Creating a Brand Identity
Project #3
Computer Imaging
Creating a Brand Identity
What is a brand identity?
What is brand image?
How can we create a strong brand identity?
What elements of design should we consider when creating a logo?
Brand identity is how you want to be perceived. Brand image is how you are perceived.
For this project, we will be creating a fictional business or company. You will need to come up with a name, address, email and phone number for your company. This information will be used as a part of your letterhead, business card and note card. You will need to think long and hard about your logo design because this will be the root of your brand. You will be using the pen tool to build the foundation for your logo design. You may also use any other tools and techniques we have learned to enhance your logo design (gradient tool, marquee tool, different blending options, etc.)
Important aspects to consider: color schemes, cohesiveness of the brand, and font for your company name. All of these elements should combine to form a strong brand identity for your company.
Document sizes:
Logo: 5 width x 5 height Background transparent.
Letterhead: 8.5 width x 11 height
Envelope: #10 (9.5 width x 4.125 height)
Business Card: 3.5 width x 2 height
Note card: 5.125 width x 8.125 height
You will also be adding your logo to a piece of apparel or an accessory. For example, what would your logo look like on a hat, mug, T-shirt or tote-bag? You will need to find 3 items and place your logo on each. Play with opacity and positioning and warping to make it look cohesive and united.
When creating your logo in Photoshop:
1. Create a new document: 5 inches by 5 inches; Background set to transparent. Title it YOUR INITIALSLogo.
2. Using the pen tool: make sure “Shapes” is selected NOT paths.
It looks like this:
3. Make sure you are still on the pen tool. Pick a color from the tool bar at the top of the window: Click on “Select Color for New Layer” and then choose your color from the picker. Your shape will automatically be filled in with that color once your start with the pen tool. Make sure your foreground color matches the color in the toolbar.
4. Create your shapes. Add a drop shadow or any other option from the layer styles palette to enhance your image. To get to layer styles, select the “f shape” at the bottom of your layers window and click on blending options. Experiment with drop shadow, inner/outer glow and the gradient option. To edit the color of the gradient overlay, click on the gradient and choose your style (Foreground to Transparent, etc.) You may also have to play with the blend mode to achieve the style you are looking for.
5. Remember, all portions of your logo should be on separate layers so you can edit them separately.
6. Try Edit-Transform-Warp-or Distort to create some interesting curves.
7. Try Liquify: See my own example of the “G”. Go to filter, liquify. Rasterize shape: click OK. Hold and drag portions that you want to give a drippy style.
8. Add text with the name of your company. Try at least five fonts. Print out your options and check with me. Choosing a font is an important part of your logo design.
9. When you are finished with your logo, Save a copy to your folder. Title it LogoUnmerged. Go back to your logo and go to Layers, Merge All Layers or Merge Visible. Save another copy to your folder titled LogoMerged. You are going to use the merged layer to copy and paste into your letterhead, business card, etc. In your merged layer, the image is now one and each layer cannot be modified separately. If you need to edit your logo at all, you will need to use the unmerged copy and then repeat the saving process again, merging the new version and saving with a different title. Now you are ready to create the other components to your brand identity.
10. Copying your logo into a new document. Say for instance you are ready to create your letterhead. Create a new document: 8.5x11. Title it YOUR INITIALSLetterhead. Open your merged logo and go to edit, copy merged. Go back to your letterhead document and paste you logo in-Edit Paste. Remember “Control T” to transform, rotate, scale or move the size of your image. Add additional lines, shapes and colors to enhance your letterhead and unite with your logo.