Sean Adams - How to Succeed with Identities Without Really Trying

10/28/22 • 51 min

In this episode, Sean Adams, an internationally recognized graphic designer, and the chair of undergraduate and graduate graphic design at Art Center College of Design in California tells us to succeed with identities without really trying.
Sean Adams is the author of multiple best selling books, including The Designer’s Dictionary of Color.
Brand Identity is not a one-size-fits-all solution. It's a toolkit, an approach to solving problems, an equation. It's not a thing that you can just slap onto your business and hope for the best. You have to understand it and use it correctly in order to succeed with brand identities without really trying.
If you're just starting out, the process can seem overwhelming at first. Where do you even begin? What kind of logo is best for your business? How do you go about creating an identity that speaks to your customers and attracts new clients?
There’s no one right answer, but there are three kinds of identities that you need to understand to start with: word mark, monogram, and symbol. Your branding strategy may use one of these approaches, so it’s good to explore them all and know what they mean.
One of the trickiest aspects of branding is building equity over time. If you think about the Apple identity, it has that little bite out of it, which forces you to think a little bit, the more you think, the more it sticks in your head.
Design is an important part of branding. You can't just have a nice logo and expect people to buy your product. You have to make it appealing in other ways too, Branding isn't just about beauty and aesthetic, but it should be how we can make it unique.
We focus on certain colors because they've become emotionally loaded with meaning for us. How do we get those emotional meanings etched into our brand image?
This episode discusses:

Three kinds of identities
Building equity with symbols
Choosing your branding fonts
Visual attributes
How to know you have a great designer/ designers sensibilities
The cultural impact of color choices
Semiotics
Current challenges facing designers

www.seanadams.designResources mentioned on the podcast
The Designer’s Dictionary of Color
How Design Makes Us Think
Debbie Millman books
Sean Adams' LinkedIn leaning course on branding

Valuable Resources:
Brand Tuned NewsletterBrand Tuned Training Courses

Three kinds of identities
Building equity with symbols
Choosing your branding fonts
Visual attributes
How to know you have a great designer/ designers sensibilities
The cultural impact of color choices
Semiotics
Current challenges facing designers

www.seanadams.designResources mentioned on the podcast
The Designer’s Dictionary of Color
How Design Makes Us Think
Debbie Millman books
Sean Adams' LinkedIn leaning course on branding

Valuable Resources:
Brand Tuned NewsletterBrand Tuned Training Courses

Previous Episode

Identity - Creating Your Purple Cow

Is being unique your ultimate goal in your business? How, exactly, do you stand out from your competitors and make sure that you remain a purple cow?
A crucial part of a business’ success is being distinctive and visibly different from its competitors. This is the main objective in creating business brand. Having a recognizable and distinctive name helps ensure you will be able to stand out from the crowd.
Distinctiveness is about the identifiers we use. These identifiers are how consumers recognise brands. They associate them with you. It’s your name, and brand elements you choose, such as your logo, any distinctive symbols, characters, shapes, sounds, colours etc.

When you’re creating your business' brand, understanding what competitors can and can't legitimately copy is key to creating a unique brand. Your focus should be as much on what to create as whether you can prevent copying of the elements you create..

That’s why creating slogans and taglines that are ownable is key to protecting our messaging strategy. We stand a greater chance of being associated with the message behind our strategy.
In today's fast-paced world, it is not enough to raise awareness of how we differ. We need to know and understand about intellectual property rights, and how this can help us achieve design choices that set us apart from competitors.

In this episode I touch on the laws governing the ownership of ideas and trademarks, as well as how to use them to protect your brand. I discuss:

Two components for a business to stand out
Difference between personal and business brands
Intellectual Property
Concept of distinctiveness
Popeye the sailor
How important trademark rights are in protecting business brands
Famous personalities and their distinctiveness/uniqueness

Valuable Resources:
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Next Episode

Takeaway lessons from Sean Adams' Masterclass on Identity Design

In this episode I discuss some thoughts following the recent podcast with Sean Adams, an internationally recognized graphic designer, and the chair of undergraduate and graduate graphic design at Art Center College of Design in California.
I found Sean's approach refreshingly client focused and empathetic. For example, Sean takes clients on the design journey and explains what he is doing and why.
This collaborative approach, and avoiding a big reveal at the end of the process, is more likely to result in an identity that the client finds acceptable.
I think if the designer can also talk about the IP dimension they would be the ideal adviser to clients. While the word ‘design’ is commonly associated with graphic designers, in truth it includes anyone who advises on business structure. They can help plan how a business should work in all respects, not just visually.
Given that visual identity needs to be permanent I’m often baffled that designers radically change the visual identity of established businesses just because the business’ strategy changes.
Surely tweaks to the identity is all that's needed, unless there is something radically transformed about the business. It’s vital to leave the identifying elements so you don’t disturb memory structures.
This episode tackles: