10 Truths About Brand Identity Design that Might Surprise You

Having honest conversations about brand identity design is tough. There are thousands of designers out there, many of whom mix up terms — how do you find clarity for yourself?

You need to look at the facts, industry realities, and common misunderstandings. When done right, it can help you focus on what really matters and, with that, even improve your services.

It’s simpler than you might expect. You only need to understand a few things:

• Logo design isn’t always as valuable as people think
• Many designers say they do branding when they’re just making logos
• Some companies do great by sticking to identity design alone

How does this all fit together? This blog post will show you through 10 eye-opening truths about brand identity design and industry practices. You can use these to rethink your approach or to explain your work more clearly to clients.

Before we start, keep in mind: You can’t create meaningful brand identities if you don’t know what branding really involves, so make sure you’re clear on the differences first!

Your clients come to you for design work because they want to enhance their brand.

Introduce your approach by showing them that you understand their goal and can offer a meaningful solution. The best way to do this is by explaining how brand identity and product experience are interconnected, then validating the client’s concerns with some practical examples.

By creating this connection early on, you’ll make it easier for the client to understand the importance of staying on the same page throughout the project.

You can make your points compelling in a few simple ways:

1. Add a well-known example (“Apple’s minimalist design reflects its intuitive products”)
2. Research a marketing-based fact (“Brands with consistent identities are 3.5 times more likely to have excellent visibility”)
3. Find a statistic that shows how many customers value this alignment (“71% of consumers say it’s important for brands to provide a consistent experience”)
4. Use two ideas to illustrate the concept (“A luxury car brand uses premium materials in ads, while a budget brand highlights affordability”)

Here’s an example conversation with a client and a breakdown of the designer’s approach. It uses a well-known example, empathizes with the client, and shows the importance of connecting brand identity with product experience.

Client: “We need a cooler logo to attract more customers.”

Designer: “Before we jump into logo design, let’s talk about your products and customer experience.”

Client: “Well, we make simple, easy-to-use software. But our current branding looks outdated.”

Designer: “I see. Did you know Apple’s success isn’t just about their logo, but how it reflects their products?”

Client: “Really? How so?”

Designer: “Their clean, simple logo mirrors their user-friendly products. Your brand should do the same. Let’s focus on how we can visually communicate your software’s simplicity and ease of use.”

Client: “Oh, I hadn’t thought about it that way.”

Designer: “Exactly. Now, tell me more about what makes your software unique…”

This approach shows understanding, offers a relatable example of brand-product alignment, and guides the client towards a more holistic view of brand identity design.

Word to the wise designers: brands are living, breathing experiences. If you can shape the entire customer journey, your impact will be huge.

If not already, holistic thinking, user-centered design, and business strategy should be your best friends.

Think beyond visuals (Holistic Approach). Show clients how your design choices can influence every aspect of their brand, from product features to customer service.

Connect the dots (User-Centered Design). Demonstrate how a cohesive visual language across all touchpoints can create a memorable brand experience.

Become a strategic partner (Business Alignment). Learn about your client’s business goals and target audience. Use this knowledge to inform design decisions that support their overall strategy.

Start with the customer (Empathy). Every interaction matters. Add value by considering how design can improve the entire customer experience (“How can we make this checkout process feel as premium as our product?”).

Look for opportunities everywhere (Holistic Branding). It’s not just about logos or websites. Packaging, store layout, email templates – they all contribute to the brand. Your expertise can make each element shine.

Example of holistic brand design:

Imagine a sustainable clothing brand. The designer doesn’t just create a green leaf logo and call it a day. Instead, they:

• Design hang tags made from seed paper customers can plant
• Create in-store displays from recycled materials
• Develop an app that shows the environmental impact of each purchase
• Design packaging that’s both beautiful and biodegradable

Result? A brand that feels authentic at every single touchpoint. Customers don’t just buy clothes; they buy into a lifestyle and set of values.

That’s the power of holistic brand design. It’s about creating a consistent, meaningful experience across the board.

Pro-tip: want to level up your branding game? Collaborate with other departments. Talk to customer service, product developers, even the finance team. Understanding the whole business will make your design work more impactful and valuable.

Your client’s logo isn’t just about looking pretty. It’s about being remembered.

When someone glances at a product, you’ve got seconds – maybe less – to make an impact. If your design doesn’t stick in their mind, you’ve missed the mark.

Give your client’s brand a fighting chance by creating something people can easily spot and recall. This means crafting a symbol that’s clear, unique, and becomes a shorthand for quality in consumers’ minds.

Here’s a thought to guide your next project:

“Design for recognition first, beauty second. Make it so simple a child could draw it from memory.”

This approach shines when paired with other smart choices (like consistent placement and a bold color scheme).

Think about IKEA’s yellow and blue box logo. It’s not winning any beauty contests, but you can spot it a mile away.

Your job isn’t just to make things look good. It’s to make brands unforgettable.

The truth about company values never goes out of style. It consists of the following ideas:

• What a company does
• Why they do it
• How they behave
• Where they focus
• Who they serve

You can see these in the daily operations of a business by looking at their actual work.

For instance, if you’re examining a tech company’s real values, your observations might be:

1. What products or services do they offer?
2. Why do they create these particular solutions?
3. How do they treat their employees and customers?
4. Where do they invest their resources and time?
5. Who benefits from their work?

By answering these questions through concrete examples, you’ll get a clearer picture of the company’s true identity than any mission statement could provide.

Pro-tip: watch closely! A single action often reveals more about a company’s values than a whole page of carefully crafted words.

A logo is an important part of a brand, but it’s just the beginning. For designers, it’s exciting to expand your skills beyond visual elements and dive into the full spectrum of branding.

In reality, comprehensive branding encompasses strategy, research, and execution. It includes things like market analysis, positioning, and crafting the entire customer experience.

Here are a few ways designers can evolve their practice:

• Visual design (creating logos, color schemes, typography)
• Identity system design (developing cohesive visual elements)
• Full brand strategy (shaping the entire brand experience)

Pro-tip: be honest about your current skills, but don’t be afraid to aim higher. If you’re not doing strategy or shaping the full customer experience yet, that’s okay! Keep learning and expanding your toolkit. There’s value in every stage of the branding process, from making great visuals to crafting complete brand identities.

You might think a company’s success always comes first, but sometimes it’s not that simple. A powerful brand can be the engine that pulls the whole train.

Why? Because a strong brand does more than just look pretty – it’s a multi-tool for business growth.

However, it’s complex:

• Sometimes, branding might matter less than price and availability.
• Other times, branding can be everything.

The reality? A strong brand makes people remember you, keeps them coming back, and lets you charge more without complaints.

Think about it:

• Why do people line up for Starbucks when there’s cheaper coffee next door?
• How come Apple fans camp out for new product launches?

It’s not just the product. It’s the feeling, the experience, the status – it’s the brand.

And here’s a kicker: a well-developed brand can actually save you money. When people love your brand, you spend less trying to convince new customers to buy. Your fans do the talking for you.

Plus, a strong brand is like a magnet for talent. The best people want to work for the best brands.

So, while it’s not always the case, often the brand isn’t just the icing on the cake – it’s a big chunk of the recipe for finding success.

As designers, we pour our hearts, creativity, and countless hours into crafting visual marks. But have you ever stopped to wonder if our intense focus on logos matches the level of attention customers actually give them?

Designers view logos as powerful tools that communicate a brand’s values, mission, and personality. The process of designing a logo is driven by a deep-seated belief in the transformative power of good design. A well-crafted logo is thought to have the ability to elevate a brand, making it memorable and instantly recognizable.

For customers, logos often play a more pragmatic role. While they do notice logos and can recognize them, their primary concern lies in the overall experience with the brand. Factors such as product quality, customer service, and brand reliability typically take precedence over visual elements. 

Customers do respond to logos, but often on a subconscious level. A familiar logo can trigger recognition and a sense of trust based on past experiences. However, this recognition is usually the result of consistent and positive brand interactions over time rather than the inherent qualities of the logo itself.

Let’s look at an example of how customers and designers view logo changes differently, yet both are significantly impacted.

For example…

Consider RxBar’s dramatic rebranding in 2013. There’s no doubt that designers on social media must have analyzed every aspect of the new minimalist packaging with its bold typography.

Meanwhile, regular shoppers found themselves instinctively reaching for these redesigned protein bars on store shelves. RxBar’s sales exploded from $2 million to an estimated $160 million in just a few years after the rebrand.

The lesson? While designers openly critique design choices, customers vote with their wallets.

RxBar’s success shows how powerful branding can be, even when consumers don’t consciously recognize its impact. The key is finding the sweet spot where design excellence meets customer appeal.

A good argument doesn’t need intense emotion. Make sure your points are clear and factual to keep your clients interested.

Just think “FACTS”: Focus Arguments on Clear Tangible Statements. Your discussion should also stick to the provable benefits of design, not just feelings.

Here’s a basic approach you can use when trying to explain the value of brand identity design:

• Question the client’s current brand perception (one sentence) 
• Data or example of successful rebranding (2-5 sentences) 
• Highlight how design impacts business results (1-2 sentences) 
• Offer specific ways your design can help them (1-2 sentences) 
• Optional: ask for their thoughts (“What do you think about this?”)

Simple ideas are often most effective because they’re easy to understand and remember quickly.

Using typical branding elements to showcase a client’s purpose is common. But what if you made it impossible to miss?

It’s entirely possible. Designing with a visible purpose in mind grabs attention and makes people curious about the brand.

What are some ways you can bring a client’s purpose to the forefront of your designs?

• Create a logo that directly represents their mission 
• Design packaging that tells the story of their impact (not just product info) 
• Develop a visual system that highlights their values in action 
• Craft a website that puts the brand’s purpose front and center 
• IF appropriate: use bold, unexpected color choices that reflect their mission.

Pro-tip: while this approach can make designs stand out, be wary of overdoing it. Keep the visuals authentic to the brand’s true purpose and you’ll hit the mark.

Your approach to brand identity shapes how you create value for clients, so it’s worth taking a fresh look at your methods.

In this article, you’ve seen a different take on brand identity work. You can either stick to making logos or expand your role to impact the whole business.

Try to move past just pretty pictures, think about real customer experiences, and show how your work helps the bottom line.

Now, go make something that actually changes how a company operates. Have fun!