Every touchpoint looks like a different company
There are three versions of the logo doing the rounds, the colours change depending on who did the work, and nobody knows which is the original.
Design
Branding and naming: a brand people recognise
From the name to the brand guidelines, a consistent visual system your company can use everywhere.
Who branding is for
Branding is the work of deciding what your company is in the eyes of the people who see it, and translating that into a system you can use every day. It isn't just the logo: it's the name, the colours, the typography, the tone you speak in, and the rules that keep all of it consistent on a shop window, a lorry, a document and a social media post.
It makes sense in three situations: when you're starting a company or a product and nothing exists yet; when the company has grown or its audience has changed and the image has been left behind; and when there's too much material, made by different people over the years, and nobody can say any more which is the correct version of the logo.
Naming, creating the name itself, is part of this service. Once the brand is defined, the next steps are graphic design pieces, stationery and the website.
Problems this service solves
The most common signs that a brand needs work.
The brand doesn't stand out from competitors
Cover up the name, and the material could belong to any company in the sector.
The name doesn't help
It's hard to say, hard to spell or hard to find, or it's already taken where it matters.
The logo doesn't work everywhere
It falls apart when it's small, there's no version for dark backgrounds, and there are no files good enough for print.
The image no longer matches the business
The company has moved on in services, size or market, and is still communicating what it was ten years ago.
A brand isn't the logo. It's everything that stays consistent around it.
How we work
A brand isn't drawn on the first try. It's built through decisions, and each one narrows the ones that follow.
Assessment
We meet with you to understand the business, its customers and its competitors, and look at the material that already exists. Where there's history and recognition, we keep it — you don't throw away what people already associate with the company.
Brand platform
In a few pages, we write down what the brand promises, to whom, and in what tone it speaks. It's this document that stops the rest of the process turning into an argument about taste.
Naming, when it applies
We generate and filter name proposals, check domain and trademark availability, and present a short set with the reasoning behind each one.
Visual system
We design the logo and everything that goes with it: palette, typography, grid, image treatment and supporting graphic elements. We present one well-argued main direction and fine-tune it with you in rounds.
Application and guidelines
We show the brand applied to real touchpoints in your business, and hand over the guidelines with the usage rules, so the next supplier doesn't undo the work.
What you get
A set of files and rules that any supplier can follow.
The logo in every version
Main, reduced, horizontal and vertical, in colour, single colour and for dark backgrounds.
Files for every use
Vector formats for print and large formats, and image formats for screen and social media.
A defined palette and typography
With colour codes for screen and print, and the specified fonts, including an everyday alternative.
Brand guidelines
Usage rules, minimum clear space, incorrect uses and application examples.
A checked name, where naming applies
Proposals with domain availability and a note on what's still left to register.
First applications
The brand applied to a set of pieces agreed in the quote, so you can get going without a gap.
Common questions about branding
The questions that reach us most often before touching a brand.
What's the difference between branding and a logo?
The logo is one piece; branding is the system that makes it useful. Without a palette, typography, rules and a tone of voice, the logo ends up applied differently on every touchpoint, and the company never gets recognised as a whole.
Do I have to change everything at once?
No. The brand can be rolled out in phases, starting with what's most visible or with whatever runs out first, such as stationery and outdoor signage. The guidelines make sure the new and old pieces sit together without looking like two different companies.
Do you handle trademark registration?
We check domain availability and search the trademark registers, but registration itself is a legal act. We always recommend it's handled by an official industrial property agent or a solicitor.
What if we don't like the proposal?
We present one well-argued direction and work through rounds of fine-tuning, with the number of revisions set out in the quote. Because the brand platform is approved before any design work starts, the conversation stops being about taste and becomes about fit.
How long does a branding project take?
It depends on the scope and, above all, on how quickly your team can decide: approval stages are what stretch out a branding project the most. The schedule is agreed at the start and written into the quote.
Projects from this service
Resende Seixas creating the brand for a printing company
Resende Seixas
Noeirinha brand, packaging, online shop and communications for a salt pan
Noeirinha
COMAVAUTO brand, print, vinyl graphics and space decoration
COMAVAUTO
Suvicar name, brand, website, integrations and communication
Suvicar
Mudanças MSC brand, website and print
Mudanças MSC
Gelato e Limonata brand, online shop, website and print
Gelato e Limonata
Assets Capital name, brand, website, integrations, print and space decoration
Assets Capital
Peça a Peça brand, website, print, vinyl graphics and decor
Peça a Peça
nomenu.digital name, brand, platform, website and communications
nomenu.digital
Suddenly Strong brand and print
Suddenly Strong
youroma name, brand and print
youroma
Transtrafico brand, website, print, vinyl graphics, decoration and communication
Transtrafico
Taxxi name and brand
Taxxi
HMMC brand, website and print
HMMC
MagicBooks name, brand, online shop, website and print
MagicBooks
Sucatas Martins brand, website, print, vinyl graphics, decoration and communication
Sucatas Martins
VAZ – Contabilistas name, brand, print and decoration
VAZ – Contabilistas
Reab brand and print
Reab
Laura – Makeup Artist brand, print and communications
Laura – Makeup Artist
tolove name, brand, print and decoration
tolove
PMD – Realestate brand, print, vinyl graphics, decor and communications
PMD – Realestate
smartdeal name, brand, platform, website, integrations, print and communication
smartdeal
Viktoriya brand, print, vinyl graphics, decoration and communication
Viktoriya
Pharmarede name, brand, print, decor and communications
Pharmarede
Pinho & Melo brand, website, print, vinyl graphics and decor
Pinho & Melo
MAG – Real Estate name, brand, platform, website and communications
MAG – Real Estate
LinkWave name, brand and website
LinkWave
Jornadas – Bombeiros Velhos brand and platform
Jornadas – Bombeiros Velhos
LinesUp name, brand, platform, website and communications
LinesUp
Funmerch name and brand
Funmerch
Avant & apres name, brand and vinyl graphics
Avant & apres
beSafe Clinical name and brand
beSafe Clinical
Central do espetáculo name, brand, platform and website
Central do espetáculo
AsNew name, brand, online shop, website and space decoration
AsNew
Andressa Cabeleireiros brand, vinyl graphics, space decoration and communications
Andressa Cabeleireiros
Ficus name, brand and vinyl graphics
Ficus
Cosmética outlet brand, online shop, website, space decoration and communications
Cosmética outlet
Adabel name, brand, platform, website and printed materials
Adabel
AgroServ brand, website and communications
AgroServ
Encanto Creations brand, vinyl graphics, space decoration and communications
Encanto Creations
WAKER brand, online shop, website and communication
WAKER
Roomify brand, platform and website
Roomify
Brandauto brand
Brandauto
StrongWeld brand
StrongWeld
Lokahi – Eco Store brand, online shop and website
Lokahi – Eco Store
Sorriso de Alecrim brand, website and shop window for a dental clinic
Sorriso de Alecrim
Natural Choices brand, online shop and website
Natural Choices
JJMC brand, print and communications
JJMC
Inovation brand, print, vinyl graphics and communications
Inovation
uTech brand
uTech
GQ Pro brand
GQ Pro
GQ Group brand, website and vinyl graphics
GQ Group
Cândido dos Reis name, website and communications
Cândido dos Reis
MasterBit brand
MasterBit
Keeper brand and website
Keeper
Puble brand and website
Puble
X-Detailer Box brand
X-Detailer Box
Raiz brand, menus, website and vinyl graphics for a neighbourhood restaurant
Raiz – O vegetariano do bairro
Olho de Ouro brand, website and decor
Olho de Ouro
Let's work on your brand
Tell us whether it's a new brand or a refresh, what already exists and where it's going to be used. You'll get back a quote with phases, deliverables and price.
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