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Brand Design Services
Captivate your audience. Connect on a deep level. Convert to loyal fans.
What Are
Brand Design Services
We’ve all heard the word “brand” thrown around a million times. But what does it really mean? And where does brand design fit into the picture?
Here’s the short answer: Your brand is the entire experience people have with your business. It’s your purpose, your personality, and yes, your visuals — the stuff that makes someone say, “I get what they’re all about.”
Brand design takes all those elements and makes them tangible. It’s the way your business looks and feels when people see your logo, your website or that flyer you handed out last week.
The Main Elements
of Brand Design
Brand Purpose and Mission: Why does your business exist?
Brand Values: What you stand for.
Brand Personality: Traits like playful or bold.
Target Audience: Who you’re speaking to.
Messaging: Language and tone.
Brand Story: Why you started and what are your plans are.
Brand Positioning: How you’re unique.
Visual Identity: What your brand looks like.
When done right, brand design makes you memorable. It sets you apart, gives people confidence in your business, and brings your vision to life in a way that sticks.
But if your visuals aren’t working for you, they might just be working against you.
At Sharper Creative, we specialize in visual identity, an essential piece of your brand that shapes how you’re seen, recognized and remembered. We also use terms like brand design and brand identity but they all mean the same thing.
What Is Visual Identity?
Visual identity is how your brand looks — the face you show the world through your marketing. It’s your logo, color palette, fonts, images, and other design elements working together to bring your brand to life and set you apart.
You might hear it called visual branding, graphic identity, brand visuals, or visual personality — but it all boils down to how your brand shows up and makes an impression.
And this is what we’re excellent at!
Visual identity includes:
Logo: The most recognizable part of your brand, though just one piece of the identity.
Graphics: Patterns, textures and shapes that add cohesion across media, so your brand feels unified but not repetitive.
Color Palette: Carefully chosen colors (usually 2–4) that reflect your brand’s personality.
Layout: How visual elements come together in a balanced, easy-to-follow format.
Typography: Selected fonts that complement each other and suit your brand’s tone.
Brand Guidelines: How visual elements come together in a balanced, easy-to-follow format.
Imagery: Consistent style for photography, illustrations and other visuals.
Why Does Brand Design Matter?
Have you ever looked at a marketing piece, ad or website and felt like it looked off or uninspired? You couldn’t quite put your finger on it but knew it just wasn’t working? There’s a good chance it was due to poor design. Selecting the right colors, fonts, photos and other elements — and having them work together seamlessly and impactfully — takes skill, finesse and keen design sensibility.
Poor visuals and layouts can make your brand seem unprofessional and your messaging uncompelling — and hurt your credibility and business success. If you aren’t bringing on new clients despite your best efforts, take a look at your brand design and assess if it needs an update.
The right brand design helps you:
- Stand out
A strong visual identity cuts through the noise and makes your brand instantly recognizable. When people remember you, they’re more likely to choose you.
- Engage your audience
Great design draws people in. When your visuals are appealing and relatable, your audience is more likely to stick around — and take action.
- Build loyalty
If customers connect with what you’re saying and what they’re seeing, they’re more likely to return. Loyal customers buy more, stick around longer, become your biggest advocates and help lower your marketing costs over time.
- Position for success
Distinctive design sets you apart, gives you an edge, and helps you shine in your industry. This differentiation can help increase your market share and position your business as a leader in your field.
- Deliver consistency
A great brand identity and all of its supporting assets will give you the tools to stay consistent across media. Whether you’re building a social post, landing page or printed postcard, you need design elements that can be seamlessly integrated into a layout that feels like you.
- Be impressive
People are predictable and influenced by their first impression. A positive first impression can significantly increase your chances of turning a prospect into a customer — one you can then impress over and over again with your awesome products and services.
- Be unique
Building a brand is all about differentiation and showcasing the value you offer that no one else can. Visuals play a big part. It makes sense — people will see your visuals before they read a headline, click through to your website or engage with your sales process and products.
Don’t underestimate the power of a well-designed visual identity. If you’d like some help, reach out!
Is your Brand Identity a credibility killer?
Grab our Visual Identity Checkup to see whether your brand is making the right impression for maximum impact and growth.
BONUS Checklist included!
Grab your guide today!
We will never share your email address.
When To Invest
in Brand Design Services
Most people embark on a new brand identity when they’re faced with a significant milestone or turning point, such as these:
Just Starting Out
Building a new business or nonprofit means starting from the ground up and setting the strong foundation for all future decisions. Our advice? Make brand strategy the first step of that construction process as it:
- Sets the tone for your business so you can shape first impressions.
- Accelerates growth and increases market visibility.
- Communicates your value to attract the right audience.
Growth Spurt
If you’ve been in business for a while, your business has probably grown, shifted, or even changed direction. This is a great time to update your visuals to align with where your brand is now.
- Reflect your current offerings and show the value your business provides today.
- Meet evolving audience expectations to stay connected with your customers.
- Help employees and customers adapt to your business’s new direction.
Rebranding
If you’re refreshing your brand, your visual identity can be updated. Whether it’s a slight tweak or a complete overhaul will depend on your strategy.
- Align your visuals with new directions and strategies.
- Reinvigorate your brand with a fresh look that excites existing customers and attracts new ones.
- Strengthen your market positioning and establish yourself as a leader in your industry.
Inconsistent or Dated Visuals
If you’ve been using the same old visuals and they’re no longer having the right impact, it’s time to refresh.
- Stay relevant in a market that’s constantly evolving.
- Streamline production by ensuring consistency with new visuals.
- Create a seamless experience for your audience with visuals that reflect who you are now.
Entering a New Market
If you’re expanding into new territory, evaluating your visual identity is crucial.
- Ensure your visuals are culturally relevant and resonate with the local market.
- Evaluate how your visuals stack up against local competitors, and make necessary adjustments.
- Adapt your brand to better communicate with a new audience.
Other Milestones
Certain events can prompt the need to reevaluate your identity.
- Unify your brand during mergers and acquisitions by blending both entities’ identities.
- Refresh your look for new product launches to align with expanded offerings.
- Honor your history during anniversaries or celebrations while looking forward with a rebrand.
There are many significant milestones that can trigger the need for a brand identity refresh — but that doesn’t mean you should attempt it yourself.
Can I DIY
My Brand Design?
You really shouldn’t! Going it alone with brand design can lead to all sorts of issues and have the opposite of your intended effect. Here’s a few:
If you’re not a designer, it’s easy to create visuals that cause confusion and dilute your message and value. Potential customers may struggle to understand your brand and move on to competitors.
Your brand’s first impression can make or break a customer’s decision. Poorly designed visuals can appear unprofessional or confusing, driving potential clients straight to your competitors.
Designing without expertise often leads to endless revisions, inconsistent branding and materials that fail to convert. Instead of focusing on what you do best, you waste valuable time and money on ineffective visuals.
Poor design undermines your credibility. Even if you have great products and services, if they don’t look the part, a lack of trust and confidence from potential customers is sure to follow.
If a do-it-yourself brand is not in your future (and it really shouldn't be) ... relax. We’ve got you covered.
We will guide you every step of the way, ensuring your brand stands out in the most positive way. Let us worry about all of the complexities of brand design so you can focus on what you do best.
Why Hire
a Brand Specialist?
The simple answer: skill, experience and insight. Hiring a brand specialist like Sharper Creative means having a dedicated team focused on the big picture and your strategy. We ensure it’s intentional, impactful and built for growth.
Here’s why bringing on a pro is worth it:
- Expertise
A brand design specialist understands the nuances of visual communication. They know how to weave your brand strategy into impactful graphics. With a specialist as your partner, you will:
- Gain insight that a novice may lack, helping guide decision-making.
- Minimize risk while maximizing effectiveness with expert input.
- Leverage deep knowledge of design trends and strategy for high-impact results.
- Consistency
Professionals consider all the different media where your brand will appear — your website, social media, business cards, packaging and more.
- Everything looks like it’s coming from the same company, thereby strengthening recognition.
- Consistency builds trust and leads to increased customer loyalty.
- Loyal customers come back for more, boosting your bottom line.
- Customization
No two brands are the same. Even when applying brand design services, every project has its own unique needs.
- A seasoned professional knows when to pivot and how to solve complex design challenges.
- Tailored solutions ensure your brand identity fits your specific needs.
- You get flexibility to adapt as your brand grows and evolves.
- Efficiency
Taking on a brand design project yourself can feel overwhelming and intimidating. Without experience, costly mistakes can happen.
- Avoid time-consuming errors with a professional by your side.
- Save both money and mental energy by having experts handle it.
- Get things done right the first time, preventing future revisions and wasted effort.
Why Choose Our Brand Identity Design Services
Get to know us, and you’ll see why organizations have selected Sharper Creative to translate their brand into the perfect visual identity.
Depth of Experience
Our roots go back to 1997, giving you access to decades of expertise across many industries. We’ve got a wealth of proven strategies and timeless design insights that we’re eager to bring to your brand. More about us.
No Big Agency Fees
You’ll love our streamlined, efficient process — it saves you time and money. We deliver premium design that’s priced between freelancers and big New York agencies. The result? High-quality work that won’t break the bank.
We Know Strategy
We’ve got strategy and identity under one roof. If you haven’t built the foundation for your brand yet, we’ll start with a strategy to clarify your message. A solid foundation ensures your brand moves forward with purpose and impact.
Seamless Project Management
Clear communication is at the heart of what we do. We keep you in the loop every step of the way, ensuring your project stays on time and within scope. Our organized approach eliminates guesswork, so you can focus on what matters most.
Scale with Flexibility
From simple brand packages to complete overhauls, our services flex to fit your needs at every stage. As projects evolve, we stay nimble, adapting quickly to shifting priorities while keeping everything on track. Our goal is to support your growth without missing a beat.
Creative Collaboration
We believe the best ideas happen together. Our fresh perspectives — both conceptual and visual — shine when paired with your invaluable feedback. The result? A thoughtful brand identity that differentiates, elevates and inspires while staying true to your vision.
Who We Work With
We specialize in the art and science of brand development. While we can work with any industry, we have extensive experience with small to medium-sized businesses, nonprofits and associations across a wide range of fields.
New Businesses
You’re launching something new and need to make an immediate impact. A well-defined brand attracts the right investors, customers and stakeholders, setting the stage for success from day one.
Growing Businesses
We have experience working with service-based businesses, manufacturing and technology companies, as well as nonprofits and associations.
Nonprofits & Association
If you’re mission-driven or an industry leader feeling stuck or disconnected, a brand refresh can help you re-engage your community and amplify your impact.
Meet Your Brand Experts
Susan, Linda and Vanessa lead the creative team with over 85 years of combined experience in branding and graphic design. This team tackles and solves unique creative challenges on a daily basis.
Susan Harper is the “Sharper” force behind Sharper Creative, leading with design expertise and insight to bring you creative solutions that elevate and inspire. More about us.
Linda is our production wizard. She has a keen eye for fonts, layouts, design and technology to ensure everything is executed flawlessly.
Vanessa brings branded marketing to life with finesse. Thoughtful, thorough and always on point, she adds the perfect touch that pulls everything together.
When you choose Sharper Creative, you’re gaining a dedicated partner ready to help guide your brand journey and achieve meaningful results. Our collaborative approach ensures your brand stands out in the market and forms lasting connections with your audience.
Featured Projects
Dive into the details of some featured projects or get an overview of work in the gallery.
I finally feel like the expert I am.
Sue showed me how important it is to get my message right. She walked me through every step, and now I finally feel like the expert I am. The website she created is beautiful, but more importantly, it feels professional and inviting.
Dannel Wissler
Willow Oaks Counseling
Gorgeous, enticing graphics!
Sue exceeded my expectations with her attention to detail and created gorgeous graphics that catch the attention of my audience and entice them to click on the event links.
Lisa Shaughnessy
Writing Retreat Sampler
Beautiful and elegant brand identity.
Her beautiful design captured the brand’s heart. Every detail, from the elegant wordmark to the carefully chosen color palette reflects Jewelwerks’ commitment to celebrating beautiful jewelry.
Colleen Greene
Greene Marketing
Our Process
Our finely-tuned, efficient process ensures on-target, on-time, on-budget results that work.
1. Say Hello!
Reach out through our contact page, and we’ll schedule a brand design consultation.
2. Discovery
Once the contract is signed and deposit received, we’ll dive into your brand, review competitors and identify ways to stand out.
3. Design
Here’s where we show you design options (and our reasons behind them) then refine and perfect based on your input.
4. Delivery
You’ll receive design files and brand guidelines in about six to eight weeks, with logos completed in three to four weeks. Timelines may vary depending on the scope of services.
Brand Design Packages
Logo Essentials
Just right for organizations who want to kick things off with foundational elements:
- Custom Logo
- Color Palette
- Fonts
- Quick Reference Sheet
Starting at $5,500
Signature Identity
Perfect for organizations with more robust marketing needs, where a broader set of assets will elevate and enrich their brand. Get everything in the Logo Essentials plus:
- Visual Theme
- Brand Style Guide
- Social Media Profile
Starting at $12,500
Custom Design Solutions
Pick the deliverables that will impact your business the most. We’ve done it all and can deliver exactly what you need.
- Social Media Templates
- Brochures, Sell Sheets, Annual Reports
- Event Graphics, Signage
- And More
Investment is based on scope.
Frequently Asked Questions
Check out our pricing on the Brand Design Packages.
Absolutely! We understand that every business has unique needs and resources. We’re happy to customize any package or service to fit your specific requirements. Just get in touch, and we’ll work together to create a solution that aligns with your goals.
A typical logo project takes about three to four weeks, while a full visual identity project takes size to eight weeks. Projects with additional services may require extra time. We’ll provide a clear timeline during our initial consultation.
Not a problem at all! While we have experience in various industries, strong design principles transcend any specific field. We can bring a fresh perspective rather than stick with overused designs in your niche. We’ll research your industry and competitors to understand the landscape and ensure your visual identity stands out in the best possible way. A skilled design team can work in any industry.
If your brand looks outdated, doesn’t reflect your current mission, or isn’t attracting the right audience, it might be time for a refresh. We’ve got a FREE tool to help you determine if your visual identity is a game-changer or credibility killer. Grab Your Visual Identity Checklist today!
First, we take the time to understand your organization—what makes you different, the value you offer and the challenges you’re facing. If you already have a brand strategy guide, great! We can use it to guide the design process. If not, then starting with strategy is essential.
Next, we do the creative thinking and develop stylescape (or mood board) to align on a creative direction before we start designing. Once we’re all on the same page, we’ll craft your logo, fonts, colors and other design assets that bring your brand to life.
If you don’t have a brand strategy guide, don’t worry—we offer strategy and design under one roof. Check out our Brand Strategy Services to see why defining your brand’s differentiation, value and message should come first.