the closer the link between the illustration and the company’s activity or offer, the easier it is for the consumer to understand the company’s offer and nature. However, illustrative logos may not work for small but unknown companies. In the case of a new start-up company, the use of an illustrative logo is risky, as it is difficult to associate the company, its name and field of activity with the symbol only at the beginning.
Typographic logos, such as monograms and wordmarks, contain the initials or name of a company, unlike illustrative logos. The advantage of typographic logos is that they give a unique name a more significant opportunity to stand out in the market than a large number of symbols. With the help of a wordmark, it is possible to gain recognition for a company’s name. The typographic logo is also suitable for a start-up company if the text is specially designed and visually memorable.
Combined logos, as the name implies, are a combination of a verbal and an iconic logo. The combined logo is versatile, unique, and suitable for use by almost all companies: the picture and the word form a coherent and memorable whole. Emblems are also ideal for combined logos. They look good on the packaging, but they may not be legible in a small format due to the abundance of details. Therefore, the choice of the logo must be based primarily on the company’s services and needs.
The Design Process
When designing a logo, some designers make the first versions of the logo on paper. All thoughts are drawn. Typographic, interpretive, and combined signs are tested. Be the first to get an idea of which versions work and which don’t. The selected logo designs are then digitized in black and white to convey the shape of the logo being created. Considering the theory of cognitive sequence, the customer is first introduced to the black and white versions of the logo.
When creating a visual identity and logo, it is crucial to understand at what stage to add color to the design. Namely, colors evoke strong emotional associations, but first, you have to make sure that the shape of the designed sign is suitable for use with different colors. Color trends change over time, and the design must also consider the limitations that different surfaces, materials, and applications can create.
Making a black and white logo first will help the designer save time. Namely, if you focus on color at an early stage when creating a logo, where a specific logo design has not yet been selected, the designer spends valuable time improving several versions of it that the client would cancel early on. First, you have to agree on the design concept, then the variations are made with colors, and if done to suit the customer, the logo can be finalized.
For a brand, choosing the right color or colors and using it consistently across different media is critical, as the use of colors outside of visual identity is confusing. As mentioned above, colors evoke strong emotional associations, and deviating from a company’s brand can lead to unwanted customer reactions.
Colors help symbolize emotions and meaning that designers can use to convey the brand message more clearly. For example, red and yellow symbolize danger, while blue is associated with credibility, seriousness, and authority. Color transitions enliven the design by adding mobility, texture, and depth. The choice of colors is personal, and researching different color theories will help you make a decision. It is essential to choose colors that match the company’s services and appeal to the target group. It is possible to convey the company’s field of activity with paint.
When designing a visual identity and choosing a color, one must consider how the design works in different environments, surfaces, and backgrounds of colors. For visual identity to work as a whole, graphic elements and colors must match. For example, repeating an image used in a logo in patterns or textures and various graphic elements creates a complete visual identity.
The design of the logo must take into account its most extended possible lifespan, which means that technological innovations must also be taken into account. As technology advances, there is a need for smaller and smaller logo sizes to work on small screens such as smartphones and smartwatches. Thus, the logo must be responsive so that it can be applied in different sizes, surfaces, and environments.
Depending on the size of the screen, logo shape, the amount of detail, or the color will change. Logo designs should make at least four different versions of the logo for use on different surfaces and sizes.
The Tagline
A company’s slogan (slogan, tagline) is a short sentence that characterizes a company or its values and nature, which helps to distinguish the company from competitors. The slogan can also be a sentence describing the company’s field of activity.
The slogan is often added below the logo and made part of the logo. If the tagline is part of the logo, it must also match the logo itself in terms of its color, size, and chosen font. Alina Wheeler has described the motto’s main features in her Designing Brand Identity book (2017, 29):
• the slogan is short,
• distinguishable from competitors,
• unique,
• conveys the nature of the brand and its position in the market,
• memorable and straightforward,
• no negative nuances,
• in small print,
• can be protected and trademarked,
• creates emotional connections,
• challenging to develop.
Typography
Typography is the setting of typefaces in a way that can serve an abstract design purpose in a composition or convey some clear message to the viewer. When making typographic choices, the work must be primarily legible and visually prominent in terms of its color, size and layout, and purposeful.
A typeface is a set of characters, symbols, and numbers that form a typeface family. Examples of literary families are Times New Roman, Arial, Helvetica, and so on. There are hundreds of font classifications, but they are broadly divided into three main groups, serifs, sans serifs, and scripts. Serifs are decorative lines at the ends of a star that make long texts more comfortable to read.
Typography a corporate brand visual identity is a font or selection of fonts that a company uses to communicate its brand, on the web, in print, and so on. When creating a visual identity, it is essential to use fonts that are appropriate to the context of the company and its offering and that are addressed to the target group. In addition to colors, different fonts also evoke various emotional associations. An incorrect font can be inappropriate.
The Times New Roman has an official effect, while some fonts may seem childish, while others may seem credible or eye-catching. Thus, the chosen font directly affects how the potential customer perceives the company and the services it offers, what emotions and meaning it finds when looking at the text.
The choice of a family of letters takes into account their readability, their uniqueness, the abundance of variations of font styles and font sizes, and their performance on different surfaces: publications, web, souvenirs, advertisements, business cards, etc. Fonts are available in premium (paid) as well as free versions. The font’s choice must also be based on the company’s financial capabilities, i.e., whether it is willing to pay license fees.
Alina Wheeler also has described in her book Designing Brand Identity the different font requirements as follows (Wheeler, 2017, 159):
• conveys emotions and reflects positioning;
• covers a wide range of applications;
• works in different sizes;
• works in both black, white and color;
• different from competitors,
• fits the logo,
• readable on the web, in digital form as well as in print;
• has character,
• sustainable,
• reflects the company’s culture.
It is possible to use several different fonts simultaneously in various design works and the corporate brand’s visual identity, but this requires more thorough professional knowledge. There is no one-on-one rule for which fonts to match or which do not. However, similar fonts that do not complement each other should be avoided when matching. The choice must be based on its practicality in the context of design work, readability, and focus on creating a contrast between fonts. The use of several different fonts in the composition is not justified if the viewer does not notice apparent differences in the fonts’ details.
Contrast is created by different elements that oppose each other. The items do not harmonize with each other, but they must still work together and fit together. Contrast can be created with colors, size, shapes, space usage, and text. Typographic contrast can be created by changing the thickness of the star line, using different fonts, incremental text resizing, hierarchy, or fonts of different classifications.
Creating contrast in the text also makes it easier to read. To achieve good readability, in addition to the choice of font and contrast, the placement of letters and words must be considered. Too narrow and wide spacing reduces readability. The spacing between letters and words must be balanced, consistent, and create an optical whole.
In letter-spacing correction practice (kerning), the distance between two stars is changed to create an optically equal spacing between letters. In the text, the spacing of the letters may be similar to each other, but the different shapes of the letters may create optically large or small spacing, which visually upsets the text. Changing their spacing is especially important in large titles or logos because enlarging the text also increases the spaces between the letters.
Choosing a font for a corporate branding visual identity and logo is a responsible task that must take many different nuances into account. In addition to the above, the font chosen must be available and usable by the company to ensure consistency in its use. However, the corporate font of the company does not have to be the same as the logo.
Images
When choosing images, it is essential to follow a standard style and tone that supports and is in line with the company’s visual identity. A well-thought-out, clear-cut image selection helps to create and embed the feeling of the company.
The chosen images promote the company and convey the messages that add immediate meaning to communication. It must also be understandable, clear, and speak directly to the target group. The images that a company uses for its marketing communication shape the target group’s perception of its reliability and its quality. The selection of relevant photos helps to embed the corporate branding message.
Web-based stock photos are widespread, and the variety of image material is diverse and easily accessible. The use of clichéd images incorporate advertising creates visual confusion and is related to the brand’s visual niche. Staged scenes are often used in photographs, some of them with apparent productions, while others convey the desired emotion and have a high-quality effect.
Companies’ budgets do not always include hiring a photographer and taking personal pictures, so do not rule out stock photos. As there are many online sites and material, you will also find images on these pages that do not act as a cliché. Base the choice of pictures on the company’s visual identity and tones, which convey the company’s values, the field of activity, and the message.
Conclusion
Corporate branding and visual identity help a company stand out from the competition and play a vital role in shaping its brand image, as it is the primary point of contact between the consumer and the company. The instructions are documented in a stylebook to ensure the consistent use of different visual identity parts, such as the logo, pictorial language, graphic elements, fonts, and colors.
The stylebook is the right output of visual identity, to which sample material from such as business cards, documentation, souvenirs, and advertisements.
Creating a corporate branding and visual identity consists of various stages, such as describing the initial task, research work, creating designs, and documenting the final solution, i.e., compiling a style book. The description of the first job or brief prepares in cooperation with the company. It contains a description of the design problem, an overview of the company and its competitors. Compare different parts of the corporate brand’s competitors’ visual identity to identify what to avoid and what to repeat when developing a solution. Creating designs on paper helps the designer validate which approaches work and which do not.
What is Your brand’s tagline? Let me know in the comments. Mine is “A little place to be creative”
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