Identity creation is an essential part of being a graphic designer. Most of our business comes from companies looking to redesign, redo, or redevelop their brand. With your help, their marketing strategy, product designs, and logo can better reflect their services, earning more dollars in retail, and ensuring you get a call back when they need another design.

Considering identity and branding are so important, the question then naturally becomes, “Well, how do I create a business identity better than I am?” No matter how good you currently are at cranking out branding ideas, there’s always room to improve: Thankfully, we’ve got the most crucial areas of identity creation listed below, just begging for you to pick and choose from to benefit your design firm. Read on, Soldier, but always remember—The client comes first, the client comes first, the client . . . Oh, you get it!

 

  • Get Down and Dirty With Your Client: One of the best ways to better prepare a branding identity for a client is to fully (and we mean fully) understand their products and services. This starts with your very first client/designer meeting. Ask as many questions about the business as you can, being sure to ask questions like, “Who is your target demographic?” “How do you want them to view you?” and “How do you view yourself?” Don’t be afraid to ask about business strategies or five-year plans: They’re the ones that hired you, and you can’t do your job without their specific answers.

 

 

  • Do Some Field Research: Once you’ve got the client’s perspective of the client, you’ll then want to get a consumer’s point of view. To do so, visit the business in person and act as if you’re interested in the products or services. If you’re representing a printing business, for example, take in an item you’d like to have printed and get it made. How is the service? What tone does the institution set? What’s emphasized during the printing process? By figuring out first-hand what consumers learn about your client, you’ll have a much better idea how to fully represent the company.

 

Be Pluralistic: When creating a design concept for your clients, don’t hesitate to come up with several variations, each with a slightly different focus. For example, try one design that emphasizes being, “funky and fresh,” while another focuses on being, “comfortable and family smart.” The client will tell you what works out of the group, so don’t hesitate to come prepared.