A brand identity is a set of rules, not a logo
Logo suite, colour system, typography, and the usage rules that keep everything consistent once ten different people start making things. Delivered as a system your team can actually apply.
Why logo-only projects fail
A logo on its own has no defences. Within six months someone has used it on the wrong background, someone else has picked a heading font from a Google Docs dropdown, and the social team has invented three colours that aren’t yours.
None of those people did anything wrong. They just had a logo and no rules, so they made reasonable guesses that happened to disagree with each other.
A brand identity is the set of decisions that removes the guessing: which colours, in which proportions, for what; which typefaces at which weights; how much space around the logo; what to do when the background is busy. Made once, written down, applied by everyone.
That’s why we rarely recommend buying a logo alone for anything customer-facing.
What’s included
Discovery
- Brand questionnaire and positioning conversation
- Competitor and category visual audit — so you don’t accidentally look like your closest rival
- Direction concepts for you to react to
Identity
- Primary logo, plus secondary and stacked variations
- Icon or logomark for avatars and favicons
- Monochrome and reversed versions
- Clear-space and minimum-size rules
System
- Colour palette — primary, secondary, functional, with hex, RGB, CMYK and Pantone
- Typography — heading, body and accent typefaces with a weight and size scale
- Graphic language — patterns, shapes, icon style, image direction
- Layout principles
Guidelines and assets
- Brand guidelines document, 40 pages, practical rather than decorative
- Logo files in every needed format: SVG, PNG, JPG, EPS, PDF
- Social media profile and cover assets
- Email signature
- Business card and letterhead
- Presentation template (basic)
How it runs
- Discovery — questionnaire plus a conversation. What the business is, who it’s for, what it must not look like.
- Direction — two or three distinct directions, presented in context rather than as a logo floating on white.
- Refinement — you pick one, we develop it properly.
- System build — colour, type, graphic language, applications.
- Two revision rounds.
- Handover — guidelines, full asset library, organised folder structure.
Typical timeline: 4 weeks.
Pricing
| From | |
|---|---|
| Logo only | $400 |
| Brand identity (logo + system + guidelines) | $1,200 |
| Full identity + collateral (cards, templates, social) | $2,500 |
| Brand refresh (evolving an existing identity) | $800 |
FAQ
How much does a brand identity cost?
A full brand identity — logo suite, colour system, typography, graphic language, guidelines and core assets — starts at $1,200. A logo alone starts at $400. A brand refresh, evolving an existing identity rather than replacing it, starts at $800. All include two revision rounds and complete source files.
How long does brand identity design take?
Typically 4 weeks from kickoff to handover, including discovery, two or three initial directions, refinement of the chosen one, and two revision rounds. Timelines stretch mainly when multiple stakeholders need to agree, so we ask upfront who the decision-makers are.
What’s the difference between a logo and a brand identity?
A logo is one asset. A brand identity is the complete system around it: colour palette with defined uses, typography with a weight and size scale, graphic language, application rules and written guidelines. Without the system, a logo gets applied inconsistently within months because everyone using it is guessing. For anything customer-facing, we usually recommend the full identity.
How many logo concepts do I get?
Two or three genuinely distinct directions, each presented in realistic context rather than as a mark on a blank page. We deliberately don’t present ten — a wall of options produces committee-driven averaging rather than a decision, and the eighth concept is never the one anyone chooses.
Do I own the logo and can I trademark it?
Yes. Full ownership and all rights transfer to you on final payment, and you receive every source file. We design original work and check it against the visual landscape of your category, but we’re designers rather than trademark attorneys — a formal clearance search before filing is a lawyer’s job and we’d recommend one.
What file formats do I get?
Vector files (SVG, EPS, AI) that scale to any size without quality loss, plus raster versions (PNG with transparency, JPG) at multiple sizes, PDF versions for print, and a favicon set. All organised in a folder structure with clear names, plus a guidelines document explaining which to use where.
Related
A new identity usually needs a landing page and a presentation template to be visible anywhere. If you’re launching, talk to Zia about SEO foundations while the site is being built — it’s far cheaper than retrofitting.
Tell us what you need.
You’ll get a scope, a price and a timeline within one working day — no call required unless you want one.