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It’s Brand by Name’s 6th birthday! Let’s celebrate by looking back on some of the highlights.
Back in 2012, Instagram had a chronological feed, Facebook groups were in their infancy and infographics were just hitting the big time. Obama was US president, London hosted the Olympics and Psy released Gangnam Style. Oh, and Brand By Name launched.
Fiona Brand, founder of Brand By Name shares her biggest learnings over the six years.
Logos aplenty
It’s wonderful that my clients see the value in investing in top quality logos. Especially in a world where you can get a logo for under $100. Lucky for us designers, there are plenty of clients who understand that quality comes with experience and technique (and won’t be a direct copy of a well-known logo).
Each logo takes time to develop. I spend time understanding the client’s business, their points of difference, the competition and marketplace. I let the ideas flow, creating and perfecting, carefully crafting every curve and colour, then I proudly hand them over to their true custodians.
Logos designed: 29
The Infographics Boom
The heyday of infographics has been a bonanza for Brand By Name. Every business wanted one, so at one point it became the majority of my work. The infographic craze has slowed, but they remain incredibly powerful – even more so now as they’re not so ubiquitous.
A top quality infographic can be shared on multiple social or internal company channels, so they represent great value for money for our clients.
Infographics created: 38
Print management galore
We’ve created so many print items we’ve lost count – hundreds of projects over the six years. Calendars, wrapping paper, coasters, glow in the dark stickers, annual reports, banners, floor plans, maps, posters, signage, foldable toy trucks, paper lanterns, tea towels, fake money – everything!
One memorable project was created to launch a car insurance product. We built two huge polystyrene boxes, then covered them with fake $100 notes to replicate $250,000 – the amount that could be saved by the target market if they switched their insurance. The (very heavy) boxes were driven around (slowly) by two SUVs at the press launch.
Print collateral: somewhere in the hundreds
Events
Branding is the first touchpoint of an event for guests, so it’s essential to get it right. I love creating a brand vision for exclusive black-tie events, product launches, fundraisers, corporate meetings and many others. Some clients want a simple event invitation, others want the full suite of event branding – save the date alerts, bespoke address labels and envelopes, invitations, menus, signage, table decorations, raffle tickets, tasting notes, the works.
For one elegant event I designed an invitation for a tasting of a limited-edition cognac, which retailed at AU$125,000. The project fee was worth far less than a single bottle (and I never got to taste the product)!
Event invitations: 37
Biggest learning: embracing a niche
Easily the most powerful lesson is to stick to my specialty areas. In the early days I agreed to work that wasn’t my area of expertise. Over the years I have really refined Brand By Name’s strengths – namely events, print collateral, logos and branding, infographics, with the occasional website thrown in.
Just recently I was offered work creating packaging for a vegan smoothie range. The product sounded great, but I’d rather refer that client on to a product packaging specialist who has greater experience in their market. In the end it’s better for both parties if the most suitable designer takes the project.
Brand By Name: some design numbers
• Illustrations – 94
• 36 Days of Type Challenges – 1
• Websites – 13
• Christmas wrapping paper – 2
• Christmas, Birthday and Valentine’s Day cards – 47
• Kerchiefs (What’s that? It’s a really big handkerchief) – 1
• Fake money – 2 full sets of Australian currency
Thank you to all the clients and suppliers who have chosen to work with Brand By Name over the past six years. May the next six years be similarly fruitful!
This article first appeared on LinkedIn
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