By Ameen Ahsan · Brand identity and packaging designer
A brand identity package should give your team a usable visual system, with the right assets for the places your brand will appear. A logo is one part of that system. Before comparing proposals, write down what you need to launch, who will use the files and which applications matter first.
Start with the business and its audience
A useful brief explains what you sell, whom you serve, what makes your offer different and why the identity needs to change. Include existing materials and examples of where the current presentation causes confusion. A wellness founder launching a new product range may need a different scope from an established healthcare organisation updating its communications.
Clarify whether the engagement includes positioning and messaging work, visual identity design, or both. These are related tasks, but a proposal should describe each rather than hide everything under the word branding.
Agree the core identity assets
Depending on your needs, a visual identity scope can include:
- A primary logo and agreed secondary or compact versions.
- Colour specifications for the intended digital and print uses.
- A typography system, with font licensing responsibilities made clear.
- Supporting graphic elements and guidance on image direction.
- Basic rules for spacing, backgrounds and consistent application.
Ask which items are included, which are optional and what final file formats you will receive. Avoid choosing a package simply because its deliverable list is longer. Assets should solve an actual business need.
Include the applications you will use first
List the touchpoints that need to be ready for launch: a website, product labels, presentation deck, social profiles, business stationery or campaign templates. Specify quantities and formats. One social profile image is different from a reusable set of editable campaign templates.
For a consumer product business, packaging design may need a separate scope covering product variants, supplier dielines and approved copy. Product photography and AI product imagery are also distinct deliverables; do not assume they are included in a visual identity proposal.
Make guidelines practical
Guidelines should help the next person make a sound design decision. Clear examples of correct logo use, colour combinations and typography hierarchy are more useful than a long document that leaves everyday questions unanswered.
The MedVault project shows identity thinking through its wordmark, colour palette and typography guidance, alongside product scenes. The East West Prevention project offers another example of how an identity connects to a broader digital presentation. Use relevant work to assess a designer’s approach, not as a promise that your project will have identical deliverables.
Compare the process as well as the price
Before approving a proposal, confirm the number of creative directions, review stages, revision rounds and the feedback process. Ask what happens when new applications or extra variants are added. Agree the handover, usage rights and any third-party licence costs in writing.
Timing depends on the scope, availability of inputs and speed of decisions. Share your launch date early, and identify who will consolidate feedback. A clear approval process helps avoid conflicting requests and repeated revisions.
Can a brand identity package start smaller?
Yes. A focused first phase can establish the core identity and the applications needed for launch. Later phases can extend that system as your channels and product range grow. Agree what the initial files must support so a smaller starting scope still gives your team something practical to use.
A short checklist for your enquiry
- Your brand, audience and reason for the project.
- Existing assets and what must be retained.
- The applications and formats needed for launch.
- Your decision-makers, target date and budget range.
- Any separate packaging, website or imagery requirements.
Explore my brand identity design service, then send a project enquiry. I’ll review your requirements and suggest a scope that fits the work you need.
