Brand Design is far more than visual design. There are four critical components to effective brand design, development, and growth.
Philosophy
Your corporate philosophy – for example, how you view your role in the world, how you treat customers, and what you expect from yourself and your employees – forms your vision for what your company will be known for. And when people connect with your vision or philosophy, they immediately start assessing whether that vision is authentic. If it is, it becomes one of the most powerful connections. Philosophy is the driving force that shapes every brand decision about people, processes, and physical design.
People
People can be your customers; they can be your partners; and they can be your own employees. Not only does the philosophy shape the connection between your company and its customers; it also forms a framework for every effort, question, and decision your employees will make. It is a guiding principle your employees can turn to when they are making customer-facing decisions, and it is the story your employees and partners can tell consumers.
Processes
Once your philosophy is solidified and your people are selected, you need to ensure that your processes reflect the reputation your company desires. Processes represent the workflow and activities that cooperate to grow the brand. The process in your company can include everything from what moves someone from prospect to paying client, to what it takes to maintain and retain the client. Processes also include the activities and operations that help convert the people merely interacting with your firm into loyal brand ambassadors.
Some examples of process design include:
Physical
The physical aspect of your brand becomes the mental shortcut for everything else your brand means: its philosophy, the culture of the people who are related to the brand, and the processes that form the experiences people have with your brand. It ideally incorporates all of the five physical senses and can be a reflection of the brand and brand performance through those sensory experiences. And many people underestimate the value of tapping in to every one of our five senses.
Some examples of physical brand design include: