Each designer or studio has their own process, & some projects can be approached a little differently to others, but the core milestones remain broadly the same. Here I’ll walk you through my creative approach when it comes to brand design projects.
1. Discovery
We’ll schedule an intro video call to give you the opportunity to walk me through the brief directly. We’ll discuss some key project elements including:
Product or service overview
Ideal client profile
Industry placement & key competitors or collaborators
Brand messaging
Call to action
Deliverables
2. Contracting & Payment
Once you’re ready to go ahead with your project & provide confirmation, I will issue a contract that includes all deadlines & deliverables, to ensure we both have an agreed timeline for the project. We understand that some projects do experience unavoidable delays, but our aim is to ensure that the project runs smoothly & efficiently, avoiding delays where possible.
You will also receive an invoice for a project retainer which will be 50% of the total project fee which is due prior to project commencement. The remainder is due only once all deliverables have been signed off in full either by yourself or all stakeholders.
3. Research & planning
We now begin on a collaborative phase of research & planning. During this you will receive a brand moodboard featuring images to give a feel for where we’ll be aiming for. Some clients prefer to provide their own moodpboard, which we are then able to develop to ensure visual accuracy. During this phase you will have the opportunity to provide feedback at every stage to ensure we are starting off in the right direction.
We will also do a deep dive into your industry, target market, & key competitors. This is as much to inform what we choose to do as what we choose not to do. The goal is to ensure clients stand out against competitors while still having visual appeal to their core audience.
4. Colour palette & logo development
This is where we start to put pen to paper. I’ll create several options of a 3-5 colour brand palette & multiple logo options in tandem so that you can see the assets in practice & make an informed decision on the brand direction as a whole as well as individual elements.
My goal is to always meet my clients where they are, so if they prefer an alternative assessment method, I am able to adapt my approach to ensure they can make the most informed choice.
Example logo reasoning & development
Example colour palette
4. Client feedback & editing
You’ll provide your full feedback on the first round of colour palette & logo options, which will continue in stages until you have a brand direction that you’re happy to move forward with.
5. Visual development
We’ll start adding in additional elements like brand typography (fonts), brand illustrations, mascots, or editorial imagery. I can also provide formatting or mock ups for stationery, signage, merchandising, or a website to help you see what your brand will look like in practice.
6. Building your brand system
Once you have approved all brand elements, I will then consolidate it into an easy to implement brand guide that your creative team, freelancers, or you yourself can use to create content & assets.
This will include the following, along with usage guidance:
Logos (typographic & logomark)
Typography (fonts & sizing)
Colour palette
Branded illustrations
Brand application mockups
7. Delivery & implementation
You will receive your brand kit, along with all of the raw assets like logos in every brand colour way. Logos will be provided with transparent backgrounds as .svg or .png files, which can then be imported directly into Canva or Adobe Creative Apps.
Your branding will also be rolled out to all channels that you have requested as part of your project. You can provide administrative access to allow us to implement these changes directly, or we can collaborate with your internal design team to ensure proper application.
8. Aftercare
Should you have any issues or questions relating to your project, you can reach out at any time. Our priority is ensuring total accessibility & usability for our clients.
If you have any questions about our process, or would like to discuss a project you can reach out at hello@phoebeperson.com
