Stellar logo? Check. Harmonious color palette? Done. Beautiful typography? Sure thing. Is the visual brand done? Nope.

Developing a visual brand is a lot more than making some elements harmonize in theory. It’s developing systems and rules for the environments in which the brand will actually live. Sometimes the brand is for a charming local farm, other times it’s for a multifaceted corporation. Each brand is unique, but regardless of the size of the business, it’s crucial that a few things are thoughtfully considered.

Who will make the collateral for the brand? Will they know how to properly pair the typefaces? Will they know how to use the color palette in a way that maximizes accessibility? Will they be able to intuit that thin rule lines are more on-brand than chunky rules lines? Probably not, because they’re not brand designers. They’re busy doing the thing that makes them great, whatever that may be.

But me? I’m the brand designer. It’s my job to ensure when we hand over a brand, our clients have a clear guide to making the brand flourish once it leaves our hands. The more explicitly we can articulate brand strategy to clients, the more successful the brand, and the client, will be in the end.

Thinking, planning, analysis, and even a bit of future casting are all parts of the process. When we build the foundation for a brand, we don’t cut corners.