Over the years, KnowThyBrand has had the chance to work with different brands on the design or re-design of their logo.
The experience has taught us that the best way to ensure that a logo is going to create tangible value to a brand and last the challenge of time is by working on a 5-stage approach:
1. Strategic brand positioning
In this first stage, a company needs to define what makes its brand what it is. Is the time to think about that Unique Value Proposition that makes your target audience prefer you over your competitors, the time to set goals, principles and values that motivates employees towards a common purpose and send a clear message to customers about what your brand represents.
2. Brand mood board
No, this is not just a buzz word, this is a creative moment, when you collect a series of images, writings and taglines that represent your brand and communicate your brand identity. A brand mood board helps you visualise the feelings, emotions and associations that you want your brand to inspire.
3. Definition of buyer personas
Critical of any branding strategy, the definition of your buyer personas, or put simply, your ideal clients, is often a faux amis. We instinctively know what our ideal client looks like, and yet only by investigating their characteristics, their motivations and their doubts can we truly answer their needs and communicate effectively, timely, and in a relevant matter with them. In the process of logo design, understanding your audience is critical to creating a logo that correctly resonates with them and that inspires the correct associations.
4. Brand visual identity
Following on from the first 3 steps, the brand visual identity defines things like how you visualise your brand personality, the type of colours that would represent your brand and the type of images that would represent your brand.
5. Logo design
Finally, you are ready! Now that all the ground (critical) work has been done, it’s time for the creative process to start!
Naturally, this is a very comprehensive approach, that comes from over 5 years of experience working with clients from the most disparate type of industries and stages of development.
If you are just starting to think about designing or re-designing your logo, check out this piece by Sterling Chijioke Obiaraeri. As a student at Kingston University, he researched and compiled a few elements that every brand should keep in mind when tackling a new logo.
Once you are ready for your new logo, contact us and we will be delighted to help you, as we did for these clients.
As you are going through the process of logo design, make sure your final choice ticks these four boxes:
• Is it distinctive? (Does it stand out from your competitors?)
• Is it unique? (So many logos are ‘generic’ – you see the same or very similar elsewhere.)
• Is it recognisable? (It’s no good having a great logo if it’s not recognised as your own brand.)
• Is it memorable? (A good test is if you can recall the new logo idea the next morning, after its been first presented to you. If you can’t remember it – your audience won’t either.)
Very good points, thank you Nick!