Designing Brand Identity

Whether you're managing a rebrand or educating your staff or students about brand fundamentals, Designing Brand Identity is the quintessential resource. The sixth edition has been updated throughout to address the challenges faced by branding professionals today. From research to brand strategy, design execution to launch and governance, Designing Brand Identity is a compendium of tools and best practices that demystifies, inspires, and provides a road map to creating sustainable and successful brands.
3 sections: brand fundamentals, process basics, and case studies
100+ branding subjects, from culture and social media to positioning and guidelines
50+ all-new case studies that describe goals, process, strategy, solutions, and results
New content on AI, VR, social justice, iconography, and evidence-based marketing
800+ images, diagrams, and examples of brand touchpoints
400+ quotes from branding experts, executives, and design gurus
Designing Brand Identity is the best book on the what, how, and why of identity design (it is a bible) and the book gets better and broader with each update. The 6th edition is indispensable for all identity designers, strategists, and clients.
Paula Scher
Partner
Pentagram
If you read one book on branding this year, make it Designing Brand Identity. The 6th edition features everything you need to know to build a killer brand identity--all done in a hands-on, practical manner.
Ana Andjelic
Chief Brand Officer, Esprit
Author, The Business of Aspiration
Designing Brand Identity is the book that first taught me how to build brands. For over a decade, it's been my blueprint for using design to impact people, culture, and business.
Alex Center
Founder/Creative Director
CENTER
Branding, demystified. Bursting with pragmatic insights you won't find anywhere else and all new case studies from around the world, this book is an essential guide for anyone building a brand today.
Sunny Bonnell
Cofounder + CEO
Motto(R)
Want to understand what branding really is--and how it's done? Get your hands on Alina Wheeler and Rob Meyerson's Designing Brand Identity.
Chris Do
Founder + CEO
The Futur
Designing Brand Identity stands as a testament to Alina Wheeler's legacy of creating resources that shape creative thinking and strategic branding. The Chobani Creative Team is humbled to be included in these pages.
May Aboubakr
Vice President, Creative + Marketing Operations
Chobani

Basics
Part 1 presents the fundamental concepts needed to kick-start the branding process and creates a shared vocabulary for the entire team.
Brand Basics
2 Brand
4 Branding
6 Brand identity
8 Brand strategy
10 Why invest
12 Stakeholders
14 Organizational culture
16 Brand experience
18 Brand architecture
20 Visual identity
22 Messaging and voice
24 Brand governance
Brand ideals
26 Overview
28 Vision
30 Meaning
32 Authenticity
34 Coherence
36 Flexibility
38 Commitment
40 Value
42 Differentiation
44 Longevity
Brand Elements
46 Names
48 Brandmarks
50 Wordmarks
52 Letterform marks
54 Pictorial marks
56 Abstract marks
58 Emblems
60 Dynamic marks
62 Taglines
64 Characters
Brand dynamics
66 Overview
68 Social justice
70 Sustainability
72 Global and local
74 Artificial intelligence
76 Big data analytics
78 Social media
80 Digital interfaces
82 Mobile apps
84 Evidence-based marketing
86 Private labeling
88 Brand licensing
90 Certification
92 Crisis communications
94 Personal branding
Before and after
96 Overview
98 Brandmark redesign
102 Packaging redesign
104 Renaming
Process
Part 2 presents a universal process regardless of the project's scope and nature. This section answers the question "Why does it take so long?"
Process basics
108 Overview
110 Managing the process
112 Brand initiatives
114 Measuring success
116 Collaboration
118 Decision making
120 Intellectual property
122 Design management
Phase 1 Conducting research
124 Overview
126 Defining the problem
128 Market research
130 Usability testing
132 Marketing audit
134 Competitive audit
136 Verbal audit
138 Findings report
Phase 2 Clarifying strategy
140 Overview
142 Narrowing the focus
144 Positioning
146 Brand brief
148 Naming
Phase 3 Designing identity
150 Overview
152 Identity system design
154 Look and feel
156 Color
158 Typography
160 Iconography
162 Sound
164 Other senses
166 Trial applications
168 Presentation
Phase 4 Creating touchpoints
170 Overview
172 Content strategy
174 Website
176 Collateral
178 Stationery
180 Product design
182 Packaging
184 Advertising
186 Branded environments
188 Signage and wayfinding
190 Vehicles
192 Uniforms
194 Ephemera
Phase 5 Managing assets
196 Overview
198 Changing brand assets
200 Launching
202 Building brand champions
204 Online brand centers
206 Guidelines
208 Guidelines content
210 Brand books
Best Practices
Part 3 showcases best practices. Local and global, public and private, these projects inspire and exemplify original, flexible, lasting solutions.
Case studies
214 AC Milan
216 Adventr
218 Airbnb China
220 Algramo
222 Batiste
224 Better Place Forests
226 Bcg X
228 Campbell
230 Chobani
232 City of Vienna
234 Deloitte
236 DonorsChoose
238 DuPont
240 Eames Institute
242 Eat Curious
244 82nd Street Partnership
246 Filthy
248 Folx
250 Fremtind
252 Gentari
254 Gsk
256 Helen of Troy
258 High Street Market & Deli
260 Hootsuite
262 Hopscotch
264 Human Rights First
266 Italicus
268 Jodrell Bank
270 KatKin
272 Kia
274 Lavish Pizza
276 Lego
278 Longfu
280 Lucid Motors
282 Lumanity
284 The Mellon Foundation
286 Oli!
288 oLiv
290 OneTen
292 Pan-Afrikan Design Institute
294 Papier
296 Perth Airport
298 Petbarn
300 Piedmont Art Walk
302 Saga
304 Salehiya
306 Santa Barbara Botanic Garden
308 Sense
310 Spotify
312 Sun Day Carwash
314 US Open
316 Viva