3 Creative Process Tips for Developing your Identity

If you’ve been following along, we recently posted a few tips on the creative process of naming a brand. Now that you have a name for your business, it’s time to give this business an identity. It’s something that when people see it, they can relate to it. Both the name and visual identity should be in direct proportion with each other.

So how do we begin developing a memorable identity for our brand? Here are a few tips to consider when developing your visuals:

1. Hire A Professional

You wouldn’t bring your car to the bakery to get it fixed, so why would you attempt to create your own corporate visual identity? Design is all about balance, structure and communicating without words. It takes many years of experience to be able to achieve this level of expertise and it will most certainly carry its weight in gold in the long run.

2. Less is More

When developing a logo, the key thing to remember is the famous K•I•S•S principle – Keep It Simple, Stupid. Think of the strongest brands of the world; the swoosh, the apple, the rainbow peacock, the golden arches to name a few. They are the simplest of visuals but incredibly memorable. Not only are they memorable but they allow for ease of use no matter how it’s applied.

Dodge's logo is even great for gynaecology training.

3. Make it Relevant

Your identity should reflect your brand strategy. Brand identity is no different than me telling you to picture a man. That alone is a vague picture in your mind, but if I were to add say, picture a man wearing a uniform. He has a holster and a gun on one side and a billy club on the other side. Now you are able to identify the type of person I’m describing. Just like you are able to identify certain people’s personality or characteristics by their fashion, people will create perceptions of you by the way you portray yourself.

It’s imperative that to be successful, you allow the necessary time to first develop a strategy and then execute. An identity consists of a long list of visual accessories that are designed to reinforce your brand. This includes logos, promotional materials like packaging, websites, signage and the list goes on. Even the things that aren’t literally seen with one’s eyes, like radio commercials or distinguished scents are still considered part of your identity. The goal of all these items is to cohesively support and strengthen your brand, which is the initiation of an emotion in your audience.