Investment vs. Expense: How & When Branding provides Value

Choosing the right design partners is the difference between making an investment that will bring measurable returns, be it in customer excitement, loyalty & satisfaction or in quantifiable revenue and “just” getting a new logo or identity.

There are designers that utilize a thoughtful and strategic process to create an outcome of value, we’ll call them Designer A. There is also the visual designer that provides only an aesthetic direction, usually based on previous work that you as the business owner like, let’s call them Designer B. In order to know what aesthetic direction you need to go in, Designer A will help you clarify how your identity relates or should relate to your business in order to be effective. They’ll help you find the value you provide to your customers, they’ll help you determine who you need to communicate to (your customers!) & then will offer solutions to do just that. It may mean a logo, identity system and retail flow or even a website, just like Designer B would offer. The primary difference is the consideration of your value, your audience and the intentionality behind the solution rather than aesthetic preference. 

It can seem more efficient and straightforward to jump in and hire a designer who produces work that you like. It may even be cheaper or a quicker process. If you don’t understand your value and who you need to communicate with -OR- if you do, but your designer doesn’t ask about that information and therefore can’t use it to inform design and messaging decisions, you’re still putting the cart before the horse. You are essentially saying that the problem to be solved is “I need a logo.” If you take a few additional steps you might actually realize the problem is “I need an identity that communicates my business’ value to my intended audience.” The difference in Designer A & Designer B is really about problem identification. Designer A is a resource, a partner, someone that is going to help you define the problems and then offer solutions to solve them. Designer B is going to take your request for a specific solution without consideration of the real problem.

Building an honest framework that positions and communicates your business around the unique value you provide to customers will have more impactful and lasting returns than building an identity based on what visuals you’re drawn to today. It’s a foundation that allows your visual identity and messaging to evolve over time as the details of your business and the market change. Merely chasing the latest visual trend may keep you up to date for now, but will act as a veneer of authenticity & can easily lose out over time to both newer, hipper brands and brands developed with a firm grasp on their values & the value they provide. If you don’t have a solid understanding of the values you stand for and the value you provide, you’ll be constantly following others’ paths and will look at design as an expense, maybe necessary, but an expense. If you can create a solid foundation and gain an understanding of how to strategically build messaging, communicate to your audience and grow your business, the time and money spent in this way is an investment. It will help you move in your own direction and create something of value and substance. If you’re looking for Design the Noun; a logo, a mural, a space, rather than Design the Verb; a strategic process to cultivate value and desired results, you’ll miss a myriad of possibilities for effective outcomes. Don’t define the solution before you understand the problem. Find a design partner that can you help you beyond “the logo.”