Why every brand needs a light source

Every strong identity has one idea that everything else is lit by. Here is how we find it before we draw a single letter.

Most identities fail quietly. The logo is fine, the colours are fine, and nobody remembers any of it a week later. When we dig into why, the answer is almost always the same: there is no single idea holding the work together.

Find the one idea first

Before we sketch anything, we look for a light source: one sentence about what the brand believes that everything else can be lit by. For Nora Skin it was “gentle enough to keep”. For Halcyon it was “quiet confidence”. Every typeface, colour and photo is judged against that sentence.

A good light source is specific enough to say no to things. If it could describe any brand in the category, it is not finished yet.

Then let it shape every decision

Once the idea is clear, design gets faster, not slower. Debates about blue or green turn into a simple question: which one makes the idea brighter? That is how a small identity system ends up feeling much bigger than it is.

(Next article)

Designing packaging people keep