Sean Adams - How to Succeed with Identities Without Really Trying

In this episode, Sean Adams, an internationally recognized graphic designer, and the chair of undergraduate and graduate graphic design at Art Center College of Design in California  tells  us to succeed with identities without really trying.

Sean Adams is the author of multiple best selling books, including  The Designer’s Dictionary of Color.

Brand Identity is not a one-size-fits-all solution. It's a toolkit, an approach to solving problems, an equation. It's not a thing that you can just slap onto your business and hope for the best. You have to understand it and use it correctly in order to succeed with brand identities without really trying.

If you're just starting out, the process can seem overwhelming at first. Where do you even begin? What kind of logo is best for your business? How do you go about creating an identity that speaks to your customers and attracts new clients?

There’s no one right answer, but there are three kinds of identities that you need to understand to start with: word mark, monogram, and symbol. Your branding strategy may use one of these approaches, so it’s good to explore them all and know what they mean.

One of the trickiest aspects of branding is building equity over time. If you think about the Apple identity, it has that little bite out of it, which forces you to think a little bit, the more you think, the more it sticks in your head. 

Design is an important part of branding. You can't just have a nice logo and expect people to buy your product. You have to make it appealing in other ways too, Branding isn't just about beauty and aesthetic, but it should be how we can make it unique. 

We focus on certain colors because they've become emotionally loaded with meaning for us. How do we get those emotional meanings etched into our brand image?

This episode discusses:

Three kinds of identitiesBuilding equity with symbolsChoosing your branding fontsVisual attributesHow to know you have a great designer/ designers sensibilitiesThe cultural impact of color choicesSemioticsCurrent challenges facing designers

www.seanadams.design
Resources mentioned on the podcast
The Designer’s Dictionary of Color 
How Design Makes Us Think
Debbie Millman books
Sean Adams' LinkedIn leaning course on branding

Valuable Resources:

Brand Tuned Newsletter
Brand Tuned Training Courses