Building a Brand's Visual Identity: From Brief to Creative Concepts (Part 1)
Summary:
- Océane Guidt initiates a new series documenting the end-to-end creation of a client's visual identity.
- The client, Florian, is launching "Pauz," a brand offering roasted barley as a healthy, caffeine-free coffee alternative.
- The brand's goal is to establish a strong visual identity and packaging that stands out from typical "natural/wellness" coffee alternatives.
- Florian seeks a trendy, bold, and fun aesthetic with pop colors and strong typography, inspired by brands like Cherico.
- Océane's process includes establishing a comprehensive client brief, creating a moodboard using Figma, and defining the brand's core values and DNA.
- The brand's values focus on visual and gustatory pleasure, creativity, benevolence, and a cool, fun approach to taking a break.
- Two main creative concepts are explored: one centered on the product (barley) and its flavor, and another on the idea of "taking a pause" with fluid, organic forms.
- Part 1 concludes with initial sketches and research into typography and illustrative elements, setting the stage for logo and graphic identity development in the next episode.
Introduction to the Brand Building Series [0:07]
- Series Overview [0:07]
- Océane Guidt begins "Build a Brand, Episode 1," a transparent documentation of creating a client's complete visual identity from scratch.
- The goal is to show the entire process from initial mission to final identity development.
The Client and Project Brief [1:08]
- Introducing "Pauz" [1:08]
- The client, Florian, commissioned Océane to create the brand identity for "Pauz."
- Pauz offers roasted barley as a natural alternative to coffee. This is not a new invention but an existing product repositioned.
- Project Objectives [1:26]
- Create a distinct visual identity for Pauz.
- Develop appealing packaging for the product.
- The overall aim is for the brand identity to be highly recognizable, appealing, and desirable.
- Client's Vision and Market Positioning [1:49]
- Florian's brand is positioned in the trendy food sector, favoring bold typography and vibrant, "pop" colors.
- The client wants to differentiate from the typical "natural" or "well-being" aesthetic often associated with coffee alternatives or health products.
- Inspiration: Cherico (a chicory brand) is cited as a benchmark for its bold and fun visual approach.
- The design challenge is to combine the inherent well-being aspect of roasted barley with a playful, trendy, and desirable image.
Developing the Brand Identity: Moodboard and Core Values [3:07]
- Creative Process [3:07]
- The initial phase focuses on developing a comprehensive moodboard and outlining creative concepts.
- This also includes sketching initial logo ideas and exploring illustrative elements.
- Figma Workflow [4:14]
- Océane uses Figma to organize her projects, starting with a moodboard and brand definition.
- Moodboard Exploration [4:19]
- The moodboard incorporates various visual inspirations including:
- Trendy packaging designs (e.g., "Chunko Bold," "Calico").
- Examples from a Lisbon store ("Lojao Lisboa") featuring unique and colorful food packaging like Cherico and visually striking olive oil bottles, showcasing current food design trends.
- The moodboard incorporates various visual inspirations including:
- Defining "The Brand" (La Marque) in Figma [4:33]
- Océane outlines the core essence and positioning of Pauz through key statements:
- Pauz is a healthy, caffeine-free alternative to coffee, made from roasted barley.
- It targets individuals seeking to slow down and care for their bodies without sacrificing flavor.
- Pauz offers a new "art of living the pause," emphasizing relaxation and enjoyment.
- Four Core Brand Values [5:30]
- 1. Visual & Gustatory Pleasure: Pauz aims to be beautiful, tasty, and proud of its heritage. Pleasure comes not just from taste, but also from design, touch, and colors, offering a multisensory experience.
- 2. Creativity & Expression: Pauz is a daring brand that utilizes unique typographies, bold colors, and a strong visual identity. It stimulates imagination, fosters openness, and breaks conventional routines.
- 3. Benevolence: Embracing a caffeine-free approach with no judgment, Pauz respects one's body, rhythm, and desires, offering a gentle, natural, and comforting pause.
- 4. Cool & Fun: Pauz challenges classic coffee norms, offering a different model that is more social, fun, positive, and voluntary.
- Océane outlines the core essence and positioning of Pauz through key statements:
Initial Creative Concepts [7:31]
- Two Main Concepts [7:31]
- Océane develops two distinct creative directions based on the client brief and brand values.
- Concept 1: Product-Centric (Barley at the Heart) [7:40]
- Focus: Placing roasted barley and its flavor at the core of the visual identity.
- Logo Idea: Play with typography and the form/sound of "orge" (barley) to create the logo. This could involve personifying the barley or integrating its shape into the letters.
- Visual Inspiration: Examples include packaging with graphic illustrations of coffee beans (which would be adapted to barley) and bold, integrated typography that subtly hints at the product. Océane sketches "PAUZ" with letters resembling barley grains.
- Concept 2: The Art of Pause (Fluid & Organic) [8:38]
- Focus: Emphasizing relaxation, slowing down, and the gentle experience of taking a pause.
- Visual Approach: Utilize organic, fluid shapes reminiscent of clouds or steam. The aim is for movement, lightness, and soft, gradient colors.
- Illustrative Style: Examples include illustrations of blueberries (representing soft, round forms), colorful items in a jar, and abstract green fluid shapes. The idea is to convey a sense of calm and pleasure.
Conclusion and Next Steps [10:30]
- Progress Summary [10:30]
- Océane has successfully completed the brief analysis, established a moodboard, and developed initial creative concepts.
- She reflects on the productivity of this first phase, noting that ideas often emerge unconsciously during daily activities.
- Upcoming in Part 2 [10:45]
- The next video will focus on vectorizing the initial logo sketches.
- Further typographic research will be conducted.
- The chosen creative concepts will be refined into concrete logo designs.