Ch5 - Complete Graphic Designer

In chapter 5 of The Complete Graphic Designer, the author discusses how to successfully create an identity for yourself or a company. In the first section of this chapter it is made clear that an identity is not a brand, but instead it is a visual system that helps to identify goals, values and the personality of the company or individual. It is important not to confuse the identity with that of the brand which is all in the mind of the consumer. It is the consumers perception of the company or individual that makes up a brand. Another important aspect to creating a successful identity is to maintain consistent throughout all of your branding materials. Consistency is imperative in order to establish the brand as a legitimate business or company. Another important aspect to consider while creating an identity is to design for longevity. This means that when creating a logo and deciding on colors, typefaces etc... that the designer should not focus on current design trends to use as a crutch, but rather look at building a strong identity that suits the brand itself. This brings us to the importance of the assets that build the identity such as the logo, color and typefaces. All of these elements that build an identity are important to establish the brand in the consumers mind and make them easily identifiable. Next, the chapter moves on to the paper systems that are established within the brand. This includes letterheads, business cards, and mailing envelopes. All of these materials are meant to be designed in a way that represents the established identity and informs the consumer of the origin of these materials. In order to maintain a consistent look throughout these materials it is important to build a brand usage document or style guide. having one of these will ensure that all of the colors, logos and typefaces are used properly throughout all materials within the company which will help to establish a stronger brand identity.