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Episode
10

The Steps To Design A Brand Identity, With Alina Wheeler

An interview with
Alina Wheeler

Introduction

What is branding, and what role does a logo play? What steps do you need to take to design a brand identity? In this weeks episode Ian chats with Alina Wheeler, the author of the book Designing Brand Identity.

Alina Wheeler Interview Transcription

Ian Paget: This week I'm excited to be chatting with Alina Wheeler, the author of one of my favourite books, Designing Brand Identity. This was one of the first design books I purchased probably around five to six years ago. And it gave me a real insight into how design agencies and companies carry out a branding process from start to finish. And the information and the understanding it has given me of branding has also heavily influenced how I go about designing logos too.

Since reading this book, I purchased and read quite a significant volume of design books, but this is one that I frequently pull out and reference, as it breaks down the branding process into easy to follow steps, with really useful diagrams too, that can even be shown to clients. It's one book I'm always recommending. So when I plan to do an episode of branding, Alina was the first name that came to mind. So I was really excited when she kindly agreed. So to talk about designing brand identities, I introduce you to Alina Wheeler.

Alina Wheeler: Everyone is branding now, cities, countries, communities, even your kid's soccer team. So it's not just companies anymore. It's companies, it's everyone big and small, profit and nonprofit. So then what is branding? It's a disciplined process. The purpose of the process is to fuel recognition, attract new customers, build employee engagements, build customer loyalty, and build and grow the business. Another thing that branding is, is its sense of brand represents the organisation's biggest and most valuable asset. Branding is also about protecting that asset. I love what Debbie Millman said about branding. She said branding is deliberate differentiation. So from the perspective of being a designer, of being on that branding team, how do you help your client rise above the clutter and how do you help to grow and increase the value of their brand?