Branding designer. Graphic designer. Visual identity designer.
There are many different labels for what design studios do in relation to branding. In the context of this article a “branding designer” is a creative professional concerned with the visual identity of a campaign / organisation, rather than wider brand strategy / objectives.
It may sound counter-intuitive but a good brief should close as many doors as it opens. It should be about narrowing the field and focussing creative time and energy into areas where it is best used.
In my opinion creative work without a brief veers more into art and vibes, rather than commercial objectivity.
That said, the brief will often require a breakdown and definition of the elements of a strategy. They are the foundation of any powerful brand, and are therefore essential for a visual identity unique to an organisation, and one that cuts through the marketplace.
Here’s are five of those essential requirements for a great brief:
1. Outline Your Brand
Drew de Soto lists a few key elements which I often look for in a brief from a brand I’ve not worked with before:
Brand Descriptor:
What is the company? What does it do? What is its history?
Brand Purpose / Mission
What does the organisation do? What is your goal? How do you achieve it?
Brand Vision
What is your brand’s outlook? What are the potential outcomes of your work? What are your hopes?
Brand Values
What do you stand for?
I know this all sounds like lofty stuff. Without these anchors it might be that the your brand outgrows your visual identity faster than you would like.
Think about it and pull the above together so your branding designer can deliver work that stands the test of time. For inspiration, check out our process, values, and about us pages.
2. What Do You Need From The Project?
Brand identity projects can take many different forms. A rebrand to some is a tweak of logo and typefaces, to another it’s a complete reset with poster examples, layouts for reports, secondary colour palettes…
Be clear about where the project starts and ends. Also, when outlining your objectives it’s equally useful to outline what they aren’t.
3. Tell your branding designer what you hate.
Less strategic, but just as important. At some level you, your colleagues, and your managers need to be proud of the work.
Proud to have your logo on a uniform and your brand out in the wild. It should trigger a knowing smile, not a cringe.
So if there’s something you absolutely hate and don’t want to see in a logo design / colour palette / visual identity, make sure you outline that to your graphic designer.
4. What’s the deadline?
Branding designers are often busy folks running a few projects at once, (as well as the day to day admin needs of the business).
We like a clear deadline to work to so we can meet your expectations, and keep our other clients happy too.
5. Who has the final word?
At some level a brand visual identity needs to be sold internally. Sometimes the folks with final approval don’t work on the project directly.
When this is the case it’s useful for your graphic designer / studio to know who will have a final say, and keep them in mind in the process.
Similarly it’s good to have your knowledge on how to present that work to senior managers / teams if you will need to present it internally. Having not been involved up to this point, it may be better to explain / deliver concepts in a slightly different way if a direction is not what a they are expecting.
Bonus: What’s your graphic design budget?
Sometimes the question of budget can feel like a bit of a dance. In my experience it’s best to outline your budget expectations / limitations early on.
As a branding designer it lets me figure out (and propose) how I can deliver the best value for your spend. Much faster than us going back and forth feeling it out.
Hopefully that’s a useful list, but if you have any more great ideas / to add from experience with branding designers and agencies, please let me know.
