The Importance of Branding and Logos and the Illusion of “Easy” Design

Many of those interested consider that branding their company or project is just a picture that will take a few hours to be designed.

Yes, that could happen, but this is not branding.

Branding is a procedure that gives substance to companies, products or services, by creating and shaping a trademark in consumers’ minds. On the one hand, branding is important because it is imprinted on them and on the other hand because it helps consumers know what to expect from a company.

Let’s say that your dream and vision is to create a product and you know exactly how you want it to be. You have invested countless hours of studying, you have invested money and you have exerted yourself in order to complete it.

Then the time comes communicate your work to people. How can you do that? One word, branding. You would address a designer to create it saying: “Please, I need something pretty that people like, that it sells, I want it by tomorrow and I have 100€”.

Sounds a bit odd, right? Why communicate so poorly something that took so much effort to create?

We wake up in the morning and think “Today I’ll wear something casual that doesn’t become me”. This might be the case if we don’t really care about the clothes we’re wearing, which is fine if this is how we express ourselves.

If this is not the case, however, we invest…

Communication, contact, understanding. These are the top three ingredients for a good start. The designer and the prospective client firs need to get acquainted, share their ideas, their vision, their ambitions and their concerns.

Clear values, perspective, business objective. We should start by asking a big WHY. Why am I doing what I’m doing, what am I trying to achieve and with who?

Aesthetics, imprint. The same things don’t appeal to all of us, this would never be possible. First, it should appeal to us aesthetically and by extension to our target audience.

Brainstorming of the creative team

Application. Branding has many applications and takes many forms, for example a sign, a packaging or a website. Even though these media vary, visual continuity and connection amongst them as far as branding is concerned is necessary.

Timeless value. Everything mentioned above constitutes the DNA of correct branding. Its true value shows from its durability, acceptance and consistency through time.

In what’s been written so far, there was no mention of the words “Photoshop, software, powerful computer, effect”.

This is because we’re referring to something that’s not just a shape, colors and letters, but a creative entity. For its realization it takes effort, time, knowledge, perception and lots of love.

At MDesigners we believe in open communication between prospective clients and designers, and we aim at creating visual identities, logos, experiences that will move and inspire their audience.