Branding, identity & emblem design described

Brand Identity Logo Design Explained

A emblem isn’t your brand, neither is it your identity. Emblem design, identity design and branding have the ability to different roles, that together, form a perceived image for any business or product.

There’s been some recent discussion on the internet relating to this subject, regarding your emblem not your brand. Although this can be true, I haven’t seen any clarification from the variations between ‘brand’, ‘identity’ and ‘logo’. If only to rectify this.

What’s brand? – The perceived emotional corporate image in general.

What’s identity? – The visual aspects that form area of the overall brand.

Exactly what is a emblem? – A emblem identifies a company in the simplest form via using a mark or icon.

To describe this in greater detail, we begin at the very top – the company.

What’s branding?

Apple - Photo by ronaldo f cabuhat

Branding is not an easy subject – whole publications & countless books happen to be written around the subject, however to place it the bottom line is you can describe a ‘brand’ being an organisation, products or services having a ‘personality’ that’s formed through the perceptions from the audience. With that, it ought to be mentioned that the designer cannot “make” a brandname – just the audience can perform this. An artist forms the building blocks of the trademark.

Lots of people believe a brandname only includes a couple of elements – some colours, some fonts, a emblem, a slogan and maybe  a bit of music put in too. The truth is, it is a lot more complicated than that. In ways that the brand is really a ‘corporate image’.

The essential idea and core concept behind getting a ‘corporate image’ is the fact that everything a business does, everything it owns and everything it creates should reflect the and aims from the business in general.

It’s the consistency of the core idea that produces the organization, driving it, showing what it really means, what it really believes in and why they exist. It’s not purely some colours, some typefaces, a emblem along with a slogan.

For example, let’s consider the well-known IT company, Apple. Apple like a company, projects a humanistic corporate culture along with a strong corporate ethic, the one that is characterised by volunteerism, support of excellent causes & participation locally. These values from the business are apparent throughout everything they are doing, using their innovative products and advertising, to their customer support. Apple is definitely an emotionally humanist brand that actually connects with individuals – when individuals buy or use their services or products they think area of the brand, just like a tribe even. It is primarily the emotional connection that produces their brand – not purely their goods along with a bite sized emblem.

For any more thorough knowledge of branding, basically, I suggest Wally Olin’s: The Company Guide that we quote is “an essential, easy-reference help guide to brilliant branding”.

What’s identity design?

Coca Cola - Photo by taylorkoa22

One big part within the ‘brand’ or ‘corporate image’ of the clients are its identity.

Generally, identity design relies round the visual devices used inside a company, usually put together within some guidelines. The following tips that comprise a name usually administer the way the identity is used throughout a number of mediums, using approved colour palettes, fonts, layouts, measurements and so on. The following tips be sure that the identity of the organization is stored coherent, which, enables the company in general, to become recognisable.

The identity or ‘image’ of the company consists of many visual devices:

  • A Emblem (The indication of the whole identity & brand)
  • Stationery (Letterhead + card + envelopes, etc.)
  • Marketing Collateral (Flyers, brochures, books, websites, etc.)
  • Products & Packaging (Products offered and also the packaging that they are available in)
  • Apparel Design (Tangible clothing products which are worn by employees)
  • Signs (Interior & exterior design)
  • Messages & Actions (Messages communicated via indirect or direct modes of communication)
  • Other Communication (Audio, smell, touch, etc.)
  • Anything visual that is representative of the company.

Many of these things constitute a name and really should offer the brand in general. The emblem however, may be the corporate identity and brand all ended into one identifiable mark. This mark may be the avatar and indication of the company in general.

Exactly what is a emblem?

IBM - Photo by Boomberg News

To understand a emblem is, we have to first understand what it’s for.

A emblem is for… identification.

A emblem identifies a business or product via using a mark, flag, symbol or signature. A emblem is not purchased the organization directly nor rarely will it describe a company. Logo’s derive their meaning in the excellence of the factor it symbolises, not the other way round – logos exist to identity, to not explain. The bottom line is, exactly what a emblem means is much more important than it appears as though.

As one example of this idea, consider logos like people. We choose to be known as by our names – James, Dorothy, John – instead of the confusing and forgettable description of ourselves for example “the guy who always wears pink and it has blonde hair”. Within this same manner, a emblem shouldn’t literally describe exactly what the business does but instead, find out the business in a manner that is recognisable and memorable.

It’s also worth noting that just following a emblem becomes familiar, will it function the actual way it is supposed to do much alike the way we much must learn people’s names to recognize them.

The emblem identifies a company or product in the simplest form.

Summary:

Brand –The perceived emotional corporate image in general.

Identity The visual aspects that form area of the overall brand.

Emblem – Identifies a company in the simplest form via using a mark or icon.

How does one summarise brand, identity and emblem design? Comments and ideas are welcome, of course.

Emblem Design Sources:

  • Why is a good emblem?
  • How you can design a emblem – 5 vital tips
  • Ultimate listing of emblem design sources
  • How to find a emblem designer

Photos by Taylorkoa22, Ronaldo F Cabuhat, Bloomberg News

Resourse: http://justcreative.com/2010/04/06/branding-identity-emblem-design-described/

Illustrator Tutorials: Brand Identity Design