- We've determined what a brand is, the promise, reputation,
and big idea of a company.
We know the importance of a strong brand message.
And we've looked at the reasons why this is critical
to a company's success.
Now, where do I, as a graphic designer,
fit into the process?
Let's revisit the touch points.
Clearly, I don't have the ability to manage the employees,
corporate actions, product, customer service,
expectations, or reputation of a client.
I'm not a human resources expert
and know less than my client about the product.
However, it is my job to look at the big picture.
From this, I can determine what works and what doesn't.
And if the glaring issue is a bad reputation,
I need to address this.
I may not be qualified to create a new business strategy,
but if terrible customer service or a confused communication
is part of the problem, it's my responsibility
to point this out as part of the overall brand management.
But I do understand visual communication
and can work with the visuals and logo.
Years ago, I was asked to design a new logo for VH1.
I could have immediately started drawing logos,
but I wouldn't understand what I was trying to communicate.
Finally, I spent time really looking
at the brand as a whole.
It was clear that the biggest issue was a lack of focus.
It wasn't clear what the network was about.
I could make a great logo, but it would only be a band-aid
if the audience was still confused.
I created a document that showed the competition,
what the internal employees believed the brand to be,
and all of the existing visual pieces.
The result was clear, there was no consensus
about the brand message, and the product itself,
the programming, was all over the place.
Fortunately, the team at VH1 led by Fred Siber
was smart and creative.
They led the change and moved the brand
toward a singular idea, Music First.
The programming changed to focus only on popular music
with shows like "Behind the Music."
The visual solution then was much clearer.
The logo didn't require visual acrobatics.
It needed to be legible, direct,
contained in a consistent shape
and incorporate the new mission, Music First.
All visuals reinforced the idea of music
from the logo's blue color, connected to the blues,
blue note jazz and Blue Suede Shoes
to straightforward images that celebrated the heroes
of 20th century popular music and culture.
Our job as designers is to address the visual elements,
but we can't do this without a clear message
and communication.
If one doesn't exist, it's our job to work with a client
and create one.
In most instances, I find that getting to the root
of the organization's mission and history
reveals a direction.
VH1 was an offspring of MTV.
The name is an abbreviation of Video Hits 1.
It started with music videos and a passion for pop music.
I simply let that be the message.
It's not as easy as it sounds.
Getting past a client's initial idea
that their brand is about something as broad as quality
is tricky, so is everyone's.
Nobody is about bad quality.
It's our job to dig deeper, to look at the audience,
message and competition, and find the one thing
that is unique and compelling.