The Process
Development of a brand. The most misunderstood term of the design process, the "brand" is not simply the company's name, logo, or look. Identity designer Walter Landor stated, "Products are created in the factory, brands are created in the mind." A brand is a combination of the company's promise to their client, the reputation of the company in the client's mind, and the emotional connection the client associates with the company. If done properly, a brand plants an emotional footprint in the mind of your client.
Core Words
The process of developing a brand starts with the core words. These values form the basis of "why" and "how" the company operates.
After meeting with the founder of Oaktree, we boiled down their core words to: Timelessness, Excellence, and Sophistication.
Mood Board
A collection of thoughts, the mood board blends tonal relationships, moods, and imagery to create the foundation of the brand's look.
We create a mood board of images, colors, fonts, and inspirations that visually and/or emotionally evoke the core words. The mood board makes connections and shapes the framework of the design. The mood board is presented to the client for approval or refinement.
Font Exploration
Once the mood board is approved, we move on to the development phase. In this project, imagery and fonts provided the basis for the brand logo.
Development & Presentation
Logo design is very contextual therefore we like to show the logo concepts in an environment where it will be used. In this case it just made sense to present them on a whiskey bottle.
Refining the Brand
As the options narrow, we focus on refining the look for remaining design options. Assigning a color pallet and mood board image helps flesh out the potential logos' personalities, and helps the client determine which direction speaks the language of their core words.
The Brand
After we refine, refine, and refine...we end with the brand that embodies the image and values of the product and company.
Timelessness, Excellence, & Sophistication.