Designing Brand Identity
The Right Logo™The Image of Success
Brand Identity design is the graphical representation of a product or company's brand positioning. At MicroArts, once we determine the brand strategy, coin the brand name and craft the supporting brand position messaging, we dive into designing brand identity features—starting with the creation of the brand logo.
THE BRAND LOGO
Your brand logo, the visual element of your brand identity, works closely with your brand name to tell a story of superior value. The two primary elements include the logotype (the brand name) dovetailed with the logo icon (the graphic) into one intriguing and cohesive message of value.
As a brand launch agency, the MicroArts team develops logos with a deeper meaning than what initially meets the eye.
- The American Renewables logo was designed to feel like the billion dollar company it is positioned to become; but we also created a logo that tells a story about renewable energy. In this case, the leaves of the trees weave into an icon that feels like the next generation symbol for recycling.
Learn more about renewable energy.
- In another case, we positioned the Todi brand to mean "aggressive athlete." It's the footwear brand that truly hard-charging athletes, those who go All Out™ on the field, wear to and from the locker room. The Todi brand logo is a symbol of that spirit found at an athlete's core. We've harnessed this spirit in the Todi brand icon. If you look closely at the brand icon, it graphically tells this story. The brand icon is a heart lying on the ground; and at bottom of this heart is the spirit that drives this athlete to get up and go hard once again. Ultimately, our goal is to see this brand worn at the Opening Ceremonies for the Olympic Games.
Learn more about Todi's brand positioning.
- And what about the MicroArts logo? The icon is an M graphically transformed into an arrow that points up and to the right, which is exactly the direction our clients demand and expect their revenue curve to follow as a result of our services. The M icon is positioned in the exponential location on the MicroArts logotype to further symbolize our ROI value to our clients.
See more of our brand logo portfolio.
CORPORATE IDENTITY SYSTEM DESIGN
Once a brand logo is finalized, we extend it onto all key brand assets including:
- Letterhead
- Second sheets
- Business cards
- Note cards
- PowerPoint templates
- HTML email templates
- Email signoffs
- Proposal templates
- Splash screens
- Building signage
- Brand swag
- The list goes on...
See our corporate identity system design work.
OUR BRAND LOGO DESIGN PROCESS: STEP 1. DREAM UP LOGO DESIGN CONCEPTS
We brainstorm with much energy and creative curiosity to yield a spectrum of brand logo executions. This spectrum of logo executions encapsulates a pre-determined brand strategy, brand personality and brand position as detailed in the creative brief.
In fact, at MicroArts Creative Agency, we like to chat through brand logo design concepts in a series of brainstorm sessions and hot list the top concepts. Typically, this generates eight to twelve solid brand logo concepts that excite us. It is important that these logo concepts provide a spectrum of ideas including metaphoric, symbolic and representative concepts.
STEP 2. DESIGN THE TOP CONCEPTS
Our brand launch team then explores design executions around each of these eight to twelve concepts, forming a range of logo designs explorations.
In an internal presentation, we present to each other, select the top logo executions and discuss recommendations to improve each logo. This process yields five to seven logo executions that nail the brand strategy. And we prepare for client presentation.
STEP 3. PRESENT THE LOGOS
Because every logo must work well—and look strong—in black and white, our initial client presentation is in black and white. For our top two recommendations, we explore logo color palettes and apply the logos in their environment (on product, corporate identity system, signage, etc.) and present these at the end of the presentation.
STEP 3A. ENERGETICALLY REITERATE
Once in a while, we have to repeat this brand logo design process from the beginning. However, most often, our clients' excitement and feedback move one to three logo executions forward.
STEP 4. FINE TUNE THE BEST OPTIONS
We incorporate our clients' ideas, explore brand icon placement, logotype fonts, color, size and orientation. The energy is high during this part of the process as we rapidly execute "ideas to try" over the next few days. Sometimes, we utilize an external survey to select the best of two logo executions. But most often, the final selection is determined internally.
STEP 5. CELEBRATE
It's a very exciting day for our creative agency when a new logo is born. Our clients revel in it as much as we do.
Brand identity development is not just for new brands. An existing product or service can come alive with a new brand identity.
Looks may not be everything, but in the world of corporate identity branding, it can get you noticed. Contact the MicroArts team for an analysis of your existing brand identity.
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A Vast Ocean of Blue
Be it blue.
Truth, calm, trust, hope, serenity, sadness ... what does the color blue mean to you? Blue is one of the most commonly used colors in web design and development, and it will continue to be a hot color throughout 2009.
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Making Your Web Icons Usable
Make your icons recognizable.
I bet when you look at the three icons above, that three distinct things come to mind in terms of the Internet: home, email and print. These are three examples of universally recognized web icons that can be used in a graphical user interface design within your website.
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"Creating a new brand identity design is not work, it's what we do and how we think. The process is on-going wherever I may be during my day."
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MicroArts Creative Agency
Since 1988, we've been perfecting our practice as a marketing communications agency, including designing brand identity systems as part of our Ultimate Marketing Mix.
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STEP 1. DREAM UP LOGO DESIGN CONCEPTS
