Computer Arts Projects issue 87

Building a successful brand identity for a client can be one of the most difficult jobs a graphic designer will be called upon to do, but also one of the most common.

A successful brand will at once be familiar, simple, distinctive and memorable – a creative checklist which will be tough enough to fulfil under any circumstances, but a process which can be made even more demanding once the wishes of the client have also been added to the mix.

When you take into consideration some of the brands your work may be competing with out there – the Nikes, Coca-Colas, Volkswagens and Apples – the task may seem daunting, but that needn’t be the case.

In this issue of Computer Arts Projects we take a broad look at brand identity, taking in everything from logo design to applying branding across a wide range of materials and, along the way, offering you pretty much everything you’ll need to know to make your next brand identity job a whole lot easier. On top of that, we also aim to show you how to turn your own brand into a force to be reckoned with.

With tips and advice from respected industry insiders to hands-on tutorials guiding you through the trickier parts of web branding and logo development, everything you need to create a brand identity as good as some of the corporate giants is right here.

Dom Hall, Editor

IN THE MAG

FEATURES

Showcase
Logos and brand identities from established masters and fresh new talent

Classic logos
What makes the branding of Coca-Cola, Atari, McDonald's and Shell so successful?

Brand awareness
Building brands through graphic design is always going to be a tough call. We look at how branding works and see how some of the biggest names in the industry do it

Build your brand
Ensure your brand gets maximum exposure

Guerrilla tactics
New approaches to spreading the brand message in our guide to guerrilla marketing

Japanese branding
We look at how Eastern brands have influenced so many Western designers

PROFILES

Büro Destruct
Despite its name, this Swiss design group is more about creativity than destruction, and it's on a mission to preserve the independent logo

Third Eye Design
With bases in Glasgow and New York, Third Eye Design is a branding consultancy with its eye on the future

Ivan Chermayeff Q&A
We talk brand identity with the man behind the Mobil and Xerox logos

TUTORIALS

Creating a logo
From getting the most out of a client briefing to creating a style guide to ensure your finished logo is always reproduced correctly, we take a close look at the art of building a brand identity from scratch

Developing a brand
Once you've developed your basic logo, you're going to want to get the best out of it. Leading music design company Zip walks you through the development process for the famous Groove Armada identity and shows you how to apply it across different media

Branding online
Your clients are almost certain to want to use their brand identity and logos in some way online. This tutorial guides you through everything you need to know to get web branding right – from websites to email newsletters and beyond

Applying a logo
Once you've developed a logo to delight your client, you're going to want to use it as widely as possible. Get started straight away with this nifty range of branded stationery and marketing material

ON THE CD
Logo Design Shop
Stock images
Leading branding agency showreels
Branding book extracts
...and much more!