All You Need to Know When Designing Brand Identity & Tips on Portfolio Building

Brand identity is the combination of elements that a company creates to display the correct image to consumers, but it is different from brand image or branding. Brand identity becomes associated with the product or service and establishes a connection with consumers for improved customer loyalty and perception. Developing a brand identity should evolve the brand’s core values, determine the value proposition, and establish an ideal target audience.

Developing a brand identity is essentially knowing who you are – what makes up your brand and why. While establishing a brand identity, remember your mission, values, personality, uniqueness compared to others, and overall brand voice. Before deciding on a visual identity, the brand’s foundation must be clear and well-thought. Once the basic elements are laid out, it’ll make it easier to move on to the visual aspects of your brand.

1. Brand Voice

Before designing a brand identity, the foundation of what the brand is has to be established. The visual identity has to support the actual identity of the brand to reinforce the overall voice of the brand. There are things to keep in mind when setting up a brand identity to highlight the voice, such as what the brand promises to provide for customers and what makes it unique or stand out from the competition. Plus, focusing on the keywords or the characteristics of the brand also helps in choosing visual concepts.

2. Typography

Depending on the typeface, the brand will transmit a distinct impact that should match the aesthetic of the brand. Some fonts may be more youthful, while others may give off a more serious vibe. Although there are typefaces that tend to be neutral, the issue is making those stand out from the other neutral font brands.

3. Color

Dictates the emotional impression of the brand. Different colors have different meanings, so it’s vital to familiarize yourself with the background of each color to accurately reflect the aesthetic of the brand. The chosen colors can also affect consumers’ purchasing behavior. The colors of the brand should also coordinate with the voice and keywords of the brand itself.

4. Logo

The shape of a design also indicates the brand’s expression. Sharper edges will provide a more serious and stable feeling, while rounded edges express a warmer or more feminine tone. While a brand logo is important along with a corresponding shape, a brand should also have various versions of the logo for different uses, such as a wordmark.

5. Consistency

Once the brand identity is created, it’s important to maintain the brand over time. Having brand materials guidelines helps coordinate how and when to use them. Another key aspect is the idea of brand reinforcement. This doesn’t mean including the brand logo on absolutely everything but rather enforcing content where and when needed to support the brand values. Reinforcement and consistency can be involved in the form of the logo or by utilizing the brand style or color palette as long as the visuals are recognizable as the brand.

Istituto Marangoni Miami has the resources for you to develop your own brand and brand identity. Through clothing design courses in our associate, bachelor, or master’s programs, students are able to advance their skills in fashion design or other fields to use in their future endeavors within the industry. For those who wish to take their skills to the next level without having to dedicate their time to a full degree, The Miami School of Fashion & Design also offers short courses on fashion design and for fashion business, styling, and interior design. The short courses are intensive, one-year programs that will guide you through the basics of the chosen area of study with a final individual project to encourage using all previously learned skills and techniques in the program. The classroom teachings from local and international instructors with extensive industry experience ensure that you become a well-rounded professional prepared to succeed in fashion and luxury.