Brand really is a loaded term. Misused and misunderstood within the industry, it’s no wonder it confuses the rest of the populace. For some it means a new trademark. Others, an advertisement. As a company that has spent close to 30 years creating brands, we spend a lot of time helping people understand exactly what brand means – often before we even start work.
The difference between design and branding may seem obvious, but you’d be surprised by how many businesses are held back their lack of understanding. Highlighting this distinction is crucial to creating a brand and identity that is beautiful visually, and strategically.
Graphic Design is the outer shell
When thinking about what makes a brand, it’s normal to reflexively think of the physical elements: trademarks, stationery, templates, websites. In truth, these elements are only a very basic skeleton of what makes a strong brand.
Designers are the stewards of your brand identity, obsessing over colours, type, devices, trademarks, making sure they sing across every environment. Executed well, this work ensures cohesion at every single touch point.
Branding is what’s inside
Of course, we need more than a hollow veneer. Branding is everything that’s under and informs the surface. It’s the substance that people rely on, and keeps them coming back – your beliefs, behaviours, and personality. From how you answer the phone, to the tone of your pitch deck, your brand is every action a business makes. Branding is about making that movement as purposeful and harmonious as possible.
Graphic design and branding are inextricably linked – visuals mean nothing without strategy, and strategy means nothing if it can’t be expressed. As branders, our job is to balance these considerations. It can mean choosing between something beautiful and something meaningful. In a perfect world, you’re able to get the best of both worlds, but eventually, adding value to the brand is the ultimate goal.
Form follows function
So how do we start building a better brand? It can be tough, especially when as many as 80% of business owners (and even marketers and designers) believe that graphic design and branding are the same things. Creative decisions will always feel subjective, but it’s important to remember that branding doesn’t start or even finish with the visual. Instead it encompasses the entire customer experience on every level. No matter how big or small, no element ever exists in isolation. It’s part of a nuanced, interconnected system that is involved in an active conversation with your audience.
Simply put, graphic design expresses your brand, and your brand expresses your reason for being. If your identity isn’t driven by your brand, you’ll never be more than a hollow vessel to your customers.
Sounder are an award-winning brand agency combining strategy, data science and creativity to build and re-build brands. Gary Schmidt is the expert we call on when our clients need brand development.
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