Design process on the logo and visual identification is divided into three big stages. Let's find out what's happening during each one.
Just as the construction of a house starts from the creation of a plan, so in the design of visual identity, the first thing is to set the basic goals of the project. We are not working just on a nice packaging of your service or product, but on a visual message that attracts new customers to you.
1. Preparation
Let's talk about your goal
Everything starts with a conversation. Or maybe from completing the brief? The choice is yours – you can complete all the information yourself by answering the questions in the document that I will send you. This is a good start. However, I know from experience that doubts often arise, which is why I am suggesting a conversation in which we will clarify every detail.
The big question is: what is the goal you want to achieve? Do you want to create a new brand, increase sales, reach a new audience, change the perception of your brand? Or maybe something else? This is a fundamental issue.
Remember that you know your industry best – you working in it for a certain period of time. Even if you are just planning to start operating in a specific segment, you have some information about it already. Your knowledge cannot be overestimated. That is why it is extremely important to collect it – it is literally the base for the graphic design.
Open dialogue do the work
You can downplay some of the issues related to your industry, but for brand image creation they can be the key ones. You may not be aware of this until I pay attention to these matters. Seemingly trivial information may in practice turn out to be crucial!
The task of the designer is to ask the right questions, catch and sort out all the important issues. And all this will be used during design and transfer to the graphic form that will represent them.
Vice versa – information that is obvious to me, can be a mystery to you. So ask – whenever there is some doubt in your head. That's why dialogue is so important.
Needs analysis, schedule, and valuation of work
We will only implement those projects that will help you build a strong brand in your situation. Basing on everything we have discussed so far, we will summarize what specific projects will do this task.
Next, we plan them in time, so that everything starts working at the right time and so you can synchronize your business activities.
All this will allow me to prepare a valuation of project work.
Completing the materials
You will have to provide some of the materials before starting the design work. Everything depends on the specificity of the project (when we planning to prepare a brochure, it will be, for example, texts and photos). It is important to be aware that they are necessary to start work.
Is it really necessary?
These pieces of information are not some "magic tricks" that don't matter.
First of all, when you order the project of a logo and visual identity, you order tailor-made design that will fulfill specific needs and goals behind your business. Do not confuse it with a regular product produced like in a factory (every time in exactly the same way, getting exactly the same effect).
Secondly, without delving into the subject and gathering this information at the preparation stage, the only thing you will get will be some fun-arts of someone who just realizes his own visions ("Hey, draw something for me!") This kind of graphics are based solely on his own tastes, without any business context.
And it's a bit like you buy a hammer that is only able to hang somewhere on the wall of your workshop because it's falling apart when you use it. It seems to be there, but it does not really play its role.
2. Graphic design works
All the information we have collected is the basis. For me, the research stage is not yet finished. As part of work on the project, I conduct deeper research on my own: I'm analyzing the specifics of your industry, I review how your competitors communicate with clients, compare them, I try to get to know your niche even better.
All this allows me to better understand what principles your market segment is guided by and what can be applied in the project to make you stand out from the crowd and gain the trust of potential customers. After all, this is the main task that visual identification has to do, right?
The whole process is based on constant trials and searches. It takes many hours and its spread over days. Its length depends on the details set at the previous stage. During it we stay in contact.
3. Presentation
One of the biggest mistakes made at the time of project presentation is too hurried or very flimsy evaluation of the proposed solutions.
First, give yourself time. Colloquially saying "sleep with this", try to look at the implementation with a distance.
Second, forget about the "I like / I don't like" criteria.
If you are not convinced of something, just ask why such solution has been used. Why this color? Why this form? Where did the decision about such a typeface come from? You do not have to understand every detail. In turn, a professional should not have a problem explaining to you all the details.
The logo design itself often looks like its created of only a few simple elements. However, after spreading it into pieces, you can see the amount of work and time in the form of searching, analysis, decisions, attempts, re-searches, re-analyzes, re-decisions (...) Ufff ... Designing the logo (not mentioning the elements of identification like brochures, posters, and others) is associated with many attempts that require a huge stock of patience and many hours of focus.
What's next?
Finished and accepted projects are not the end. Materials such as business cards or brochures need to be printed out somewhere. I help in finding the right printing house and adjusting technical aspects such as paper, printing technology and refinement methods. In addition, I take care about preparing these materials for production in accordance with the requirements of the printing house. Thanks to it the final effect looks as it should.
Similarly for websites. Graphic design must be implemented by a web developer. I help to find the right person for it and supervise the process of bringing project to life. The goal here is to make sure that the created project functions just as planned.
Bilateral & balanced engagement
Finally, an important rule: respect the competencies. The designer should not interfere in your strictly business decisions, evaluate them or suggest other directions. Sure, its great to you provide basic information that will help to understand (not change) how you function.
It works both ways. Based on a well-established workshop, the designer makes design decisions because he knows how understands them and is able to use them. Of course, as I mentioned earlier, he should be able to explain where these decisions came from. Do you have suggestions? Let's discuss them. However, do not try to do design work for the specialist you hired to do this job.
Brand Identity Designer. I'm not designing pretty graphics. I help your business to evolve because of understanding the customers. I help you to talk to them in their language. I will take care of attracting them and reaching their trust. 10 years of experience and over 30 created brands so far allow me to consult strategy & ideas for brand communication. And I love to do it.
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