Does Your Business Have an Identity Crisis?

There is nothing that undermines a company’s image and recognition faster than the distorted or inconsistent use of an identity. Whether you are part of an established business or launching a new enterprise, defining your company’s graphic image now will save you both time and money in the future.

Commercial identity is a vast and ever-changing topic that many individuals base their careers on. Yet you do not need to be an expert to develop an effective image. This article will describe many of the elements of building a graphic identity and help you avoid the common pitfalls.

Logos

Unfortunately, many start-up businesses attempt to cut costs by having someone other than a professional create their logo. Often these logos are created at low resolution in Photoshop and the “designers” rarely take into consideration all the aspects of effective logo design. Make no doubt about it, a logo is the essence of your company’s public image. Is that something you are willing to risk in order to save a few dollars? I highly recommend you spend the money and take the time now to hire a professional designer who specializes in corporate identities. If working with a graphic artist isn’t in the cards, make sure you consider the following factors when you design your logo.

Logo Design Considerations:

Company & Industry History — Is your company established or new to the market? Was your company founded on a principle or from a specific client base? How did your industry get its start? Often the best new ideas are based on the answers to these historical questions.

Your Market — Who is your competition? What do their logos look like? Is there something that sets you apart from your competition? A great logo will visually communicate your unique niche within your market.

Audience — Who uses your products or services? How many markets do you compete in? You need to define your demographic and describe your ideal customer. The broader your audience, the more general your logo must be. Or if you do one thing and do it well, then your logo should be specific to reflect that.

Location — Where will your identity be seen? Whether it is physical or virtual, every location has a certain design style associated with it. Consider your location to ensure your identity does not seem out of place in its setting.

Color — What emotions or associations do you want your logo to convey? Does your industry have a certain color associated with it? Color is primal and the fastest and most powerful way to communicate. You need to consider these effects and select PMS colors to ensure your branding is consistent across all media.

Monochromatic — Do you ever plan on sending a fax, using your logo in a newspaper, or having your logo in a layout where it is not the primary figure? Every logo must function in a one-color setting in order to maximize its usability and to save money on apparel and promotional items. Too often designers overlook this important aspect of logo design.

Scalability — Is your logo too complex to communicate when it is scaled down? Are you sure you will only use your logo on the Web? Odds are the answer is no. Demand that your logo is created using vector-based software and saved in an .eps format to forever avoid pixelation.

Adaptability — Do you plan on your business expanding into new markets or offering new products? Having a logo that can be altered to reflect your company’s changes will save you money in the future by eliminating the need to develop separate identities. Having one unified aesthetic between all your brands will increase your recognizability and increase your street credibility. For example, FedEx’s branding has taken its original logo and assigned a different color to each of its delivery options.

Graphic Guidelines

Now that you have developed a successful logo, you need to set rules for its use. A graphic guidelines book not only establishes these rules but also can be expanded to select official company typefaces, define slogan usage, pick acceptable secondary colors, and outline photography usage and terms of usage. You can define anything relevant to branding within this document. I suggest you save your guidelines as a PDF and package it with any official typefaces. This will make it easy to supply designers and vendors with your branding information to ensure consistency.

Summing up your company’s products in a single iconic image that can communicate to your prospective customers in mere seconds is a difficult and rewarding design challenge. Yet taking steps now to define your identity will provide dividends in the future.