FIT FOR PURPOSE

Architects often plan extensions to make homes more fit for purpose as families expand or needs change. Branding needs to be fit for purpose too. Whatever your business is, you’ll have to ensure that your branding is suitable for the task. Branding is about making your business stand out from others and ensuring that the right message is getting across to your audience. If it doesn’t do that, then it’s not fit for purpose.

NO WASTE

Without planning you can waste a lot of time and money.  You don’t want to buy too many bricks, or miss out electricity sockets in key places or forget to add the stairs!

To plan a brand you need to consider a range of things including:

-       what your business does

-       what your values are

-       what your business aims are

Here’s a post I’ve written before on some of the things I like to know before I start working on a brand.

If you don’t consider these things then you will waste time by phaffing around with ideas that don’t do anything for you (that aren’t fit for purpose) if you’re doing this yourself then you’ll be wasting your time when you could be doing something that you’re better at and working on a different aspect of your business. If someone is doing this for you then you are wasting their time and your money by not providing them with the information that they need. Of course, a designer should ask you about these things and spend time getting to the bottom of your business before they even start this process to ensure the best possible outcome!

You might also find that it’s worth chatting to someone else about this, a business coach would help you to figure all of this out if you’re stuck, or there’s a programme called More than a Logo which I’d recommend to help you build a strong and consistent corporate identity.

Then there’s additional costs – your brand isn’t appropriate, however, you’ve gone and produced a bucket load of leaflets, you’ve got a website, you’ve given out HOW many business cards? All items which don’t capture the essence of your business and therefore don’t convey the right impression.

AN EYESORE

Planning can also prevent you making a huge mistake by creating something which is hideous. As no one would want to live in an ugly house, no one wants to interact with an ugly brand either. Your branding needs to convey your message, your values and what you do whilst also being attractive, being something that people WANT to connect with and being something that makes people interested in what you do.

I am currently working on this – re-doing the branding for Whiteacres. Watch this space for a bit of a change!

*Image includes Schoffice architects drawing “Stereographic Sun Study” by Mark Starford Chartered Architect

The new rules state:

“All covers are public. This means that anyone who visits your Page will be able to see your cover. Covers can’t be deceptive, misleading, or infringe on anyone else’s copyright. You may not encourage people to upload your cover to their personal timelines. Covers may not include images with more than 20% text.”

That 20% includes text based logos.

So once you’ve got your cover how you want it, pop in your Facebook ID above (ie “WhiteacresDesign“) and see if you’re breaking the rules. You can now include:

- contact information

- arrows

- calls to action

- prices

So now is a GREAT time to update your cover image and make it work harder for your business.  You can do this yourself using photos and text in something like http://www.picmonkey.com/ or you could always ask me

Example Facebook cover: Dragonrat Jewellery

If you don’t know what a piñata is (my Dad didn’t) then it’s a papier-mâché container – this one was horse shaped – brightly coloured and filled with sweets that you hang up and bash with a stick until the sweets come out. In theory.

This piñata was solid as a rock. All the kids had a go, all the adults had a go, it was not going to break open. Thump, bash, thwack. Nope. All the sweets remained inside. The piñata still looked brand new. In the end it had to be pulled down and ripped apart to find the treasure within! Very frustrating.

When you create your communication materials how easy is it for your intended audience to find the information they are looking for? Can they put their finger on it in one hit, or do they need to trawl through pages and pages of information, click and click and click through your website or even have to call you up because they can’t find what they need to know? (If they get that far or can find your phone number).

Do people understand what you do right away or do they have to ask question after question to really “get it”? Is your message easy to find? Do they need to tear your brochure to pieces to find that one bit of information – the length of the bookcase you’re selling, or the delivery costs, where an event is or even how to get in touch with you?

If you’re looking for information and you can’t find the information you want, what do you do? You probably go elsewhere don’t you, or you give up. So make it easy for your customers to find the information they need and you might just have more of them. Ensure that your contact details are easy to find. Make sure your information is clearly laid out and easy to navigate.

Don’t make them have to rip you and your business apart to find the thing they are looking for. Not everyone will wait long enough to be showered with sweets.

Daniel saw a piece of work I did at university (a colouring in book for Barcelona) and asked me to do some work in that style to contrast with the amazing work by Jack Couvela who draws the flashbacks that go with the story. So I did, and it was a lot of fun!

You can buy the comics here.

I’ve written a very short post before about the kind of things I like to know about a business before I go on to create a logo, things like what the vision and values of the company are, what they actually do, what the objectives of the work will be. I’ve certainly felt that although my list of questions is good, and I’ve been told from various sources that they are and that clients find it helpful to be asked these things – the sheet I use could do with a bit of a re-vamp, more targeted questions, to help me really get my head around the business and ensure that I produce something that really works for them. Something I’ll be working on.

I’ve also been told that not everyone who produces design work bothers to ask these sort of questions. Which I don’t get. How can you design something effectively without understanding as much as possible where their business is going and what it’s about? Surely knowing the aims of the business, the objectives of the work and who the audience are, are crucial to designing anything so that it works for the client and does what it’s supposed to do?

How can a business expect to go to a designer and say “create me a logo!” if they don’t provide the designer with enough information? Of course I could design a logo based purely on what the business is, but in order to design one which really works for them, which shows their values and indicates what sort of company they are, I’d need to have a bit more to go on.

Of course, you might think that you understand and know your company, but just think about your business values. This seems to be the hardest thing for anyone to answer from my list! Some people just know, and their answer is wonderful, however, most people umm and aarr for a bit before coming out with the same answer as everyone else. “Quality.” It can be harder than it looks!

More than a logo covers the values, vision, goals, messages, tone of voice, branding and logo for each company that takes part, helping them to understand the ins and outs of their company and each of the six aspects identified so that ultimately, if they need to, they are able to give a thorough and complete brief to a designer which WILL be more than a logo, it will be, in the words of the programme, “the heart and soul” of their company.

Congratulations!! I’ll be in touch about getting your prizes to you.

Here’s a roundup of all the songs with the correct answers:

White Christmas

The Holly and the Ivy

Rudolph the red nosed reindeer

Go tell it on the mountain

Frosty the snowman

When Santa got stuck up the chimney

The drummer boy

O Christmas Tree

We wish you a merry Christmas

All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth

Christmas Alphabet

Driving home for Christmas

The red red robin comes bob bob bobbing along

Good King Wenceslas

Little Donkey

O little town of Bethlehem

We three kings

While shepherds watched

I saw three ships

I saw Mommy kissing Santa Claus

Away in a manger

Thank you very much to all those who took part. The winner was chosen using random.org.

If you would like to receive my newsletter then you can do that here.

The winner will be announced at some point – by the 3rd at the latest (I am on holiday now after all) and then I’ll be in touch to work out how to get your prize to you.

The rules.

The rules.

The rules.