Make your Brand Consistent for Free
Why would I need a consistent brand?
If you read the previous article on how you know if you have a good logo, you'll know that a brand is a tool for identification. It allows the general population to recognize the company that made the product or service but I won't go into too much depth here. The evidence is pretty conclusive - there are no big companies that don't have brands - there are just companies that have varying degrees of control over their brand. The consistency component is just a matter of making identification easier.
When we were schooling, we were asked to read the information or topics we were to memorize 10 times repeatedly to commit it to memory. However, if that information changed every time we read it, ever reading it forever wouldn't ensure that the information was committed to memory. Similarly, if the appearance of a brand changes every time a customer sees it, there's no recall being built.
Now how I'd recommend for this to be done is for a professional identity designer be hired to take a look at the existing brand and develop it into a coherent system but not all companies can afford that. Instead I've put together a system that does a part of the job and can be done by anyone.
The Framework
It's pretty simple. Print out as much collateral from previous campaigns that you can find including flyers, brochures, business cards, letterheads, social posts, digital campaigns and even key frames from videos if you can and lay it out across a large conference table (the floor works just as well if you' feel like you'll run out of space). Look at the collateral from above and look for repeating elements. The logo, any repeating colours, regularly used typefaces or fonts, patterns, textures, a style of photography or illustration - absolutely anything. Take all the collateral with those elements and put them into their individual piles. If an element has been used seven times or fewer, don't bother adding it to the pile.
That pile is the basis of your visual brand. That is what other people think your company looks like. If you're happy with that collection, then continue to the next step. If you aren't happy or there aren't enough repeating elements, you probably need a professional to come in and solve your problem. I'm guessing why this is a problem in the first place is either because the last designer didn't know what they were doing, the marketing team ignored the brand guide or you don't have a brand guide.
The next step is to organize this information into a usable system. A simple 4-quadrant matrix is a good solution.
Once you place your collateral into this matrix, you have an idea of what your brand looks like and what you have to do with the assets that are in the other quadrants. Good luck!
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Dhyresh Mendis
is a Graphic Designer specializing in Brand Identity Design. His love for structures and systems has sent him on a journey to understand the fields that Identities support at great depth - Marketing and Brand Building.
Why would I need a consistent brand?
If you read the previous article on how you know if you have a good logo, you'll know that a brand is a tool for identification. It allows the general population to recognize the company that made the product or service but I won't go into too much depth here. The evidence is pretty conclusive - there are no big companies that don't have brands - there are just companies that have varying degrees of control over their brand. The consistency component is just a matter of making identification easier.
When we were schooling, we were asked to read the information or topics we were to memorize 10 times repeatedly to commit it to memory. However, if that information changed every time we read it, ever reading it forever wouldn't ensure that the information was committed to memory. Similarly, if the appearance of a brand changes every time a customer sees it, there's no recall being built.
Now how I'd recommend for this to be done is for a professional identity designer be hired to take a look at the existing brand and develop it into a coherent system but not all companies can afford that. Instead I've put together a system that does a part of the job and can be done by anyone.
The Framework
It's pretty simple. Print out as much collateral from previous campaigns that you can find including flyers, brochures, business cards, letterheads, social posts, digital campaigns and even key frames from videos if you can and lay it out across a large conference table (the floor works just as well if you' feel like you'll run out of space). Look at the collateral from above and look for repeating elements. The logo, any repeating colours, regularly used typefaces or fonts, patterns, textures, a style of photography or illustration - absolutely anything. Take all the collateral with those elements and put them into their individual piles. If an element has been used seven times or fewer, don't bother adding it to the pile.
That pile is the basis of your visual brand. That is what other people think your company looks like. If you're happy with that collection, then continue to the next step. If you aren't happy or there aren't enough repeating elements, you probably need a professional to come in and solve your problem. I'm guessing why this is a problem in the first place is either because the last designer didn't know what they were doing, the marketing team ignored the brand guide or you don't have a brand guide.
The next step is to organize this information into a usable system. A simple 4-quadrant matrix is a good solution.
Once you place your collateral into this matrix, you have an idea of what your brand looks like and what you have to do with the assets that are in the other quadrants. Good luck!
Dhyresh Mendis
is a Graphic Designer specializing in Brand Identity Design. His love for structures and systems has sent him on a journey to understand the fields that Identities support at great depth - Marketing and Brand Building.