Brand Building Process Overview
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Brand Building Process Overview
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Following a critical and strategic approach to brand strategy transformed our client-facing design agency, BrandCraft. We believe our approach can help other branding agencies and design professionals level up their design business.
This post outlines the phased approach we work through with each of our client-facing brand identity projects, crafted and revised over ten years of helping businesses create new brands and rebranding existing organisations.
Phase 1. Discovery
Phase 2. Brand Strategy
Phase 3. Visual Identity
Phase 4. Project Delivery
In this first post, we take a birds-eye look at our brand building process.
Introduction
This first post in the series is a brief overview of the core phases of a branding or rebranding project.
This is our standard 4-core-phase approach to visual identity design. No matter the scope of the project, we rarely will only deliver a logo without the brand strategy.
Branding is a necessary part of setting up and positioning a business. Rebranding is an active action or reactive response to various situations a company may come across. The process of branding or rebranding is not forcing a client towards a particular solution.
Branding is a process of understanding and being sensitive to the clients brief and finding possible solutions. If rebranding, the clients brief might include problems that the current visual identity is creating. Perhaps the branding does not scale well, perhaps the colours or forms are not contrasting in digital applications, perhaps the logo is part of a trademark dispute, or the company has gone through a merger and name change. Whatever the reason for rebranding, the approach remains the same.
1. Discovery
The first phase is about getting to know our new client and their company.
During our discovery meetings, we interview key stakeholders, and often help our clients curate a small project team who will be responsible for decision making through the project.
We use our brand questionnaire (free tool available here) to help us ask the right questions, so we can be fully informed for the next phase, brand strategy.
2. Brand Strategy
We kick-off the brand strategy phase with a workshop, where we run through our brand strategy framework.
During the brand strategy workshop, we investigate up to eight key topics that formulate the brand strategy and design brief. We first audit the existing brand, then look at the Brand DNA, Positioning, Vision, Core Values, Brand Personality, Mission and finally create a brand identity design brief.
After the strategy workshop, we collect and digest our findings in the brand strategy document. This is then presented to the client during a strategy review workshop.
Further links —
Our Brand Strategy Framework Introduction →
How to run brand strategy workshops →
3. Visual Identity
Once the brand strategy phase is digested, we move to the creative part of the process. Putting pencil to paper and ideating.
During this phase we create the visual identity that will be a vessel to translate your company’s purpose and mission to the world. The brand identity will be formed from a visual language system of logomark, logotype, visual assets, illustrations, patterns, colour palettes and typography. During the design process, there will be a large focus on functionality to ensure the brand translates it’s purpose and personality consistently, across every physical and digital brand touchpoints.
We begin this phase by creating three distinct visual identity concepts. For each direction, we present contextual moodboards to introduce each concept, followed by three fully fleshed out brand identity concepts including logos; logotype wordmark; lockup options; brand assets; typography and colour palette. To visualise and illustrate functionality of each brand identity direction, we present mockups across appropriate deliverables such as stationery, signage, social media profiles etc
Three-four fully fleshed-out visual identity concepts are presented to the client. We dissect and discuss the concepts with the client. The visual identity concept is dissected and revised through three stages of revision.
Once a visual identity concept is chosen we usually work through three stages of critique and revision. The logo is finalised and signed off.
4. Project Delivery
During this phase we future-proof your visual identity with a comprehensive brand guideline.
After the final revision stage, we will handover all logo files, RGB for digital and social media, 4C and Pantone ready for print. We upload and host the files on your individual, client portal, where you can log-in and download the files anytime.
The brand guidelines is developed, including but not limited to:
Logo, logotype and full lockup construction, usage and misuse
Colour palettes, primary and secondary
Typography, primary and secondary English and Chinese
Identity elements, pattern assets, construction, usage and misuse
Identity Applications, stationery including, namecard, letterhead, envelope, eDM, e-Banners, email footers, advertisement layouts
Print and digital-ready artwork templates usually includes:
Digital templates, such as social media and presentation templates, logo animations
Print templates such as: corporate stationery, marketing materials, branded collaterals
About the author, Adam —
Adam is the founder of BrandCraft, a branding and design agency.
On top of our client-facing projects, our small team developed BrandWerks where we create brand strategy tools and templates to help you master brand strategy and the business of design.
Our actionable tools are fully editable and founded in a commercial approach that guides your clients through the brand strategy process.
Learn more —
BrandCraft ➝
Brand Strategy Tools & Templates ➝