“I know brand design is important… but is it really the right moment to focus on that for my business?”. Maybe you’ve asked yourself that question and we get it. Visual identity is one of the foundations of communication, and yes, it really does make a difference in how a business grows. Having a well-crafted brand, with meaningful colors, elements, and visuals isn’t just about looking good. It’s about creating real connection with the people you want to reach. But… when is the right time to make this investment? Should you start right away? Or does it make more sense to wait a little? How do you know when your moment has arrived?
“Identification, description, and the creation of value are just some of the possible functions of a trademark.”
Per Mollerup
Investing in your brand with awareness of both time and money can be a strategic and transformative move. And the first step, before anything else, is to look honestly at the stage your business is in right now. Some questions might help guide that reflection. Shall we go through them?
Caso 1 – Your business has gone (or is going) through changes
Every business changes over time. Sometimes it’s the business plan that shifts. Sometimes it’s the operations, the team, or the pricing. It could also be that the products and services change, or even how your business positions itself in the market. This is natural. It happens because your business is alive and constantly evolving. And when this happens, it’s worth asking yourself: does your current visual identity represent your business as it is now? The role of visual identity is to express who your business truly is, with clarity and coherence. If there has been an important change in structure, offerings, or market positioning, your brand might need to keep up with this movement. If your business has changed recently in what it does, what it offers, or how it presents itself, this could be the sign. Your brand’s look needs to follow that transformation.
That’s exactly what happened with Amanaki, a company that started selling exclusively women’s sneakers, with the goal of combining comfort and style for any occasion. We created a Beloved Brand with that focus, and it was a beautiful process. Over time, the company shifted plans, expanded its offerings, and changed its positioning. Today, it presents itself as a timeless footwear brand. This new phase also brought a new color palette: the vibrant tones gave way to more neutral and sober colors, reflecting the brand’s more restrained style. And the visual identity followed all of this, acting as a mirror of what Amanaki is now.
+ Also Read – Is my brand looking good? How to evaluate your company’s visual identity
Amanaki grew, and the brand grew along with it. New products, same essence, now with a look that fits this new moment. See the full project.
Caso 2 – Has your business matured? Your brand can (and should) grow with it
Over time, everything becomes clearer: who your ideal customers are, what truly makes your business stand out, what works and what could change. This phase of maturity is natural and precious, it brings more confidence in your choices and a deeper understanding of what makes your business unique. If this is the moment your company is in, maybe it’s time to take a closer look at your visual identity. Because when we understand ourselves better, it becomes easier (and more necessary) to show that to the world.
That’s exactly what happened with Super Vegan. The company was already known for its high-quality vegan chocolates, but something needed to change: the way the brand communicated no longer reflected the maturity the business had reached. The famous “little fox” didn’t represent this new phase as well anymore. That’s when we created a new version of it, livelier, more aligned with the brand’s current moment and brought to life the superhero animal league. The Super Vegan project won a bronze medal in packaging design and was selected in the illustration category at the Brasil Design Award. The brand owner said:
“We feel like Super Vegan 2.0. Every day, I fall more in love with them. It’s amazing how the product presentation has changed.”
OWNER OF SUPER VEGAN
Super Vegan matured, and the visual identity grew with it featuring characters full of meaning. See the full project.
Caso 3 – Your business has a clear and structured business plan
Having clarity about what your business offers, how it works, and who it serves is an essential step. When this plan is at least minimally organized, it becomes much easier (and more powerful!) to invest in your visual identity. After all, it’s from this plan that the brand strategy is born, translating all those important decisions into an accessible, charming, and coherent visual and verbal language. The visual identity is like a showcase for the company’s soul. So, if you feel your business already has a defined path, with structure, purpose, and direction, this might be a great time to invest in your brand. When your business knows what it wants to say to the world, the visual identity can (and should) tell that story with full force.
Colective Revoança is a great example of this. Created by a group of women social workers and psychologists with academic and activist backgrounds, the project was born with a clear sense of purpose. They had a well-defined plan: to offer online courses on topics they felt were missing in traditional training, prioritizing feminist, Black, Indigenous, and Global South voices. With this strong and well-structured starting point, we created a Beloved Brand full of color, Brazilian spirit, and poetry, the Revoança brand, which was recognized at the Brasil Design Award and also at the Brazilian Design Biennial.
+ Also Read – Brand Strategy: What It Is and Why Your Business Needs One
The Beloved Brand of Revoança Collective was born with direction, purpose, and a lot of poetry. See the full project.
Caso 4 – Has your brand faced technical, strategic, or legal challenges?
Sometimes, the reason to invest in a new visual identity is quite practical: the current brand is giving you headaches. It could be technical issues, like files that don’t have the quality needed for printing or that get distorted on materials. Or day-to-day usability problems, when the team isn’t sure which elements to apply and ends up making adaptations that don’t work well. There may also be strategic confusion, such as when your brand looks too similar to competitors or doesn’t clearly communicate what makes your business unique. And in some cases, there are even legal conflicts, like being unable to register the name. If your company is going through something like this, it’s worth paying close attention: maybe now is the time to invest in a new brand.
This was the situation for Herdei o Look (which means “I Inherited the Look”), a luxury children’s thrift store that was formerly called Espichei (a playful Portuguese word meaning “I stretched” or “I popped”, often used to describe a kid’s growth spurt). The company noticed it was communicating similarly to others in the sector, even using a tired and overused symbol, the giraffe. This prevented the name from being registered and limited the brand’s growth. During the Naming and Visual Identity process, we found a new path: we created a brand that highlights the beauty of the pieces and the stories behind them, like true heirlooms among children. The problems were left in the past, and Herdei o Look’s project was selected for the Brasil Design Award in the categories of Brand Design and Naming.
+ Also Read – Cents or Millions? How Much Should I Expect to Pay for a Brand Design?
Herdei o Look transformed its identity to reflect the delicacy and care of its curation. The project was selected for the Brasil Design Award. See the full project.
When it might not be the right time to invest in your brand
We’ve talked so far about signs that show when it’s a good moment to invest in your company’s visual identity. But there are also times when that investment might need to wait a little bit. Below, we share two situations when, before focusing on your brand, it’s worth paying close attention to other important points.
1 – When everything is still just an idea
Many businesses start as a dream, and that’s beautiful. But sometimes, that dream is still taking shape. When the idea hasn’t turned into a more structured plan yet, you might feel the urge to create a brand “to see the business come to life”. That feeling is totally understandable (and very common!), but it’s important to remember: your visual identity reflects what your business really is. If there’s no clarity yet about what you’ll sell, how it will work, or who your customers will be, the most important step right now might be to put all that on paper before investing in your brand’s look.
2 – When there are too many possibilities in play
It’s normal for a new business to have many ideas, different products, varied services, diverse audiences. But when everything is happening all at once, without a clear focus, your communication can get confusing, and that will directly affect your visual identity. After all, your brand will translate and organize your company’s strategy. And for that, your business plan needs to be at least somewhat clear. If your company is still in that phase of exploring options, the best path might be to pause, reflect on which directions truly make sense… and only then move on to the visual identity.
Conclusion: When is the right time to invest in your brand?
If you feel the desire to invest in your brand, it means something sparked that wish and that already says a lot. It might be a change in positioning, a new phase of maturity, the beginning of an entrepreneurial journey, or even some technical or legal issue with your current brand. These are all valid signals and can indicate that yes, it’s time to lovingly take care of your company’s visual identity. On the other hand, when the business idea is still vague or there are many open possibilities, the visual identity is probably not the best first step. Before investing in how your company will present itself to the world, it’s important to clearly understand what your company is, what it offers, and who it serves. The most important thing is this: take the time to reflect calmly on whether your company already has a clear path, and if your brand can be a bridge to get you there.
And you, when did you invest in your company’s visual identity? How was that experience? Share with us in the comments. Do you believe now is the right time? If so, let’s do this together! Request a proposal.