Simple Guide to Re-branding Brand & Logo Design Brand and logo design can be discussed in some depth and has a multitude of areas of information pertaining to it. This is merely an abbreviated text aid for the development of ideas for a proposed brand/logo. At IDAH! these are the aspects we will consider and your thoughts and views will help us in the development of great design. This text is not geared toward any particular industry. *We will continually develop this text until we believe we have the correct 'formula' for the development of a great logo. Any suggestions are always welcome. What is a brand/logo? Is there a distinction between the two? Brand and logo's go hand-in-hand but are not necessarily the same thing. Consider that a logo is purely the image that represents the product or service that it pertains to. A brand is more symbolic and should embody everything about the individual/company/or other (we shall call this the 'entity' for ease of future reference). In most companies there exist brand strategies which provide a guide for alliances and partnerships, direction, representation and much more. Additionally, many will have brand guidelines that they adhere to in ensuring that their image is maintained via the multitude of external stimuli it is applied to. For example, the brand guidelines will dictate the dimensions that the logo must maintain, the areas in which it can be used, the instances that colour changes can be applied and so on. Depending on the entity, these guidelines & strategies can be as minimal (there may not be any) or as extensive as is required. Some instances require departments that manage solely the brand, it's use, direction and ultimate protection. Why is a logo so important? Clearly, without even the simplest of logos who is going to know who you are? How are they even going to identify you in the first place? Identity is the key. A logo should at the very least reflect the name of the entity and it's services. A good logo may reflect many other attributes including the size, stature, personality, social responsibility and other such characteristics that can be applied to an entity. What should be considered in the development of an 'effective' logo? Most importantly you need to consider what you want the logo to say about you. As suggested it could merely say your name and perhaps a description of the service provision, but on a deeper level we suggest that you get the viewer to think about your logo and hence consider your entity and try and get across to them the type of entity you are and the values that you hold. At IDAH! we address the following points in the development of a design. We would suggest that you also consider these questions to help its development and understand the process of the design. Size What size will the logo be? Consider where it might be used and how sizing may affect this? Will the logo need to be scalable to be easily identifiable at any size? Positioning How will the logo and it's elements (if any) be positioned? Colour What colour or combination of colours best represent the entity ? Should you go with one colour or a combination of colours? Consider colour theory and what certain colours and their shades represent? Should you use your favourite colour or should you consider general opinion on the matter? What do your colour choices represent in other cultures and Font & Lettering What font best represents you? Should it be plain, italic, bold? Should it be capitaized, lowercase, mixed? Iconology & Imaginary Will there be any associated imagery? What will it be be? Will there be one or many elements? Where will it be positioned in reference to the text? Will it be an image only without any text? What size will it be? Etc Other important considerations: Clarity Consider that the image needs to be immediately identifiable in all it's uses. Sustainability & Longevity Consider that a good logo/brand should not be renewed/changed for any other reason than that it wasn't designed well in the first instance. The only other reason would be for a PR stunt and even then it's only usually a minor change if it's a good brand. The design has to be right from the start. If you work on this premiss you should end up with a brand that will stand the test of time. Consider that you could well be in business for many years to come and that you should be considering a 'timeless' design. Anticipated Usage Consider the use of the logo and where it will appear and the types of materials it will placed upon? Will it appear on vehicles, clothes, signs, billboards, websites, etc? To help clients get into the 'design' frame of mind we normally ask them to carryout the following simple exercises. These will help you consider all the areas mentioned above. Logos Select 5 of your favourite logos. These do not have to be industry related. Select 3 that you dislike. Select 2 favourite competitor logos Select 1 you dislike Websites On the basis of their design (not functionality): Select 5 of your favourite websites. These do not have to be industry related. Select 3 that you dislike. Select 2 favourite competitor websites Select 1 you dislike General Advertising On the basis of their design (not on their Ad copy): Select 5 of your favourite print adverts. These do not have to be industry related. Select 5 that you dislike. Colours Select your three favourite colours Select your three favourite colour combinations