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Designer’s Corner: The Unifying Power of Good Design

Newsletter | March 2nd, 2007

David Dresen

It’s fourth and goal, with the ball on the 2 yard line and only 3 seconds left on the clock. The play comes in from the sideline, and you can see determination in everyone’s eyes. The team breaks huddle, and comes up to the line. The ball is snapped, and the quarter back rolls out to the right, as the receivers scramble to get open. In the back of the end zone, a player is left all alone and the ball is released as the clock hits zero. The entire stadium is on their feet, and a thunderous roar erupts as the ball is caught.

The underdog has done the impossible, and all because of the logo on their helmet…Ok, fine, I’m being a little ridiculous, I admit. But there is truth to be said about the unifying power a good design can have on an organization.

I know that a good sports logo won’t make a professional athlete play better, just look at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (no offense to any of you Buccaneer fans). However, good design can make a group of people fighting for the same cause, become a tighter, more unified team. We all rally around our passions, whether it be sports teams, a specific hobby, or even a specific brand of automobile. Look how passionate a sports fan is for his particular team. I for example, am a lifelong Dallas Cowboys fan. Please keep the hate mail down to a minimum. I have loved the Cowboys ever since I was 8 years old, which let’s just say was a while ago. For me any other football team is an eternal enemy, and even if my son played for them (which I would never allow) I would still consider that to be true. There are Ford fans and Chevy fans that would never buy the opposing makers automobile. I’m sure you’ve all seen the window stickers of a particular cartoon boy ‘watering’ the name of the other car manufacturer.

We all accept the passions people have for certain things, but have we thought about what impact a good design can have on those passions? What about the impact on customers, employees, vendors, potential employees, etc? I’m not saying that just because of a good logo your company will be wildly successful or that all your employees will be singing “Cumbaya” after each company meeting. I am however, saying that when a company has taken the time and effort to brand itself effectively, from the start of the identity to all the peripherals, it will become unified in it’s mission.

You start with your identity. As I addressed in my previous article, “Don’t get too personal”, you can either jump start your business on a successful path with a strong, unique identity, or possibly start the decline of a once promising business with a cluttered, overused image. Once you have established your identity, the branding does not stop there! It is extremely important to work with your designer on the rest of your business branding. I really cannot stress this enough. As important as it was to allow your designer to create your identity, with you waiting in the wings, it’s just as important to allow them to finish what they started. If you don’t have a consistent brand from your logo, to your stationery, to your web presence, to your marketing materials, there will be no stability and no unity. Your customer will be confused at what image you are trying to portray, and there will be no lasting impression.

When you have actually branded your company correctly, everything you say and do will be a unifying power. It will re-iterate your game plan. If you have created a clean, unique mark, then everything from there should reflect that image and strengthen your brand. A great example is Apple Inc. They started with a simple mark, and all their marketing revolves around that image. Everything they do is clean, professional and modern. Even their product manufacturing points back to the logo, through its clean, modern lines and contemporary looks.

This unifying design has helped make Macintosh the industry leader it is today. To say that the employees of Macintosh take more pride in their company because of the logo, isn’t quite accurate, but then again it may not be that far off. If you worked for a company that had an established, reputable brand, would you be proud to pass out your business card, and let people know who you worked for? You bet you would. Conversely, if the company you work for has that logo with a purple dog named Fluffy, sitting on a sailboat and you’re trying to sell an online investment portfolio, that business card will probably stay in your pocket.

To establish a winning team, one that is going to be able and willing to put their blood, sweat and tears into the game, you need to make sure everyone understands what you stand for, and that statement is re-emphasized and strengthened in everything you do. The unity of a good design throughout all your marketing materials is priceless. It just may make the difference between a thunderous applause and a silent but swift retreat through the exit.