Where do you start with graphic design and corporate identity?

Implementing a newcorporate identity doesn't happen overnight. Depending on the size of your organisation and the extent of change required, it can be a long process when done properly, but taking the right graphic design steps in a controlled way, and in a logical order, can smooth the path to a successful launch. It has been done many times before and you have the advantage of being able to learn from other people's experiences.

Getting buy-in

After assessing the current situation and deciding to make the change, it is wise to get buy-in from as many people inside your organisation as possible. Certainly the board should be fully supportive. But what about the staff? They are the ones who are the public face of your company. Unless they understand the new identity and why it is being introduced, they can not be expected to ensure there is cohesion at every point of customer contact.

Planning the project

Tackling the exercise in a planned and controlled way means working within a tried and tested process. The Titman Firth process described within the 'how we work' page of the 'services' section of this website may be a useful starting point. Whatever process you use, make sure your selected design agency fully understands the reasons for the new identity and what you want it to achieve.

What should your budget allow for?

To ensure the best results from your design agency your budget should ideally allow for more than one creative concept. It will also need to be sufficient to fund the development of these through to print and delivery. If required, you should also allow for the cost of copywriting, photography and illustration.

For printed work, costs vary greatly depending on the size, paper stock and quantities of your material. Meanwhile, the budget available for websites will determine the scale and functionality of the site. For example, programming rates for advanced interactive features are higher than those for basic HTML page construction. For new sites, you will also need to allow for the costs of registering an internet domain name and hosting your site on a server, as well as the maintenance and development of the site once it goes live.

Choosing and protecting a name

If a change of company name is your choice, then it is important to check whether the proposed name is already in use. Check if it is available as a domain name for website and email use, and whether it is already used as a limited company name or registered as a trade mark. Your design agency should be able to do the relevant searches and assist in the name selection process.

The names of limited companies can only be registered once, so choose and register one to guarantee that it is yours forever. Trade marks are a badge of origin showing who makes a product. Words, logos, signs and shapes can be registered forever, with a fee paid every ten years for the official trade mark ® symbol. This stops other people from counterfeiting, ie pretending that their goods come from you. Alternatively, adding the symbol TM to a name signifies that it is special to the company. But this does not require registration and will not protect other people from using the name, although it can act as as a deterrent.

Copyright protects copy, images and music; in fact any artistic or aesthetic creation. It is free and automatic and starts straight away and gives the right to stop others copying original work such as logos and brochures etc. Simply ask your design agency to add the symbol © with your company name and the date next to the work you commission so everyone knows who to ask if they want to copy it.

Identity flexibility

The building blocks of your new visual identity will be the logo, colours, typefaces, photography, style of written language and layout of your written material. These style choices are then woven into your advertising, customer letters, packaging, signage, vehicle livery, architecture, employee communications, staff uniforms and everything else that the customers see. As we discuss in the case studies, an identity needs to be flexible enough to work not only as a logo on company stationery, but throughout company literature, both printed and on-line. In particular a logo must be capable of being reproduced clearly on a photocopier, facsimile, and often on vehicle livery, uniforms and promotional gifts.

Ensuring a comprehensive implementation

The identity can be implemented in one step or over a gradual period. The logistics and cost of the implementation are likely to be the deciding factors. Whatever the case, the planning process that developed the identity should be extended up to and beyond the launch itself. The key consideration is to make sure there is cohesion across the organisation. The identity has been developed to maintain a strong and recognised image, building your brand and increasing customer recognition. So why have a quality identity produced, only to see it used in ways that reduce its quality or show it in the wrong light?

A corporate identity manual will ensure that the new identity is used consistently by giving your staff guidance on key issues relating to the corporate style. These include how to use the new logo, colours, typefaces and correspondence templates, both in print and on-line. The manual can also cover such information as the nominated suppliers of repeat print orders, further helping to maintain consistency.

The implementation programme will need to be wide ranging, including some changes that might not be obvious. For example, a change of name will have to be reflected on franking machines, displayed insurance certificates, cheques and contracts, to name just a few.

Review and update

It is useful to agree when to hold a review of the identity implementation to highlight gaps that need to be filled. In the longer term, regular reviews can help prevent your new identity becoming old before its time. Gradual development is perhaps preferable to having to rebrand entirely before the next decade is out.

In summary

We have mentioned the importance of your target audience a lot when discussing creating a new identity. Perhaps the best way to decide whether you might need to rebrand is to put yourself in their shoes. They can only gain a perception of you from what they see. Is that perception what you want it to be?

© Titman Firth 2002