Tomorrow’s brands go well beyond logos.
The essence of a brand is expressed through its visual identity system — a unique pattern of color, typography, imagery, and icons that assemble in a coherent rhythm to engage the consumer across all brand touch points.
Like a great jazz band, different instruments ebb and flow together in harmony, while still leaving room for impromptu variety. For instance, a saxophonist might erupt in a spontaneous horn solo, while still not breaking the song’s overall cadence. It’s the variation within the system that makes jazz special.
This is the core function of a great visual identity system– balancing consistency with variety.
The key is defining all of the instruments in the ensemble (the color palette, typography suite, graphic devices or iconography, voice and tone, photography, logo variations, etc.), then empowering the musicians to play their hearts out. It isn’t overly prescriptive, like an orchestra, or under organized, like a garage band. The brands of tomorrow are captivating because they possess a visual language that rings in tune with consistent notes and unexpected harmony.
