THE THREE BASIC RULES OF BRANDING

Branding is a tough and process-driven business quite often rife with opinion and unfounded notions about what works best. While I'm sure to receive at least a few derisive remarks from the branding community at large, here are what I consider to be my three basic rules for brand development.

1. Color is important (but probably not in the way you think it is):

Don't choose colors based on any personal preferences. And please don't make the mistake of choosing colors because you or a stakeholder happens to like a particular shade of bright green. Color has an emotional aspect that is different for each culture, so if you have an international audience to consider you should do your research before making any hard-and-fast color decisions.

Choose colors based on what is applicable and pertinent to describe the mood and not because it looks cool or hip.

2. A typeface does not a logo make:

However you feel about it — whether you love it or hate it — Helvetica is not meant to be a brand (e.g. the Gap logo redesign). The typeface chosen for any branding initiative is the message, but it's meant to support the branding work. In most cases the typeface isn't meant to be the brand itself. However, there are always exceptions, such as Coca-Cola, but they have used some variation of a hand-drawn script since the beginning (which is, in and of itself, a brand).

And please, for the love of all that is sacred, do not choose a typeface because it's trendy and all the cool kids are using it. Typeface trends grow old quickly and in our fast food society what may look cool and hip now will be outdated in a year. The proper mood can be easily conveyed with the right choice of type for the job and you can create classic brands by simply using type that fits the job. If I've learned anything over the years it would be that type trends come and go, but classic logos can and do last forever (e.g. American Airlines).

3. Opinions are not to be trusted:

Often times the people in the design or marketing department of the company you're working with have an emotional investment in the brand development process. This often includes an agenda to leverage their own personal choices into the brand. But it can also mean that no matter how great your work may be these folks will always hate it. This is often because they themselves didn't think of the concepts you've presented or you "purposely" ignored their suggestions and requests (often with good reason).

It's no secret that some company stakeholders might make suggestions which may not reflect the best direction for their business. It's your job as a brand professional to ignore the personal agendas and approach each project with fresh eyes and a clear heart. Brands should be developed based on the right mood and not biased by preference.

Closing thoughts

As most of us know there are no hard-and-fast rules to branding. Tastes and moods change rapidly in our line of work, but good branding never goes out of style. These three rules are simply the initial guidelines that I'll typically follow when starting on a new logo or branding initiative.

How to Design Restaurant Signboards

By Karen Cotton, eHow Contributor

updated: June 8, 2010

Signboards reinforce your restaurant's brand identity.

Opening and running a restaurant requires more than the ability to make and serve great food. In this fiercely competitive marketplace, promotion and marketing factor heavily in a restaurant's success. Restaurant signboards are one method to promote your presence locally, increase food sales and reinforce your brand identity. Designing your own signage, rather than hiring a graphic designer, helps to reduce the cost of this valuable marketing tool.

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You'll Need:

Ruler
Computer
Image editing software

Design your signboard

1
Your measurement should be recorded in inches.
Determine on the size and shape of your restaurant signboard first. It is easiest, as a novice, to design square or rectangular signs. Measure the area of your restaurant where the signboard will eventually hang.
2
One advantage of using Photoshop is it allows you to manipulate images.
Open a new file in your computer's graphics editing software. Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator are commonly used by designers and commercial sign makers. Under image options, set the properties or attributes for your image. For a professional printing finish, enter an image resolution of at least 300 dpi, or dots per inch. The image size you enter should match the measurements decided in Step 1. If you're working with a large restaurant signboard, you may find it easier to scale this figure down to make it more manageable. For example, if your design needs to be 36 inches wide and 72 inches long, you can reduce its size to 9 inches by 18 inches.
3
The right combination of colors on your signboard can boost your restaurant's image.
Decide which colors you would like to use in your signboard. Your choice will convey an unspoken message to your potential diner. The use of earth tones might relay that your menu is organic, natural and wholesome, while maritime shades, including blue, may indicate a fresh, relaxed atmosphere. Red is an attention-grabbing color, but do use this in moderation as it can be an indicator of danger. Greens, on the other hand, are the easiest on the eye and could sway a diner to say yes. Purples have long been associated with royalty--an ideal choice for an upmarket restaurant signboard.
4
If you use a light background, choose a contrasting, dark text color for legibility.
Use the 'fill' command, create a background for your signboard. Remember that it must be easily visible and -- more important -- legible to those passing on foot and in vehicles. For this reason a solid-color background is preferable to a pattern or multi-colored image.
5
Keep your message simple.
Create text boxes and add text to your sign. Aim to use no more than 10 words across two lines of text. Include the name of your restaurant (e.g. Suzie Q's Diner). Additionally, you may wish to add a description (Home of Smithville's Best Shakes) or contact details.
6
Test out fonts using your word processing software.
Choose the font or typeface for your text. It should reflect your restaurant's branding and be easy to read. Some studies show that using a sans-serif typeface, such as Arial, is one way of achieving this. Sans-serif fonts are those that do not have "finishing strokes" at the end of each letter.
7
Chalk signboards can quickly become sloppy.
Add an image or logo to your signboard design. Editing tools such as the eraser and magic wand in Photoshop help you to professionally blend the image into the background. You can find advice on using these in the resources section below.