Brand identity design
Designs a brand’s visual and verbal system (logo, colors, typography, imagery and tone) and the rules for using it everywhere.
What problem it addresses
If each piece uses the brand its own way, it stops being recognizable.
Principles
A system
It isn’t just a logo: it is pieces that work together.
With rules
A guide that says how and when to use each piece.
Flexible
It works on a small screen and on a building.
Applications in design
Use it like this
Test the identity on real pieces: an app, a poster, an invoice.
Avoid
Delivering a logo without usage rules.
Don’t fall for it
Identity ages: review it, but without losing what makes it recognizable.
Connections
Builds on
Authors and works
- 1989
Wally Olins
Showed how identity makes an organization’s strategy visible.
- 2003
Alina Wheeler
Described the complete process for creating and maintaining a brand identity.
Sources
Original sources
- Olins, W. (1989). Corporate identity: Making business strategy visible through design. Thames and Hudson.
Secondary sources
- Wheeler, A. (2003). Designing brand identity: A complete guide to creating, building, and maintaining strong brands. Wiley.
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