Design Book Giveaway: Comment for a chance to Win!
Contest Rules: It’s simple- All you have to do is go to the Creative Beacon website and post a comment at the bottom of the giveaway announcement page to win. Post a comment about what you think is the most important aspect of branding or identity. Post your comments by Friday, September 24, 2010, and the winner will be chosen at random. The winner will be announced the following Monday and will be notified by email.
Aline Wheeler’s book is a great guide full of information and studies of branding and identity concepts. It covers the process of creating a logo and identity system, and really goes in depth with examples and case studies. If you don’t have this book, or you want to know more about branding, then you will definitely benefit from this book. Also, this book is full of inspiration, as well as advice from seasoned veterans. This is truly a must have resource!
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41 Responses to “Design Book Giveaway: Comment for a chance to Win!”
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The most important aspect of branding and identity is to ensure that all internal stakeholders live the brand. No matter how great the graphics and ‘controlled’ messaging are; if the owner(s), sales team, marketing and other employees don’t own it and speak it effectively, the brand will fall apart, even if the company doesn’t.
Judy G says: It’s kind of like the 3 C’s of a diamond: consistency, clarity and color are most important.
John S. says: A company logo may be considered to be the most substantial aspect of a brand. It acts as a visual representation of what a business stands for whether it is a large sign on the top of a building or a small emblem on the business stationary.
Michelle G says: Branding is very important, as is a recognizable logo to be associated with the service or product, but I think it important to keep it fresh. A company I used to work for did a variety of logos for specific events integrating the brand logo, and I thought it worked out well. They changed that and now everything looks the same.
Mark McDowell says: Before you start designing and color matching and researching symbols and hiring a police force the first and most important thing to do is outline what your “branding ” is supposed to accomplish . What message will the work send and what your clients expectations of the branding will be. After these things are established and there is agreement then creative can proceed.
bsklar says: The most important aspect of branding is the user experience. All you have to do is look at Apple. Buyers of their products expect a great user experience because that is synonymous with the brand of Apple.
The most important aspect of brand identity is truly showing the meaning or feeling of the brand, then keeping it consistent throughout all identity uses.
Siarhei says: As for me the best thing is to find a person (or some of them) who depends on the situation with branding, and the beginning of branding is digging into his/her mind, putting her/his shoes on, start using his/her terms and settle a second person in your own mind. There should be a drama that you experience as your own.
Branding needs to catch and touch the people’s heart, as well as need to be kind to nature living. It’s not matter of money but more of passion and warmth. It’s like Sun and Wind story…sun and wind want one guy to take off the coat, then wind try to blow his coat away, but he feels so cold so he won’t take off his coat. Sun gives him the warmth of sunlight and man takes off his coat because he feels warm…
sharissadove says: The most important aspect of branding is consistency. You cannot, without consistancy, ever hope to achieve brand recognition or appeal to an audience on a wide scale.
On another note I used this book as a text book for a Brand Strategy class in my undergrad and I abosolutely loved it, I would love to have a copy of my own on my book shelf – it was FULL of amazing insight and inspiration!
The most important aspect of branding in my opinion is the research done in order to develope the brand. Without a clear direction on the brand’s goals, audience, industry, etc, success of it will be limited. Consistence of use and clarity are important aspects, but not if the brand does not speak with the right audience to begin with.
KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid), an acronym I’m starting to understand more and more. I use to think that my logo had to have the name of my business incorporated into it. Now I know that it’s the DESIGN of the logo that is important, that it be eye-catching, and yet simple. And yet still capture the identity of the business or product.
slain says: I believe a logo and brand identity should be a simple “thumbprint.” As stated, it should be simple, memorable, should look great in black and white, and it should be able to be rendered on almost all media (b.cards, t-shirts, keychains, etc.)
Goes back to the P’s of marketing.
Product: Quality Designs
Price: Comparable Pricing to similar product/services offered by competitors
Place: Target market
Promotion: Marketing
With branding its all about consistency in all aspects of the business, staying focused on the message.
sugandhi says: The most important aspect of branding or identity is that the design speaks for itself, it must convey the message and must b clear, compact and easy to understand. Branding is a simple exercise which carries the important message about the brand, hence it must be innovative and relevant to the time and the target audience.
The most important aspect of branding or identity is the communication of a simple, easily understood concept through graphic or other means.
Logos come and go, or adapt over time, sometimes poorly (when it’s a knee-jerk response to trends) sometimes well (when something represented by a symbol or icon within the logo has become archaic or fallen out of use). But a brand is more about the ethos or identifying characteristic(s) of the entity, not just the brand’s trademark, symbol or logo. Martha Stewart as a brand has recognizable characteristics that can be laid over products and services, as does Apple, Band-Aids and Kelloggs.
Rama Kumar says: Branding is about who you are and what you stand for – your customers, employees, business associates and others. It is a direct reflection of the core, inspite of what is going on at the moment(good, bad or something unpleasant), its ability to stay connected with its original purpose of existence – to create value for itself & the stakeholders.
suanmc says: I’m new to the creative process but what I feel always looks right can always use another eye for a variation on what my eye is telling me. Love the creative process and would love to learn more and more and more. It never ends!!
Sue says: The simpler the better and if you can hold this true to the clients logo / brand identity you’ve done your job well. When you’re in the creative process, it’s a great idea to write lists to get to the visual you are creating. Again, if you can create a logo where it translates to the viewer/buyer without question in a simple bare bones kind of way, you are a creative genius.
Karah says: Simplicity and quick readability/communication are the key elements.
Maria says: The most important thing of branding is the ‘personal relationship’ that is created by a user-centered experience, between the brand and the customer! The question is how can you create a personal experience with hundreds and thousands customers?
most important aspect of branding or identity is about everything, the user experience, the given image, and etc. However, a real brand is about the people, not just the graphics.
Chris Haughey says: The brand is who you are in the minds of the public. Either you create it through what/how you conduct your business or it will be created for you. Marketing and Customer Service are two keys to developing a brand or a persona in the market. Marketing efforts of all kinds tell the prospective customer who you are, what you are like, how you and your products are positioned, what they should hope to expect through a purchase, how they will be taken care of if there are any issues when purchased. A company’s actions as a corporation can either support or contradict the branding of their products. For example, The Home Depot has long been a corporation focused on the family and support of its country (I was a GM there and know.). Their actions recently have called for a boycott of their products by groups that are focused on family and military values. What they say and how they act are inconsistent.
The brand is who you are in the market–good or bad. People buy from “people.”
I would add that like people, branding and identity need to have a distinct personality to shine and make the product stand out.
Anne Bevan says: Make an impression,
Inspire desire.
Be memorable.
Repeat
Repeat
Repeat….
Lynn says: The most important aspect of branding or identity is brainstorming concepts and simplicity.
Nuno Jacinto says: The single most important thing is Emotion.
If you can provoke an emotional attachment to a Brand, you will eventually get a Corporate Identity, and then you might get what Seth Godin called A Tribe
Britt says: Research is certainly the key to branding, as it is the path to discovering full the identity you seek to define.
adrianohamaguchi says: The identity must be an invitation to the target. The brand must say something about it: hey you, yeah its you, come in!
I think the most important aspects of branding and identity are consistency and resilience. You want what represents you visually to stand out and be recognizable.
Karl Owens says: What’s important? Know your audience.
Of course, I’m clueless about this topic, so I’m looking forward to reading the book!
Branding does Identify the product by customer experience and brand image. So brand is most valuable element of advertising and marketing in brand recognition. It is not added value, it is “The Value” of a product.
Sue says: I am trying to come up with logos or banners that say “this is who we are” and “this is what we do” which are formal yet welcoming in an educational setting. So I am also looking forward to this book.
You have less than 20 seconds to make an impression. A solid (and attractive) brand ID sets you apart from your competition – especially when it is distinctively yours. Never settle for an identity that doesn’t represent you 100 percent.
Any tips or insights into any subject from a professional are always gratefully recieved: this sounds like a really helpful book.
Mike says: Aside from the book, I am quite inspired by all of the input from the Creatives that have already posted. Simply put, I feel, the branding should speak to you from the shelf and invite you to want to know more. One person had commented that he felt that the brand logo had to somehow include the brand name into the artwork. For me this was a break-through and now thinking back it limits and suffocates the creative process to do this. If this book is an reflection of the ideas set forth in these posts than this is certainly a must have for me.
Tia says: You’ve got to look good; on all accounts!
The most important aspect of branding and identity is to ensure that all internal stakeholders live the brand. No matter how great the graphics and ‘controlled’ messaging are; if the owner(s), sales team, marketing and other employees don’t own it and speak it effectively, the brand will fall apart, even if the company doesn’t.
It’s kind of like the 3 C’s of a diamond: consistency, clarity and color are most important.
A company logo may be considered to be the most substantial aspect of a brand. It acts as a visual representation of what a business stands for whether it is a large sign on the top of a building or a small emblem on the business stationary.
Branding is very important, as is a recognizable logo to be associated with the service or product, but I think it important to keep it fresh. A company I used to work for did a variety of logos for specific events integrating the brand logo, and I thought it worked out well. They changed that and now everything looks the same.
Before you start designing and color matching and researching symbols and hiring a police force the first and most important thing to do is outline what your “branding ” is supposed to accomplish . What message will the work send and what your clients expectations of the branding will be. After these things are established and there is agreement then creative can proceed.
The most important aspect of branding is the user experience. All you have to do is look at Apple. Buyers of their products expect a great user experience because that is synonymous with the brand of Apple.
The most important aspect of brand identity is truly showing the meaning or feeling of the brand, then keeping it consistent throughout all identity uses.
As for me the best thing is to find a person (or some of them) who depends on the situation with branding, and the beginning of branding is digging into his/her mind, putting her/his shoes on, start using his/her terms and settle a second person in your own mind. There should be a drama that you experience as your own.
You will pay extra for excess baggage. The best brands are simple, true and honest.
Branding needs to catch and touch the people’s heart, as well as need to be kind to nature living. It’s not matter of money but more of passion and warmth. It’s like Sun and Wind story…sun and wind want one guy to take off the coat, then wind try to blow his coat away, but he feels so cold so he won’t take off his coat. Sun gives him the warmth of sunlight and man takes off his coat because he feels warm…
The most important aspect of branding is consistency. You cannot, without consistancy, ever hope to achieve brand recognition or appeal to an audience on a wide scale.
On another note I used this book as a text book for a Brand Strategy class in my undergrad and I abosolutely loved it, I would love to have a copy of my own on my book shelf – it was FULL of amazing insight and inspiration!
The most important aspect of branding in my opinion is the research done in order to develope the brand. Without a clear direction on the brand’s goals, audience, industry, etc, success of it will be limited. Consistence of use and clarity are important aspects, but not if the brand does not speak with the right audience to begin with.
KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid), an acronym I’m starting to understand more and more. I use to think that my logo had to have the name of my business incorporated into it. Now I know that it’s the DESIGN of the logo that is important, that it be eye-catching, and yet simple. And yet still capture the identity of the business or product.
I believe a logo and brand identity should be a simple “thumbprint.” As stated, it should be simple, memorable, should look great in black and white, and it should be able to be rendered on almost all media (b.cards, t-shirts, keychains, etc.)
Goes back to the P’s of marketing.
Product: Quality Designs
Price: Comparable Pricing to similar product/services offered by competitors
Place: Target market
Promotion: Marketing
With branding its all about consistency in all aspects of the business, staying focused on the message.
The most important aspect of branding or identity is that the design speaks for itself, it must convey the message and must b clear, compact and easy to understand. Branding is a simple exercise which carries the important message about the brand, hence it must be innovative and relevant to the time and the target audience.
The most important aspect of branding or identity is the communication of a simple, easily understood concept through graphic or other means.
Logos come and go, or adapt over time, sometimes poorly (when it’s a knee-jerk response to trends) sometimes well (when something represented by a symbol or icon within the logo has become archaic or fallen out of use). But a brand is more about the ethos or identifying characteristic(s) of the entity, not just the brand’s trademark, symbol or logo. Martha Stewart as a brand has recognizable characteristics that can be laid over products and services, as does Apple, Band-Aids and Kelloggs.
Branding is about who you are and what you stand for – your customers, employees, business associates and others. It is a direct reflection of the core, inspite of what is going on at the moment(good, bad or something unpleasant), its ability to stay connected with its original purpose of existence – to create value for itself & the stakeholders.
I’m new to the creative process but what I feel always looks right can always use another eye for a variation on what my eye is telling me. Love the creative process and would love to learn more and more and more. It never ends!!
The simpler the better and if you can hold this true to the clients logo / brand identity you’ve done your job well. When you’re in the creative process, it’s a great idea to write lists to get to the visual you are creating. Again, if you can create a logo where it translates to the viewer/buyer without question in a simple bare bones kind of way, you are a creative genius.
Simplicity and quick readability/communication are the key elements.
The most important thing of branding is the ‘personal relationship’ that is created by a user-centered experience, between the brand and the customer! The question is how can you create a personal experience with hundreds and thousands customers?
most important aspect of branding or identity is about everything, the user experience, the given image, and etc. However, a real brand is about the people, not just the graphics.
The brand is who you are in the minds of the public. Either you create it through what/how you conduct your business or it will be created for you. Marketing and Customer Service are two keys to developing a brand or a persona in the market. Marketing efforts of all kinds tell the prospective customer who you are, what you are like, how you and your products are positioned, what they should hope to expect through a purchase, how they will be taken care of if there are any issues when purchased. A company’s actions as a corporation can either support or contradict the branding of their products. For example, The Home Depot has long been a corporation focused on the family and support of its country (I was a GM there and know.). Their actions recently have called for a boycott of their products by groups that are focused on family and military values. What they say and how they act are inconsistent.
The brand is who you are in the market–good or bad. People buy from “people.”
I would add that like people, branding and identity need to have a distinct personality to shine and make the product stand out.
Make an impression,
Inspire desire.
Be memorable.
Repeat
Repeat
Repeat….
The most important aspect of branding or identity is brainstorming concepts and simplicity.
The single most important thing is Emotion.
If you can provoke an emotional attachment to a Brand, you will eventually get a Corporate Identity, and then you might get what Seth Godin called A Tribe
Research is certainly the key to branding, as it is the path to discovering full the identity you seek to define.
The identity must be an invitation to the target. The brand must say something about it: hey you, yeah its you, come in!
I think the most important aspects of branding and identity are consistency and resilience. You want what represents you visually to stand out and be recognizable.
link between information and communication related to the product are brand
What’s important? Know your audience.
Of course, I’m clueless about this topic, so I’m looking forward to reading the book!
Branding does Identify the product by customer experience and brand image. So brand is most valuable element of advertising and marketing in brand recognition. It is not added value, it is “The Value” of a product.
I am trying to come up with logos or banners that say “this is who we are” and “this is what we do” which are formal yet welcoming in an educational setting. So I am also looking forward to this book.
You have less than 20 seconds to make an impression. A solid (and attractive) brand ID sets you apart from your competition – especially when it is distinctively yours. Never settle for an identity that doesn’t represent you 100 percent.
Any tips or insights into any subject from a professional are always gratefully recieved: this sounds like a really helpful book.
Aside from the book, I am quite inspired by all of the input from the Creatives that have already posted. Simply put, I feel, the branding should speak to you from the shelf and invite you to want to know more. One person had commented that he felt that the brand logo had to somehow include the brand name into the artwork. For me this was a break-through and now thinking back it limits and suffocates the creative process to do this. If this book is an reflection of the ideas set forth in these posts than this is certainly a must have for me.
You’ve got to look good; on all accounts!