Question 1: Advise on Designing an Effective Logo
Airey begins his advice by suggesting the importance of understanding the client (51). Without knowledge of the needs that the client wants to be met, it is impossible to design a logo that is customized to his/her company or business. The relationship with the client is the most important but can be very complicated. Therefore, the beginning step is to select the right kind of customers. The designer is advised to take time to know the motivation behind the brand identity that the client wants to design. It is a process that should not be abrupt. The procedure entails collection of adequate information and working with the client towards an outcome that will meet the needs and expectations (Airey 52). Involving the client entails asking the most important questions and giving him/her adequate time to respond.
The author further advises on the importance of the designer to know that he is the driver of the project. It is critical to remain focused on the project. As the expert, when the designer gets the right information from the client, he/she should know what kind of solution the client wants. The expert should also be the one to advise the customer on the same and not the other way around. “Market research is imperative in producing an enduring and effective design” (Airey 59). From the quote, the author indicates that there are no two ways around making the right design. The designer has to carry out market research to gain the necessary intelligence before beginning the work (Akers and Fasig 6). All the details are what will be brought together to come up with the effective design that will satisfy the client.
Question 2: Critiquing a Brand
Meet the Goals
The goals and objectives of creating the design were clearly laid down. A comparison between them and the design shows that they were achieved. The element is strong as the design advances not only the goals of the brand, but also those of the business
Simple
The design for the logo is simple, following the importance that Airey proposes to make it easy to recognize (29). The design was simplified to make it easy to implement. Worth noting is that the brand is strong in relation to this benchmark.
Relevant
In terms of relevance, it is possible to identify the business that the design is expected to represent. It was designed out of a thorough understanding of the firm and the brand. In terms of this element, the brand is strong.
Enduring
We were not designing a logo that would become extinct the day after. As long as the business will be around, our logo will also continue to appeal. Therefore, our log was strong in terms of this element.
Distinctive
We designed the logo after a thorough research on those of the competitors. We made sure that it was different from what competing brands had (Airey 59). However, we could not be completely sure that nothing is close to our brand; therefore, I rate this element as weak.
Memorable
Creativity informed the design of the logo for the brand. It is such that any person who sees it will not forget it anytime soon. The memorability is the strongest point in our design.
Adaptable
The design has the potential to accommodate different applications and media through which it will be communicated to the audience. However, the design is limited in terms of the adaptability to electronic media channels, and hence the element is weak.
Question 3: creating Brand Identity
The logo is simply a tool to create the brand identity for the business (Airey 180). It is critical to exercise a high level of creativity in designing it to make a mark in the minds of the audience. However, when the viewer sees the logo, it should communicate something more about the brand. The designer is not designing the logo, but the brand identity which should be enduring (Underwood 62). The process goes back to understanding the business and the brand. The information is critical in designing an element, which is appealing to the clients even without having the logo. It is possible for the designer to create a logo and fail to make sense because of inadequate understanding of the brand. It is imperative for the message about the brand to be sent to the audience.
Designing a brand identity is a process that requires bringing together of disparate pieces to create a meaningful whole. It begins with collection of adequate information about the business, researching about the market and competitors, creating a logo that meets all the elements of a strong brand, and finally building the brand identity. The idea is to send a message and attract the attention of the viewer to the brand. Therefore, the brand identity is the desirable outcome of the whole process. Hence, it is advisable to change the focus from the visual elements, such as the logo and think about the bigger picture, which is a creation of the identity (Underwood 62). When the client approaches the designer to make the logo or any other visual elements, the expert should understand that the customer seeks to create an identity around the brand.