Design Process
Design Process
Turning sketches into brands
Turning sketches into brands
Crafting a Brand Identity
Crafting a Brand Identity
by
Casey Christian
6
min read
It all starts with a chat
All new branding projects start with a casual chat. It’s a chance to get to know each other, talk about your company dreams, and decide if this is a journey we want to start. If it’s a green light, we’ll work through a few biz docs, sign an agreement, and we’re off to the races.
Aligning on a strategic vision
Before we get to sketching, we need to align on a strategic direction so all future design exploration is working towards a single vision. You’ll fill out the Official Hodag Questionnaire™ and we might meet again to discuss any responses that need some extra clarification. Then all your thoughtful responses will get turned into a brand framework 1-pager, which will also serve as our brand brief.
The sketching process
In most projects, initial concepts are explored with good ol’ fashioned pencil and paper. The top ideas are sketched out a few more times and then brought into Adobe Illustrator for testing and futzing. Generally an identity will be built around a focus (usually a brandmark or wordmark) and everything else supports that focus.
Presentation 1
This is the big one. This is the first time we’ll meet to review the creative exploration. You’ll get your first look at design concepts - a rough version of the logo suite, color palette, and a few mockups showing the branding IRL. Generally this is far enough along to choose a direction and get into the finessing.
Presentation 2
We’ll meet again, reviewing refinement from Presentation 1 (usually about a week after Presentation 1). The goal here is a soft approval to lock in our design direction and logo suite.
Pixel pushing
This is when the project gets designery. Most of this work you won’t ever see, but this is where the final logo suite is really crafted. Anchor points are endlessly adjusted, tweaked versions fill the office walls, and the printer goes into overtime. When everything is feeling up to standards, a final logo suite is versioned out (vector, jpeg and png) in all versions and colorways. I put a ton of sweat into this stage because I truly care about delivering the best work possible.
Brand guidelines
This is where everything comes together into one pdf - logo suite, usage, color palette, typography, mockups, and anything else we agree on in our initial scope (things like patterns, icons, extra graphics, backgrounds, etc). The purpose of this document is to ensure consistency and set your brand up for success. High-fives all around!
Are we done?
Well it depends. Often, after we wrap the guidelines, we’ll continue the momentum and jump into another project. This might be a website, photo/video shoot, apparel design, or advertising. Through a 15-year career in advertising and design, I’ve had just about every project imaginable thrown at me, so think of me as a creative swiss army knife for your brand problems.
This sure seems like a lot of work
Can't you just make a logo in an afternoon without all this is chatting, meeting, and reviewing? Short answer is no. This collaboration is going to take some work on your end. But I promise it's a fun process and you'll be much happier in the long run to invest in your brand in the fuzzy stages so you walk away with something you're proud of. Build it right, build it once.
It all starts with a chat
All new branding projects start with a casual chat. It’s a chance to get to know each other, talk about your company dreams, and decide if this is a journey we want to start. If it’s a green light, we’ll work through a few biz docs, sign an agreement, and we’re off to the races.
Aligning on a strategic vision
Before we get to sketching, we need to align on a strategic direction so all future design exploration is working towards a single vision. You’ll fill out the Official Hodag Questionnaire™ and we might meet again to discuss any responses that need some extra clarification. Then all your thoughtful responses will get turned into a brand framework 1-pager, which will also serve as our brand brief.
The sketching process
In most projects, initial concepts are explored with good ol’ fashioned pencil and paper. The top ideas are sketched out a few more times and then brought into Adobe Illustrator for testing and futzing. Generally an identity will be built around a focus (usually a brandmark or wordmark) and everything else supports that focus.
Presentation 1
This is the big one. This is the first time we’ll meet to review the creative exploration. You’ll get your first look at design concepts - a rough version of the logo suite, color palette, and a few mockups showing the branding IRL. Generally this is far enough along to choose a direction and get into the finessing.
Presentation 2
We’ll meet again, reviewing refinement from Presentation 1 (usually about a week after Presentation 1). The goal here is a soft approval to lock in our design direction and logo suite.
Pixel pushing
This is when the project gets designery. Most of this work you won’t ever see, but this is where the final logo suite is really crafted. Anchor points are endlessly adjusted, tweaked versions fill the office walls, and the printer goes into overtime. When everything is feeling up to standards, a final logo suite is versioned out (vector, jpeg and png) in all versions and colorways. I put a ton of sweat into this stage because I truly care about delivering the best work possible.
Brand guidelines
This is where everything comes together into one pdf - logo suite, usage, color palette, typography, mockups, and anything else we agree on in our initial scope (things like patterns, icons, extra graphics, backgrounds, etc). The purpose of this document is to ensure consistency and set your brand up for success. High-fives all around!
Are we done?
Well it depends. Often, after we wrap the guidelines, we’ll continue the momentum and jump into another project. This might be a website, photo/video shoot, apparel design, or advertising. Through a 15-year career in advertising and design, I’ve had just about every project imaginable thrown at me, so think of me as a creative swiss army knife for your brand problems.
This sure seems like a lot of work
Can't you just make a logo in an afternoon without all this is chatting, meeting, and reviewing? Short answer is no. This collaboration is going to take some work on your end. But I promise it's a fun process and you'll be much happier in the long run to invest in your brand in the fuzzy stages so you walk away with something you're proud of. Build it right, build it once.
