In business and design, brand designers play a crucial role in creating memorable projects. Who are they? What problems do they solve? Is their role essential for your business? This article explores how brand designers add value, boost your business, and ensure lasting success.
Key takeaways👌
If you want your project to be remembered by a wide audience and stand out among countless competitors in the market, a brand designer might be exactly what you need
Brand designers are about more than just aesthetics – they also play a crucial role in aligning those aesthetics with your company’s vision, mission, and values
A professional brand designer enhances your product's perceived value , ensuring your brand meaningfully connects with your target audience for lasting impact
Who is a brand designer?
Brand designers are professionals who focus on a brand's visual identity – essentially, the face of the brand. "So, just a regular designer?" – Not exactly. While designers may simply execute tasks and occasionally join brainstorming sessions, brand designers have a deep understanding of consumer psychology.
They align the company’s philosophy with what customers truly want to see.
Brand designers aren't just proficient with Photoshop; they also have a solid grasp of marketing, psychology, and business processes.
Jack of all trades, master of none, but better than master of one – that’s a fitting description for brand designers. They are creative, analytical, empathic, and adaptable.
Design is the silent ambassador of your brand.
— Paul Rand, American graphic designer of the 20th century
What do brand designers do?
So they’re “responsible for the visual part of the brand”, yeah? What does it include, exactly? Brand designers often play numerous vital roles. But let’s try and narrow the list to the core responsibilities:
Visual identity development
- Logo creation: Crafting the brand’s primary symbol, often the first point of recognition for the audience.
- Brand сolors and fonts: Selecting the colors and typography that represent the brand’s personality and values.
- Visual elements, patterns, and Icons: Developing the visual components that bring the brand to life, creating a cohesive look across platforms and materials.
Brandbook building
- Establishing visual guidelines: Creating a comprehensive brand guide that defines how the brand’s visual elements should be applied across different mediums – marketing materials, websites, packaging, etc.
Marketing
- Advertisement banners, presentations, creative companies for social media platforms – brand-designers might not be fully responsible for these processes from start to finish, but they do play a sort of managerial role, making sure that everything is according to the brand’s visual guidelines
Research and analysis
- AIDA model, Golden Circle, Gestalt, color theories – all these are brand designers’ fortes, but so are STP (Segmentation, Targeting, Positioning), the 4 Ps of Marketing, and the Buyer’s Journey, which are essential tools for marketers to understand customer behavior, craft effective strategies, and drive brand success. A good brand designer knows their brand’s audience better than they know themselves, using their knowledge to make the brand as appealing as possible.
A brand is constantly influenced by four key elements of any commercial project: business mission, brand values, target audience, and brand message. Balancing profit while staying true to these elements requires careful management. A brand designer ensures that all four are in continuous harmony, helping the business generate profit and attract new clients while preserving its core values.
Have you ever wondered why some companies immediately inspire trust, while others remain unnoticed? It's like a store window: if it's well-designed, people will walk in. Brand design is that very window that makes a business attractive and memorable
A brand designer's toolkit
Let us all remember one golden truth – first impression is everything. Especially in today’s reality, when options are endless, and finding something actually worth your money and time is a hassle.
The good news is – even if your product is not the first, or second, or third on the market, a unique brand identity can pretty much put you ahead of everyone, no matter what. Look at Warby Parker, for example. These fellas started in the 2010s, when the entire glasses industry was absolutely dominated by RayBan, Oakley, and other multi-million dollar companies with thousands and thousands of marketers and designers driving their success.
But guess what? Warby Parker’s quirky mascot, unique packaging, and impeccable minimalistic design allowed them to earn their place among industry giants, earning the company over $ 250 million in revenue by 2024.
Thei brand designers certainly knew their stuff. But what is that “stuff” that can turn another black horse into a leading brand? Let’s take a look:
- Understanding of the fundamentals of graphical design. Aforementioned AIDA model, Golden Circle theory, etc, are at the very top of one very long list.
- Knowledge of customers’ psychology. A brand designer understands how to emotionally connect with the target audience. This includes familiarity and consistency in branding, the psychology of color, reducing cognitive load, leveraging social proof, mental models, and applying Gestalt principles. All these aspects play a crucial role in how the audience perceives and interacts with the brand.
- Principles of UI/UX. Understanding the fundamentals of UI/UX design—such as user-centricity, consistency, accessibility, usability, responsiveness, and emotional engagement—is essential for creating intuitive, visually appealing, and functional products that enhance user satisfaction and align seamlessly with brand identity.
- Fundamentals of marketing and branding. Brand designers must have a strong grasp of marketing and branding principles such as emotional resonance, consistency, storytelling, differentiation, and customer-centricity. These principles help craft a compelling, memorable brand identity that resonates with the target audience and drives long-term customer loyalty and business success.
These are, of course, the basics. Software proficiency (Figma, Illustrator, InDesign, etc.) and strong communication skills (brand designers interact with practically every other department in the company almost constantly) are also welcome, but to create truly world-changing projects, brand designers will need years and years of experience and unmatched visual literacy.
Want to get to know brand-changing professions a bit better? Check out our Who is a product owner and why their role is crucial in scrum
Where do brand designers work?
As it usually happens in today’s digital world, brand designers can realize their skills and potential in many places, not just as in-house employees:
| Workplace |
Description |
Advantages |
Disadvantages |
| Creative and branding agencies |
Develop identity for clients – from startups to large corporations. Create logos, brand styles, and marketing materials. |
A variety of projects, teamwork |
High workload, client dependency |
| In-house (Company designer) |
Work within large companies, maintain brand consistency, develop marketing materials, and update visual identity. |
Stability, deep understanding of the brand |
Less creative freedom |
| Freelance and contract-based |
Collaborate with clients independently on a project basis. Freedom to choose clients and develop an identity for different industries. |
Flexible schedule, variety of projects |
Unstable income, often need to find clients independently |
| Startups and small businesses |
Handle multiple roles, including graphic design, marketing, and content creation for social media. |
Opportunity to influence the brand, multitasking |
High workload, limited budget |
| Design consultants |
Act as consultants, help companies shape strategy, and improve brand perception |
Work with various companies, expert status |
Requires a high level of experience, irregular income |
Interesting fact 👀
The famous Nike logo was created by design student Carolyn Davidson in 1971 for just $35. Later, the company acknowledged her contribution and gave her shares in Nike, which are now worth millions of dollars.
Conclusion
Companies that invest in quality brand design gain a competitive edge. Their visual identity becomes not just graphic design, but a powerful tool to influence consumers. The experience of leading studios confirms that thoughtful design can transform brand perception and strengthen its position in the market.
Recommended reading 🤓
“Designing Brand Identity", Alina Wheeler
A step-by-step guide on creating brand visual identity, including strategies, research, and creative processes.
On Amazon
"Logo Design Love", David Airey Airey
A practical guide to creating memorable logos and strong brand identities.
On Amazon
“The Design of Everyday Things", Don Norman
A book explaining the principles of human-centered design that make products intuitive and user-friendly.
On Amazon
Artyom Dovgopol
Without a well-thought-out design for your brand, the company risks remaining unnoticed in a world full of informational noise 😉