Brand design and product design are two sides of the same coin. One focuses on crafting stories to evoke emotions and build connections and an identity while the other focuses on specificities and functionalities. Brand design employs visual and textual concepts that relay a brand’s values, essence, and promise(s) to its audience. Product design, on the other hand, is the encapsulation of said promises, i.e., by blending user needs with business goals and functionality in the development of products.
Elements of Brand Design
Logos: These are central to brand design. They are the most recognisable and relatable piece of one’s brand. Take the Nike logo for instance, once you see it, it most likely spurs sportsmanship, agility, and physical endurance in you. The aim of creating logos for brands is to have visual representations that can foster deep and emotional attachments to their products.
Colour Palette: Closely tied to the concept of proper logo designs is the colour palette. The knowledge of colour psychology—emotions conveyed by certain colours—is what helps establish a brand’s identity.
Typography: Usually a brand’s consistent distinct style of textual communication that works in harmony with the brand’s logo and colour palette. Case in point, Coca-Cola’s, even when taken out of context is easily recognisable.
Shape: Yes, a shape! This 2D element is very crucial in brand design. This element is greatly tied to one’s brand’s persona. The brand’s persona is simply thinking along the lines of “If my brand were a person, what would he or she be like?” When that is established, it should be easier to come up with the right shape that conveys the brand’s persona. For example, a brand’s persona can be “the adventurous explorer” and the brand a camping gear company. The shape used to convey the persona to its audience can be a triangle that symbolises direction, or imply the reaching of new heights or uncharted territories.
Taglines: This element which is usually short and catchy, helps keep the brand’s overall concept in the hearts of and inspires its audience. For example, Just Do It by Nike inspires their users to do away with excuses and chase after their desires.
The Tone of Voice and Vocabulary: This element is all about the brand’s communication style which is inclusive of the language and attitude being communicated in the message. Designer People further describe it as the best method for communicating with their targeted audience. Nike’s voice is centred around human potential and overcoming hurdles in life and in turn their tone is self-assured, dogged, and hopeful. For example, the Find Your Greatness 2012 campaign.
Imagery: It is said that words can sometimes limit the understanding of a concept, so brand designers use images to convey their ideas to build trust and showcase reliability to their target audience.
Brand design is necessary to create a compelling and noteworthy identity that separates companies from one another. It is what influences how users interact and perceive a brand.
Elements of Product Design
Desirability: This element figures whether the proposed product is in demand by one’s target audience. The product has to meet a specific need or else it would not be desirable.
Functionality: A functional product not only meets the needs of its users, it enhances the overall user experience, reduces cost, and increases product value. In simpler terms, it must be functional concerning its core purpose.
Usability: Products should be easy and intuitive—anything to enhance the user experience.
Aesthetics: As much as products should be focused on functionality, the aesthetic bit of it should not be compromised. Users can relate more to functional and visually appealing products.
Ergonomics: Products should be designed based on human factors (such as the physiological and psychological) and interactions to create products that are efficient and easy to use.
Sustainability: The environmental impacts of creating products—through their lifecycle: production to disposal—should be taken into consideration.
Product design involves research, strategy, design, and business. It is crucial to create goods that not only meet user’s needs but also fascinate and engage them.
Key Differences Between Brand Design and Product Design
Focus and Objective:
- Brand design focuses more on storytelling (by creating a consistent and compelling brand identity that communicates the brand’s value) to be able to connect with its target audience on an emotional level.
- Product design is focused on the creation of functional and aesthetically pleasing products that meet their user’s needs.
Scope:
- Brand design is focused on the visual and textual elements associated with the brand such as logos, voice, typography, and colour palette.
- Product design takes on a broader view of the product. It not only considers the usability of the product but also how and where the product fits into the market and how it can achieve business goals.
Outcome:
- Brand design births a memorable brand identity that can be across various touchpoints to build brand identification, trust and loyalty.
- Product design produces tangible products that users interact with and in turn, increase customer satisfaction and drive sales.
Synergy Between Brand Design and Product Design
The collaboration between the two disciplines can enable companies to leverage their strengths to create a harmonious and effective brand-product relationship. This can then significantly enhance a company’s market presence and success.
For example, as the brand design focuses on evoking emotions and creating a narrative, the product design can deliver the narrative through user experience. This alignment will create a product with an engaged and loyal audience. Furthermore, a well-designed product that aligns with the brand’s identity reinforces the brand message and values. Consistency across brand and product design will create a seamless experience for consumers ergo strengthening brand recognition and trust. Products that reflect the brand’s personality and values can deepen user engagement. For example, Apple’s persona is less is more which is why their designs look so simple and yet as sophisticated as they come.
In all, both brand and product design are crucial to the success of a business—none can be substituted for the other. As much as they play distinct roles, businesses that find ways to align and harness both concepts are better positioned to thrive in the competitive marketplace.
References:
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Foster, D., 2024. What is Product Design? — updated 2024 | IxDF. [online] The Interaction Design Foundation. Available at: https://www.interaction-design.org/literature/topics/product-design [Accessed 28 July 2024].
Guide, S., 2023. Product Design Process: Overview and Key Elements for Success (2023). [online] Shopify. Available at: https://www.shopify.com/blog/product-design-process [Accessed 28 July 2024].
Malik, A. and Guide, S., 2021. Brand Design – Principles, Process, Case Studies and Inspiration 2024. [online] DesignerPeople. Available at: https://www.designerpeople.com/blog/what-is-brand-design/ [Accessed 28 July 2024].
McDonald, J., 2016. The 7 key elements of brand identity design | by Lucidpress | Lucidpress. [online] Medium. Available at: https://medium.com/lucidpress/the-7-key-elements-of-brand-identity-design-f2dac84165be [Accessed 28 July 2024].
Stevens, E., 2023. What is product design? Definition, process, tools & more. [online] UX Design Institute. Available at: https://www.uxdesigninstitute.com/blog/what-is-product-design/ [Accessed 28 July 2024].
