A logo is one part of a brand identity
A logo is the mark or wordmark people use to recognise your business. A visual identity is the wider set of choices that makes your website, packaging, signage and social content feel connected. Branding also includes positioning and messaging: who you serve, what you offer and how you explain its value.
If your business already has a clear position, consistent typography and usable templates, a focused logo project may be sufficient. If each touchpoint looks like a different business, changing the logo alone leaves the bigger problem unresolved. The right scope depends on where the inconsistency starts.
Choose the scope from real applications
List the places where the identity must work before collecting visual references. A restaurant may need menus, storefront signage, delivery packaging and social posts. A consultancy may prioritise proposals, presentation slides, email signatures and a website. These uses reveal what a designer needs to test.
For a small embroidered uniform logo, fine detail may disappear. For a mobile website header, a wide wordmark may need a compact alternative. Ask to review realistic applications at their intended sizes rather than approving only a large logo centred on a blank screen.
- Focused logo scope: the mark, practical variants and agreed export formats.
- Visual identity scope: logo system, colour palette, typography, layout guidance and selected templates.
- Brand strategy scope: audience, positioning, message priorities and voice, alongside any visual work.
Review our branding and identity services and identify the applications your team actually uses.
Write a brief that supports decisions
Start with the customer and the situation in which they choose your business. Explain your offer in plain language, name the alternatives customers consider and describe what should make your business recognisable. Separate evidence from aspirations: an ambition to feel premium is different from a verified claim about materials or service.
Include a few references with a reason for each. For example, explain that you like a reference's readable type or restrained palette. Also list elements you must retain, such as an established colour or legal business name. Give the designer room to solve the problem without asking for a copy of another identity.
Set a decision maker, review schedule and feedback process. Consolidated feedback tied to the brief is more useful than conflicting preferences from several reviewers. Confirm any launch deadline before agreeing the deliverables.
Agree on the handover before design begins
Ask for an itemised file list. Depending on scope, this can include vector artwork, transparent screen exports, monochrome variants and print-ready files prepared for the printer's requirements. Confirm colour specifications, minimum sizes, clear space and examples of incorrect use.
Clarify font and stock-asset licences, editable template access and usage rights in the agreement. A font visible in a presentation is not automatically licensed for every website or team member. Ask who will obtain the permissions needed for the intended use. If you need campaign materials after the identity is approved, plan them with graphic design support so the handover connects to everyday production.
Use this checklist to review a proposal
- Does the scope solve a logo problem, an identity problem or a positioning problem?
- Are the intended applications and priority sizes listed?
- Are concept rounds, revisions and feedback responsibilities defined?
- Are the templates, guidelines and file formats itemised?
- Are licensing, usage rights and handover responsibilities clear?
- Is rollout across the website, print and social accounts included or separate?
A good brief makes the project easier to price and the work easier to evaluate. Choose deliverables that help your team apply the identity consistently. Tell us where your brand needs to work and we can discuss an appropriate scope.