A Little Clarification

You are out in the marketplace promoting your product or service. Your success lies in convincing your target audience that you are legit, professional, quality-focused, an expert in what you do…
the list goes on.  You need a visual identity that projects that assurance. That’s where identity design comes into play.

What is Identity Design? Identity design (ID) is the strategic development and design of a set of visual tools used to differentiate and promote your product, service or company. Your ID toolbox includes: logo, colors, typography, patterns, photography, layout.

OH, you mean my brand? Nope. A brand is defined by consumers, not corporations or graphic designers. Brand is the perception of your product, service or company. This perception that we call “brand” has become so important to a company’s success it’s becoming a common line item on balance sheets. How a brand is perceived directly affects its success. A strong brand will foster trust and customer loyalty.

The Role of Identity Design Identity design combines strategy with creativity to influence the perception of your product, service or company in the mind of the consumer. While features and benefits are still important to consumers, more and more purchase decisions are being made based on trust. To that end, trust creation is a fundamental goal of identity design. A well-designed Identity design system, supported by brand guidelines, will ensure the visual consistency that promotes brand recognition. 

The work we did for River Wellness provides a visual overview of the identity design process. View the project here.

 

The Process

• Proposal

We start with a no-cost consultation. We’ll discuss your vision and how we can work together to achieve it. Within a few days of our conversation I will come back to you with a proposal that will outline project scope, cost and timeline. Once we’ve come to an agreement, I’ll need a signed contract and a standard 50% deposit to initiate work. Final payment will be due when the work is completed. If another payment plan is more suitable, we can discuss options.

Discovery

Research is the first step in the brand identity design process. We’ll take a deep dive into your ideal customer, your competition, and everything that makes you unique in your marketplace. Knowledge gained in the discovery phase will provide a roadmap for the work ahead. Steps include:

  • A comprehensive worksheet with questions about your history, audience, competitors, and future goals
  • A follow-up meeting to discuss responses and dig in deeper
  • A survey of your existing marketing materials
  • A survey of your competitor’s marketing materials
  • Presentation of two to three mood boards to get your feedback and approval on design direction

Concepts

We will explore three  design concepts and present them in a screensharing meeting. Concepts will be emailed in pdf format after our meeting so you can take time to make a decision on which concept works best for you.

Refinement and Deliverables

Every Identity Design project scope allows for refinement of the chosen design. Two rounds of revisions are typically enough and included.

Project deliverables include:
• Final logo in file formats for print and web
• Style guide that includes the specifics of all the elements of your brand identity—logo, typography, color palette, photography style, icons, patterns, and more.

Now that the visual identity of your brand has been defined, it’s time to show the world. We offer a comprehensive list of services to get your brand noticed.

Graphic Design Services
Graphic