Question: What is identity and what are its goals? Where should you start creating it, and what details should you pay attention to during the work?
Designer and identity specialist Alexandra Metlitskaya answers:
If we talk about the very meaning of the word “identity”, it comes from the English “identity”, meaning identity. This makes the word more understandable. In the case of design, we mean corporate identity - visual techniques that distinguish one company from another.
For example, you walk into a fast food restaurant and instantly realize that this is McDonald’s and not Burger King, even the music playing in the background in the cafe works to create a certain image, and you can also easily distinguish one bank from another. However, with the increase in competition and advertising, which have now oversaturated the market, the identity has acquired new functions - to entice, sell and remind. Let's say a buyer, entering a store, seeing identical products of the same price, but of different brands, will probably buy something familiar. This is the purpose of identity - to consolidate at the level of reflexes in a person the connection of visual, auditory or even tactile images with a certain brand. For example, we see an egg and the color red next to it, we remember MTS. But, of course, we should not forget that the most important aspect of a successful identity is its attractiveness in one sense or another.
Creating an identity begins with the work of not only the designer, but also marketers who solve the task together. When developing a logo, the designer immediately thinks about how it can be used on various media, how it can be transformed, how it will be recognized and attract the client. Due to the abundance of visual information, the brain sifts it out like garbage, so it is important to come up with an idea and its implementation that captures the attention of a potential client, at least for a few seconds. These first seconds are very important: before we have time to read all the information, we see spots and images forming associations. If these associations are correct, the client is yours. Everything happens in close collaboration with marketers, techniques and concepts go through stages of testing and surveys. After this, a brand book and guidebook are created - a kind of framework that cannot be exceeded in the further development of advertising.
Most firms find it difficult to compete with giant corporations that can afford to invest huge amounts of money in the development of visual identity. Usually, for such companies, it is enough to develop a corporate style and small recommendations for its use in advertising. Everything happens exactly as when developing an identity for large companies, just on a smaller scale and with fewer people.
First, collecting information, analyzing competitors, identifying the target audience, as well as communicating with the company’s management, during which details and nuances are clarified. Each design is based on an idea, even if it’s just 3 stripes, they have a certain function, rigor, conciseness, straightforwardness, that is, they support the brand image. There may be several ideas, there may be ideas within an idea, but the main thing here is not to overdo it: there should not be too much semantic load, there must be one main chord - these are the laws of harmony that apply to everything.
When developing a corporate style, the designer must take into account the specifics of the company and how it positions itself and what impression it wants to make. Assess on what media it will be more common and how it is more profitable to represent the company. A good plus there will be some unusual solution or non-standard branded media, this will immediately attract attention. But if the specifics of the company are such that there is no place for creativity, the style should be visually pleasing, strong, and solid. It's like a good suit that is made to order. Sometimes it’s worth listening to a tailor, who often knows better what suits you.
Of course, there are certain rules for creating a good identity, but they are good for beginners. After fixing these techniques and rules on a subconscious level, it is time to break them, experiment and create new trends.
Well, in the end, to make it clearer, I would like to give a few examples of visual identification in advertising of famous brands. 
The activity of developing and creating a recognizable image of a company, goods or services is inextricably linked with such a concept as brand identity. It is similar to the definition of branding, but has a number of distinctive features, taking into account which it is important to clearly interpret the terminology and formulate the setting of goals when carrying out work.
Brand identity, according to the generally accepted concept, is a complete set of graphic and other elements that determine the complete visual appearance and emotional and semantic perception of a specific (identifiable and individualized) object (firm, corporation, product or service).
A number of well-known authors, in particular Alina Wheeler (a writer who has published a large number of books on branding), interpret the concept of identity as something tangible that appeals to the feelings of the consumer, that is, allowing one to build verbal and non-verbal communications with the target audience.
In other words, a brand identity is a set of graphic, acoustic, tactile and other elements united by one idea and carrying a common semantic message. In simple layman's language, this is what the consumer can see, hold, listen to, touch, etc.
The brand identity includes the following elements:
- A logo is the basis for building an identity, the main graphic symbol of brand identification.
- Corporate style is a developed and clearly formulated visual shell of a brand (company, service, product), created around a logo and combining all graphic elements into a single recognizable image through a common color scheme, design solutions, etc. A single corporate style should be manifested in each identity carrier. The number and nature of these media depend on the individual needs of the brand. These may include:
- business documentation, stationery (forms, envelopes, boxes, folders, etc.);
- product, packaging (product and container design - boxes, bags, containers, etc.);
- image printing (business cards, catalogues, flyers, brochures, etc.);
- marketing products (books, CD presentations, websites, etc.);
- environmental design (interior and exterior design of the company, points of sale);
- branded clothing for staff;
- souvenirs (promotional souvenirs, business and VIP gifts);
- other visual components.
The function of a brand identity is to aggregate individual elements into a single integral system, each component of which will carry a common semantic message, is within a certain visual style and adheres to one model for building communications.
The main objectives of the brand identity:
- To form and consolidate a recognizable image of the company (brand) in the eyes of the target audience, make it understandable to the consumer and easily identifiable.
- To distinguish the brand from the mass of competitors, to attract attention to it.
A recognizable and understandable brand is more in demand both from direct consumers and from the position of investors, which, together, ensures successful commercial and public activities.
DA Info Pro - July 5th. Many people confuse such concepts as corporate identity, naming, identity and branding. It is believed that all these words mean one thing - creating a logo and applying it to various souvenir and advertising products of the company in a certain style and accompanied by a specific color scheme and shape.
In general, this is how it is. However, each of the terms carries a certain meaning, and it’s not worth lumping everything into one big pile. In order not to confuse all the above terminology with each other and not to call what is branding an identity, and identity a corporate style, let’s try to understand the features of each of the concepts.
Identity. So, the first term on our list today will be the concept of identity. Let's try to explain it simply, in our fingers. Because what we found on the Internet when we googled the meaning of this word leaves even more misunderstandings after studying. And we have to re-read the text 3 times to understand what the author wanted to tell us. Let's get to the point.
For example, you decide to sell daisies. Wholesale and Retail. You can take an armful, stand at the local market and you will definitely have buyers. Word of mouth will work, if the daisies are good, you will sell a lot.
BUT. You want to become the best daisy seller in your city, and you need everyone to know about you. So that they don’t buy from competitors, but come to you.
To do this, you want to make yourself a unique logo, create a website, print business cards for customers so that they come back to buy again and again. Launch advertising on Google, create a VKontakte group and participate in conferences for daisy growers from all over the world.
To make a statement, your organization needs a unique, inimitable visual image. which is created using a set of specific colors, graphic elements, shapes and structures. Creating this image is called identity.
Preparatory work for creating an identity
Before designers start developing an identity for your organization, you need to:
have a clear understanding of what exactly you want to sell (chamomiles retail or wholesale, children or adults, packaged or not);
decide on your strengths compared to competitors (your daisies live two days longer than competitors, you personally checked this);
find your zest (your daisies with blue petals, smell like gooseberry jam or cure a runny nose).
“Draw” a portrait of your product: its color, shape, aroma, taste, consistency. Highlight the features, and then it will immediately become clear what colors will be your signature, what the logo may look like later, and what print to put on corporate pens and notepads.
Write down all the features of your daisies on a piece of paper and head to the designers who will work on the brand and design absolutely ALL of your corporate paraphernalia in a single concept: from a business card to a director’s chair in one of the stores of your chain (you dream about this, no less?) .
And so you come to the designers, they listen to your story about the features of the product, study your leaflet described above, and begin to develop an identity, which includes:
creating a logo (your unique emblem);
development of a corporate identity (identification of primary colors, prints, combinations, placement of all this on a corporate souvenir);
and of course a brand book (if a corporate identity is external attributes that are intended for your clients and competitors, then a brand book is something that was created personally for you, contains technical details project and does not extend outward).
That is, in essence, it turns out that identity is a concept that unites all work on visualizing your brand for the purpose of its recognition and originality. While the remaining terms are its constituent components. Let's look at them too.
Form style. Thanks to its unique corporate identity, a new product makes a statement on the market and becomes (or not) universally recognizable. Let us recall such a well-known mobile communications brand as MTS. They have their own colors - red and white, their own logo, their own presentation style. Their stores, badges and shirts of employees of these stores, starter packs, souvenirs, advertising on the Internet and on street billboards are recognizable. One has only to glance at this combination of colors out of the corner of one’s eye, and this mobile operator immediately comes to mind.
This is the corporate style. This is the visual image that was created by designers and marketers for the company to distinguish it from other equally well-known mobile operators. For example, such as Megafon and Billine. Also, by the way, very popular and having their own corporate style.
Developing a corporate identity is impossible without creating a logo. You know very well what a logo is and we won’t go into it. This is your corporate logo, a trademark with which customers and competitors will identify you. This is why originality is extremely important here. Dissimilarity from others. Unpretentiousness.
Development of identity and corporate style in the Craft Group web studio
When creating a logo and corporate identity for various products and organizations, we focus exclusively on modern design trends. That is why all our clients are always satisfied with the quality of the work performed and recommend us to their friends.
Contact us, we are ready to create an unusual and memorable visual image for your brand! Write to our group.
Today it is so fashionable to call ordinary things with foreign words. For example, one often hears “the establishment.” And the person thinks, wonders what kind of miracle this is. But in fact, this is an ordinary “creation”, “establishment”. Or a statement such as “respect from me” is translated as “respect.” And there are many, many more such Anglicisms. But there is another one that is quite difficult to understand. This is the term "identity". And try to figure out what this set of letters is and what it is connected with. But it turns out that everything is simpler than that: identity is a corporate or corporate system of corporate identification. All these concepts are absolutely identical. And in the practice of foreign colleagues this is called ID and corporate ID, where ID is an abbreviation for English word identity - identification. This is where, in fact, the innovative word “identity” originates.
This is also a popular service that is in great demand in the modern market for innovative services. Website development in Moscow is expensive, but for the company it is no less. Often these two “products” are purchased together from the same performers. And you can contact such companies as Playdesign, Alexfill, Artemy Lebedev Studio, Silversite and so on. And it is not at all necessary to be tied to your own place of residence: there are many good employees on the Internet.
Detailed description of the meaning of the word
Let us now take a closer look at this interesting concept. So, identity is a group of special techniques that are used in technical and artistic design. They make it possible to create original advertising material that will attract people around you.
To put it simply, identity is the face of any business, its visual basis. It consists of a corporate identity and logo. To make it a little clearer, remember what first comes to mind when we mention the Mercedes corporation? Naturally, a star that has three rays. What is the name of the Apple company associated with? Of course, with an apple. This will be the identity we are talking about.
Many ordinary people will say that when all the company’s documentation, its advertising and souvenir products and employee uniforms are made in a single color scheme, with identical graphics elements characteristic of this company, then this is not a very interesting sight. But this can be rebutted, because such an identity promises the company considerable benefits in the market it occupies.
If a potential client sees that the corporation’s advertising materials, its documentation, office names and signs, and staff badges are created in the same style, then he will understand that he is dealing with a reputable organization where a close-knit and professional team works. In addition, this approach will make the company and its promotions more recognizable. Therefore, identity is about improving the image and strengthening the status of a brand or company in the market.
Components of identity
The corporate identity may also consist of additional fragments: souvenirs, all forms of outdoor and online advertising, folders, packages. This may include POS materials, a motto (slogan), a multimedia presentation, a website and a booklet, outdoor advertising, price list.
The main and primary task of identity
The main goal of the identity is to talk about a specific business concisely, clearly and in such a way that it is firmly entrenched in memory. To do this, you need not just a fashionable style and a beautiful logo, but it is necessary that the corporate identity emphasizes the company in the chain of competitors. It should make the corporation extraordinary and intriguing for partners and clients. Relevance is a rare but simple quality that describes a good identity. The logo must tell about this company, and not about any other.
Corporate identity rules
Corporate identity will not have the right to exist if those who deal with it do not adhere to the basic rules of its creation. So, the first rule says that when creating the image of a corporation, one should start from imagery. If you are trying to promote an automaker, then do not use an image of a locomotive to advertise it. The image must support the idea of this business. Only in this case will it be easy and will be remembered for a long time.
Rule number two is that there is no need to give the main role to the logo. Today, many companies can exist without it, or the company name itself can act as a logo. Almost no one knows the Beeline logo, but it exists. But the corporate shades - yellow and black stripes - are known to every person. Everyone knows that they symbolize the mobile operator.
A few more rules
Another important point: It's best not to overdo it with creativity. Thanks to visual identification, the identity must answer two questions: “What kind of company is this?” and “Why does the client need it?” Hence the conclusion is drawn that it is obliged to fully support the ideology of the corporation. And the ideology itself implies management principles, corporate traditions and categories of potential clients.
And the last rule is socialization, that is, ideas about how the corporate identity will work in the media.
Identity is a necessary thing
So, we figured out what a corporate style (identity) is. But is it really that important for the company? Of course, this is a guarantee of success for any business project. Every successful company strictly monitors the quality of its corporate identity. It improves its perfection and relevance. It often happens that in order to bring a corporation out of a crisis, it is necessary to change its identity. Also, a change of style is resorted to when a company needs to enter a new market or clarify its activities.
Identity represents the banner under which the business of a particular entrepreneur is carried out. It is incredibly important to have a corporate identity and a wonderful logo, because these are the criteria used to meet people and, more often, they are used to see them off.