Quit Lying Saying You Create Brand Identities

Definitely a hot take. I still think that brand identity design matters because how else will you present yourself to the customer? The visual identity (including the logo), together with other non-visuals, matters. This is how I define brand identity design.

How the company takes action with the brand assets a design team creates for them is another story. I also care about the actions of the company instead of just what they say, so I agree on that. However, the brand identity is called that because it is tied to the brand. I would not design anything if there is no brand. I would always concern myself with the brand first.

I think this talk would be more successful if you started with a solid definition of what branding and identity design is, to avoid the confusion present in the comments section.

Stock videos make me not want to watch this video, although I love The Futur Content ❤

Lmao!!! Chris is literally tearing down every argument... omg! I was responding to some of the questions and got some, but I mostly got it wrong, like I was there.

Cold but True

I’d like to see Simon Sinek debate with you. He uses how Apple’s branding allows people to accept they sell many types of products because of it. Say Dell tried to sell watches, we would question why a computer company is trying to do this…

The guy asking the same question 1000 ways is killing me. Lmfao

This has always been a frustrating conversation for me, because so many designers equate logo design with branding. They are not the same thing and the word branding should not be associated with logo design. A brand is not a logo, unless it's on a cow.

What a hostile audience! They were so engrained in their attitude, that they did not even hear what Chris said. He didn't say he doesn't believe in brand strategy. And he didn't say he doesn't believe in branding. What he said is branding is not the same as identity, therefore, brand identity is an oxymoron. A brand is not a logo (unless it's on a cow). Your brand is the personality of your organization. Your logo is a symbol or a flag that allows people to associate your brand with your logo. That's it.

This whole video is just a b-roll

A good point of view and there is a bit of truth in it but overall I don’t agree

I completely adore Mac as a creative tool for most of the same reasons as Chris. My best way to summarize personally, is that the creative confidence and synergy on a Mac are not interrupted or inhibited by the technical complexity of the the hardware or software. PC is always an uphill battle trying to simply create on. Always. No matter what program.

pls chill with the stock footage 😂

Chris making us think 👍

But seems like he didn't finish his argument. Brand identity doesn't matter - because brand and identity are different? Was that the conclusion?

What is the secret then boss? Also Chris slurs his words like a drunk

A Chris Do is always right, even when he's wrong, he's right.

Omg as a marketing student who's in senior year, we study more strategy and psychology side and I've seen graphic design students saying that we are doing branding and what they actually do? Designing a pretty logo on illustrator lol.

to me, Brand Identity Design is the process of creating a multi-faceted visual recognition system that's cohesive across all it's channels. Agree with Chris here that many designers take more credit for "Branding" than they've earned, but I think the idea of avoiding the term altogether feels kind of forced. It's about the awareness that visual recognition and association are just a piece of the puzzle

What are you identifying? The symbol, color, type and imagery, voice, tone, target audience, etc...? Aren't those in place to represent a BRAND and everything they stand for.

Clarity is key. This was the perfect explanation of what branding really is. In my early designer days I used to get wrapped up in the identity part, but you do eventually realize that a brand truly is perception + experience and you don't get that just from a logo, font, or color palette. I focus 100% on personal branding right now and the identity part is in fact a very small piece of the story (especially in the context of a personal brand). Chris (and the Futr team), ya'll are the goat bro. Been following you since you and Jose first posted here. Hope to hang out with you one day!

Chris is extra aggressive in this session lol

Before I even finished the video I understood that the person asking Chris all the rapid fire questions along with the other designers, were speaking from a place of "what a LOGO could be" instead of speaking from what a "LOGO is". I am a logo designer and even though I agreed with Chris it killed me inside when he said that "brand identity is just one very small part." Welllll i better start taking on more skills.

I really like this video and how @gobbs6761 said he is a Visual Identity Consultant. Would Visual Identity Designer be okay?

I've also seen people put Brand Stylist? google defines brand styling book/guide as a document that sets specific guidelines for perpetuating brand identity in all external and internal communications. They most commonly focus on: The use of logo The use of color Image and photo manipulation on brand's products and deliverables Brand's tone of voice

To prove why branding is important is because Louie V was created for sturdy and durable luggage not clothes. No one cares about the quality of the product anymore, just the brand associated with.

He said “very few people buy brand”. That’s not true. Never underestimate brand power.

He’s arrogant so the conversation seems bias, he’s making the conversation more complicated than it should be.

The bottom line is branding should be a byproduct of your products and services you offer and great marketing. Branding comes last.

Branding is still important because it actually strengthens the value of said products and services offered. But it must come last.

It’s interesting, it’s BECAUSE these brands have this consistent physical brand aesthetic so that it becomes subconscious people don’t notice it and so they can ENJOY the brand. But if the aesthetic was off, people won’t even begin to enjoy it!

You're not very likable. You should work on your brand identity. It matters.

Only commenting for the people that could be influenced by this video... this is a horrible and ridiculously biased take. Usually a big fan of Chris' content, but my family has started an agency that is supporting all of us, and we're about to close our 3rd 6-figure branding project exclusively focused on BRAND IDENTITY.

Identity goes far beyond just the visual toolkit (seems to be Chris' definition) and is the purposeful and strategic design of every aspect that represents WHO a brand is. I say all this because I hope other hungry creatives are able to enjoy the same success we have, and this advice could be very misleading. All respect to The Futur and all the great content they release though, all-in-all a truly great platform!

So in short...?

Yes, brand identity is only a part of branding. But it's also important if the brand can afford it. Saying that it's not is a reach. Why is the futur brand not using bright pink as its brand color in its marketing materials and sticking to its color? Because it's important for recognition as well.

What the hell?? This guy gives bad advice and makes lame designs, just talks too much hahaha wtf

Am I the only one a bit confused though?

Chris is getting sassy in his old age. I love it.

So, in the brand strategy courses through the Futur we get handy little frameworks like the brand pyramid. At the bottom of it are the invisible traits of the brand. The brand then it expresses itself towards the top of the pyramid, with a tone of voice and a look’n’feel.

Identity in a normal context, what does it mean? Recognition, right. Much like a person has an essence, but you can tell it’s them via their voice and look.

That’s an identity right?

When we describe a brand identity system, doesn’t that pertain to how we will express the brand (invisible traits and experience of something) through its look and feel systematically across applications.

Like we do in a Brand Identity Systems guide, or brand guidelines. I’m quite sure I was illuminated to this by The Future lol - so confused.

If we break down the language, “brand” “identity” “system”, this explanation makes a lot of coherent sense and is often what clients are trying to say…

“ we need our branding to look the same consistently everywhere”.

Ah. I gotchu. Brand identity system. Or brand guide.

I think it’s clear, because most people use the word “brand” wrong, when they think it’s a logo. Brand is not the logo. The logo is part of the recognisable identity of the brand feeling.

Right? Or wrong? 🙃

Wtf, I feel like I learned brand identity from The Futur lmao. I could be wrong, but is Chris changing his positioning on it, or have I remembered wrong. Most likely I remember wrong but…

hahaha, this dude... "I've only heard of self-confidence". Yes, the word SELF-CONFIDENCE exists exactly to differentiate from CONFIDENCE, which IS external. He's so secure saying such bullshit

identity design without branding is nothing

Brand Design is the foundation. The platform that the company walks along and builds upon. You are designing the brand infrastructure.

Granted like Chris said; thats not just creating assests, stationery, promotion, etc. Its creating the the ground level of language and product.

All in all, will people stop using the brand identity term as graphic desogners, etc.? Because its not widespread across everywhere, even on places like Behance.

bs

Sorry but got to disagree with Chris here and this is why. Chris says he identifies with using Apple more because of how it empowers him, but disregards how logos and symbols play a major part of the experience. Is he saying if I switched his Apple laptop to a close imitation version with a pear symbol which he didn't notice at first cuz the keyboard and display felt the same he wldnt mind sticking with it after discovering its a Pear? Or I switched his Adidas shoes with a similar comfy one with 4 stripes and he later discovered it to be an imitated brand, he will automatically just run with it? There is a reason why those logos and symbols play a major role in branding. They are there not only for marketing but also to affirm that the experience u feel about the brand is genuine.

Hey Chris, thanks for such a refreshing video. We would like to send you a Daddy Day Club care package to your P.O box. Can you let us know what your t-shirt size!

Theres alot of chups that arent asking questions in that room

We are branding making everything you just explained. Happy to be named our job correctly lol

lies speak louder than the truth :)

So confusing video, sorry. If the goal is to make me think, great. But I imagine going to you for advice and exiting with more questions and an existencial crisis. No bueno.

Chris was on 🔥 in this video.

@thefutur I appreciate this challenging and clarification session. I would love and appreciate if you could point to one of your courses or another video that goes deeper into what branding actually is (based off this video's argument ideally) I'm familiar with Neumeier and Geyrhalter's content. Would love a "close-to" all-in-one place that I could learn the actual hands on "WORK" and frameworks of building a brand and the education of where "identity design" is involved along with the other practical steps to designing Brands and not just identity. (i.e. your mentions earlier of messaging, products, copywriting, services, etc.) and what many of us "identity designers" can both do and learn in order to transition to the actual work of designing/building brands & strategy. I understand this is probably a multi-faceted topic but this video has got me a bit thinking I've got far more work & training to do. Any guidance would be appreciated. Basically, after watching this video, I'm asking the question of, *Now what*. We've identified the missing link, now how do we acquire it?

I noticed in the beginning the guy mentioned confidence and Chris dismissed it but then toward the end he said you want a mark or symbol you can be proud of. Isn't that the same thing? If your logo looks like hot trash you're not going to be proud of it or display it confidently.

That hit close to home!