I’m curious on the way you all deal with model consistency for shoppers. As an illustration, if a consumer has a easy set of branding tips the place it as a brand, colours, typography, and picture selections, how have you learnt how far you possibly can push branding. At instances it appears like I’m caught in a field and all the things begins to look very related. What do you declare a breach of a model visually and when is it too distant from the model and dangers it’s id? I hope this is sensible and would love to listen to how others hold consistency whereas being recent and never repetitive.
A comprehensive brand is the least bound by visual consistency. What’s infinitely more important is that the main messages and feelings of the brand stay consistent.
When Nike endorsed Collin Kaepernick for taking a knee during the anthem, that was an excellent choice for the brand. That’s a consistent brand choice; we can all see that as something Nike would do. If Mattress Firm tried the same thing, it wouldn’t make any sense.
To answer your question, and how I think the right way to handle it is:
– As long as the final product *undeniably* feels like something the brand would produce, then it’s consistent enough.
– Treat brands like they have personalities. When your brand is being serious, what does it look like? How about when it’s sharing exciting news? Those solutions will look visually different, but should feel like they came from the same brand.
I’m not saying styleguides should be ignored. Of course visual consistency is also important for a lot of applications. Just don’t be afraid to experiment and step out of the box.
I have to be honest, it really depends on the client.
I notice that whenever I encounter clients that are incredibly nitpicky about every little tiny facet and they’re always using the excuse *”it’s not on brand”* to say no to something, it always strikes me that they’re not really worried about their brand as much as they are afraid to make and own the decision. They want something so totally safe that win or fail their jobs will not be endangered.
Some clients though are pretty open-minded. I know that whenever I make somebody a logo or some kind of branding for their business (usually small businesses) I try to keep things a bit open. I will nudge on them to have an idea on a color scheme or something for their brand, but I always try to tell them to be a little flexible.
I know in the world of advertising, flexibility is what can help a brand get noticed. When you can do something more creative to grab someone’s attention. When it’s something more like business cards or an official company brochure or their website, I would cling to whatever their brand colors and guidelines are. Things that are going to be there for a long time as opposed to temporarily.
My only advice to you would be to test the waters. If you’re making a layout, do one with the brand colors and fonts, and then venture out a little bit and do what you think would look interesting. Show them the interesting thing first, let them love it or push back on you, and then you can always pull up that safe choice if they push back.
I think as long as it’s not going out to the general public where somebody could get in trouble, I’d rather ask forgiveness over asking permission. I just also feel it’s a good practice to have that safe choice on hand in case they really don’t want you playing with their brand and thus you have something to show them that is along what they want.
I will also say though never to do anything to their logo. I have not yet met a company that didn’t treat their logo as utterly sacred. There are some companies that don’t have an issue with changing colors around because they are more pushing their brand image as the shape as opposed to the colors. Still, I would never do anything that alters or changes their logo that could get you in trouble with them.
I’m the only art director under my creative director and head of marketing AND one of 12 company Directors and I have said NOPE to these requests every time. We redesigned after 50 years. We put a lot of work into our identity. Haven’t lost this argument in 7 years.
No. No. No.
It depends on the company, whoever is running things. Some are crazy strict, some are very fluid on if the style fits their voice and image. You do your best and adjust after a round of edits, you’ll know more for next tme.
We need to draw a distinction between BRAND and VISUAL IDENTITY. I think what you’re talking about is visual identity guidelines. Logo, typeface etc?
So a good rule of thumb, for brand identity guidelines is “don’t add shit”
Don’t make up new things to complicate it. Work WITHIN the framework you’re given and push the outside of the envelope.
It’s difficult to say without specific examples, but usually you’ve gone too far if you’re – adding additional typefaces, adding new colors, adding additional bits of “furniture” for no reason. Say they tend to do pictures in a rectangle and you decide to put pictures In a Circle, stop and walk back and ask why?
Good rule of thumb is if you are going to do anything “new” bas it on the logo.
If you want to crop a picture in a certain shape, use a shape from the logo, use the correct typefaces, use the brand colours. Visual identity reenforces a brand, and gives consumers confidence that a company has its shit together. So remember that. Does your work make I look like the company has its shit together? Like people inside are talking to make sure stuff is consistent? But if it looks a shambles – if it looks unlike the rest of the brands comes, if you can cover up the logo and have no idea how it’s for, you’ve gone too far. Hope this helps