Brand design process

The core brand design process consists of the OUTLINE, WRITE and DESIGN phases, with the NAME, DRAW and CREATE phases being included as required depending on the project.

  OUTLINE

Discovery and strategy

Two-hour discovery session to:

• Learn about the background of the business
• Explore the purpose, vision and goals of the business now and for the future
• Find out who the target customers are and what the benefit is to them
• Investigate the competition and establish a competitive edge
• Conduct an existing brand audit
• Determine objectives for the brand design project

Insights are then compiled and a strategic plan is created for the rest of the brand design project.

  WRITE

Messaging and taglines

Development of key messaging and brand positioning to suit the target markets. This includes structured copywriting covering topics such as company purpose, products and services, and company background—plus creation and refinement of taglines and other key phrases if applicable.

  NAME

Wordmapping and naming

Ideation, wordmapping and other creative processes to develop a large range of naming options, then refine and select the new company name or brand name. Availability of business name, URLs and social media handles are also taken into consideration during the process.

  DESIGN

Logo design and brand identity

Ideation and design process to create a range of ideas and sketches, then creation of the chosen logo design including production of a comprehensive logo suite. This suite includes logos, logotypes and logomarks in various colour versions, formats and file types.

Production of a brand design guide (digital PDF) covering company purpose, brand positioning, messaging, name and tagline conventions, plus the brand identity which includes logo design and use, typography, colours, supplementary design elements, photography style (if applicable), custom illustrations and graphics (if undertaking the DRAW phase), and any created graphic design elements and website design (if undertaking the CREATE phase).

  DRAW

Illustrations and graphics

Creation of custom illustrations and graphics to suit the style of the brand design. Illustrations can be hand-created or more technical in style, while graphics can include diagrams, infographics and visualisations. Illustrations can also be animated.

  CREATE

Graphic design and website

Initial and on-going development of brand touchpoints, including graphic design elements such as stationery, brochures, documents, presentations, building and vehicle signage, tradeshow displays, retail displays, packaging, and website design.

As an Oncord Software agency partner, websites are designed and developed on the Oncord platform using the created brand design (logos, brand identity, written copy, illustrations, and any other created design assets). Oncord subscriptions include lightning-fast premium hosting, enterprise-grade security, plus automatic updates and backups.

When to start the brand design process:

  Experienced business owner starting a new company
  Launching a new service, product or product range
  Company merger, acquisition or sale
  Strategic company name change
  Change in product or service offering
  Shift in company vision, mission and values
  Repositioning to suit a changed or new market
  Tired or irrelevant brand needs an update or refresh
  Current brand design is inconsistent and lacks cohesion

Let's create a brand design together