Most brands have visual elements. Few have a visual identity. The difference matters enormously. Visual elements are individual design decisions — a logo, a website colour, a typeface on a business card. A visual identity is a coherent system in which every visual decision reinforces every other, creating a cumulative impression that is consistent, distinctive, and strategically aligned with the brand's positioning.
Developing a genuine visual identity requires a structured process. It cannot be achieved by selecting attractive design options from a mood board, nor by handing a brief to a designer and evaluating the results purely on aesthetic appeal. This article outlines the process we follow at KINN Studios in Calgary, and the principles that guide each phase.
Step 1: Strategic Foundation
Visual identity development begins with questions, not design. Who is this brand for? What does it offer that competitors do not? How does it want to be perceived? What values does it embody, and how should those values be expressed visually? What is the brand's personality — not in marketing language, but in specific, actionable terms?
This strategic work produces what we call a brand positioning statement: a concise articulation of the brand's identity that serves as the foundation for every visual decision. Without it, design becomes a matter of taste. With it, design becomes a matter of strategic alignment.
The positioning statement should answer four questions: What is the brand's core offering? Who is the primary audience? What is the brand's distinguishing characteristic? What emotional response should the brand evoke? These answers become the criteria against which every subsequent design option is evaluated.
Step 2: Visual Research and Analysis
Before creating anything, we survey the visual landscape the brand will inhabit. This means analysing competitors, adjacent brands, cultural references, historical precedents, and the broader visual vocabulary of the industry. The goal is not to imitate but to understand: what visual language already exists, what is overused, where there is opportunity for differentiation, and what visual associations the audience already carries.
In Calgary, this research includes the local visual environment — the architectural character of the neighbourhood where a retail brand operates, the cultural visual references that resonate with the city's demographic, and the competitive landscape within the specific market category. A brand identity that works in Toronto may not translate to Calgary's context, and vice versa.
A visual identity should feel inevitable. As if the brand could not have looked any other way.
Step 3: Typography System
Typography is arguably the most influential element of a visual identity, more so even than colour. The typefaces selected for a brand govern how it communicates in every medium: headlines, body text, signage, packaging, digital interfaces, and correspondence. Typography establishes tone before a single word is read.
A robust typography system typically includes a primary typeface family for headlines and brand statements, a secondary typeface for body text and extended reading, and clear rules governing weight, size, spacing, and hierarchy. The selection criteria extend beyond aesthetics to include legibility at various scales, availability across digital and print media, and the range of weights and styles needed for diverse applications.
Step 4: Colour Palette
Colour operates at a psychological level that typography does not. It triggers emotional associations, conveys energy levels, and creates immediate categorisation in the viewer's mind. A colour palette must balance distinctiveness with appropriateness — the brand needs to stand out within its competitive set while remaining credible within its category.
We develop colour palettes in tiers. A primary palette of two to three colours forms the core identity. A secondary palette provides flexibility for campaigns, seasons, and sub-brands. A neutral palette governs backgrounds, body text, and supporting elements. The relationships between these tiers are defined with as much specificity as the individual colours themselves.
Step 5: Photography and Image Direction
Photography is where many brand identities break down, because it is the element most often left undirected. A brand can have impeccable typography and a distinctive colour palette, but if the photography used across its website, social media, and marketing materials varies wildly in style, lighting, composition, and mood, the identity fractures.
Photography direction defines the visual rules for all brand imagery: lighting character (natural vs. studio, warm vs. cool, directional vs. diffuse), composition principles (angles, cropping, negative space), colour treatment (saturation, contrast, tonal range), subject matter guidelines, and the relationship between photography and other brand elements. This direction applies whether the images are shot by a professional photographer or sourced from a stock library.
Step 6: Brand Guidelines Document
The brand guidelines document is the operational output of the entire process. It translates the strategic foundation and design system into a reference that any creative contributor — internal or external — can use to produce work that is consistent with the brand's visual identity.
Effective guidelines are specific enough to prevent significant deviation but flexible enough to allow creative interpretation. They include clear examples of correct and incorrect application, rationale for key decisions, and practical specifications (hex codes, font files, minimum clear space, file formats). The document should be a tool, not an obstacle.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Skipping the strategy phase and jumping directly to design. Leading with personal taste rather than strategic intent. Selecting typography that looks distinctive at headline scale but becomes illegible in body text. Building a colour palette that works on screen but fails in print or physical environments. Creating guidelines that are too rigid to accommodate the brand's actual range of communication needs.
The most common mistake of all is treating visual identity as a one-time project rather than a living system. A strong visual identity should be built to evolve — to accommodate new products, new markets, new media, and new cultural contexts without requiring a complete redesign every few years.
If you are developing or refining a brand visual identity, we would be glad to discuss your project. Explore our creative direction services or review our portfolio to see the process in action.