SAMANIEGOMORGAN ARCHITECTS & ENGINEERS
PRACTICE BRANDING Forget it at your Peril! January 2017 Bob Morgan BA(Hons)Arch Dip Arch ARCHITECT
Practice Branding
YOUR PRACTICE BRAND Forget it at your Peril!
SAMANIEGOMORGAN FIGURE 1 The Logo with the Name – The ‘TUKO’ Comes Alive! ‘Tuko’ is the Tagalog name for a Gecko. The design was generated as a Duotone Resist from a photograph of Ifugao Artwork. Different rotations are used for different forms of documentation.
A few days ago, I had a meeting with a Potential Client. He had been interested in our work for a while, so we arrived ‘Suited and Booted.’ I took along my Partner and our Practice Manager, and met at the Client’s Hotel for Coffee. The usual introductions were made, and we sat down to talk. However, the first thing he asked was “Where did you guys get those Notebooks?” Ollie, Joel and myself were all carrying our Practice Notepads. I explained that they were part of our ‘Brand’ and that all staff use them. The Covers are Pre-Printed Card Stock, with the Logo and Name. The Pages are also Pre-Printed, and have a Non-Reproducable Grid. The Cost is minimal, as the Cover Sheets are also used for most of our output. He then noticed that the Logo was carried through to a small Lapel Badge on my Jacket. Without knowing it, we had already made our First Impression! I have some background in Architectural Graphics, and my Partner also runs a Publishing Company. We began the Practice almost 7 Years ago, and I had a few ‘Preconceived Ideas’ with regard to our Corporate Identity. However and as most Architects know, ‘Designing for Yourself’ can be one of the Hardest Commissions! – Your are never satisfied! My Practice Partner (Ollie) took my initial ideas and sketches, and gave them to his Graphic Designer. Within a few days, she gave a presentation. What was tabled, was not just a Letter-Heading and a Logo! – It was a complete ‘Brand Identity’ that covered everything from Business Cards, CD Packets, Drawing Sheets, and even Vehicle Graphics!
FIGURE 2 Bovis Homes is a leading Housing Developer in the UK. The orientation (Wing Pattern) of the ‘Hummingbird Motif’ was also used as a ‘Branch Office Identifier.’
Within a week we had Document Templates, Drawing Sheets, Coffee Mugs and Notepads! – There was even a New Sign on the Studio Door. More importantly, our Graphic Designer had produced a Graphics Standards Manual. This detailed the use of Type, Logos and Graphic Design for almost every conceivable form of output.
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Practice Branding Colour and High Quality Printing Stock were used for ‘Above the Line’ (Client and External Output), whilst Monochrome Equivalents were used for ‘Below the Line’ (Internal Documentation). Costs were not excessive, and well within the Budget we had allocated. Before commissioning the Graphic Designer, I had made a Scrapbook Collection of what I considered to be ‘Good Corporate Graphics.’ These included ‘Cuts’ from Newspapers, Magazines together with Photographs and Sketches. Newspaper and Magazine Layouts are exceptionally good, for defining a ‘Sheet Grid’ for Documentation. The Partnership Name was ‘New’ – Yet I wanted to have some familiarity with the former Practice Identity, and Output. This was achieved mainly by carrying-through our Typefaces. However, these were in need of an ‘Overhaul!’ – What can look good at A4 Size also has to translate to much larger formats, and has to be ‘Screen Friendly.’
TO LOGO OR NOT TO LOGO? That is the Question! Then there was the question of the ‘Logo.’ My own preference was to rely purely upon ‘Type Only.’ However, the preliminary submissions made by the Graphic Designer soon changed my mind. After a short period of Design Development, we settled upon using a ‘Gecko Design.’ This would act as the ‘Brand Vehicle’ connecting with numerous document types and formats, and giving ‘Design Consistency.’ FIGURE 3 Newspapers and Magazines will prove to give a good foundation in terms of Layout, and how they follow a Columnar Grid. The Guardian, has also rebranded from the 1970s Style (Front Page) to the New Identity (Duotone Blue).
http://designtaxi.com/news/380867/The-Guardian-Releases-Its-New-BrandIdentity-Guidelines/
The combination of Type and Logo would also act as a Security Device. Our Graphic Designer ‘Fine-Tuned’ our Typefaces, making them ‘Unique!’ The Logo also contains elements that are not able to be replicated. I have experienced instances in the past of ‘Design Theft!’ – Therefore, ‘Safeguards’ were needed! ‘Bespoke Fonts’ enable this to be achieved quite easily – Should the Font Files not be available on a recipient machine, a ‘Substitute Font’ is used by the Application, making ‘Rogue Documents’ apparent immediately!
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Practice Branding
YOU ONLY HAVE ONE CHANCE TO MAKE A FIRST IMPRESSION! Potential Clients will judge a business within a few seconds, based purely on ‘Visual Appeal!’ Whether this be from a Letter-Heading, Business Card or even an Email Signature. Quality Design will lend an air of ‘Credibility’ and will also ‘Open Doors!’ – Remember that first and foremost, we are ‘Designers!’ ‘Visual Snapshots’ of Graphic Form and Composition can reveal subliminally a lot about your organisation. The use of Timeless Typefaces can infer ‘Stability.’ On the other hand ‘Quirky’ Names and Graphics could have the opposite effect. The Company and its Business will also generate Preconceived Notions and Expectations!
STRONG BRANDING MAKES YOU MEMORABLE!
FIGURE 4 Stock Sheets (Red & Blue Card A3 & A4) are printed with the Tuko Logo (Grey) Plain Sheets exisit for Back Covers. Sheets can then be ‘Overprinted’ In-House as required.
samaniegomorgan FIGURE 5 Discarded Images and Cuts prove to be useful when analysing the ‘Genensis of the Brand.’ They can often be Reference Points to return to, if and when Design Decisions begin to veer away from the Brief. It can also address the ‘Sea of Arial’ and/or the Duotone Blue ‘Guardian Style’ problems too!
Good Graphic Design generates consistency across every visual element of a business – By the use of Type, Graphics and Colour. In addition to appearing ‘Credible’ it will also generate an air of ‘Professionalism’
GOOD DESIGN SETS YOU APART! One thing that all businesses have is ‘Competition!’ By conveying the messages of Credibility and Professionalism your ‘Brand’ can effectively ‘Set you Apart’ from the Field! Yet it is not all about being ‘Good Looking!’ – The ‘Functionality’ of Websites in particular, also needs to be designed well!
BE A LEADER AND NOT A FOLLOWER! Trends come and go! – Typefaces in particular can look ‘Fantastic’ today, but even over a short period they can become ‘Jaded!’ This has been especially so with the current of ‘Sea of Arial’ or Arial Lookalikes.
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Practice Branding Arial has become the ‘Easy Option’ because almost every PC has it installed and it creates few surprises when moving from different platforms of Hardware and Software. However, Arial must be regarded as the ‘Vanila of Vanilas!’ – Or the ‘Cheese of of Cheeses!’ Typeface and Colour Selection are vitally important.They work ‘Hand-in-Hand’ to create ‘Mood’ and to carry ‘Your Message!’ A useful tool is to create several ‘Comfort Boards’ with different Fonts and Colours – See how you live with them for a few days! Pin the ‘Comfort Boards’ around the Studio, and record reactions. However, and possibly more importantly, there is a need for a ‘Media Test!’ Does is work as a Business Card, through various formats , to Building Signage or Vehicle Graphics?
FIGURE 6 Here we can see that what might ‘Work’ at a Business Card Size, also has to work as Building Signage. It also has to cross many other Media Formats along the way too,
GILL SANS Regular The Quick Brown Fox jumped LATO Regular The Quick Brown Fox jumped FIGURE 7 Our original Typeface Choice was GILL SANS The Typeface was designed in the 1930s by Eric Gill. It is synonymous with the London Underground and latterly the BBC It required a lot of ‘Manual Manipulation’ to avoid Character Conflicts and Kerning Issues, etc. We decided to adopt a modified LATO as a Practice Standard. It ‘Mimics’ GILL but has far superior ‘Character Handling’ capabilities, which are Automatic! A Modified UNIVERS-CONDENSED is used for Body Text (As Here).
It is also worthwhile looking at what other Architects do. The list below has been prepared at random, yet the ‘Sea of Arial’ and ‘Duotone Blue’ will become apparent immediately. Many Architects’ Websites also suffer from ‘Buffer Lag!’ Yes, we want to show-off our CGI Presentations, yet most ‘Viewers’ will be hitting the ‘CANCEL’ key before they get chance to load. There is some merit in leaving a ‘Taster’ as a Web Graphic, and then providing ‘Links’ to Video Files that can be viewed at leisure. http://www.fosterandpartners.com/news/# http://www.godwinaustenjohnson.com/about-gaj/ http://www.broadwaymalyan.com https://www.woodsbagot.com/news http://www.sheppardrobson.com/news http://www.meinhardtgroup.com http://www.aecom.com Did I miss something? - Or do they all seem to follow a ‘Monoculture?’
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Practice Branding
SPEND TIME AND RESOURCES AT THE BEGINNING! Set a Clear Budget, and make use of Professional Graphic Designers! A Brand Identity is not something that is acquired from an Internet Home Worker for $5! – Just like any Piece of Design it needs thought and consideration. Invest Time and Resources from the very beginning, as these will pay Dividends later. This will also include some very Fundamental Assessments, and whether or not to ‘Defy Convention!’ Drawing Sheets in particular, can be governed by many ‘Unwritten Rules’ relating to Sheet Borders and Boxes. Before long a ‘Sensitive Design Drawing’ can assume the appearance of an ‘Engineering Drawing’ losing much of its ‘Poise and Presence!’ We carried out our own research and assessments, and settled on separating Design Drawings from Working Drawings. Design Drawings would follow more ‘Graphically’ based rules, and would be available as both Portrait and Landscape (A3 A2 A1 & A0). Working Drawings would also follow ‘Graphic Rules’ yet would acknowledge ‘Convention’ where appropriate. We settled on 3 Formats – Side Title (TTS), Bottom Title (TTB) and Rack Titles (TTR). Rack Titles use a Drawing Sheet (A1 & A0) in Portrait Format, with the Title Panel at the Top of the Sheet. This aids Filing and Reference when sheets are stored in Vertical Plan Chests (Site Office).
FIGURES 8 & 9 A careful selection of images and the use of ‘Layout’ can help in making some quite striking Visual Comparisons, and Design References when putting together a Portfolio of Work. The ‘Mindanaoan Fishing Boats’ provided inspiration for an Emergency Housing Project.
In addition, we also made the decision to make all drawing sheets ‘Borderless!’ To placate ‘The Engineers’ all CAD sheets would have a ‘Switchable Layer’ (Even in PDF Format) that would reveal a ‘Reference Grid’ and Border, without detracting from Drawing Content. This exercise continued into overhauling CAD Standards, to include Fonts, and Dimension Styles, etc. Line Weight Tables were also revisited, and Plotter Configuration Files Updated.
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Practice Branding
SET A BUDGET – AND STICK TO IT! This might prove difficult in more ways than one, and can be considered at two extremes. For ‘New Starts’ there may well be ‘Zero Budget!’ For the ‘Mega-Practice’ there could be a ‘Dedicated Department!’ In all instances, there are various ‘Essentials’ that have to be devised, with most being either ‘Free’ or available for very little cost. Many ‘New Starts’ will have their ‘Software Shopping List’ already prepared, and this can run into ‘Thousands!’ – Applications will also be on the ‘Must Have List’ too! However, many are not aware that Software is also available ‘Free!’ In recent years, ‘Open Source Software’ has become some of the most prodigious, and the most respected! ‘Free Workalikes’ are available for Graphic Design, Spreadsheets & Wordprocessing, Bookkeeping & Finance, and even CAD! Savings on Software can generate that all important ‘Marketing Budget!’
FIGURE 10 We are no longer constrained by the Limitations of Printing. What was once a 6 or 7 Stage Colour Process can now be prepared on a Home/Office Printer! Many Printing Companies are able to take PC Generated Artwork, which will be printed directly from a CD or Memorty Stick, giving a ‘Magazine Quality’ level of output.
This Document was prepared in ‘Open Office’ and printed using PDF995 The ‘Full Price Option of MS Office and Adobe would be around $500.00, with further outlay for Upgrades! Files are also compatible with MS Office. Every Practice, nomatter how small, must have a ‘Marketing Strategy’ which will also require an Annual Budget. However, much can be prepared ‘In-House’ or better still as a ‘Home-Based Activity.’ Expensive Printing is no longer a prerequisite. Much or your Portfolio, or Practice Statement can be prepared as a Standard Document, and then ‘Edited’ to suit a particular Client or ‘Pitch.’ Free Websites are also available (With Advertising). However, consider options such as Wordpress, Blogspot and Issuu where your work can be Uploaded and Viewed by Potential Clients. https://wordpress.com http://bloginstructions.blogspot.com https://issuu.com IN2PRINT
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Practice Branding Many Practicing and Retired Architects use these platforms in order to provide information and advice to others. Their Experience and Contributions add greatly to the Profession. http://entrearchitect.com http://www.lifeofanarchitect.com http://www.architekwiki.com/sign-up.html https://issuu.com/samaniegomorgan
RECORD EVERYTHING! There is great merit in giving a Job Number to your Branding Project! At the very least this will provide a mechanism for recording Time and Expenditure. There will also be a lot of material produced – Much being discarded as the Project proceeds. However, retaining such information can be useful when ‘Back-Tracking’ Figure 11 Practice Standards can be generated from much of the ‘Branding Journey!’ They will also promote a level of ‘Professionalism’ in terms of the submission of Backup Material.
Some information will also be also be an ‘Enabler’ or a ‘Generator’ (Such as CAD and Graphic Standards) that will also assist in the production of General Submission Material such as Quality Plans, etc.
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Practice Branding
MORE THAN WORTH A LOOK! BBC UK Long BBC Ident (Cuttable 1 Hour Epic!): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_Z6Ir0GjKc Short 30 Second Countdown: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2KCO0OKfrI&t=20s Martin Lambie-Nairn: http://www.lambie-nairn.com/bbc-and-lambie-nairn/ Martin is a Graphic Designer but his comments on ‘Clients’ reflect many disciplines and will no doubt be familiar to Architects – Especially when dealing with large Corporations such as the BBC! – 9 Years and £20m for a Letter-Heading! That is how the Daily Mail recorded it. However, Martin’s solution ‘Saved Millions!’ Lambie-Nairn Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwzffQeklhs David Lowe Interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBIcQPWMEC4&t=934s David created the BBC News Theme and is very much an ‘Unsung Hero!’ –The author of the ‘Expat National Anthem!’ (Move to 6:08 for the Sensible Information!) Bill Bailey does David Lowe in Edinburgh! A stunning adaptation of how a ‘Brand’ has emerged and been developed! – If it gets ‘Parodied’ you must be doing something right! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLJsGphU1VI Not to mention a host of ‘Remixes!’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2ju0QhEpnM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0g2lZgKugoY
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Practice Branding CHANNEL 4 UK http://www.channel4.com/about_c4/styleguide/downloads/C4StyleGuide1.1.pdf THE GUARDIAN UK http://designtaxi.com/news/380867/The-Guardian-Releases-Its-New-Brand-IdentityGuidelines/ SAMANIEGOMORGAN Graphic Standards: https://issuu.com/samaniegomorgan/docs/sma-corpident-edit2
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