19th
Designing Brand Identity - Perception
Part one of the book, Designing Brand Identity by Alina Wheeler discusses the relationship between brand and brand identity. So far, I think this is a fantastic book. The information is interesting and easy to read, and the best part is all the pictures! I definitely see myself referring to this book in the near and distant future.
There were several things that I found interesting and important in part one of this book. On page nine, there is a diagram about the sequence of cognition. It describes, “The science of perception examines how individuals recognize and interpret sensory stimuli.” The brain first remembers shape, then color, then content. This is such a simple concept that struck me as obvious. So obvious, I’d never even thought about it before.
There are several “functional criteria” for a successful brand identity:
• bold, memorable, and appropriate
• immediately recognizable
• provides a clear and consistent image of the company
• communicated the company’s persona
• legally protectable
• has enduring value
• works well across media and scale
• works in both black and white and color
There are also several things that a brand identity should have and do:
1) Vision
2) Meaning
3) Authenticity
4) Differentiation
5) Sustainability
6) Coherence
7) Flexibility
8) Commitment
9) Value
Communication between the designers and the company is by far the most important aspect of designing a brand identity. Without open communication and a strong audience and message, it is more likely the brand will fail.
The section about naming and taglines was fun to read, and gave me a lot of insight.
The end of the section was all of the different types of marks. There are:
• wordmarks
• letterforms
• emblems
• pictorial marks
• abstract/symbolic marks
