How do you name and design brand elements?

Absolutely agree with the approach. BUT over the years, one thing i noticed is how much time people put into coming up with the "perfect" name. I have been in multiple situations where large groups of 20+ people research, vote, collaborate and, ultimately, overthink it. My advice would be: keep it simple, memorable and distinct. And put all the creativity into the ad campaigns, promotions, tagline, etc. Things that will change overtime as your business grows and demands new approach. But keep the name evergreen.

Brand is not just a logo or a tagline; it's a narrative. It's the story of you, the embodiment of your values, and the testament to your impact. Even if two brands seem to be offering similar services or products, each carries its unique essence, shaped by the individuals behind it. The distinction lies in the nuances of their tales, the values they uphold, and the imprints they leave on the world. When you're ready to shape and share that story, choose an agency that excels in visual storytelling. Because your brand's narrative deserves to be presented with the artistry and finesse that only a master storyteller can provide.

Naming is one of the toughest challenges in any brand creation project, for a simple reason: it's loaded with emotion and carries a heavy burden in distilling your proposition down to a singular word. And that's before you approach the legal loopholes and complexities, the role of the visual identity and more. It's often said that you'll know the right name when you see it. That's not often the case in our experience. Instead, we believe in the importance of context - showing a name on a bottle or building or pack, in the brands colours goes a long way in convincing people of its strength.

In my experience, the naming and design of a brand start with brand purpose. Purpose is the North Star of a company that guides its direction and action. The brand name should have linkage or be inspired by the brand purpose, then design elements will follow.

I agree brand name should be simple and easy to remember. Once something is said over and over, it catches on. When we think of the most popular brand names, they are at most 2-3 syllables. That can serve as a guide.

In a time when stock imagery is rampant and freely available, it makes more sense to hire a professional designer or agency to create your logo, one that is custom designed, reflecting the unique personality of your brand, or you could end up with a 'wallpaper' logo.

Hire a professional to design your logo. If you are a small firm - hire a freelance designer, if you are larger shop - a small or large brand agency can help. I have seen too many companies in the market with the logos that seem to have been created in word doc. There is always a typical story behind it - "my nephew took design classes in high school", "i just played around with the design myself for a day", "large companies spend millions on their logo identity, I managed to get this one for $500", and so on - you get the idea. Logo is your identity out there, its one of the first things people see. And yes, they do judge the book by it's cover. Make it thoughtful, make it representative of who you are and/or who you want to become.

When designing your logo, please work with a designer that has experience with promotional products and custom apparel production. Often, we receive logos that are designed to look great in digital however when we need to proceed to using the file for placement on swag and apparel, the details are small and will fill in, or too close to register cleanly, or too intense to embroider, etc. and the logo may get watered down and the design intention lost. It is important to consider ALL of the ways that the logo will land tangibly when designing. This includes variations of the logo for spot color printing and embroidery.

A picture speaks a thousand words! So choose wisely. There are also free resources available or minimal charges from platforms such as Unsplash or Google Images. Do always check the small print for copyrights before adding to your online marketing or website, legal suits are expensive!

You should aim to shape your brand's identity by constructing a brand pyramid. The Barnd pyramid will delve into the core functionalities, rational benefits, emotional benefits, personality, and brand essence of your brand. Once you've established this foundation, you can furnish the creative team with a comprehensive brand brief to develop your brand guidelines, which include logo elements, colors, type, etc.

Many 21st-century brands have no tagline. What are the 'taglines' of Google, iPad, Starbucks, Samsung, Apple, MicroSoft...? What you actually do gives your brand meaning

Tagline is important. If you are just starting out and you have no brand awareness, make sure your tagline explains the business you are in (if your brand name doesn't accomplish that). You see a lot of vague taglines that are creative and aspirational, but add no value to your brand. Go with something that might seem more straightforward, but does the heavy lift in identifying the industry you are in and the reason you are in business. Once you have built brand awareness and equity - the sky is the limit. Remember, taglines are easy to change.

A tagline is the essence of your brand, distilled into a few powerful words. It's the unique vantage point from which your brand views the world. Acting as a bridge between you and your audience, it encapsulates the purpose and mission of your brand. An effective tagline not only communicates but also energizes and motivates. Think of "Just Do It" – concise, compelling, and immediately resonant. Your tagline should spark emotion, inspire action, and perfectly capture the spirit of your brand.

Less is More… difficult to write, A short punchy couple of sentences to sum up your brand, purpose, goals and vision! My suggestion if to sit quietly and contemplate this requirement for a while. Make notes on paper or a word document, as the ideas start to come, write then down no matter how crazy they may sound.. keep them flowing. The trick is to condense this flow whilst holding the goal clear. Cut and paste, Keep refining and allow the words to bounce off each other. Try to hold the feeling of the brand.. is it fun, healthy or corporate, reflect that. Give yourself 3 options. How do they look? Read aloud, how does it sound? Sit with it. And then take the best elements. Ask a few friends for feedback and votes. Be brave!!

Taglines have their place, but a tagline can also be a crutch added out of insecurity. Without one, do you have a strong enough identity and creative platform to support your brand and its appeal? If so, a tagline may be unnecessary. In fact, many companies outgrow their tagline as they lean into what they do best and evolve over time. The tagline may have defined them in the moment, all those years ago, but at a certain point it can start to pigeonhole them or create consumer confusion about who they are now. It can actually become a stumbling block. Best advice: if you have a tagline, use it contextually and intentionally as one of many brand assets at your disposal, not the end all be all. If you can get by without one, then do so.

Remember the times when brand colors were a huge palette and you were lost in all those shades of secondary colors? Stick with the main brand color and don't look back. Sure, you will need accent colors, but it keep tight. We have seen a huge shift across brands adopting one color: Aetna, CVS, Ally, Citibank, etc. You see brown - you think "UPS", you see Purple - you think "FedEx" and so on. Make the brand color your identity, don't dilute it. And have fun with it.

Selecting the right color scheme is both a challenging and creative process. Each color holds its own associations and cultural context, and finding the combination that captures the essence of a brand can be intricate. Over time, the approach to color palettes has evolved. It's no longer just about what's visually appealing, but about how colors resonate with the brand's values and the emotions they evoke in the audience. Take Apple for example, clean, minimalist design with a white and silver color scheme aligns with their brand's ethos of simplicity and innovation.

First, pick one color. Then think about whether you need another one. You can do a lot with just one color combined with black and white. Keep things simple.

Choose a colour scheme that reflects your brand, it's personality and values. As with everything else, keep it simple - over complex brand colour palettes can be confusing. Have one main brand colour, and 1-2 accent colours at the most. Brands that do this have the greatest brand recognition. Some great examples are: Vodafone (Red), Cadburys (Purple), Tiffany & Co (Duck egg blue), Harrods (Dark green).

I agree with the simple approach folks are advocating: choose one signature brand color, possibly a couple supporting ones. However, brands who anticipate color-coded products or divisions in the future will need larger palettes. In that case, it can be best to design the broader palette all at once, so you don't have to add colors piecemeal going forward.

Never, ever skimp on typography. It is the thing that separates a serious brand from a cookie-cutter one. Pay for a good typeface, it will always pay itself back. Stand out by having good, pretty text – it shows you care, about the brand and about the readers.

Brand font is as important as any other element of your brand identity. It should be the reflection of your brand voice - are you BOLD? CLASSIC? EDGY? HAPPY? MODERN? Your choice of typography should reflect that. When in doubt, reach out to a professional, there is life outside the preloaded MS Office fonts.

Before choosing typography, choose a consultant who knows that choosing typography is only part of a larger creative questionnaire, only to be preceded by a needs assessment.

Brand typography is pivotal because it shapes how content is consumed. It affects readability and the overall visual appeal, influencing the audience's perception of your brand's professionalism and authenticity. I vividly recall a client who initially had a scattered design identity. By strategically implementing a cohesive typography system, their brand instantly gained a sense of unity and professionalism. However, it's essential to acknowledge that not every branding project unfolds as seamlessly. While some projects might be a blend of both, others could require more grounded and straightforward solutions.

Typography is an area of branding that should never be overlooked. It quite literally is likely to be the most direct way you'll be communicating with your audience. Good type, with well structured hierarchical text, and typefaces that are well designed and easy to read, make all the difference to how a brand comes across. Difficult to read, illegible type says to the reader that you don't care enough about your business for it to matter, and you don't care about the readers either.

I’ve found that it’s critical to continually test and evolve your imagery to elevate your brand and its performance among key target audiences. The image that engages in California may fall flat in New England. And a very basic image may outperform your most stunning artwork until you zoom in on the latter to find the sweet spot. The bottom line is to start with your best strategic effort and leverage performance analytics for a journey of continuous improvement.

When approaching a brand its all well and good to get the graphics done, but ultimately what you need is the “bible” the brand “book” the rule set you put in place for it usage. This brand guidleine not only helps you leep things consistent it also provides people working for you in the space to also be consistent. More importantly dont be a slave to the brand guides, it also needs revision as new channels always open up and you have to adapt, but at the same time don’t treat it fast and loose. Colors, shapes, usage all are important for consistency.

As my parting thought I'd say don't stress too much, yes these are important documents and materials. But brand's change, and whoever is buying your product is unlikely to care about the curvature of your typography, or the exact shade of pink. Brands are living and breathing things, and as such they evolve over time. Don't be too hard on yourself in the process!

In today's fast-paced digital landscape, where content is being generated and shared at an unprecedented rate, brand guideline books have become a non-negotiable asset for maintaining brand consistency and integrity. It help keep brand elements consistent across platforms, preserving identity. It also makes collaboration efficient, inspire creative freedom, and adapt to trends. By maintaining recognition and trust, it ensure a strong brand presence amidst changing digital landscapes.

Invest in professional photography for 2 major reasons..... External: A poorly curated brand image sends the wrong signal to customers and clients. It screams low budget, no attention to detail and lack of care for what the customer may think or their experience with the product or your brand. Internal: Having HD quality images, allows you so much room for product image use, redesign and other design related considerations for marketing and Dissemination. The minute the image is bad, everything else automatically becomes low value.