Can Design Be a Form of Brand Strategy?
Design is not an after-thought for beautification purposes but viewed as a business tool. When business strategy and design work together, the result is a meaningful design that clearly articulates the brand promise. Design is about relevant clarity.
In the Design and Branding Seminar, Lawrence shares what Masamichi Udagawa of Antenna Design advocates, “The purpose of design is to guide the user – through artifacts – towards certain behavior, called for by the programme.”
The user refers to the customer, the management team sets the programme and artifacts are items representing the brand, which includes the logo, the tagline, people and processes.
A four-step guide to develop an engaging design strategy:
- Frame – Define the impression based on strategy
- Condition – Develop a style to condition users to recognize and acknowledge
- Engagement – Interact with senses and participation
- Take-away – Have memorable cues so that they can easily recall the experience
After the main logo is developed, secondary design elements is produced as a continuity of the main concept, to condition users to recognize the brand.
The presentation of a Broader Visual Language creates a corporate identity that does not indiscriminately stamp the company logo throughout. Instead, it is based on a number of elements that are visually related to each other.
Design as a strategic tool conditions and engages the consumer. Review your company’s design strategy, identity and communication tools. Does yours tell the brand story as you intended?
