The Brains Behind the Beauty

Ashlyn Busse – Senior Graphic Designer

Visual brand building has to start from somewhere, and, like any good marketing initiative, the first phase should consist of thorough research. Though the findings will always be different, the method of researching for design tends to almost universally follow these four steps:

Step 1: Meet the Audience

When a new client comes onboard, the agency should already have a decent understanding of what its industry does and a high-level overview of some design standards. However, creating a visual brand requires a deeper dive into the identity of the audience. For example, a product may be developed for the veterinary industry, but it can be sold to veterinarians, specialists, technicians, pet owners or other stakeholders within that market. Each of these audiences have a different level of knowledge and respond to a different kind of messaging and technical language.

In addition to the audience impacting how the brand is developed, it also influences where the brand will be implemented. Different groups will seek information and goods/services to purchase from different channels, and knowing the habits of a client’s specific audience allows for effective lead generation and management.

Step 2: Assess the Competition

After establishing a solid understanding of the audience, a designer can turn to reviewing content created by the client’s competitors. This is not done with the intent to steal ideas, rather to look for trends within the market to help the designer meet the audience’s expectations while still standing out.

Analyzing competitors can also provide additional insights into website and product design, sales channels and unfilled niches for the product or service. The designer’s expertise can come into play too, finding successes and pitfalls within visual marketing. Not only does this offer inspiration on how to beat out competitors, but it can also offer more information about the state of the industry. If a brand’s website looks dated, but its digital ads are strong, that can mean that the company has found more success in that medium, and the designer should make it more of a priority.

Step 3: Learn from Client Wisdom

Once the analysis of both audiences and competitors is complete, the designer should meet with the client to discuss. As an expert in their industry, the client will be able to elaborate on the designer’s discoveries, offering more and often deeper explanations for their findings.

This open exchange of ideas also has the added benefit of setting a collaborative precedent, where both parties openly share their process. Especially for new clients, this can be a critical step in building trust.

Step 4: Maintain Relevant Knowledge

Even after the brand guide is finalized, a designer’s work is never done. Fads are consistently changing, and staying up to date on publications and educational resources can help ensure that each new design elevates the brand. Maintaining recognizable brand standards is the first priority, but there are always other small elements that can be tweaked to modernize the visual experience without compromising consistency.

Publications within the client’s industry are equally important sources of information and design insight. Regularly reviewing them and their content helps ensure that the client’s brand is always on the cutting edge of their market.