My Process, Strategy, and Story.
My two favorite words & one of the first principals I seek- Branding is about being different, but staying consistent.
They key to good branding is being different enough to stand out in your market, but consistent enough to also be memorable in it. A calculated risk, differentiation provides an opportunity where there is a lot more to gain than to lose. "I know I need to differentiate, but I don't want to alienate customers"- That's where consistency come's to play. Stand out, stay true, live long.
Behind every brand is a story worth telling. Through my process, we dive deep into identifying your story and integrating it to who you are. This process has been thoroughly refined to make it easy, accessible, and attainable long term. Here's how it works:
Identify trends, competitors, and current brand architecture. Clarify vision, goals, and values.
Develop brand positioning (niche), attributes, and key messages. Identify current and future platforms.
Present visual strategy, visualize a brand identity and architecture system. Finalize strategy.
Finalize visual identity, design integrated systems, apply brand architecture. *Integrate
Launch strategy and plan, develop standards and guidelines, nurture brand, build synergy.
Intent & Approach
A symbol or company name that is formatted in an identifiable art piece. The primary brand mark, a logo serves many versatile functions.
The fonts you use and how you use them. This includes rules for spacing and how fonts work together.
The palette that appears around your logo, website, packaging, and all identity mediums. This gives brands integrated synergy across all interactions.
Added elements that assist in telling your brand story and brand recognition. These add to full brand integration.
Branded language that personifies your brand into a real & personified framework.
The Art of Differentiation. What makes branding with Spencer James unique?
Finding the correct environment for the brand to live and thrive. Without an identity, the brand will struggle to see where it fits in it's environment. Development around the niche is key.
Establish and continue to pursue a brand which resonates with the correct audience. This also includes pushing consistent content through social channels and niche outlets.
Just showing a logo and some colors is not a branding. When personifying, making sure everything is congruent- colors, language, visuals- brings the brand to the next level.
Analyze and alter strategy to promote maximum growth. A good strategy is consistent, but changing with the audience- it's important to be proactive not reactive.
The meaning behind the design
With every color swatched and line drawn, designing a brand around these characteristics sets you and your team up for success.
Unique
Standing out from the crowd and being instantly recognizable is the goal. If any brand elements can be confused with another organization, you may be in trouble. Being unique helps people remember you.
Uniform
In tandem with a brand style guide, your brand should boast complementary colors, shapes, fonts, so that however you apply your brand visually, everything has a sense of cohesion and togetherness.
Appropriate
Strong brand's need to be appropriate for the industry they operate in. Identifying brand trends is a great element of uniqueness, but it must remain appropriate to the field for which you operate.
Adaptable
A good brand is an integrated brand. The different elements of your brand identity design need to be easy to apply in a variety of settings. A good brand allows for color flexibility, inversions, and use of various logo combinations.
Accessible
Creating a visually accessible brand is essential in creating a holistic brand approach. Designing with the colorblind, visually impaired, and dyslexic communities, are all important aspects of inclusive design.
Core Values Matter. Deeply rooting your brand ensures its sustainability.
Why we exist.
What we aim to achieve.
How we plant to achieve our vision.
What we stand for and how we behave.
How we differentiate ourselves from competition.
