How does a visual identity come to life? Our methodology step by step

“To create a brand and visual identity, do you just wait for ideas to appear?” It’s very common for people to think that creativity is a gift, and that those who work in creative fields naturally come up with ideas. So when it comes to brands, they assume it’s enough to know the basics about a company and, zap, a creative lightning bolt strikes, and a few hours later the project is done. The reality is more complicated and, at the same time, more interesting!

We have a background in design, and creating brands is our passion! We develop strategic identities for small and medium-sized businesses, projects we affectionately call Beloved Brands. This means we work with what’s commonly known as a brand (also referred to as a logo or logotype). And we can confidently say: sitting around waiting for a creative lightning bolt to strike is not the best way to create brands. So, what is? That’s exactly what we’re going to explore in this article!

Step 1 – Clarity

This first step is part of all of our projects, whether it’s brand strategy, visual identity, naming, or packaging. As soon as the proposal is approved, the contract signed, and the bureaucratic stuff settled, the most awaited moment arrives: to start the project, in practice. And it all begins with a conversation. If your company has reached this point, you may have a lot of ideas or still be trying to organize your thoughts. We call this stage “Clarity”, because it starts with a questionnaire designed to help you gather the information we’ll need. If there is already a business plan, it might help, but we leave plenty of space for you to calmly share what you’re experiencing. It’s in this space that the insights, the honest conversations, and the details that make all the difference begin to emerge.

When we receive the responses to the questionnaire, we often come back with more questions, a process we call “Exchange of Ideas”. This exchange continues until we feel we have a clear vision of your business. Sometimes, this step calls for additional data or even further research. Because it’s from this rich, well-fed universe that the ideas will be born. We’re moved by how people open up at this moment. This sincere sharing is a sign of trust and is essential for the project to start in the right way. This is where hearts begin to connect. And, to create brands from heart to heart, as we believe, this is the best possible path.

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Step 2 – Brand Strategy

With everything we’ve learned about your company so far, we begin refining the information, organizing the most relevant points and transforming this content. We use a branding tool called brand strategy. Through it, we translate what we’ve discovered about your business into clear, accessible language. It’s like building the foundation of your brand, the structure that will support everything that follows. In this process, we organize our insights into two key areas that form your brand’s strategic plan. The first is inward-focused, what we call the brand heart. This is where we define its feelings, values, and commitments. The second is outward-focused, the brand world. Here, we map the customers your business connects with, the environment it operates in, its flagship product, and more.

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Lúcida Letra (which translates literally to ‘Lucid Letter’) is a publishing house dedicated to the Buddhist universe that approached us to create its Beloved Brand. During the strategy phase, we dove into the content the company publishes, the best-selling books, the topics that attract the most interest, and, of course, the people who read these books with so much enthusiasm. Among the defined points, it became clear that their purpose is “to connect people to sources of wisdom and Buddhist teachings, strengthening the Brazilian Sangha”. This direction was essential to guide the project, from the visual identity to the tone of voice. The brand was later recognized on the shortlist of the 9th edition of the Latin American Design Awards, in the Rebranding category. Additionally, the project was shortlisted for the 15th BDA – Brazilian Design Award and featured in the brand category on our Behance page.

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Step 3 – Inspiration Board

Now that we’ve deeply understood your company and organized your brand strategy, it’s time to start translating this informations into visual language. We’ll begin by following the creative concept we’ve defined ourselves. Keep in mind that the concept is still open to change at this stage, as the creative process requires flexibility. We create an inspiration board with everything that, in our view, resonates with what the brand represents. We use Pinterest as the main tool for this process, but the content goes far beyond brands: we gather colors, shapes, words, feelings, videos, sounds, photos, drawings, places, textures, everything that can help us capture and express your brand’s universe.

This board with thousands of images is only possible because there’s a well-defined strategic foundation. If all we knew was the company’s name and what it sells, for example, we’d probably be faced with a blank canvas, that feeling of “I don’t know where to start”. But since we’ve already dove deep, understanding what the company believes in, how it thinks, what it feels, what makes it different, we now have the right ingredients to create authentic visual connections. Important: up until now, we haven’t started sketching yet. There’s no defined visual identity, no draft. We’re still in the creative concept field, preparing the ground for visual ideas to be born.

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In the visual identity project for Coletivo Revoança, one detail immediately caught our attention: all the partners were from Northeastern Brazil. This significant point guided us throughout the creation of the inspiration board. The brand strategy spoke about a “scientific and poetic perspective”, which opened up space for visual references blending roots and freedom. Vibrant colors, flowers, and fruits typical of the Northeast were included in this board. Since “Revoança” comes from the word “revoada”, which in English means “the flight of a flock”, symbolizing collective movement and freedom, we also incorporated symbolic elements representing the liberation of thought, such as open cages, birds, eyes, and heads. It was from this rich collection of images and feelings that the Beloved Brand of Coletivo Revoança was born, selected for the 14th Brazilian Design Biennial 2024 in the Identity & Spirit of the Brand category.

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Step 4 – Exploring visual identity alternatives

We’ve reached one of the most exciting moments in the process: the beginning of your brand’s visual expression. After diving into your company’s story, organizing everything into a clear strategy and building a meaningful inspiration board, we begin creating possibilities. Everything we’ve gathered so far becomes fuel. The brand strategy, our greatest ally, is reread, explored, and unfolded word by word. With each reading, we search for ideas, sensations, and possible forms of expression. It’s an exercise in translating the verbal into the visual. And the inspiration board stays with us as a compass, one that we continue to enrich throughout the creative process.

This is the point where we finally put pencil to paper. We begin sketching shapes, exploring color combinations, icons and graphic elements, textures, typographic styles, and more. Everything is explored with freedom. Pencils, pens, inks, digital tools, any medium can help capture a glimpse of what this brand can become. And here’s a golden rule: every idea must be connected to the strategy. Even those that seem too bold or perhaps too simple at first glance. This is the time to experiment, to generate possibilities, to let creativity flow, without losing sight of the path we’ve walked so far. The more alternatives we have, the greater the chance we’ll discover something special.

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Step 5 – Choosing a direction

After exploring several visual possibilities, it’s time to make choices. At this stage, we meet internally to carefully review everything we’ve created and decide which visual direction most powerfully and authentically expresses your brand strategy. We evaluate which characteristics stand out in each proposal, what best represents the business, and, most importantly: what sets your company apart in the market. Among the alternatives, we look for the one that not only moves emotionally but also positions the brand. This decision doesn’t limit the creative process, quite the opposite. Choosing a path allows us to go deeper, test, refine. We begin to explore real-world applications: how would this identity work on a business card? On a package? On social media? Ideas start to be put to the test, bringing fresh energy to the project. It’s when everything starts to come to life.

In the visual identity project for Cozinha do Pudim (which translates literally to ‘Pudding Kitchen’, referring to a famous Brazilian dessert), everything began with a feeling: nostalgia. Something sweet and evocative of the most cherished memories around the table. The “azulejo” (Portuguese tile) was the chosen symbol, an element deeply rooted in Brazilian kitchens and with Portuguese origins, just like the “pudim” itself. But the word azulejo opens many visual possibilities, and that’s where the process of sharpening our vision began. Within this concept, we drew specific paths and tested different compositions. Little by little, the identity began to take shape. At the center of the tile, we placed a stylized ‘pudim’, surrounded by shades of blue that immediately evoke the tile. To complement it, the dessert’s characteristic yellow added the perfect contrast, forming, together with other elements, the Beloved Brand of Cozinha do Pudim.

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Step 6 – The visual identity is born!

We’ve arrived at a very special moment in the process: the presentation of your company’s visual identity. It’s time to see everything take shape. But more than that, it’s time to feel. Around here, we often hear heartfelt reactions like: “I wasn’t expecting this result!”, “It turned out so much better than I imagined”, or “I would’ve never thought of this color, but it fits the brand perfectly!”. These responses show that we’ve achieved something truly precious: translating feelings and ideas into words, images, and visual symbols. Our wish is that you also feel this emotion, that moment of seeing your company truly represented, recognizing yourself in every detail. That you look at the new brand and think, “This is my company. This is what I want to show the world.”

Of course, there might be some adjustments along the way: maybe a color didn’t evoke the right emotion, or a word from the strategy needs to be refined and that’s okay, it’s part of the process! We move forward so the final result is a faithful reflection of what your brand wants to communicate. It’s also important to share this new identity with people who already know your brand: clients, partners, and your team. Hearing their impressions can bring valuable insights. A visual identity is meant to touch hearts and also to communicate clearly. And sometimes, an outside perspective confirms what your heart already felt. Once the brand is approved, we move on to a more technical phase: organizing every file. We prepare versions for print, digital use, social media, everything your brand needs to live in the world.

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At Afinello, a clinic specializing in cognitive stimulation, the visual identity had to express something very delicate: the reconnection with balance and self-esteem. The central idea was already present in the name we created, inspired by the verb “to tune”, and it expanded into the creation of a musical-inspired symbol, a sign that, in sheet music, indicates the moment to release the sustain pedal. This symbol represents the fine-tuning that happens in therapy, with shapes that suggest movement and transformation. The illustrations were inspired by games and activities from the sessions. This is how the Beloved Brand of Afinello was born.

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Conclusion: How is a visual identity born?

These are the steps we follow to create, together with you, a Beloved Brand for your company. Of course, there are many details left out, but this overview already gives you a good sense of the process. Instead of waiting for a spark of creativity to come from outside, we start by building a solid foundation. And this base starts with clarity. Then, we build a brand strategy designed from the inside out. With this solid foundation, we create an inspiration board that goes far beyond visual references. It’s where the first creative directions begin to take shape. In the next stage, we choose the most promising direction and develop it through to presentation. When the proposal is approved, we can feel your strong heart beat from here. We then move on to organizing the files and delivering the final assets, with that satisfying feeling of a job well done. Your Beloved Brand is alive! And it’s your daily care that will keep it beating, creating genuine connections and reaching people’s hearts from here on out.

Did you enjoy learning more about how our process works? If you want to talk more or have any questions, just write us at: [email protected]. Does your business want to captivate the people who need what you do the most? Request a proposal!