The importance of
brand identity
No escape! (33 logos in 33 minutes)
Problem / Opportunity
“What you take away is just as important as
what you keep,”
The Guild of
Food Writers
Why is branding important?
Because people often choose products based
on their perceived value rather than their
actual value.
Anyone can design a logo,
but not everyone can design
the right logo.
Elements of iconic
design
Keep it simple
● Used across a wide range of media.
● Easier to remember.
Make it relevant
● Industry
● Client
● Audience
Incorporate tradition
● Trends come and go like the wind
● Logo should last
Aim for distinction
● Recognizable
● Shape or outline
● Black and white
Commit to memory
● Quick glance
to make an impression
● Logos you remember
● Use of negative space
Think small
● Adaptable logo
● One inch,without loss of detail
Focus on one thing
Just one. Not two, three, or four.
It’s French. It’s property.
The seven ingredients in your
signature dish
1. Keep it simple.
2. Make it relevant.
3. Incorporate tradition.
4. Aim for distinction.
5. Commit to memory.
6. Think small.
7. Focus on one thing.
Remember that rules are made to be broken
The process of design
Laying the groundwork
● Educating your client about design
● Educate yourself about your client
● Details of your client’s business
● Reasons for seeking a brand identity
● Expectations of process and final design
● Time
● Patience
It’s all in the design brief
● Questions
● Design brief
● Decisions
Telephone, video chat, in person,
or by email, an online questionnaire
face-to-face
Gathering preliminary information
● The organization’s name
● Its location
● Number of years in business
● Number of employees
● The product or service sold
● The challenges faced
● Who the competitors are
Determine who the decision-maker
Asking the tougher questions
● What does your audience care about?
● How do people learn about your product,
organization, or service?
● What words do you want people to associate
with your company?
Assembling the design brief
● Recording telephone conversations
● Editing an email back-and-forth.
● Stripping the chat down to just the meaty
parts.
Designers need to be editors.
Keep your designs focused.
From pencil to PDF
Mind-mapping
Word association, Thought cloud
Mind-mapping
● Collecting your thoughts
● Generating ideas
● Getting into a creative groove
● Associating words with images
Sketching
Sketch as many ideas as possible.
● Single thought.
● Merge two together.
● Combine a group.
Sketching
The Tenth Commandment
Sketching
Example 1
The Tenth Commandment, down-to-earth,
welcoming, and authentic
Example 2
Filmaps.com, share and discover filmmaking
locations.
Dress for success
● Document your work in a PDF file
● Only your best ideas
Murphy’s Law!
Black and white before color
Focus on the form and ideas.
Woodmere Art Museum monogram concept
Black and white before color
Woodmere Art Museum signature concept
Black and white before color
Woodmere Art Museum perspective concept
Leaving color for the end
● Detail that can be easily changed
● Turn off effective idea because of color
Monogram, simple graphic shapes, emphasize dimension
and connection.
Where Photoshop comes into play
In context, Test drive
Where Photoshop comes into play
End Result
● Client focus on end result
● Tangible concepts
● Books are judged by their covers
● PDF file name with date “version control”
Recap the main points
● Mind-mapping: different design directions
● Sketching: control, creative freedom
● Don’t show all of your sketches
● Focus on the idea not color
● Identity presentations look professional
Practical
logo design tips
Questions, questions, questions
● Client’s desires
● Whom its competitors are
● Past identities
Understand print costs
Printing budget, color costs limit the scope
of your design.
Expect the unexpected
● Always estimate longer
● Deliver sooner
● Lots of little elements together
A logo doesn’t need to say what a
company does
Xerox isn’t a photocopier, mercedes isn’t a car
Just because it’s relevant, doesn’t mean you
can’t do better.
Not every logo needs a mark
● Distinctive logotype
● Future expansion
● Mark or symbol might prove restrictive.
One thing to remember
All strong logos have one single feature that
helps them stand out.
Don’t neglect the sketchpad
● You don’t need to be an artist
● Ideas flow much faster when you use a pen
and paper
● Carry a notebook with you at all times
Leave trends to the fashion industry
● Longevity is key
● Don’t follow the pack
● Stand out
Step away from Photoshop
● Vector graphics, Illustrator is your software
● Leave Photoshop for photos
Work in black and white
Color will rescue a poorly designed mark
Test at a variety of sizes
Try printing your work to ensure it’s clean, with
a good level of contrast on paper.
Reverse it
Logo on dark backgrounds in other words,
supply a white version.
Turn it upside down
● Looks OK when viewed upside down
● Appears on a book on a coffee table
Don’t be afraid of mistakes
Everyone makes mistakes. Learn from them,
and move on.
A logo is not a brand
1. Logo is part of a company’s brand identity
2. Mission
3. History
4. People’s perceptions
Thanks
Mai Moustafa
Senior Designer
eSpace
