“Want to know a simple trick to improving your brand design? Make sure that you’ve got an actual designer involved early in the process, not as an afterthought in the wake of marketing and sales discussions or research campaigns. I know you’re thinking, “Of course you’d say that—you own a design firm!” But stick with me here.
Let me give you an example. I recently had a conversation with a potential client who wants to revamp their brand design, including their logo and a new website. When I asked about the criteria for the selection, my contact mentioned they were focused on “looking for someone who understood their industry.”
My experience is, however, that there’s a false sense of security when working with a vendor who professes to be an industry guru, or even relying too much on internal design talent. More often than not, you’re going to be imitating the same things you always see in your own realm: taking what your competitors are doing, and putting your own spin on it, rather than something designed from the ground up.
A well-rounded designer brings experience in a lot of different fields that can help you incorporate successful ideas cultivated elsewhere. Not only that, they can help you escape the tunnel vision or historical precedents that can sometimes hamper you within your own organization and its brand design approach. (Thomson Dawson does a fantastic job of outlining some of the key points in his Branding Strategy Insider blog post, “Why Designers Make The Best Brand Strategists.”)
In fact, most designers and communication professionals (when they are good at what they do!) are a quick study when it comes to learning about a company and its industry. A fresh set of eyes can bring a unique perspective on communicating the message through brand design—understanding your company’s services and products in a way that is more similar to your customers’ point of view than your own. It’s a simple trick…but an important one!”
From the Burick Communication Blog. Click here to see the original post.
