Society is becoming more and more visual, so design is increasingly important nowadays. One of the most important jobs of designers is to shape identities and create memorable experiences. New identities for various kinds of companies are built all the time, but just some of them are strong enough to remain consistent. Below you will find a few wise tips that will help you build strong, lasting brands. Just remember one thing: branding is not a synonym for “marketing”. You should look at it as a means of explaining who the respective company really is and conveying that essence of them to the broad audience, through relevant visual support.

building-identities

Understand the company
Here is a simple, yet very efficient way to come up with relevant solutions when building or redesigning identities. If you try to see the company as a person and see how it communicates to others you will get a clearer image of its values, qualities etc. This way, you will find it much easier to come up with answers that would solve the communication problems within the company and that will help convey the brand core to the public in the best way possible.

Create a powerful concept
Behind every strong identity there is a strong concept, a solid foundation for the design concept. If it doesn’t have any story behind it what so ever, the design will crumble and fall apart in time. A good design should work on different levels, even have its “secrets”. It should also be unique and simple. You shouldn’t just go ahead and make a design for the mere fact that “it looks nice” – it doesn’t work that way. If it is thoroughly prepared, it will remain strong for a longer period of time.

Be careful with symbols
Strong brands are represented by strong symbols. A symbol is an image that represents an image or an idea. But be careful – symbols often mean different things, depending on geographic, religious or cultural perspectives. Therefore it’s unprofessional to simply use a symbol without any prior research, because you risk sending the wrong message to the audience. It is crucial to use symbols correctly, and to avoid at all costs any misrepresentation. Any designer should be aware of the way use of symbols will affect the overall impact of the brand and logo.

Create flexible identities
Keep in mind that identity is an ongoing thing, it’s always developing. It’s not something that you just solve and put away. That’s why the design concept behind an identity should be adaptable according to the specific needs, so it can withstand changes within the organization. This way, the core values and signals embodied by an identity won’t be compromised by removing backdrops or further development of the design, because a strong identity can tolerate alterations and additions without losing its main concept.

Learn to see the big picture
Make sure your design altogether embodies the company’s core values. Be careful with every little detail. An identity is not just a logo. It should be a whole toolbox, so you should remember to keep everything in mind: what patterns and colors will be used, fonts etc. The big picture, the brand, is the most important. Look at it as a whole and make sure it all goes well together. This is what will separate you from average designers that think that it’s sufficient to design a logo in order to create a brand.

What advice would you add to the list?