Making Brands Work Blog | Our Thoughts on Branding

An Inside Look: The Logo (Re)Design Process

Mon, 07 May 2012 00:00:00 -0700

A simple logo. A not so simple process.

Have you've ever wondered what went into designing an iconic logo? Or what makes creating a visual identity for a brand so time-consuming? Well thanks to the team at Lore.com (formely CourseKit) decided to share with the world the inner workings of their latest rebrand, we now know that simple is challenging because it has to be perfect. Remember design is in the details, and most of those details are behind the scenes, you can't see them, but you can see their inspiration and meaning.

What really captured our attention is less than the logo itself, but more the process of how it was created. That's what we really want to share with you, the microsite is worth taking a look.

Discover the makings of a logo.

Visit and scroll: http://design.lore.com/identity

Video: Adobe's CS6 Beautiful New Identity

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0700

It's about time the new visual identity of Adobe CS6, looked more artistic and individualistic. They've come a long way in their graphic presentation and software development since last year's release of CS5. I'm glad Adobe embraced the idea of "creative freedom" as their brand platform for their latest edition of Creative Suite. Props to Adobe for truly being committed to its users and the emotional power of the creative process.

Enjoy the making of this stunning visual identity.

(Courtesy of Tolleson Design)

Photoshop CS6 Visual Identity System

Armen David speaks as panelist at AIGA's Professional Series

Tue, 03 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0700

The sold-out Professional Series talk, ‘The Importance of Studio Culture & Identity,’ was held at Continuum’s work-space in Venice Beach. Bringing together Armen David, Braven Greenelsh, Candice Brokeshire, and Michael Stinson, and moderated by Eduardo Braniff, CEO of Imagination the Americas.

Armen defined his studio's culture as "a group of like-minded individuals that share unique qualities and purpose". He believes that culture is not possible without thought leadership -- "culture starts with a well-defined platform -- mission, vision and values are essential to defining culture that produces long-term advantage and sustainability". He also believes that culture is dynamic and must be embraced, not managed.

The Professional Series is a program of conversations about today's business of design. Professionals and entrepreneurs from a range of design enterprises will gather to discuss how each are growing their businesses through financial modeling, business development, recruitment and retention, innovation practices and, above all, great design.

Photos by PaulDimalanta.com

Branding YouTube Channels for DISH International

Tue, 13 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0700

We were excited to be a part of DISH International's social media initiative by developing and launching a series of branded YouTube channels to target their long list of language communities. The channel includes a custom video slider, drop down menus and custom banner feature. DISH Filipino, the first of DISH International's channels we worked on can be seen here live on YouTube.

Creating a Desitination on YouTube

Brand Channels allow marketers to create a brandable and customized interface on YouTube where they can connect and create persistent relationships with their customers. Brand Channels act as a distribution outlet for video content and as a destination for users to engage with your brand. The design of your channel page should reflect your brand identity.

As you'll see in the case of DISH International, we customized the channel theme and design to reflect the brand that has been established on the DISH Filipino TV website. Though the 'art of branding' is critical to your channel's visual presence, the success of your channel is largely dependent on the content that you upload.

For more "Best Practices" visit YouTube.com

29 Ways To Stay Creative

Tue, 28 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0700

We can think of a lot more ways to keep the right side of our brain active, but these 29 ways seem to be just enough! What are some other ways you stay creative?

Thanks to Anna @Dalziel+Pow for sharing.

Milton Glaser on Failure: Embrace It!

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0700

"The consequence of specialization and success is that it hurts you. It hurts you because it basically doesn't aid in your development. The truth of the matter is that understanding development comes from failure." -Milton Glaser

via Swiss Miss

Enjoy this video of Milton Glaser, one of the founders of Graphic Design, on success and failure and the dynamic relationship between professionalism and personal development. Watch the video below, his words are truly an inspiration to us all...

Happy Success!!

3 Strategies for Building a Stronger Brand in 2012

Fri, 06 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0700

The New Year always sparks a renewed interest in making changes! For a business, this should include taking a close look at your brand – both from your perspective and from that of your market. Questions to consider: How do your customers perceive your brand? Is it aligned with how you see yourself? Do people hear and understand exactly what your brand is saying?

Yes, there’s always room for improvement. And, starting with these three strategies, you can help strengthen your brand in 2012.

Build a Consistent Brand

Consistency is the name of the game in brand identity. Do you think Coke and Apple became what they are by not showing the same face to everyone, everywhere? The more consistent your brand is across all customer touch points, the more likely it can create a powerful impression and be easily recognized by your market.

One of the most important (yet often overlooked) aspects of branding is that it MUST remain consistent through all communication channels. From business cards and collateral pieces to your online marketing tools, there should always be a clear, consistent look and feel to everything you present.

Innovate Your Brand and Image

Keeping your brand up-to-date doesn’t mean changing it to stay current with every trend or fad. But, being attuned to what is happening in your industry and what appeals to your target demographic should play an important part in the evolution of your brand!

With 2012 upon us, it might just be the right time to consider modernizing the visual image of your brand in terms of logo, tagline, typography, color palette, and design. Small changes, tweaks, and updates can re-energize an existing customer and catch the eye of a new one! This is one step in the right direction towards staying ahead of your competition and becoming a category leader.

Be Social, Diversify Your Online Presence

Online today means much more than having a website. If you are not on Facebook and Twitter or don’t have a content rich blog - in the eyes of some consumers, you might as well not exist. Your online presence “speaks” volumes to those who will buy from you. A successful social media engagement model is not about spitting out corporate messages, but instead includes developing a two-way dialog with your audience. Of course, you’ll want to make sure your “voice”, through status updates, tweets, and blog posts, is aligned with your brand. Aim to be human in the social space.

Getting the right help to strengthen your brand is also pivotal to your success. STARMEN Design Group is here to help with a diverse team of brand professionals who are experts at making your business look and sound its absolute best.

The Power of Influence & Creativity

Fri, 16 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0700

As design professionals, we spend considerable time each and every day thinking about influence.

Of course, we’re continuously developing new strategies for how we can help our clients generate influence. Yet, we also devote much thought into how consumers influence others in an increasingly connected world.

In the short film, Influencers, written and directed by Paul Rojanathara and Davis Johnson, we get a snapshot of New York’s most influential and creative individuals who are defining today's pop culture. Influencers seeks to identify and explain not only who the influencers are, but also what makes them so compelling. Youthful, confident, fearless early-adopters are those who are now shaping our buying decisions, the music we listen to, the food we eat, the clothes we wear, and even how we communicate with each other. These people can swiftly embrace something not mainstream (a drink, a brand, music) and make it wildly popular – all through the power of viral communications.

Unlike the celebrity-endorsed 1990’s, today’s influencers are not bought or paid by a brand to wear/drink/talk about their product. Rather, influencers embrace a product that they believe in, and then the buzz begins. This profound change has dramatically shifted power back into the hands of consumers. Being able to express likes and dislikes to a global audience is transforming the very essence of marketing and brand strategy.

Who are the influencers in your industry?

Have you identified who is talking about your product, sharing details about their customer experience, or tweeting about your service? If not, you could be missing out on valuable opportunities to reach out to your market. Are you ready to learn more about leveraging the power of influencers? Creativity is contagious...

The End of An Era...

Wed, 24 Aug 2011 00:00:00 -0700

The inevitable as arrived... and with it, an end of an era too. As Apple's creative visionary, Steve Jobs steps down as "leader" a sense of loss is felt throughout the 'tech' world and more importantly the business world. The man who has pioneered so much innovation and ideation that fundamentally changed the way we live, has also been credited with rising a struggling computer company from near bankruptcy to become the world's most valuable company. Now it has come to end, and for that... we can't say anything more than Thank You.

Steve himself published the following letter:

I have always said if there ever came a day when I could no longer meet my duties and expectations as Apple's CEO, I would be the first to let you know. Unfortunately, that day has come.

I hereby resign as CEO of Apple. I would like to serve, if the Board sees fit, as Chairman of the Board, director and Apple employee.

As far as my successor goes, I strongly recommend that we execute our succession plan and name Tim Cook as CEO of Apple.

I believe Apple's brightest and most innovative days are ahead of it. And I look forward to watching and contributing to its success in a new role.

I have made some of the best friends of my life at Apple, and I thank you all for the many years of being able to work alongside you.

-Steve

UPDATE: Gizmodo.com just published this awesome timeline of 'The Life of Steve Jobs - So Far' great read!

Your Logo Is Not Your Brand

Thu, 14 Jul 2011 00:00:00 -0700

It’s time to clear up a common misconception, a logo and a brand are not interchangeable terms. In fact, they are not the same thing at all!

My mentor and brand guru, Marty Neumeier 'dispelled the myth' in his book The Brand Gap, "A brand is not a logo, an identity or a product". A brand, is a gut feeling, a consumers emotions about a particular company or product. The logo is a visual representation of that a company or product. However, it’s isn’t the brand itself. In contrast, a brand has a much broader definition. Your brand comprises everything that defines your company – who you are, what you do, where you want to be, and what you believe in. It’s the emotions people feel when they think of your products or services (back to Neumeier). This is far more than a creative image. And, an expertly designed logo is worthless if your brand is terrible.

Think of one of the world’s most recognized logo icons – the Apple. Would the logo be as powerful for the company Apple if the products they produced weren’t so spectacular? If they didn’t continually push the technology envelope and bring cutting edge products to market, the Apple logo would have little recognition. The fact that Apple is wildly popular with consumers, their products are easy to use and understand, and they have incredible marketing has created their powerful brand. The logo is just a visual representation of this message.

So, if you’ve been considering getting a new logo developed, you may actually want to start with a review of your brand and what is truly saying about your business. From there, you can start looking at the elements that support what you’re trying to project, including that pretty image on your website.

If you're hungry for more on this topic check out one of my favorite books, Your Brand Is Not Your Logo: It Is an Experience that Lives in Your Customer's Gut by Robert Brunner, Stewart Emery & Russ Hall