The Elements Of Brand Design

Par (auteur) und Jens Müller, Katharina Sussek; Par (auteur) TASCHEN
Short description/annotation:
Form, color, and typography—alongside values and vision—can make or break a brand. Framed by an interview with Pentagram’s Paula Scher and Michael Bierut, this book explores the design elements of renowned corporations in 110 case studies. Thanks to clever branding, the likes of Nike, Burger King and Uniqlo have become desirable in their own right.
Description:

Branding is a kind of alchemy, conjured from form, color, typography, imagery, sound, and motion. How do these elements work their magic on the way we perceive companies and products? From Netflix and Instagram to Nike and Deutsche Bank, this volume deconstructs the design DNA of recognizable brands from all over the world.

From the late 19th century, symbols and names were used to identify different products. Soon after, corporate colors arrived, then custom typefaces, and ‘house styles’ for brochures, posters, and packaging. Roll on a century, the digital revolution has brought about a whole new raft of media, brand touchpoints and consumer experiences. Today’s designers and brand managers must keep interrogating the established principles to navigate these new playing fields. The work collected here proves that great brand creation and redesign are always rooted in conceptual individuality and visual originality. 

Jens Müller and Katharina Sussek have structured more than 100 case studies in 17 chapters, each exploring a core element of brand identity, and conducted lengthy interviews with two design giants: Pentagram’s Paula Scher and Michael Bierut, the creative minds behind some of the world’s most famous brands. 

From logo origination to creating pictogram systems, from the use of sound or moving images to generative AI, the volume delves deeper into the multifaceted work of creative studios and in-house design departments, at companies and institutions worldwide. Making for a completely riveting read and today’s most comprehensive book on contemporary branding.

Review quote:
“A brand is an amalgamation of everything that is related to a specific product or thing. And that means it isn’t just the typography or the way the ad is written or the way the store looks or anything like that. It’s everything.”
Biographical note:
Katharina Sussek and Jens Müller have both studied communication design at the University of Applied Sciences in Düsseldorf. After graduating, they founded their own design studios independently of each other. In 2019 vista was established. The studio, which has won several national and international awards, works for large and small clients and focuses on projects in the areas of corporate and editorial design. Müller was appointed Professor of Corporate Design in the Department of Design at Dortmund University of Applied Sciences and Arts in 2019. They have published a number of books on graphic design and visual culture, including TASCHEN’s Logo Modernism and The History of Graphic Design.