What is Branding Design? The connection between brand building and design

What is branding design?

Our company has been getting off to a good start recently, but we are having trouble differentiating ourselves from our competitors… We want to add value that will distinguish us from our competitors, but how do we go about it?

One way to create such added value is through “branding design. If you can successfully incorporate “branding design,” you can create a visual brand image that differentiates you from your competitors.

Hmm…Branding design… We also pay attention to the design of our packages and services, but it’s not enough to differentiate us from others. Is “branding design” different from ordinary “design”?

What is branding design? After explaining how it differs from design, we will explain how to develop branding design.

“Brand” and “Design”

“Brand”

First of all, what is a “brand”? Does the term refer only to the brand name? But you can also recognize a company by its iconic logo, the color and shape of its products, and many other ways. Simply put, a brand represents the very image that a company or product has. For example, if you see a car with a luxury car emblem on the street, you can recognize it as a luxury car at a glance. This “image that springs to mind at a glance” is the “brand”. This image leads to the trust and promise of the customer that the car will be “just as they imagined”.

“Design”

On the other hand, what is “design”? When one hears the word “design,” the first thing that comes to mind is something visually appealing, such as advertising or graphic design. Other types of design are also used, such as web design, apps, and other UI-conscious design, as well as design related to management, marketing, and the system of service in a larger sense. All of these are done to “achieve the user’s objectives and solve problems,” and this design is called “design”.

Overview of Branding Design

So what is “branding design”? “Branding” is the process of creating an image for a product or service. “Branding” is to express an image of luxury, quality, or value with clear intent.
Please refer to the following page for more details.

Design actually plays a very large role in branding. It unifies the overall design in the branding aspect of a company based on the branding concept to create a unified image. Branding design is an important element in communicating a company’s conceptual image through sight, the most informative of the five human senses. In addition, a design unified with such a corporate image produces a distinction from competitors that can be recognized at a glance by consumers.
The key point here is that all designs should be consistent in the image they convey. If the corporate colors are different for each design, or if the concept is luxury but the corporate logo is pop, it will not contribute to branding. Therefore, the key to branding design is to unify the design in line with the concept.

Unified design based on the corporate concepts… Well, I’ve been thinking that the look and feel of our website doesn’t match the feel of our products. I want to unify the image, but how exactly do you go about branding design?

Branding Design Process

Clarification and verbalization of concept

The most important and first step in branding design is to clearly establish and verbalize the concept, vision, and message of the brand. Even if the president alone has in his or her mind the idea of “this is the kind of company we want to be” or “this is the kind of product or service we want to provide,” if this idea is not communicated to employees and designers, it will be very difficult to achieve a unified image in the design. For example, if the concept of the company’s brand is clearly articulated as “an organic and natural brand,” it will be easier to share and unify the visual image, such as “green and blue as the main colors,” “a design with the warmth of wood,” and “a warm font.

Request for Designer

Based on the clarified and verbalized brand concept, a branding design is commissioned to the designer. Since the brand concept must be clearly communicated to the designer in creating the design, the key concepts and images should be clearly defined. It is also a good idea to prepare and provide materials with a similar atmosphere as a sample image.

Share and disseminate within the company

For a successful branding design, it is also important to share and communicate the clarified and verbalized brand concept with employees. At this time, creating a style guide to base the concept and design on to ensure design consistency will make it easier for the branding design to permeate throughout the company.

I see! The reason the site and product images were so disparate was probably because we didn’t have a clear concept! Let’s start discussing the concept right away.

Trademark Registration to Protect Your Brand

Design is important in branding, and the corporate logo is a representative example of how to visually convey a company’s image. The corporate logo is protected semi-permanently by registering the trademark and renewing the trademark. This protection of rights allows the company to operate safely under the logo and to maintain the brand image by continuing to use the same logo.
On the other hand, without trademark protection, there is a risk that one day you may be forced to suddenly change your logo, or in some cases, you may have to revamp the branding design that you have built.
Once your logo design is complete, please consider and consult with us about obtaining trademark rights.