You’ve worked hard developing a platform and rationale for your institution’s voice. Now it’s time to develop a strategy, identity and guide for how it will be projected. This can mean something as simple as knowing how to use key messages to organize a publication thematically or as complex as managing identity, color palettes, fonts, messages, and more across an array of media types.

Bring it to Life
Develop actionable branding recommendations – ideas that, from their very inception, are intended for use in print, in video, online, and elsewhere. Without graphic interpretation, a brand is just words.

Develop an Identity
A logo is the distilled symbol of a brand. It is the core around which a visual identity is built. The color, typography, and overall tone of a graphic identity system take their cues from the logo. Once the logo is established, juxtapose it with contrasting or compatible design elements to grow the identity library.

Establish Guidelines
With a logo and supporting visual library established, maintain consistency by establishing guidelines. The guidelines should be clear and consistent. The goal is to communicate a single brand. When that can be done in surprising and intriguing ways, everyone wins.

Maintain Integrity
Every font, every color, every word used in an organization’s marketing materials should reinforce its brand. Guidelines or rules provided by designers are meant to ensure uniformity and reflect an organization’s unique character. Guidelines are often overlooked or compromised over time, eroding the integrity and distinctive qualities of the brand. Good design and good designers are an integral part of maintaining and carrying forward a strong visual identity.

Read additional posts from our Perspectives on Branding series:
• A Distinguishing Factor
• Implementation

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