Ever wonder what it takes to build an effective small business brand? We’re often asked about process, and how we go about building some of the brands we’ve created. Building an effective small business brand takes a lot of time–and a lot of hard work. Here’s a step by step of our process—and what it takes to do the job right.

Step 1: The Sketch Process

Here’s the hand-drawn sketch work we presented to the client. These sketches are based on a thorough creative brief process which details the brand direction, style and audience we are trying to attract. Typically this phase takes about 16 hours of research, sketching, and planning. It’s crucial to have a firm understanding of how this brand needs to work for the client, and what their most important application of the brand may be. In this case, their vehicle was a primary consideration.

Step 2: Render the Logo

After review of the sketches, one was chosen to be rendered and developed. This artwork is 100% original and developed completely from scratch. The lettering here is completely original and not based on a font. Instead, it’s based on lettering researched from old signs in the 20’s and 30’s.

Step 3: Begin Brand Implementation

Upon completion of the branding, we then tackled their truck wrap design and fleet branding integration. It’s crucial at this point to make sure the brand is integrated in a meaningful way – one that insures that it stands out – and doesn’t fit in in a crowded marketplace. Do you think you’d notice this driving down the road, or does it blend in with the hundreds of other messages competing for your attention? That’s the question all good wraps need to answer.

Step 4: Stationery Brand Integration

Here’s the stationery showing the branding being integrated.