Establishing an Identity: Collateral

Having written about crafting our logo in this post, and building out our core identity in this post, I want to illustrate how those elements come together in our print collateral as a critical extension of our brand identity. Collateral pieces provide the perfect opportunity to test the identity elements we had previously established to see if they would work well together. It’s one thing to create a color palette or type system in a void, but another to apply it to actual pieces in a way that looks visually appealing, fits within the established brand guidelines, and communicates our messaging in a consistent manner.

When designing print collateral consistency is key. We had to decide which items would be more basic and which ones would benefit from a bit of exploration to stretch the confines of the brand a bit. Practical considerations like printing costs also help make these decisions. When printing letterhead and envelopes, we determined this would be an area to save some money since they are mostly used for invoices and other administrative tasks. We chose to have them printed using just one Pantone color with cost in mind. Items like our business cards, on the other hand, that we give out to prospective clients, friends, and people unfamiliar with our studio, need to have a little more presence. For these, we utilized more colors from our palette, both our icon and wordmark with tagline lock-up, and 2 weights from our primary typeface. We also splurged on the paper stock and had our cards printed on heavy stock with a teal core for an added pop of color that one might expect from a creative studio.

Finally, we designed a few low-cost promotional items that we could give away at meetings and networking events to get our name out there. We definitely had more freedom with our swag, but still wanted to stay true to the brand we have worked so hard to create. Since one of our core offerings is design and planning, we felt it was fitting to giveaway pocket notebooks that help our potential clients with their own design and planning. Plus, we thought it was something people would carry around with them for awhile, keeping us top of mind and creating a more lasting impression.

Scout Books is a terrific company that specializes in customizable notebooks. We were familiar with them already, and, after working with them on the design and production, could not have been more pleased with the results. Scout Books produces all of their notebooks in the heart of Portland, Oregon from 100% recycled paper in a solar powered factory. Their customer service is outstanding and assisted us every step of the way.

You never know where your next customer or donor will come from, so it’s critical to make the right first impression and, more so, a lasting impression. People we’ve spoken with have had a very positive response to the design and quality of the pieces we’ve created so far. Any small business or organization can achieve these same results with a bit of intentional design, planning, and sourcing the right vendors.

Let’s talk about how we can help to craft your brand identity and create the corresponding pieces to make a positive, lasting impression.