Introduction
Hey friends! Today, Ladybug studio want to give you an inside look at how we create powerful brand identities that tell compelling stories and connect with customers.
Branding is like magic - when it's done right, it looks effortless. But a ton of thought and work goes on behind the scenes to craft brands that truly resonate.
Here are 10 fascinating things about our brand identity design process that you probably never knew.
We start with LOTS of research
The first step in any branding project? Research, research, and more research!
We dig deep to understand everything about your company - its origins, mission, values, culture, competitors, audience, industry trends - you name it. The more we know, the better we can capture your brand's heart and soul.
It's like if you wanted to make a new friend - you'd want to learn all about them first, right? Same idea here. The research phase is crucial.
Strategy comes before creativity
After thoroughly researching the brand, we develop a rock-solid strategy to inform the creative direction.
What makes your company tick? What's your "secret sauce"? How do you stand out? What feeling do you want to evoke? Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
We answer key strategic questions first, so the designs we eventually create have a strong underlying logic and purpose. With a smart strategy, the branding hits the bullseye.
We brainstorm...A LOT
Now comes the really fun part - brainstorming!
Our designers gather together and let those creative juices flow, coming up with all kinds of cool branding concepts inspired by the research and strategy.
We'll sketch crazy logo ideas, think of witty taglines, play with different color palettes, experiment with fonts and graphic styles. It's a lively free-for-all session with tons of possibilities.
Brainstorming gives us great raw material to work with. Then we refine and polish the strongest ideas into something awesome. Voilà!
Custom illustration and typography take it to the next level
At Ladybug, we often customize hand-drawn illustrations and original typography to give brands extra visual impact.
Illustration brings a human touch and infuses personality. And custom letterforms in the logo or wordmark make the branding distinctly yours.
These special elements make a brand feel like a real standout, reflecting the company's originality and flair. Let's get creative and make something one-of-a-kind!
Color psychology factors in
The colors we choose for brand identities are never arbitrary. We dive deep into color psychology to select the perfect palette.
Colors evoke emotions and associations that shape how people perceive a brand. Red means passion or intensity. Blue means trust and security. Green signals natural or eco-friendly.
We meticulously test colors against the brand strategy to create the right look and feel. The color palette tells a story and makes an impression. We use this powerful tool thoughtfully.
The name game is tricky
Naming is such a huge part of branding. We could write an entire blog just on crafting the perfect name!
It takes creativity and strategy to come up with a name that captures the essence of the brand, resonates with its audience, stands out in the marketplace, and ticks all the legal boxes.
Often, we test multiple naming options with target demographics to help brands select a winner. Other times, we develop custom lettermarks or wordmarks to bring a name to life.
There's so much nuance that goes into getting a name right. But when we do, it becomes an invaluable brand asset.
Logos are just the tip of the iceberg
Logos steal the spotlight, but they represent a tiny fraction of our branding process.
The logo serves as the face of the brand visually. But behind it lies a huge body of work we do to develop the brand identity:
- Brand story
- Personality attributes
- Mission and values
- Visual identity system
- Guidelines for use
- Tone of voice
- Taglines and messaging framework
- And more!
The logo is like the mascot leading the brand onto the field. But all the strategy and substance comes first to give the logo meaning and purpose.
Guidelines bring order to the kingdom
Once we develop the visual identity system, we create guidelines to govern how the branding is applied across different media.
The guidelines put some order to the fun creative madness! They specify:
- Exact color codes
- Font styles and usage
- Logo size and space requirements
- Avatar rules
- Graphic elements and patterns
- Examples of what to do and what NOT to do
Guidelines ensure the branding looks cohesive, consistent and professional wherever it appears. They help safeguard the integrity of the brand identity.
Brand voice humanizes the brand
A key part of branding is defining the brand voice - how the brand communicates verbally with its audience.
We help craft tone of voice guidelines covering:
- The personality attributes that inform the writing style - Casual? Buttoned-up? Witty? Academic?
- Word choice - Use of industry jargon? Contractions?
- Point of view - First person? Conversational? Authoritative?
- Examples of on-brand messaging
Getting the voice right makes copy and content ring true to audiences. The brand voice brings everything to life.
We geek out over brand anatomy
Hopefully this gives you some idea of how much thought goes into strategically sound, creatively vibrant brand identity design.
At Ladybug, we geek out over the details and the psychology behind it all. We craft brands with purpose and personality.
Our passion is distilling what makes each brand special into a compelling identity and narrative that builds powerful connections.
So tell us your brand story. Let's creators something amazing together!
Ready to show the world an amazing new you?
Building or revamping your brand identity takes thought, skill and great creative. But the rewards can be tremendous.
At Ladybug Studio, we live for this stuff. If you're seeking to give your brand a bold new look that transforms how you connect with customers, contact us for assistance.