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Branding
Guide for successful CEOs
How to Become a Brand Design Expert by Arek Dvornechuck
Arek Dvornechuck 929.245.9811
Brand Design EXPERT arek@ebaqdesign.com
About ME
Arek Dvornechuck
At Ebaqdesign my mission is to help people create
and grow by design. We’ve helped dozens of entrepreneurs
build brands and successful businesses and now I want to help you!
I’ve created a simple guide to understanding
what brand identity is really all about.
The BRand BRand BRand This guide is for everyone who wants to
Basics Strategy Identity Touchpoints
grow their business through design.
Read each page closely and put the sugges-
tions into practice and at by the end of this
guide you’ll become a brand design expert.
Logo Social Style
Design Media Guides
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quote
“
Brand is the promise, the big idea, the expectations that
reside in each customer’s mind about a product, service
or company. Branding is about making
an emotional connection.
Alina Wheeler
“Designing brand Identity”
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The Basics
Brand, branding and brand identity
What’s your favorite brand? Don’t think too much! Grab the first name
that comes to mind - This company has earned your loyalty & your money.
Y ou keep coming back because you feel that the
values of the company are aligned with yours, or the
product or service speaks to you at a deeper level than
That brings us to branding: the active process of shap-
ing the perceptions that consumers have about your
brand.
competing products do.
All the actions that you take to build awareness and
As individuals, we have a sense of what a brand is: a set reputation around your company and its product or
of distinctive perceptions, ideas and feelings that people services lives in the realm of branding.
have about a company.
There are many components that go into the making of
But as consumers, we often don’t realize what it takes to a brand—some of which happen organically and can’t
make a strong and memorable brand, be artificially molded.
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The Basics
N ow you may wonder, how can I maximize my chanc-
es of success? This is where brand identity comes
into play: the tangible expressions of the brand.
latest Nikes and joined the basketball team.
Or if you valued creativity and the arts, perhaps you
were the proud owner of a pair of oversized glasses and
a member of the drama club.
The more distinct, specific and cohesive these elements
are, the higher the likelihood that they will shape a dif- All of these external aspects, like clothing or club/team
ferentiated brand that is recognized and admired. membership, are the equivalent of elements of a com-
pany’s brand identity.
Think of your brand as a living, breathing thing:
a person, in a sense. Brand identity is the most tangible and actionable part
of what makes a brand. The right elements can help you
Most people want to be perceived in a certain way by create a strong identity that clearly communicates your
others, and mold their actions and behaviors according- values to the world.
ly - This is branding.
Brand identity elements vary depending on the type of
For instance, if you saw yourself as a competitive and company, but some of the most typical elements in-
athletic person in high school, and wanted others to clude the following: name, typography, tagline, colors,
recognize these qualities in you, you may have worn the and tone of voice.
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The Basics
Name: Your company’s name will exist for the duration of its lifetime. Ask yourself: does the
name mean something? Is it distinguishable? Is it memorable? Think: Apple, Amazon & Uber.
Typography The font you use throughout your branding materials, from logo to website. A con-
sistent typeface is key to instilling familiarity: think of The New York Times’ use of Georgia.
Tagline: A name alone is often too brief to express all that a company stands for. A good tagline
can support and expand on that sentiment. For example: “Just do it” inspires the action.
Colors: Your color choices are key to instilling a distinct feel for your brand. A sleek, sophisticat-
ed black says something completely different than a friendly, approachable yellow.
Voice: It’s important to design how it looks, but it’s equally important to give brand a voice. How
are you addressing your customers? Is the tone serious and formal or warm and friendly?
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Brand is a relationship between customers and the business.
Brand identity is what we can see, it’s the design of a brand.
Branding is a process of building awareness and extent loyalty.
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Brand Strategy
Developing your brand strategy
It’s tempting to dive right into the juicy stuff like creating a logo, website, and
other visual brand elements. But before that, it’s essential to look inwards.
U nderstanding what your company is and what it
stands for is a necessary to-do before tackling any
of the specific brand elements.
of this should rally. The strategy provides a compass to
evaluate future branding decisions and to ensure that
all internal efforts and operations are aligned according
to a clear strategic direction.
The results of this inquiry will create your brand strate-
gy. Investing time upfront to define and articulate your Externally, an effective brand strategy helps you project
brand strategy is key to success. a strong and clear image of the company to your audi-
ence, by acting as a glue that pulls every branding piece
Internally, brand strategy provides the core concepts together into a cohesive whole.
around which everything else about your brand, your
look and feel, behaviors, actions, communications - all How do you go about developing one? easy as 1, 2, 3, 4.
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Brand strategy
1. Create a killer mission statement
Simon Sinek’s Start with the why TED talk went viral for Airbnb’s originating mission statement was about offer-
good reason. It reveals a simple, but often overlooked ing an affordable alternative to hotels.
truth: that people are wired to care about why you do
something instead of what you do or how you do it. Today, it’s about connecting communities worldwide
and helping people “belong anywhere.”
People want to see themselves—their values, motiva-
tions, goals and aspirations—in the brands they choose A quick way to get closer to your company’s why is to fill
to consume and endorse. in the blanks in this sentence:
Once you focus in on the why it will lead you to a solid “Our company exists to ___________. In five years, we aim
mission statement where you clearly state what your to __________.”
company wants to accomplish in the world.
Check an example of strategy that includes mission
If your company evolves, your mission statement should statement I’ve developed for one of my clients.
evolve, too.
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Brand strategy
2. Activate your core values
S trong core keeps your body strong and balanced. If
you define and a strong set of values it will keep your
brand on track and your company growing.
defaulting to transparency, showing gratitude and
focusing on self-improvement.
To create your own company values, take a sheet of
Once you have your company’s mission statement, paper and jot down a list of the things your organization
you’re ready to develop a concise set of values and will firmly commit to even when the going gets rough.
beliefs and use them to guide internal operations and
external behaviors. Write down everything that comes to mind regardless
of how out there it may seem and then narrow the list
These may be about how work gets done at your com- down to 5 or 10 values.
pany, how you treat your customers or how you treat
the world and environment. They should guide every decision in your company, from
big ones such as what to sell and who to sell to, down
For example, Buffer, a social media management plat- to the more nuanced elements of your brand.
form, adheres to 10 company values, which include
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Brand strategy
3. Promote your personality
N ow it’s time to add some pizazz. In the first chapter,
we explored the idea of viewing your brand as a
person. So far, this person has a raison d’etre (mission
Think of someone in your own life, or a celebrity, who
represents your company. Is your company more of a
Beyoncé or a Michael Cera? A Kardashian or an Obama?
statement) and a strong set of beliefs (core values).
This exercise helps to humanize your brand, which will
If your company was a person who would it be? How guide you to the right branding decisions and, ultimate-
would he or she act, talk and dress? How would she ly, a brand image that will speak to your consumers.
spend her time?
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Brand Strategy
4. Flaunt your originality
C hances are strong that there are other companies
trying to appeal to your target audience with a simi-
lar product or service.
unique. You can focus on a specific core value that few
of your competitors seem to exhibit, a commitment to a
waste-free business, for instance, and that you believe
will make a difference to your clients.
To set your company apart you have to get really com-
fortable with what makes your business different—your Or you can identify an insight that you have about your
unique value proposition. customers that no one but you and your employees
understand.
What are the specific characteristics that will set
your company apart as your customers consider you Whatever it is, write it down and keep it in mind to en-
amongst a sea of tempting alternatives? sure that your uniqueness comes through as you build
Write down the aspects of your business that are truly your brand identity.
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Brand strategy is a long-term plan for the development of a suc-
cessful brand in order to achieve specific goals.
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BRand Identity
Elements of brand identity
These four building blocks—typography, color, shape, and voice—will come
together to create a cohesive and meaningful picture of your brand.
W hen you see a high school student wearing a let-
terman’s jacket and athletic shoes while dribbling
a basketball it’s easy to make a quick assessment about
We subconsciously evaluate the individual elements
that comprise the brand’s identity (just like the athlete’s
clothing) and turning that into a judgement.
who he is and what he does.
If you’re not a design aficionado you may be unaware of
We are influenced by the elements of design. what these elements are and how they work together.
When we encounter a brand in any capacity—online, That’s why this chapter is all about reviewing the key
through marketing and advertising we make associa- elements that make up a brand’s identity and showing
tions about what that brand is all about. you how to use them effectively!
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Brand Identity
1. Typography
Serif: Serif fonts have a little feet on the end of each letter. This classic typography is great if you
Serif want your brand to appear trustworthy, traditional and maybe a little old school. Popular serif
fonts include Times New Roman, Garamond, and Georgia.
Sans serif: If “serif” is with a foot, “sans serif” is without the foot. Sans serif fonts are letters that
Sans have smooth edges and lack the “feet” of their serif counterparts. They give a more sleek, mod-
ern feel to brands. Popular sans serif fonts include Helvetica, Futura and Franklin Gothic.
Script Script: Script typography emulates cursive handwriting and can be a great way to add a luxuri-
ous or feminine feel to your brand. Popular script fonts include Allura and Pacifico.
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Brand Identity
2. Color Palette
Red is the color of passion and excitement. It’s the per- Blue: Pretty much everyone likes blue. It can help your
fect choice if your brand identity is loud, youthful and branding appear stable and trustworthy. Just look at
exciting. banks—most of hem go with the blue.
Orange: Orange is another high-energy color and is Purple: Purple is the color of royalty, with a hint of
great if you want to appear friendly and playful. It’s femininity, so if you’re going for a luxurious feel in your
bright and juicy. branding, this a safe bet.
Yellow: Yellow, the color of sunshine, is all about hap- Pink: Nothing says girly quite like pink. But it’s more ver-
piness. The cheerful vibe makes it a good choice if you satile than that. From pastel rose to neon magenta, pink
want to feel fun, accessible and affordable. gives brands a modern, youthful and luxurious look.
Green: Green is known for its exceptional versatility— Black: If you want to be viewed as modern or sophisti-
nearly every brand can use it effectively. If your brand is cated, there’s nothing as classic and effective as black.
tied to the environment, green is a solid choice. Learn more about psychology of color.
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Brand Identity
3. Form and shape
Round shapes—like circles, ovals, and ellipses—are all about positive feelings. Logos that incor-
porate round shapes suggest feelings of community, unity and love. The rounded edges can
also be viewed as feminine.
Sharp shapes—like squares, rectangles, and triangles—are representative of strength and effi-
ciency. The no-nonsense lines create a feeling of stability and trustworthiness. But you need to
be careful: if these shapes aren’t balanced with something fun, like dynamic colors, they can feel
cold and flat.
Straight lines also have their own implications: vertical lines suggest masculinity and strength
while horizontal lines suggest tranquility and mellow vibes. Diagonal lines are often used to give
to its dynamism.
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Brand Identity
4. Tone of Voice
T he last building block of your brand is your voice.
Even though your design says a lot about your
brand, what you actually say is important, too.
Are you the kind of brand that throws an irreverent
punch every once in awhile or do you avoid potentially
offensive humor? Are you corporate or casual? Straight
to the point or more conversational?
Establishing an authentic and consistent brand voice—
and standing behind it—will help you break through It’s important that your voice is aligned with the brand
the clutter and create a personal connection with your identity you outlined in the previous email’s practices.
audience.
Your description of the personality of your brand should
Figure out what you want to communicate to your audi- offer helpful insights into your brand’s voice.
ence and, more importantly, how you want to say it.
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Typography choice can give your identity unique character.
Colors can trigger emotions and evoke a brand association.
Shape is recognized first, which makes an imprint on memory.
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Logo design
Designing your company logo
As the cornerstone of your brand, your logo fulfills the most important
visual role. It’s the face of your company.
Y our logo is a way to communicate who you are to
your customers and the strongest association they’ll
have with your brand.
It’s important to come up with a logo design that not
only feels true to who you are as a brand, but also
makes a lasting impact on your audience. This is where
the design building blocks we previously touched on
Besides being the most immediate visual representation come into play.
of your brand, logos serve 3 key functions:
To create a memorable logo, use the following elements
1. To communicate key information about your brand, to support the meaning of your logo: color, typography,
like the industry or specific clientele you serve. and shape.
2. To differentiate you from the competition.
3. To build brand recognition in the market.
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Logo Design
Wordmark: Typography-based logos that highlight a brand’s name. This works well with compa-
nies that have distinct and succinct names, where all you need is strong typography to support
it. Famous Wordmark logos include Google and Coca-Cola.
Lettermark: Typography-based logos that consist of a few letters (typically an acronym or the
company’s initials). The resulting logo is simple, effective, and especially helpful for streamlining
long company names. Famous Lettermark logos include IBM and AT&T.
Emblem: Logos that contain typography within a symbol, like a badge, seal or crest. They tend
to create a classic and strong presence, and are typically more intricate than other logo types.
While many emblem logos have a traditional feel, like Harley Davidson.
Pictorial mark: Graphic-based logos that showcase a recognizable graphic that can generally
be separated from the text. (Famous ones can be identified solely by mark.)It’s crucial to careful-
ly consider the image selected, as it will become synonymous with the brand.
Abstract mark: Graphic-based logos similar to a pictorial mark that showcase a unique, ab-
stract geometric form to represent a brand. Abstract mark is a symbol that conveys a big idea,
and often embodies strategic ambiguity. Learn more about types of logos on my blog.
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Logo Design
What to look for in a logo
L ogos do not have to mean anything. Their main pur-
pose is to be informative: to convey to whom or what
something, someone or somewhere belongs.
Simple: Your logo should not contain too many graph-
ic elements or create clutter and confusion in peoples’
minds. Simplicity is the key.
The point is to understand what makes a good logo so Memorable: If your logo is simple, and distinctive
that you can judge your ideas. enough – it can be easily remembered. You logo should
be able to just burn into peoples’ minds in an eye-blink.
A professional logo must be:
Versatile: A great logo should be able to scale to differ-
• Simple ent sizes without losing the desired clarity or quality.
• Memorable
• Timeless Appropriate: A great logo should be relevant to the
• Versatile business industry and the target audience.
• Appropriate
Check my logo design process described in more detail.
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Logo is the gateway to the brand, it is the most visible and fre-
quent reminder of what the brand stands for.
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Brand Touchpoints
Rockin’ your brand touchpoints
Every single piece of collateral—from your website to your business card
must work together to deliver a strong and clear brand message.
Y our logo is an essential representation of your
brand, but shaping your brand identity doesn’t stop
there. All collateral items are your brand touchpoints.
ly interacts with people. Most businesses develop sev-
eral of the following elements when crafting their brand
identity.
Now it’s time to take the brand elements (color, typog- Not every company will require every touchpoint—your
raphy, shape and voice) we explored earlier in this guide needs will depend on many factors including your prod-
and use them consistently in each of your brand touch- uct or service and your customer base.
points so regardless of how your customers interact
with you, they’re receiving the same messaging. For example: If you’re an online retailer, the site experi-
ence you give your customers will be number one con-
Brand touchpoints are ways in which your brand actual- sideration.
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Brand Touchpoints
Website: Your website is where the brand elements, consistent typography, corporate colors,
and unique voice, come through in full force. Have logo in the header, communicate in clear
language, and organize the content of the website from the perspective of the user’s needs.
Packaging: Whether you need a bottle for a beverage or shipping packaging for clothes, don’t
underestimate the value of good packaging design. It’s an opportunity for your company logo,
colors and typography to shine.
Business card: While physical business cards are slowly being replaced by LinkedIn profiles and
digital cards, a well-designed card offers the chance to reinforce a positive opinion of yourself in
the eyes of others.
Emails: These days, inboxes are more crowded than ever, so get strategic about the intention
behind each email you send. Want to make a personal connection? Keep it short and sweet.
Hoping to inform or educate? Make it readable and scannable and add in some useful visuals.
Social Media: Social platforms are a great opportunity to reinforce your brand and connect with
your audience on a more personal level. But be sure to remain authentic and consistent with
your brand voice.
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Brand Touchpoints
Brand touchpoints: the golden rules
Be authentic Be durable
When developing your brand collateral don’t try to be Developing your branding takes a lot of time and effort,
something you’re not. Refer back to your brand strate- and once you’ve nailed it, you must factor in even more
gy to ensure that you’re positioning and differentiating time and effort to hook your audience and make a real
your company according to your unique value proposi- impression. Choose brand designs with longevity that
tion. will feel just as relevant 10 years from now as they do
today.
Be different
Generic doesn’t work when developing brand collater- Be evolutionary
al. You want your branding to set you apart from the There will inevitably come a point when your branding
competition, so don’t be afraid to be bold and creative starts to feel a little stale and you’ll want to switch things
as you tell your story. On the other hand, don’t confuse up a bit. Make sure that, despite changes, you stay true
your audience so they have no idea what kind of prod- to your values and offer a feel of continuity in your
uct you’re selling. brand touchpoints.
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Brand touchpoints are the places in which customers interface
with your product or service.
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Social Media
Taking your brand social
Social media present brands with unprecedented opportunities to connect
with—and learn from—their customers.
T raditional brand touchpoints—logos, websites or
physical manifestations of your brand in the form
of products and spaces—are chiefly a one-way street:
Whether it’s Twitter, Facebook or Instagram, your audi-
ence has the opportunity to engage in real time.
a company presenting their product or service to their The interaction has been democratized and the “power”
target audience. gap between companies and customers is now minimal;
they’re together on the same social platforms as equals.
Social media, on the other hand, is a two-way street. This presents brands with unprecedented opportunities
These days, brands have the capacity to pay for adver- to connect with—and learn from—their customers.
tisements on social media platforms, but there is so
much you can do with organic engagement. The feedback loop between your company and your
audience is now shorter and more public than ever.
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Social Media
But beyond immediately reacting to your actions, your Why be picky when you could go all in? Simply put,
consumers can also play an active role in shaping your maintaining and generating solid content for each dif-
brand identity. By generating social content about your ferent platform is a lot of work. The decision depends
company—through posts, tweets or instagram tags— on your brand’s existing reputation and reach.
your consumers are, in a sense, doing your marketing
for you. If you’re a much more recognized brand, you can, and
should, participate in a wide range of social platforms.
Not all marketing is good marketing, however. Negative If you’re a small brand just getting started it may make
experiences propagated on social media, such as tales sense to focus on a couple of key strategic platforms,
of poor customer service that go viral, show the true rather than spreading yourself too thin.
power, and potential risks, of social media.
If we’re talking about a household name brand like Nike,
So, how can you reap the benefits of social media? a consumer would expect to find them everywhere, so
they better be everywhere.
There are many social platforms out there, and new
ones crop up constantly. But before you create brand If your business is a new athleisure startup, focusing
accounts on all of them, take a moment to consider on highly social and visual platforms like Instagram and
which ones would add real value to your company. Pinterest might make the most sense.
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Social Media
Facebook is the platform with the biggest number of users—recently hit 2 billion! Facebook is a
safe bet for most companies, especially those with a consumer product. However, because of the
diversity of its user base, your efforts should be as targeted as possible.
Instagram is a 100% visual platform, this is a great choice for retail and media companies.
If you’re running a clothing, fashion or lifestyle brand, Instagram should be your #1.
Instagram also boasts a younger audience than other main social platforms.
Pinterest is an interesting social platform, with a mission that’s less “connection” and more
“discovery.” Users use Pinterest as a search engine for inspiration and ideas. Topics like food and
recipes, clothing, lifestyle, decorating and DIY are particularly popular.
LinkedIn is for you if you’re in the B2B world, It’s probably your best bet to generate awareness
about your business and connect to professionals who can help you drive success for your compa-
ny. You can take advantage of LinkedIn’s reach by curating company-related updates.
Youtube is a no-brainer if you’re producing a lot of video content, which tends to be the case for
media and entertainment brands. You can still use Youtube as a secondary social media outlet if
you host events that can be then published to amplify your community-building efforts.
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Social media is word of mouth on steroids and anyone interested
in building a brand should leverage this opportunity.
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Style Guides
Developing Style Guides
A style guide takes the DNA of your brand identity, and translates it into tan-
gible guidelines so everyone knows how the brand should be communicated.
Y ou’ve laid down the foundations of your brand strat-
egy and started executing your brand touchpoints,
from your logo to social media. Now, it’s time to ensure
your values, and translates it into tangible guidelines so
everyone on your team—from your graphic designer
to your customer support specialist—knows how the
that you can keep building on your brand in a cohesive brand should be communicated to the world. As the
way. company grows, it helps to ensure that your branding is
consistent across the board.
Style guides help you present a consistent look.
So, how exactly do you create this supremely important
A brand style guide is your brand bible. It takes the DNA document? It’s easy like 1, 2, 3, 4.
of your brand identity, everything from your mission to
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Style Guides
1. Infuse it with the special sauce 2. Lay out the design elements
At the heart of your brand style guide is what we like Logo: You want to make sure anyone who uses your
to call the “special sauce” of your brand: the stuff that logo does so correctly. Include all approved versions
makes you uniquely you: and colors of your logo.
• Your mission
• Your vision Colors: Specify on primary/secondary colors: digital
• Your target audience color (RGB and HEX codes), print color (CMYK) and PAN-
• Your brand personality TONE name and number.
• Your core values
Typography: Include your approved font list, where
You already developed these elements as part of put- each font should be used and any pertinent info on
ting together the brand strategy, and now it’s time to spacing and alignment.
put them to paper and share with your team.
Images: Include a selection of images you feel are on-
These elements should be outlined first and foremost brand; this will give your designer and team an idea of
in your brand style guide, and should lead the develop- how you see your brand and how you want it portrayed.
ment of the rest of the guide.
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Style Guides
3. Nail your voice 4. Make it uniquely you
S tyle isn’t just how you look; it’s also how you talk.
Your voice is a key part of how you’re perceived in
the market, so it’s important that everyone on your
Once you’ve locked down the basics of your brand
guide, it’s time to dig into the details and go deeper on
any brand guidelines unique to your brand.
team, especially those closest to the consumer, like the
marketing or communications teams, truly understand Remember your brand touchpoints. If you sell physical
and embody your brand voice. products you will want to include packaging guidelines.
If you host a ton of in-person events, you’d want to in-
In the guide, include examples of writing that nails clude information on signage and marketing cards. The
exactly how you want your brand to sound. You should more details, the more consistency you’ll achieve.
also let your team know what words to use, words to
avoid at all costs and any do’s and don’ts when it comes As your brand evolves, so will your guide. Keep updating
to your how you use the written word to connect with the guide with any changes, upgrades or new informa-
your customers. tion so your team always knows what’s going on.
See collection of 100 best brands and their guidelines.
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Style guides articulate goals and value of consistency. They ex-
plain identity system with real examples of applications.
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You’ve Made IT!
Congrats on your brand new brand!
Congrats on becoming a brand design expert! You now have everything
you need to get out there and build a successful brand.
You’ve reached the end of my Branding Guide and now
you have everything you need to get out there and build
a successful brand.
Are you ready to put it all into action?
Wishing you lots of luck on your branding journey!
Arek Dvornechuck
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Need an Expert?
Wanna work together?
At Ebaqdesign our mission is to help people create
and grow by design. We’ve helped dozens of entrepreneurs
build brands and successful businesses and now I want to help you!
Read my blog
See my work C O N TA C T
More about me
37
What I do
“
I help businesses grow by helping them understand who
their customers are and talk to their customers
in a genuine and relatable way.
Arek Dvornechuck
Founder
Ebaqdesign
38
Arek Dvornechuck
Brand Design EXPERT
929.245.9811
arek@ebaqdesign.com
ebaqdesign.com
