Overview
Here is an overview of the process. In our consult call we might discover that you are at the top, a few steps done, or you might want to back up and start fresh.
Each project and brand is at a different stage. Brand strategy and identity can be developed out at the same time.
Consult Call – 1 Hour
General scope of work and energy matching
Discovery – 1 Week
Exploring the brand problem and solving with a roadmap
Positioning – 1 Week
Research to discover potential brand differentiation
Strategy – 1 Week
Using brand archetypes, crafting a brand core, story and voice
Identity – 2-3 Weeks
5 logo options to 3 creative directions to 1 strong brand identity
Collateral for the Customer Journey – 2-3 Weeks
Brand touch points along your sales funnel
Consult
Call
1 Hour
Client and Studio Match
Before I do anything, let’s see where you are and identify what needs will lead to improvement in your business. Let’s also have a candid talk about money. Are your branding goals time-sensitive?
Providing these will allow me to give you the most value for the call.
- Current brand material and links
- Known competitor sites
- Inspiration sources
Meeting summary
A recap of the consultation for the client, with your key points, recommendations, or next steps.
Schedule a Consult Call
hello@emerald-studio.com
Discovery
1 Week
Build interview guides
With you, I will develop interview guides that identify which stakeholders to include in order to assess different perspectives within the organization, and specify which questions to ask.
Conduct interviews
Conduct interviews with 8-10 key stakeholders. Analyze notes for patterns, correlate into anonymized insights, and share with the client in a report or work session.
Audit competitors
Research competitors and assess the opportunity to differentiate a your brand or offering.
Discovery Roadmap
Results above research will result in recommended next steps in a form of a road map from current pain problem to your desired future business wins. Solutions could consist of potential viable brand differentiation or positioning worth researching further. This will also include 3 different project plan options based on your budget and timeline. Each option will describe and recommended other specialists to hire if I am not a qualified fit.
Positioning
1 Week
If you already have a full audit of you competitors and interviews or customers and stakeholders done, we can move into what that means in terms of your brand positioning strategy.
Research audience personas
Conduct research to discover existing or potential audiences for the client, including what those audiences care about, what they’re interested in, and where they spend their time. This could include the opportunities found in the competitor audit. Research may include an online survey of up to 20 questions, and up to five user interviews.
Establish unique positioning options
Out of the new audience research and interviews, craft clear statements and strategy of the qualities and benefits that make the client’s brand unique. Could include a niche within a niche or new product category with no competition.
Creative brief
Develop mood boards for type, colors, logo, photography and illustration directions of the brand identity that guide the client to search, hire and direct an independent designer or agency if desired.
Strategy
1 Week
If the logo and colors are the visual elements of a brand, the taglines, vision and values are the brand voice, personality and behavior. At the end, you will have a ready to go document guide for copy writers and SEO specialists.
Brand Personality/Archetype
Develop brand archetype that fuel the emotional and associative qualities of your brand that your customers will connect with. A guide on how to be consistent in brand assets.
Voice
Craft writing samples that exemplify a personality and tone of voice that aligns with the brand.
Brand Core
Story. Mission. Vision. Values. Develop out a brand core and craft clear expressions of what the client is passionate about that will inform every other aspect of their brand building strategies.
Tagline
Based on an established brand identity, develop a tagline that accompanies a client’s logo, and articulates their unique value.
Strategy Case Study
Check out an example! Download a case study of a previous client’s strategy document.
Identity
1 Week
If you already have a creative brief and everything above done, let’s jump into the visual creative process of your logo and branding! Based on my experience, I like to run a 1-2 hour brand workshop call first we confirm the creative brief. I also like to get feedback early and often.
5 Logo options & mini creative directions
This work will showcase five different logos, color palettes and typography pairings. With the 5 mini directions we can see if I am successful with your vision or if I need to change directions. I like to share my sketches with you, my ugly Illustrator file as well. I try to include you in the process as much as I can.
3 creative directions
Using the previous feedback I will design out 3 full creative directions. This presentation will come with 3 choices of each; logo, wordmark, typography pairings, color palettes and visualizations of the brand strategy. For example, the tagline designs, auxiliary marks and some icon ideas. To compare logos in real life, view the logos on mocked-up business cards, packaging, or socials for your business.
Final brand identity & guidebook
We will continue to mix and match directions or other ideas until a single creative reaches final approval. A brand identity guidebook will include specific and easy to use directions for using colors, typography, spacing, logo versions, and sizes. As well as layout, illustration, and photography directions.
Identity Add-Ons
1 Week
The base brand identity pack includes logo, color pallet, type hierarchy and logo & tagline layouts. If you would like to see the brand expended out, feel free to pick and choose below.
Brand auxiliary marks
A series of brand alternative brand marks that include logo and tagline compositions ranging from complex for large print applications to small collateral. Other secondary marks include brand name initials or stylized brand quotes, sayings or slang.
Custom icon set
Custom icons set based on product features or benefits. Best for sustainable innovation in product supply chain or green certifications.
Custom Illustrations and/or patterns
Custom small scale illustrations and or patterns that follow the brand archetype personality and positioning to creatively enhance the brand identity to the next level.
Customer Journey
2-3 Weeks
Let’s map out your customer’s unique journey with your brand. Will your marketing efforts be more print or digital or a mix? We can formulate a SWAT analysis on what collateral will have the biggest impact for your customer. All the collateral will be consistent across all channels.
Print & Packaging
Print and packaging projects are usually incredibly unique and have their own challenges and goals. I help guide you through the sustainable processes and materials.
Digital & Social
Are you working with a marketing agency or specialist? Let’s get them in on the conversation and make sure there a Instagram guidelines to match your email design.
Visual Sustainable Supply Chain
Are you claiming to be a green start-up or working on your sustainable mission? Lead them with full transparency with a informational graphic, a dedicated web page or a readable lab report.