Creating a brand identity for online stores is a complex process that requires a deep understanding of business goals, as well as conducting market research, determining a targeted audience, establishing workflow, etc. In this article, we’ll discuss fundamental steps designers take toward creating a brand identity for online stores.
The branding design process includes five major steps illustrated in the roadmap below. Let’s take a closer look at each of them.
Step 1. Inquiry
The process of creating a brand design starts with getting to know each other. This initial phase focuses on comprehending the client’s requirements and defining the project’s scope.
Certain formalities must be addressed once a team gets acquainted with a project. They will discuss pricing, timelines, and deliverables with clients and solidify these details by signing a contract.
Step 2. Discovery
Once the initial formalities are taken care of, diving into the specifics is crucial. A team will discuss a client’s brand through email, phone calls, video chats, or face-to-face meetings. This process involves questionnaires, surveys, research, workshops, interviews, and other methods to understand clients and their brands better. During this stage, the team aims to understand your business comprehensively. If you’re interested in our approach to conducting the D&D phase, check out this case study.
Step 3. Ideation
Concepts
Now that designers have a solid understanding of business, it’s time to embark on the creative process!
It’s important to note that these concepts may not be as polished as the final product. The level of detail and quality in these concepts will vary.
The initial concepts can encompass elements such as logotype variations, icons, colors, typography, illustration style, and photography style. They serve as a starting point to give a client an initial glimpse of their brand’s potential direction.
Feedback
After reviewing the initial designs, the team eagerly seeks the client’s feedback. They will be interested in understanding what aspects were appreciated, what elements a client wasn’t fond of, and any suggestions they have for the future. This stage is about client and team collaboration to achieve the desired outcome. It is crucial to engage in open and honest discussions, expressing your thoughts and feelings and collectively devising a plan to move forward.
Step 4. Iteration
Based on the client’s feedback, the team will take the initial concepts and proceed to refine them according to the discussed direction. This iterative process typically involves multiple rounds of changes (the specific number of iterations is generally determined and agreed upon in the contract). Designers will incorporate all feedback, make necessary adjustments, and present the revised versions for the client’s review.
This collaborative cycle continues until a client is delighted with the results.
Step 5. Delivery
This step involves delivering the project, making necessary payments, and collecting feedback. By the end of this phase, all the mockups should be turned into a working solution.
The process may look simple, but it takes lots of time and effort for design and development teams to go through each step productively. The duration of each of them may vary depending on the team, store type, business goals, and cooperation with a client, but this aspect is usually covered in a contract.
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