Designer Career Spotlight: Brand Identity Designer

Corporate brand identity is the next wave in the corporate popularity contest. A high-impact logo is no longer enough to carry a business' message forward. Branding today is a comprehensive image campaign that pervades every aspect of a company's presence, from its stationery to its answering service to the sign outside the boardroom.

The more crowded and chaotic the commercial marketplace gets, the more crucial corporate brand identity design becomes. Businesses can't expect their customers to follow their brand through mergers and acquisitions, new product development, and niche marketing. Simplicity and consistency is key--and this is where the brand identity designer comes in.

Corporate Brand Identity A-Z

Branding is a more sophisticated process than ever before. Some companies hire a full-time designer, but most engage a professional corporate brand identity consultant or design firm to craft a signature image.

The brand identity designer's role extends beyond the drawing board. Identity design is a comprehensive process that includes:

• Research & Analysis. First, the brand identity designer conducts research into the market, the company's customer base, and the competition. If she is an outside consultant, an internal audit will also be necessary; this involves reviewing mission statements, press releases, and employee surveys.

• Strategy: In this stage, the designer focuses the information into a coherent corporate vision, identifying underlying principles and style. She presents a branding strategy to upper management, positioning the corporate brand identity with respect to the market.

• Design: This is where the creative juices start flowing--the design team starts with a logo, then develops an appropriate color scheme and typeface.

• Implementation: In this stage, the brand identity designer plans and executes the design elements across company communications--the stationery, business cards, Website, email formatting, company signage, etc.

If you've got an eye for design and a head for business, corporate brand identity design might be the career for you. You can start with a degree in graphic design.