A vital part of building a successful brand image for your company is the creation of a distinctive, recognisable logo. By definition, a logo is a visually recognisable brand element, a sort of visual shorthand that says ‘this is our company, our mark, and our brand’. The reality of logos, however, goes far beyond simplistic visual code for your business. So how do you write a rock solid branding brief that will give your design agency the best chance to create your dream branding identity?
To truly work, a logo is part and partial of the business, of the brand, of the story you are trying to tell to your customers. Your logo lies at the very heart of your branding — it is, in a sense, your branding message given manifest visual and physical form.
A good logo, combined with the right branding message, can spell the difference between a good company, and a great company, or between a successful company and a not-successful company. The right logo, can, in fact, take on a life of its own, as we have seen with the Nike swoosh, the McDonald’s arch, the Pepsi ball, and countless others.
These logos have all become instantly recognisable. Their brands have become global giants. The right logo could help your company follow in their footsteps. Unfortunately, good logos do not just happen.
Logo design is a serious business, one that requires an extensive collaborative process between company and logo designer. Creating a good logo is hard work, but the result will pay dividends for your company for years to come.
And the right designer can make the process considerably easier for you.
Here are a few important guidelines to How to Write a Branding Brief for Your New Logo design process:
Define yourself:
To get the right feel for your company, your designer needs to first understand a few basics about your company, starting, of course with the basics such as the nature of your business or service, and your industry. However, equally, if not more so importantly, the designer needs a good understanding on the core elements of your branding strategy. This includes such things as: What is important to you as a company? What are you guiding principles and guiding philosophies? What is your corporate voice? Remember, your logo is your company, and the more the designer knows about your company, the better starting point they will have for your distinctive logo design.
You know what you like:
Everyone has their own idea of what constitutes great – and not-so-great – logo design. You can help guide your logo designer down the right path by providing examples of logos you like, and those you don’t. If there are specific design elements you would like to include, make this clear to your designer. Likewise, if there’s something you find hackneyed or undesirable in a logo, include it in your design brief so that your designer doesn’t waste time on ideas that you don’t like.
Your company, your logo, your ideas:
Don’t be afraid to tell the designer your ideas for a logo. The designer works for you, and their job is to make your ideas come to life. This is a truly collaborative process which depends on your participation. Your input, your ideas, and your feedback are critical to ensuring that the final product is exactly the logo you want to represent your company.
Colours, fonts, and placements:
A key factor in designing a logo that follows the rules of good branding is that the logo needs to work at all sizes. This means a logo that is clear and easy to read when printed on your letterhead or product packaging also needs to be clear and easy to read when printed on smaller items such as business cards. Logos have to be consistent – they have look the same on every item you put them on – which may range from stationary, business cards, sign-age, equipment, or billboards. This also means you have to make sure you have clean, simple design elements that work at all sizes and on a variety of objects or surfaces. You also need to pick consistent colors that can be easily reproduced while remaining distinctively recognisable as your colours and your logo.
Know your message:
Is there a particular message you are trying to send with your logo, or a particular feeling you are trying to impart? A great logo is an opportunity to impart a feeling that you would like your customers to associate with your brand. For instance, the Amazon logo’s ‘smile’ — which doubles as a not-so-subtle hint that Amazon has everything ‘a to z’ — or the sensation of speed in the Formula 1 racing logo.
Remember, a good Branding Brief is the stepping-off point of a good logo. Keep these guidelines in mind when creating your design brief to help you and your designer get the most out of the design process.
Contact us for more information on how creating the right logo can help your company.
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