Design strategies to consider for your Identity Development
In Identity Development Part 1 I gave an overview of Branding vs. Identity vs. Logo, pointing what makes each their own piece of the big picture. In this article I will walk you through some strategies to consider when you are at the point that you need to develop your logo and establish your key set of elements. I also put together a post showing this process for you to reference.
It can be pretty overwhelming if you are getting started and don’t know much about how to make all your important information stand out above the rest .… visually that is. The first thing I want to say here is to start being aware of your instinctual reactions when you are online doing what you do. When you come across a website, color combination, catch phrase, etc. that appeals to you, bookmark it so you can refer to it later.
I can’t stress this enough, there is no need to reinvent the wheel when it comes to putting together ideas for your visual marketing campaign. Yes you want your end result to be unique and create your own look that will be carried across all your marketing media; however, there are only so many ways to combine information within these small spaces and you want to go with a look and feel that is right for you. Having references to look at is a great way to start and from there, you want to figure out what it is about that particular page, product, object, etc. that caught your attention and use words to describe your reaction or what compelled you to add it to your bookmarks. Your identity becomes yours when you combine your logo and marketing message with your overall product and/or service.
Likewise, you want to make a collection of adverse reactions, pet peeves, annoyances, and examples of what you absolutely do not like so you can refer back to them or send them along to your designer as a way of communicating design approaches that will not work for you. Communicating your thoughts through examples, both appealing and repulsive, can be extremely helpful when contemplating your identity, especially when you are working with a designer. Examples and descriptive words will help you weed through all the concepts in your head and get them a little closer to home. Whether you are going to go the do it yourself route, or you are interviewing designers, the clearer the picture for your identity is will be directly proportional to your investment.
Another helpful approach is to doodle. That’s right, take a piece of paper and your favorite kind of drawing tool during some quiet time and sit back, relax, and let your thoughts flow. If you are fortunate to have another person or a team to brainstorm with, all the better! Give yourself permission to sit back and doodle your heart out. Drawing skills are not required here, just the willingness to relax and let your mind go.
Write the name of your company to get you started, and perhaps your tagline. Think about what you want your perspective clients to experience when they see your logo. Are there any colors that are associated with your product or service? or do you just have a certain color scheme in mind? Take a look at initial caps and how the letters of your business name interact. Play with upper and lower case examples as you doodle to see how the differences look. Perhaps there is an object, animal, flower or something else commonly associated with your business that you want communicated with your logo. This exercise will go a long way in helping you with your brainstorming as your doodles may turn out the perfect squiggle that captures and communicates your message. Just take a look at Nike! and even Coke.
Once your logo has been designed and approved, you want to create a set of standards associated with how your logo is to be used and stick with them. For instance, color versus black and white versions for your logo, determining vertical and horizontal applications, it is important to decide how you will use your logo with your other pertinent business information. Decide if you want your tag line to be linked with your logo, if your logo doesn’t include your business name when will you want to include it with your logo. The key is to employ consistency in the ways you integrate your logo with your identity through all your designs for marketing and networking.
Peter Murphy of Law & Order Charters
The last thing to add that I find important, especially in the virtual world, is a picture of yourself, your team, or something personal that your visitors can connect with that tells them you are human. Again, choose an image, or a set of images, that you can use throughout your marketing plan. Use this image as your profile picture for social media and online directories, gravatars, in your newsletters and other email marketing, include it wherever and whenever appropriate to develop a connection between your image and your logo.
Your chosen image, logo, tagline, and business name are your key design elements. Of course you can add to these by using other visual graphics like bullets, check marks, dividers, etc. keeping in mind how you will use them and making sure there is some visual connection, via color, texture, and even a shape or negative space within your logo.
Consistent and effective use of your key elements in your business marketing and networking contributes to visitors gaining recognition of your business, they begin to feel like they know you and even develop a certain level of trust. That familiarity builds a warm and fuzzy feeling that can be the difference between making a sale or NOT!
Take a look here at a Case Study showing the process of establishing an identity.
Please email anytime to discuss your identity development project.
