Creating a Recognizable brand: collaboration
In my time as a designer I’ve learned that recognizable branding is key to a memorable experience. Ever been to a restaurant that has an awesome logo and a beautiful menu that seems to belong right in that atmosphere? Branding is about that kind of experience and we achieve that through collaboration, uniqueness and consistency. Collaboration, the first out of these three, comes into play in the beginning of the process.
A good brand comes from lots of communication and understanding. Throughout my career I’ve always gotten the advice to “over communicate early and often”. It’s really been a lifesaver because it educates my clients about my deliverables and sets expectations, but also lets them know where I am in the process and feel like they are involved in the process. Plus, it makes it easier to set meetings as I’m not popping up after two months of silence demanding time and attention.
As a designer my job is to listen and be empathetic before I make choices for someone and/or their business. If I went into every meeting without listening and having some understanding, all my clients would get a pink flamingo as their brand because that’s what I’m into right now. Instead of bewildering people with my random brain choices, I listen and try to communicate and summarize what they have told me about themselves into a brand, color choices, and fonts.
My favorite way to collaborate is to ask my client what specific things they like and don’t like continually from the very beginning. That way I get pointed, even feedback that helps me to balance client opinion, make changes or discuss why I made decisions. All the best projects I’ve worked on have been due to a steady conversation of constructive discussion around my design work.
Collaboration is the cornerstone of my design process and feedback is integral to making a memorable branding experience. Sure, you could go to a discount logo website or hire your cousin’s best friend’s high school kid to Photoshop your poodle’s face in with some 3D text, but a personalized, professional experience will always shine through above and beyond. Stay tuned for the next parts: unique branding and consistency in branding use.
All businesses are different, so why should yours have a boring brand? Let’s talk about creating a customized brand experience for you.
