Chapter 6: Communicating Brand Vision

A brand thrives with solid vision.

Without that vision, it’s tough to have a logo that will mean anything to customers. Since we developed a brand focus in Chapter 1, we will talk about why the brand’s main focus points need to be communicated from client to designer.

Why Talk About Your Brand’s Vision?

Even if both the logo designer and client know the brand’s vision, the client should provide great detail and insight into the way that the company works.

IE: Clients can talk to their designer about how certain products are developing and how they see the company develop and market these products down the road.

Vision looks to the future – not the present. It plans. It sets goals. It aspires.

If a client can clearly explain the vision to a designer, then messaging will be clear to that first-time visitor to the client’s website, agency or store. If people can’t understand what the brand is all about, how will the logo design be a successful representation of the brand?

The logo is like a puzzle piece for building a better business. Website, packaging, marketing materials, visual displays, employees and other puzzle pieces all come together to present the business.

The logo does the visual talking for the company – but it’s only as good as the brand’s vision.

Effective Client & Designer Communication

Both client and designer have a common goal: To lead into the logo design process seamlessly and to do it with effective communication.

Each party needs to be responsible about (truly) being on the same page before any design work takes place.

I began sending a logo/branding questionnaire before each project started and this step has been extremely helpful along the way.

This questionnaire was inspired by Jacob Cass, who I mentioned before. (It’s worth it to note that Jacob was the inspiration behind turning this guide into a book!)

Anyways, here are some common questions I will ask my clients before the project begins:

1. Who is your audience or target market?

2. How do people learn about your product or service?

3. Who are your competitors and how do they position themselves? What is your main differentiator from them? How do you market this differentiation as an advantage?

4. What was the idea behind the name you chose and where did it come from?

5. What is the overall message you wish to portray with your brand? What should people feel when they see or think of your brand? Please summarize your above answer into 5 descriptive keywords.

6. Where will your logo be used and seen?

7. What are your personal preferences?

8. Please list any logos you like, as well as outline any colors you would like to explore or avoid. If you have any specific icons / symbols / images that you would like to associate with your brand, please also list them here.

9. Not any additional details you believe are important to know here.

You’ll soon discover how efficient the logo process will go once these details are communicated. Seamless communication breeds high efficiency.

The Lingo Designers Use

Optimal client/designer communication means translating what each other is trying to say — even if they use the same language. Here are some of the most common words that designers use that the average business owner may not be as familiar with.

Opacity/Transparency: Effect where true color is reduced where background elements are able to be seen.

Bevel: Shading and highlights to add a 3-dimensional effect

Emboss: Opposite of bevel where shadows and highlights imply a pressed or indented effect.

Hue: The amount of black or white that is in a particular color

Saturation: How rich or colorful a color can be

Character: The individual letter of a typeface

Descender: The elements of a character that are below the main area IE: “y”, “q” “p”

Ascender: The elements of a character that are above the main area IE: “t”, “h” “f”

Kerning: The space between each individual character

Serif: The elements of a character…….. IE: Times New Roman, Georgia, Trajan Pro

Sans-Serif: The elements of a character…….. IE: Arial, Tahoma, Myriad

The Lingo Consumers/Clients Use

The following are the most common descriptors I hear my clients use regularly. These words can be highly-subjective and therefore need more clarification so all parties are on the same page.

Modern

Classy

Cool

Pops

Fun

Professional

Clean

Busy

Sleek

More Specifically Putting a Definition to the Brand

There’s a reason why the first step in any marketing strategy is defining the brand. If you want to develop a marketing plan, you’ll need a good definition of your brand to get the ball rolling.

Here is a prime example of what it looks like to clearly and specifically define a brand:

Beth is a massage therapist.

She’s has a compassionate, glass-half-full disposition and loves her job.

Beth wouldn’t just say that she, “practices massage.” She must be more definitive and specific with a focus on the customer so brand is understood more easily.

Instead of saying, she “practices massage,” she may say that she is a, “compassionate masseuse specializing in deep tissue massage in Orlando, Florida—servicing athletes who have suffered tough injuries.” This gives a lot of good information, lets you know the location, and shows the expectation of potential customers.

However, you don’t want to box in your audience. If Beth eventually wanted to work with other customers besides athletes, then the logo shouldn’t have any kind of athletic connotation. The logo changes to an applicable  men, women, couples and anyone who needs to relieve tension in tight muscles.

In some cases, it’s actually better to be specific. Certain niches need to embrace the fact that they are more of a specialty service or product. The logo should represent the niche in all its glory.

So craft that defining of the brand. Tweak it. Hone it. Tweak it some more. Your logo will thank you in the end.