Author: zain ahmed kamal

Brand Logo

Stand Out from the Crowd: The Importance of a Unique Logo Design

In today’s competitive business landscape, standing out from the crowd is essential for success. One powerful tool that can help businesses achieve this is a unique logo design.

A logo serves as the face of a brand, just like the faces on our identification cards. It is what people remember and associate with a brand.

But how do you know if your logo is the right one for your brand? There are five key factors to consider.

First, a logo should have a concept behind it, representing the brand’s identity.

Second, the colours used in the logo should relate to the brand and be limited to a maximum of three colours.

Third, the logo should be unique, reflecting the brand’s individuality.

Fourth, simplicity is key, as a logo needs to be easily used across various marketing materials and products.

By considering these elements, a unique logo design can greatly enhance a brand’s presence and help it stand out in a crowded marketplace. So, have you considered the power of a well-designed logo for your business? If yes then contact us.

Understanding the Importance of a Unique Logo

Your Brand's Identity: More Than Just a Name

Your brand’s identity is much more than just its name. It’s the embodiment of your company’s ethos, vision, values, and aspirations. Similarly, your logo is not just a graphical representation of your brand name.

It’s a visual summary of what your brand stands for and the value it offers. As the face of your brand, your logo has the power to communicate your brand’s identity in an instant.

It evokes emotions, forms connections, and builds trust. For instance, when you see the iconic Apple logo, you instantly associate it with innovation, quality, and modern design.

Therefore, creating a logo that accurately reflects your brand’s identity is crucial. This process involves understanding your brand’s personality, defining its core values, and then translating these aspects into a visual form through a unique logo design.

So, the question is, does your logo truly represent your brand’s identity?

The Role of a Logo Design in Brand Recognition

The role of a logo in brand recognition cannot be understated. Think about the most recognized brands in the world like Nike, McDonald’s, or Coca-Cola. Their logos are embedded in our minds, and we can instantly identify these brands from their logos alone.

This is the power of brand recognition, and your logo plays a pivotal role in creating this recognition.

A well-designed logo is easily identifiable, and it helps customers remember your brand. It aids in creating a consistent image across all your marketing platforms, from your website to your social media channels and even your physical storefront.

Each time a customer sees your logo, it reinforces their memory of your brand, leading to higher brand recall.

Besides, a unique logo also helps set your brand apart from competitors. In a crowded marketplace, where consumers are bombarded with numerous brands, a distinctive logo can help your brand stand out.

It creates a unique brand experience that can lead to increased customer loyalty and brand advocacy. So, does your logo contribute to your brand’s recognition as it should?

Five Crucial Elements of a Good Logo

Essentiality of a Concept in Logo Design

The first step in designing a logo is to have a clear concept. A concept is the underlying principle that guides the design process, ensuring the final logo has meaning and relevance to your brand.

It’s not about creating a visually appealing design, but about creating a logo that encapsulates the essence of your brand.

Having a strong concept aids in delivering a clear message to your audience about who you are and what you stand for.

For instance, the Starbucks logo has a mermaid, which signifies the brand’s Seattle roots, a city closely associated with the water and seafaring.

This concept instantly connects Starbucks with its hometown, giving it a unique identity.

A well-thought-out concept can also fuel creativity, paving the way for a logo that is not only unique but also memorable. It can inspire design elements that stand out, enhancing your brand visibility and recognition.

So, is your logo based on a strong concept that truly represents your brand? Remember, a logo without a concept is merely a pretty picture, devoid of any meaning or value to your brand.

Choosing the Right Colors for your Logo Design

Colour is a powerful tool in logo design as it can evoke certain emotions and perceptions. Each colour has a specific psychological impact, making it crucial to choose the right colours that align with your brand’s personality and message.

For instance, blue often represents trust and reliability, making it a popular choice for banks and insurance companies.

It’s also important to limit the number of colours used in a logo. As a rule of thumb, a maximum of three colours is advisable.

Too many colours can make a logo look chaotic, while a single colour may lack visual interest. A limited palette ensures that your logo remains versatile and usable across various mediums, while still being visually appealing.

Consider the McDonald’s logo. The red colour signifies excitement, youthfulness, and boldness, while the yellow stands for happiness and friendliness. This colour combination perfectly complements the fast-food giant’s brand identity.

Remember, the right colour choice can enhance your brand recognition and create a strong visual identity. So, have you chosen the right colours that reflect your brand’s personality in your logo design?

The Need for a Unique Design

The need for a unique design in logo creation is paramount. In today’s crowded market, a unique logo serves as a differentiating factor, helping your brand stand apart from competitors. It not only catches the audience’s attention but also leaves a lasting impression, increasing brand recall.

A unique logo also adds value to your brand by creating a distinct brand identity. It fosters a sense of professionalism and credibility, making your brand appear more established and reliable in the eyes of consumers. For instance, the Nike Swoosh, though simple, is uniquely identifiable and has become synonymous with the brand’s commitment to quality and performance.

However, creating a unique logo doesn’t mean it has to be complicated or intricate. Often, the simplest designs are the most effective. The key is to create a design that captures the essence of your brand in a way that is both distinctive and memorable.

So, does your logo design stand out in the crowd, capturing the uniqueness of your brand? Remember, in the world of branding, uniqueness is the key to visibility and recognition.

Embracing Simplicity in Design

In logo design, simplicity is often the key to effectiveness. A simple logo design is not only visually appealing, but it also ensures that your logo is easily recognizable and memorable. It strips away unnecessary elements, allowing the essence of your brand to shine through.

Simplicity in design ensures that your logo is versatile, meaning it can be used across various mediums – from business cards to billboards, and digital platforms without losing its impact. A complex logo might lose its details when resized, whereas a simple logo retains its integrity no matter its size or where it’s placed.

For instance, consider the logo of Apple Inc. It’s a simple apple with a bite taken out of it. Yet, it’s one of the most recognized logos globally. The simplicity of the design makes it easily identifiable, and it communicates the brand’s focus on sleek, user-friendly design.

Remember, simplicity doesn’t equate to dullness. It’s about creating a clear, concise design that communicates your brand’s identity effectively. So, have you embraced simplicity in your logo design?

Case Study: The Creation of the Ssafrin Logo

Incorporating Numerology into Logo Design

In the creation of the Ssafrin logo by ZAK Designs, a unique request from the client led to an innovative design solution. The client requested us the inclusion of an extra “S” in their brand name for numerological reasons.

Numerology, a belief in the mystical significance of numbers, is often considered when making major business decisions, including brand naming and logo design.

The challenge was to incorporate this extra “S” in a subtle manner while maintaining the logo’s readability and aesthetic appeal.

To solve this, we transformed the extra “S” into the stem of a rose, creating a unique design element that also symbolized beauty, aligning with the brand’s focus on women’s wear.

This case demonstrates the adaptability of logo design to meet unique client requirements, even ones rooted in beliefs like numerology.

It highlights the importance of creativity and problem-solving skills in logo design, proving that even unusual requests can lead to innovative design solutions.

So, do you want a logo for your brand? Then Contact Us.

Using Symbolism to Enhance Brand Image

The use of symbolism in logo design can significantly enhance a brand’s image and deepen the connection with its audience.

In the case of Ssafrin, a women’s wear brand, the rose’s symbolism was perfectly aligned with the brand’s identity.

The rose, a universal symbol of beauty, elegance, and femininity, was used to subtly incorporate the extra “S” requested by the client. This not only solved the design challenge but also enriched the brand’s image.

Symbolism can add a layer of meaning to your logo, making it more memorable and impactful.

It allows your audience to connect with your brand on a deeper level, fostering a stronger emotional bond. It’s not just about creating a visually appealing logo; it’s about creating a logo that tells your brand’s story.

Remember, the successful use of symbolism in logo design requires a deep understanding of your brand’s identity and the emotions you want to evoke in your audience. So, does your logo use symbolism to reinforce your brand image and tell your brand’s story?

The Art of Crafting a Unique Logo Design

Stand Out from the Crowd with a Unique Design

In the crowded marketplace of today, having a unique logo design is a powerful tool to make your brand stand out.

A unique logo not only differentiates your brand from competitors but also creates a memorable impression in the minds of consumers, enhancing brand recall.

A unique logo captures the essence of your brand and communicates it effectively to your audience. It’s not about creating a design that’s different for the sake of being different.

It’s about creating a design that’s uniquely relevant to your brand and resonates with your audience.

For instance, the Twitter logo, a simple blue bird, is unique yet it perfectly encapsulates the brand’s mission of freedom of expression and the flow of information.

The art of crafting a unique logo requires a deep understanding of your brand, creativity, and innovation. It’s about balancing simplicity with uniqueness, and clarity with creativity.

So, is your logo design distinct enough to help your brand stand out from the crowd?

You can also check the following blogs, which will help you a lot:

1. Brand, Branding and Branding Strategy

2. Core Purpose – A must for Branding

3. Brand Niche

Check out more case studies:

1. Logo designed for Artinsive Interiors

2. Logo designed for GIGGL

3. Logo designed for The Joint Clinic

If you enjoy our content, kindly consider sharing it.

Connect with us on social media.

Branding

Brand Niche

The Power of Finding Your Brand Niche: How Focusing on a Specific Market Can Boost Your Success

What is Brand Niche? Have you ever heard this phrase “Rather than being the jack of all trades, be the master in one“?

This master in one is called niche.

Remember in school we had different teachers for different subjects? One for English and one for mathematics. English was one teacher’s niche and mathematics was another teacher’s niche.

Similarly, in today’s world your brand needs to have a niche, which will create its positioning.

Finding your brand niche can set you apart from the competition, create a clear identity, and ultimately lead to greater success.

In this post, we will delve deeper into the concept of brand niches, exploring the benefits, strategies, and real-life examples to inspire and guide you in discovering and leveraging your brand’s unique niche.

Understanding Brand Niche

Defining "Niche" in Business Context

In a business context, a niche refers to a specific segment of a larger market that a company can focus on.

It’s about identifying a unique, often smaller, part of the market that isn’t as crowded with competitors and tailoring your offerings to meet the specific needs of that group.

Think of it as carving out a small piece of the market that your brand can call its own, a space where you have the expertise, the products, or the services to meet a unique need.

By defining and understanding your niche, you can create targeted marketing strategies that resonate with your audience, leading to increased brand loyalty and success.

Let’s understand this better with case studies

Case Studies

Amazon: A Generalist Approach

When discussing e-commerce, it’s impossible to ignore the presence of Amazon. Amazon has adopted a generalist approach, offering a vast assortment of products across various categories.

From electronics to books, to groceries, Amazon caters to a wide range of customer needs. This extensive product portfolio enables the company to reach a broad audience and generate massive revenue.

However, this generalist approach has its challenges. With a vast product range, it can be difficult to provide specialized services or cater to specific customer needs in the same way a niche brand can.

The extensive assortment can sometimes lead to a lack of focus, causing potential difficulties in maintaining product quality and customer service.

Despite these challenges, Amazon has successfully navigated the complexities of a generalist approach. The company leverages data to understand customer preferences and uses technology to personalize the shopping experience for each user.

While Amazon may not specialize in a specific niche, they excel at delivering a wide variety of products quickly and efficiently, making them a dominant player in the e-commerce space.

Myntra: Dominating the Fashion Niche

On the opposite end of the spectrum from Amazon, we have Myntra, an Indian e-commerce company specializing in fashion and lifestyle products. Choosing to focus on this specific niche has allowed Myntra to carve out a significant space for itself in the online retail market.

Unlike Amazon, which caters to a wide range of categories, Myntra has chosen to specialize in a single area: fashion. This has allowed the company to become an authority in this domain, offering a huge selection of clothing, footwear, and accessories from both local and international brands.

Myntra’s niche focus has enabled it to tailor its services to the specific needs of fashion-conscious consumers. From personalized style recommendations to virtual try-on features, Myntra’s platform is designed to enhance the online fashion shopping experience.

This dedicated focus on the fashion niche has helped Myntra to establish a loyal customer base and a strong brand identity.

By understanding its audience’s unique needs, Myntra has been able to differentiate itself from competitors and achieve significant success in the e-commerce industry.

Creating a Brand Niche with the Right Metaphors

Case of Purple Noodles

Purple Noodles is one of our clients whom we helped successfully to carve out a niche for itself through clever metaphorical branding.

We recognize the complexities of digital marketing and relate it with a bowl of tangled noodles, a metaphor that aptly represents the confusion that many businesses feel when trying to navigate the digital landscape.

With this unique positioning, Purple Noodles positioned itself as the brand that could untangle the mess of digital marketing. Their branding conveyed their unique selling proposition (USP) effectively—making the complex simple—and set them apart from other digital marketing agencies.

Purple Noodles’ niche is not in a specific industry or product but in a unique approach to service delivery. They’ve positioned themselves as problem solvers who simplify digital marketing, making it more accessible and less intimidating for businesses.

This focus on simplifying complexity has allowed them to attract clients who might be overwhelmed by digital marketing and are looking for a straightforward, hassle-free solution.

This case illustrates the power of using metaphors to define your positioning, helping you to communicate your brand’s unique value proposition clearly and memorably.

If you are looking for help in finding a niche, please contact us.

Crafting a Unique Brand Niche through Anecdotal Observation

Anecdotal observation can prove to be a powerful tool in crafting a unique positioning for your brand. This involves observing and drawing insights from everyday situations and transforming these insights into a unique brand proposition that sets your brand apart.

Consider, for instance, how a furniture brand might observe the struggle of assembling flat-pack furniture and position itself as a brand that provides ready-assembled, hassle-free furniture solutions.

This unique selling proposition addresses a specific pain point observed anecdotally and creates a unique niche for the brand in the furniture industry.

Similarly, a fitness brand might observe how people often lose motivation to work out at home and create a niche for itself by offering engaging, high-energy online workout classes that keep people motivated.

The power of anecdotal observation lies in its ability to bring to light unique customer needs that might otherwise go overlooked.

By observing and addressing these needs, brands can define a distinctive niche that resonates strongly with their target audience and helps them stand out in a crowded market.

Rising Above the Market Noise

The Challenge of Differentiation in Crowded Markets

In today’s highly competitive business landscape, differentiation has become a significant challenge for brands. With countless businesses vying for consumers’ attention, standing out from the crowd is no easy task.

The challenge is even more pronounced in crowded markets, where multiple brands offer similar products or services. In such scenarios, brands often struggle to communicate their unique value proposition and get lost in the noise.

Differentiation is crucial because it helps consumers understand what sets your brand apart from others. Without clear differentiation, consumers may see your brand as interchangeable with others, making it harder for you to attract and retain customers.

To overcome this challenge, brands need to find their unique niche – a specific aspect of the market where they can excel and offer something distinct from competitors. This might be a unique product feature, exceptional customer service, or a novel approach to solving a problem.

By identifying and focusing on one thing, brands can rise above the market noise, capture consumers’ attention, and carve out a place for themselves in the competitive market landscape.

Miris: Nurturing a Niche in the Perfume Industry

Miris is one of our clients and is the perfect example of a brand whome we successfully helped to nurture a niche in an otherwise crowded market. In the competitive perfume industry, where big-name brands often dominate, we managed to carve out a unique space for Miris.

Their niche? Premium non-alcoholic perfumes. Recognizing a growing trend towards healthier, skin-friendly products, we advised creating a line of high-quality perfumes without alcohol, a common irritant in traditional perfumes.

This focus on non-alcoholic perfumes allowed the brand to appeal to a specific segment of consumers looking for luxury fragrances that are gentle on the skin.

In addition to the niche product offering, we also differentiated it through its branding and customer service. Their elegant packaging, personalized fragrance recommendations, and commitment to customer satisfaction helped them stand out in a sea of generic perfume brands.

Miris’ success in nurturing a niche in the perfume industry shows the immense potential of finding your unique niche. By offering a unique product and tailoring your branding to appeal to a specific market segment, you can rise above the market noise and create a strong brand identity.

Let us help you in finding a niche for your business – contact us.

Establishing your Brand Niche Strategy

Steps to Zero in on Your Brand Niche

Finding your brand niche might seem daunting, but following these steps can simplify the process:

Identify your strengths: Start by assessing your brand’s strengths. What does your brand do exceptionally well? This could be a unique product feature, superior customer service, or a novel approach to solving problems.
Understand your target audience: Deeply understanding your audience is crucial in finding your niche. What are their needs, preferences, and pain points? This will help you tailor your offering to meet their specific needs.
Analyze the competition: Look at what your competitors are doing. Is there an aspect of the market they’re neglecting? This could present an opportunity for you to carve out a niche.
Test and refine: Once you’ve identified a potential niche, test your offering within this niche. Gather feedback and refine your approach until you find a niche that aligns with your brand’s strengths and meets your audience’s needs.

Remember, finding your brand niche is not a one-time task but an ongoing process that might need adjustments as your brand grows and the market evolves.

Potential of Premium and Exclusive Niches

One way to carve out a niche is by targeting the premium or exclusive segment of a market. This type of niche focuses on offering high-quality, high-value products or services to customers who are willing to pay a premium for them.

The potential of premium and exclusive niches is significant. These niches often have less competition, as they require a high level of expertise and quality, which can be challenging for many businesses to achieve.

This allows brands operating in these niches to command higher prices and potentially enjoy higher profit margins.

Furthermore, customers in premium and exclusive niches are often highly loyal. They value the unique offerings that these brands provide and are less likely to switch to competitors.

Luxury car brands like Rolls-Royce and Bentley, high-end fashion labels like Chanel and Gucci, and exclusive hospitality services like The Ritz-Carlton are examples of brands that have successfully tapped into premium and exclusive niches.

However, operating in these niches requires a consistent commitment to quality, exceptional customer service, and a strong brand image.

Recap: The Importance of Niche in the Business Landscape

To recap, finding and focusing on a specific niche is crucial for your brand’s success in today’s competitive business landscape.

A niche allows your brand to tailor its offerings to meet the unique needs of a specific market segment, leading to increased relevance and resonance with your target audience.

A well-defined niche can help differentiate your brand from competitors, allowing you to stand out in a crowded market. It can also lead to increased customer loyalty, as customers tend to prefer brands that understand and cater to their unique needs and preferences.

From the examples of Amazon and Myntra in e-commerce, to Purple Noodles in digital marketing and Miris in the perfume industry, we’ve seen how different brands have successfully leveraged their unique niches to drive growth and success.

However, finding your niche is just the first step. It’s equally essential to maintain relevance within your niche, adapt to changing market dynamics, and effectively communicate your niche to your target audience.

With a clear understanding of your brand’s niche, you’re well on your way to building a strong, successful brand.

Your Action Plan: Roadmap to Find Your Brand's Niche

Ready to start finding your brand’s niche? Here’s a simple roadmap to guide you:

Identify your strengths: What makes your brand unique? What can you offer that others can’t? This is the starting point for defining your niche.
Understand your audience: Who are your customers? What do they need, want, and value? The more you understand about your audience, the better you can cater to their needs.
Analyze the competition: What niches are already occupied? Where are the gaps that your brand can fill? Understanding the competitive landscape can help you identify potential niches.
Define your niche: Based on your strengths, your audience’s needs, and the competitive landscape, define your unique niche.
Test and refine: Test your niche in the market, gather feedback, and refine as necessary.
Communicate your niche: Once you’ve defined your niche, make sure to communicate it effectively to your target audience.

Remember, finding your niche is an ongoing process. Keep learning, iterating, and refining to ensure that your brand remains relevant and competitive. With patience and perseverance, you can find your unique place in the market and drive your brand’s success.

You can also check the following blogs, which will help you a lot:

1. Brand, Branding and Branding Strategy

2. Core Purpose – A must for Branding

Check out more case studies:

1. Logo designed for Artinsive Interiors

2. Logo designed for GIGGL

3. Logo designed for The Joint Clinic

If you enjoy our content, kindly consider sharing it.

Connect with us on social media.

Case Study

Case Study on the Logo designed for SPBS

Post author By zain ahmed kamal
Post date May 24, 2021
No Comments on Case Study on the Logo designed for SPBS

Case study

Logo designed for SPBS

BY ZAIN AHMED KAMAL

Any designer will understand that becoming a graphic designer is one struggle and building a career in it is another. I am here sharing my own story in the form of a Case Study on the logo designed for SPBS. Let’s begin.

THE story behind
spbs logo

So here I was at the end of 2018 with only two logo designs in my portfolio GIGGL and The Joint Clinic, no new prospect and huge loss which I need to clear soon, but how did this all happen?

It all started with a very big project of 20,000 visiting cards for a pretty famous restaurant in Calcutta. No, it was no ordinary card, but on a gold paper with outlines, lamination, and stuff. It was not just a complex job but an impossible one. See I knew about the technologies in the printing line but was not aware of their limitations which is equally important (Tip No. 1 for all the beginners)

So I tried it three times with three different vendors and each time it got rejected. Believe me, it was a nightmare. All my efforts went in vain, everyone started doubting me. I felt so lost.

But I guess every entrepreneur must witness such failures, it teaches a lot.

As it is said “Success is not built on success, it is built on failure, frustrations and sometimes even catastrophes”.

This was the rock bottom period of my life but thank god, not for a second I thought of quitting, and for this courage, I was rewarded.

See when things are going smooth anyone can do well, but what breeds champions is the struggle and hardship, the determination to keep going no matter what comes ahead. (Tip No. 2 “Never give up, no matter what and you will create wonders”)

So how did I come out of all this?

The first thing – I took a loan from a friend and returned every penny I owed to my client. Though everybody told me to block the client’s number and forget the matter as I will not get any more work from him, but that was against my values. So I took the hard way.

Guess what?

Today he is still my client giving me much more work and has even referred me many times. (Tip No. 3 ”If you make a mistake don’t run away from it, face it and learn from it”)

Then I made a small presentation for my company and posted it on my Facebook page, tagged all my friends, and waited for some response. Below is the video, do check it out.

Unluckily nothing great happened.

Now I only had some 3,000 rupees in my account and I had to use it properly. So I went to Google and searched for database providers. Out of many websites I chose the one that was selling at the cheapest rate – “BOL7”. (Tip No. 4 “Don’t crib on what you don’t have but make use of what you have, most of the times it is more than enough to make a difference”)

At the end of the day, I bought 25,000 WhatsApp numbers of businessmen in Calcutta for 1,000 only. (I am willing to help all the newbie with this database for free, just connect at [email protected])

So now every morning this was my task – save at least 250 numbers and WhatsApp those people the presentation and my Facebook page link.

I vigorously did this every day Monday to Sunday. For a month nothing happened and everybody started telling me I am wasting my time. (Tip No.5 “The most important time when you have to believe in yourself is when the world does not believe in you”)

I sincerely believe in one thing “finish what you started”, because if you don’t then how will you know if you did right or wrong and if you are not aware of your right and wrong then how will you ever learn?

After a little longer than a month I got a response – can you come to meet me? Of course, I can, was my answer.

I was beyond happy, wore my formals, and went for the meeting. It was very far from my place and on my way, I was imagining that this is going to be a big project and stuff.

On reaching the shop I got to know that the person is a very small businessman and needed just 100 visiting cards. Not focusing on the quantity of the work I gave him a very reasonable quote but he said – “no, that is too expensive”.

I was so devastated and de-motivated, went back home all disheartened.

Still, I did not give up and again started the process. Believe me, doing this every day in and out was not an easy task. Often times I used to get negative responses from those people. I blocked all of them and the number is much more than you can even imagine.

Slowly the response started improving; I was back to back going for meetings. None of them turned out fruitful though but I was building a flow.

Then one good day I was called for by the owner of SPBS (Shri Panchmukhi Balaji Steels), a very nice person. I cracked that deal and got my first project from this insane act of marketing.

why?

The owner being a follower of Hindu religion believed in a god called hanuman who carries a weapon called “gadha” and he wanted it in his logo.

So I placed the gadha in the center of the letters and made this logo.

conclusion

“Courage wins over all”

This rock bottom period was the turning point of life, after that day I never looked back.

In this way I whatsapped more than 50,000 people and made many more clients, obviously, I don’t market my services this way now but to start somewhere is any day better than to make excuses.

This is how I build a base for my company ZAK Designs; many of those clients referred me to their friends and relatives. I grew and grew. To date, I have onboarded more than 50 clients.

My marketing started with 1,000 only but now I have a much bigger budget for marketing.

Slowly but steadily everything will fall in place if you don’t give up!

I hope you enjoyed reading this, let me know in the comment section how you felt about it.

If you are a graphic designer then do check out the following blogs, it will help you a lot:

1. Ultimate Guide on Graphic Designing

2. Ultimate Guide on Printing

If you are a businessman or starting your entrepreneurial journey and need any help in anything then do contact me. I started my own business from scratch and so I have experience which can be helpful for you. You can also check the following blogs, it will help you a lot:

1. Brand, Branding and Branding Strategy

2. Core Purpose – A must for Branding

Check out more case studies:

1. Logo designed for Artinsive Interiors

2. Logo designed for GIGGL

3. Logo designed for The Joint Clinic

If this inspires you please share it.

You can follow us on social media sites; we regularly put content which you can learn a lot from.

Logo designed by Zain Ahmed Kamal

Branding

More than just a name – Identity Designing

Post author By zain ahmed kamal
Post date January 29, 2021
53 Comments on More than just a name – Identity Designing

Identity
designing

- You are more than just a name -

You are more than just a name with a personality, values and traits; combining that builds your Identity. In the same way, a brand needs an identity which can be designed. In this blog, we are going to discuss about it.

What is identity
designing?

Every business has an audience but how do you connect to those people? How do you make them understand that you are perfect for them? One way of doing that is through Identity designing.

It just like saying to a person hey I can help you, but in a little different way which builds authenticity, trust and uniqueness.

Moreover in a saturated market where there is huge competition you can differentiate yourself and create a niche to rule it.

Let us understand this with an example

We at ZAK Designs helped a client in their Identity Design by the name Purple Noodles; they are a digital marketing agency in the US.

To create a unique identity we tried finding a connection between the name and occupation. Digital marketing involves too many things like funnels, link trails, audience selection which makes it pretty messy and noodles are always tangled to each other. The connection we found was both are tangled and messy.

So we suggested them a tagline – Untangle the mess!

Majority of the digital marketing firms offers services like SEO, SEM, Facebook ads etc

Here we offer the same service but in a unique way, we are the people who untangle your digital marketing mess; this way we differentiated and positioned Purple Noodles as the only in the field.

This is the logo (check out our portfolio to see more of our work) we designed for them but Identity Designing is not just about the logo, it is about differentiating yourself from others and we successfully did that.

Why is identity
designing so important?

Identity Designing can be very important and cannot be important at all, depends on your vision.

If you just want to run a business and wish to struggle on a daily basis by catering the clients who look for services available at a very cheap rate then it is not important.

However, if you wish to build a brand and cater those people who value your service and are ready to pay a high price for it, then Identity Designing is a must.

To onboard the high ticket clients your business needs a personality, values and set of beliefs which matches with theirs. Your business outlook must attract those kinds of people or else you will not be chosen.

Your business should present itself in a way which matches their level of mindset and vision, only then you can build a brand.

This is why Identity designing is important; it is a process of humanising your brand to build connection, trust and authenticity.

How to design
an identity?

Every business naturally has an identity but the goal of Identity Designing is to build the right identity to attract the desired customers.

Each business will have a different requirement but somehow these will work for all type of businesses. Let’s begin with the first one.

CORE PURPOSE: Why do you exist more than just to make money? Are you here just to sell or provide something unique in return?

Your business should help them in some way as in the branding world there is a very famous proverb “Not by selling but by helping you build a brand”.

Let’s explore this part
with some examples

BMW – The ultimate driving machine

Have you ever thought that why BMW cars are so expensive but people still buy it? See it is not just a vehicle to take you from one place to another. It gives you a pleasure driving it; often gives you a feeling of achievement that this car is not for everyone and you are one of the special people to drive it.

BMW sells this feeling of achievement and this is their Identity.

Volvo – Volvo is another car manufacturing company which sells more than just a car. They sell safety.

Their purpose and identity is to take the family from point A to point B- safely.

Volvo’s entire business model is surrounded around this purpose, from the materials used in their cars to their innovations.

A fun fact– do you know Volvo was the first car company to introduced three-pin safety belts, which is now there in every car was once rebuked by a lot of people. Even after all the negative feedback the company still made it built in every car of theirs and till date it has saved more than a billion life.

This one thing built trust among people that Volvo will take them safely to their destination and because of that, it is today a brand.

Often it seems difficult to stick to the core purpose and values of the company but if done properly then the reward is massive.

The reason why I gave two examples of Car Company because, it is to show that both provide the same end product- a car, but both have a different Identity and a different niche altogether.

They have the same end products but their audience are completely different. Both are successful in their field at the same time. This is the power of Identity Designing.

Amazon – The reason for Amazon huge success is not because it is just an e-commerce website but their vision of making a wide variety of products available at a fingertip. Now you don’t have to run to different places for different products, it is all available under one roof.

Moreover, if you don’t like the product you can get it easily replaced. The product gets timely delivered and Amazon personally takes the responsibility for it.

All of these factors make it so successful. Now guess what is their core purpose? It is to allow hassle-free shopping to the buyers; such a simple yet powerful purpose.

Myntra – Myntra is another e-commerce website and is very successful here in India which came long after Amazon. While Amazon deals in a broad variety of products Myntra did just the opposite by focusing on a specific niche – Clothing. They made an E-commerce website specifically for people looking to buy clothes online.

Just like Amazon, they have a wide variety of clothes from expensive to reasonable ones, from very famous brands to new brands. They have an easy return/exchange facility on all products.

The core purpose of Myntra is to provide a fun shopping experience.

Now see even after Amazon huge success Myntra managed to capture a market share by creating an identity different from its competitor. Both are E-commerce platform but have a completely different audience.

This is the power of Identity Designing.

I have written a separate individual blog on Core Purpose, you should check it out here.

VALUES – Values are must for every brand, they are the pillars on which the entire organisation stands on and if they are not strong enough then it can be devastating.

Values are nothing but basic rules of a company; it differs from business to business.

It is said that “Your value greatly depends on your values”. If you wish to dig deeper visit this blog on Values, it will help you a lot.

TONE OF VOICE – You will automatically recognize your family members from their voice, similarly, a brand needs a voice of its own known as Tone of Voice so that it can be remembered.

A Tone of Voice can be anything like comic, motivational, serious, caring etc

There is something called audio branding and if you wish to know about it check it out.

I will be writing a detailed blog on it so if you wish to be informed then subscribe to my email list.

LOOK AND FEEL OF THE BRAND – Standing on the middle of the road I see so many people but only a few standout. Most of them will be forgotten however there is a chance to remember a few.

Similarly, the world is crowded with the same products and services you provide, so how do you differentiate yourself in this kind of saturated market? How do you stand out among your competitors?

For this reason, a brand needs a look and feel starting with a logo, not just any symbol or mark but it must have a concept or reason behind it. The logo must show what the brand deals and stands for and it has to be different and unique to create a compelling identity.

Set of a colour palette which will be used everywhere you communicate about your brand. Be it any medium from print to digital it has to be constant everywhere.

A style and pattern which must be used every time in a different, unique and creative way.

By doing this “correctly” we will create a position in the mind of the people, a space which was vacant and now can be ruled by only us!

Thus you create a brand!

Here we are at the end of this blog on Identity Designing and hope it was helpful and you found value from it. If you like it then please share it with your friends and family on social media platforms.

I hope you enjoyed reading this, let me know about it in the comment section.

If you are a graphic designer then do check out the following blogs, it will help you a lot:

If you run a business and wish to build a brand then read the following blogs:

You can go through some of the case studies here –

If this inspires you please share it.

You can follow us on social media sites; we regularly put content which you can learn a lot from.

Written by Zain Ahmed Kamal

Case Study

Case Study on the Logo designed for The Joint Clinic

Post author By zain ahmed kamal
Post date December 12, 2020
No Comments on Case Study on the Logo designed for The Joint Clinic

Case study

Logo designed for The Joint Clinic

BY ZAIN AHMED KAMAL

This is the second logo I made as a graphic designer and there is a very interesting story behind it. A concept and a bunch of reasons on why and how this was made. Let’s begin with this Case Study on the Logo Designed for The Joint Clinic.

The Story behind the joint clinic logo

The time gap between getting the first logo designing job for GIGGL and the second logo design job for The Joint Clinic was literally more than one year. Yes, the first job was pretty easy to get but the actual struggle started after that. (You can read the case study on GIGGL here)

While pursuing my course I heard one of my teachers Mr. Jayanto Ray talking about a site called e-lance (which now is Upwork). This platform helps freelancers to build a profile and get job work. Many companies search for designers and choose the best option they get.

So obviously I too made a profile on it, adding the only logo I made for GIGGL in the portfolio section. Sadly my profile never got accepted as I was not an experienced designer. This platform is for people with some experience in their respective field and if you are one do check it out. It can help you.

What next? Next is freelancer. This is a website on which you can participate in designing contests –logo, brochure, t-shirt and many more. The company provides all the details and their requirement. Lots of designers provide their designs and one of them is chosen.

An excellent opportunity for the beginners but not so good for experienced freelancers. A tip for all the budding designers, participate in as many competitions as you can, doesn’t matter if you lose or win.

If you win you get the money and if you lose you can still add the designs in your portfolio. Chill… no one needs to know that these are rejected work, as long as it looks nice it will do the job. Moreover, with that practice, you will become better at it.

Where was I? Yes, made a profile on freelancer and also participated in contests. I simply lost the first competition on which I said to myself “OK, no problem this was just the beginning let’s try some more” however what happened next will blow your mind.

The second competition I participated in was for an NGO by the name “Hope found”, pretty nice name, right? I lost that competition too and in a way you can’t imagine. My entire profile got banned for life! Why? You must ask! Because my skills were not that good and blah blah blah.

Now what? Now “Designhill”, another platform just like freelancers. Back in 2016, it was a pretty new website and the only advantage I had was that I could lose more than 2 competitions without getting banned. Imagine that… what an advantage!

Not just 2 but more than 50 competitions I had participated in and lost each one of them (luckily without getting banned, hahaha…)

I got super frustrated, was done trying these freelancing websites. So I started my own firm by the name ZAK Designs. The first thing I did is I made a visiting card for myself.

My first visiting card

Yes I took a screenshot of Adobe Illustrator and made a design with that concept. Brilliant isn’t it? I know I am a genius thanks.

I literally gave my card to everyone I met, even if they didn’t want it I gave it to them. Without any hesitation and wasting my time I finished the first lot of 300 cards. Got some petty work because of it but nothing big.

The next move I made was designing a proper logo and a Facebook page with my company’s name ZAK Designs.

This was the logo back then. Nothing fancy though.

I invited all my friends and my friend’s friends to like the page. I literally use to ask my friends to open the Facebook application and then snatch their phones and invite all their friends. Yes I did that too. I had to!

Remember all the contests I lost, here I took great advantage of them. I had made some superb logos which got rejected so I uploaded all of them and tagged 50 of my friends so that everyone in their contact list could also see my work (back then they had that option now I am not aware of it)

These are some of the rejected logos-

I got some two or three responses but nothing worked out.

Suddenly one day I got a text on my page and I did a series of stupid things. Starting with the chat, go ahead and read it yourself.

Chat Image

Now he is the owner of two of the most famous restaurants in Calcutta but then I had no Idea about it. Seeing the profile image I thought he is someone of our age starting a new business in the restaurant line.

He is very much senior to me but I did not know that too, so I went to meet him and just when I was outside the restaurant I called him.

Me – Hey ……. ( the name which I can’t reveal obviously) I am outside your restaurant, where are you?

Him – Do you know where Mocambo is?

Me – Yes I know (I lied, did not know where it was)

Him – Meet me there after 10 minutes

Me – Sure

I somehow managed to find the restaurant, chill it was nearby.

He was standing outside Mocambo when I reached, we shook hands and he asked me to wait inside. I still didn’t get he was the owner; I thought he must be waiting for his partner or something.

I went inside and sat facing the door so that he could see me entering the restaurant. The waiter came and gave me the menu to which I told him that I am waiting for a friend, let him come and then I will place the order.

While going through the menu I wondered, Dude… what kind of menu card is this, if I get this work I can make it so better.

I barely waited for 10 minutes and again called the owner and this is what I said, “Boss I am sitting here from past 10 minutes where are you?”

He then entered the restaurant, took a right and went somewhere else. I said to myself that I am sitting in front of the door and he went inside. What a fool he is!

Just then the waiter came and told me, “Sir is calling you.” Wait, what? Yeah, that was my reaction on realising that he is the OWNER of the restaurant. Oh, man! What a fool I was.

Anyway, he told me you have to re-design the menu cards, just what I told myself two minutes back. I was happy, on top of the world. Yippeeee…

That is all great but how the hell you got the logo designing project for The Joint Clinic? Chill man, telling you that too.

So while I was re-designing the menu card Mr Owner got injured while playing squash. Got himself operated from the doctor who owns The Joint Clinic. Luckily the Doctor was looking for a logo designer and I was referred to him.

That is how I got the logo designing project for The Joint Clinic.

Now, why did I make this design, let’s talk about that?

Why?

This is the logo we made for The Joint Clinic, but why a running man, what are these dots for and finally what this aim symbol depicts?

Doctors usually specialise in a certain field, here the doctor is orthopaedic. So that aim symbol depicts the niche or specialisation.

As an Orthopaedic, his niche is sports injuries and this is why a running man is given in the centre of the aim symbol.

Under sports injuries, his super speciality is shoulders and knee and so the dots are given in those respective places.

The colour and tagline were provided by the client.

So this is the concept behind the logo for The Joint Clinic, how do you like it?

Conclusion

We are often told that failing is a terrible thing but in real life it is just the opposite. Failing is not bad; it is not the opposite of success but the process of being successful.

Failing is like a bridge you need to get on to achieve something, the important and must thing is not to give up. Fall seven times and get up eight times. Fail and fail again but fail better.

That one year gap and the innumerable failures were very important; it polished my skills so that I can be better in future.

Just because I did not give up I am here running my firm ZAK Designs and has successfully on boarded more than 50 clients and completed huge projects.

It was tough, very tough and still it is. However I stuck through the thick and thins because I loved it, all the time I failed and came back to it because I love doing what I do.

So a piece of advice to whoever reading this doesn’t matter if you are a designer or belong to any other field as long as you are a dreamer, an entrepreneur who wants to do something great in this life then this journey is going to be extremely harsh.

You will be shaken to the core; you will be mocked by your own people. The closest of your people will not believe in you, you will fall miserably many times. You will have uncountable dark days and nights.

Although if you believe in yourself and stick to it no matter what, then one day you will win and when you win you will shine brighter than the sun.

You will be an example, an inspiration to millions of people. Your story will travel all around the world; you will be remembered for eternity.

And then one day on this journey you will look back and say to yourself “It was all worth it”

I hope you enjoyed reading this, let me know in the comment section how you felt about it.

If you are a graphic designer then do check out the following blogs, it will help you a lot:

If you run a business and wish to build a brand then read the following blogs:

You can read more case studies here-

If this inspires you please share it.

You can follow us on social media sites; we regularly put content which you can learn a lot from.

Logo designed by Zain Ahmed Kamal

Branding

Values – Your value depends on your values

Post author By zain ahmed kamal
Post date November 25, 2020
1 Comment on Values – Your value depends on your values

VALUES

Your value greatly depends on your values!

BY ZAIN AHMED KAMAL

A set of values is an integral part of brand building; it has its importance and benefits. In this blog, we will discuss it.

What are values?

Values are a set of rules or principles one follows in every day actions and decisions. Let’s understand this better with a hypothetical situation.

Suppose you are looking for a friend and have two options. The first person is educated, have proper manners, is helpful and loyal and the second person is a crook, cheat and abusive. Who will you choose? The first one I guess.

The same is with a brand. The business which takes care of its clients and customers by sticking to its values will be chosen by everybody and eventually become a brand.

Its Importance
and Benefits

Values are vital, period! I am talking about it from my own firsthand experience. It has unimaginable reward and let me tell you about it with some of my own experiences.

Be true to your clients

Long before in 2017 when I had just started my business I got a big project, a pretty big one.

It was for a very famous restaurant in Calcutta called Peter Cat, they had ordered 20,000 visiting cards. Not a normal one though, it was in the shape of a cats face with borders, lamination and other stuff.

The most complex and expensive project of that time and I failed at it miserably. Not once but thrice I got it done from different vendors but couldn’t deliver the expected quality. It wasn’t my fault; I did not have much experience back then. I knew about the technology for it but wasn’t aware of the limitations. (Will tell the entire story in a different blog so subscribe to my email list if you wish to be informed)

In the end, I gave up on that project after the third try as I knew it was not possible.

I had incurred huge loss and moreover, I had to return the advance amount given to me and believe me I had just a few bucks in my bank account, not even enough to repay my client.

Everyone told me not to receive the clients call and maybe block him; there is no point in returning the money as the client will not give you anymore project. Just forget about it.

However, I had to be true to my client and so I went and told him everything clearly that I tried three times and this is just not possible. I took a loan from a friend and returned every penny and guess what its 2020 and still he is my client giving me projects much bigger than that time. He trusts me more than he did before and things are super fine.

Imagine what a fool I would have been if I hadn’t returned the money.

Think about your customer, the customer will think about you

Back in 2018, I got a website designing project for Sparsh Interiors Pvt Ltd. Everything was going smooth; the layout was selected in the very first shot. The client was happy with the ongoing work. You could not want anything more.

On a Monday I had to meet them and show the website which was developed for them and my coder had to finish the work one day before on Sunday.

T hat Monday morning at 4am I got a call from my coder that he met with an accident and the website is not yet ready. I was tensed as I had promised them that it would be ready by then.

For a second I though ok let’s just leave a text and then skip all the calls I would be getting from them but then how they would they feel if I do something like that. Think about the customer and the customer will think about you.

So instead I went to meet them. Told them truly about the incident and requested for a weeks’ time. Guess what they appreciated me coming, meeting them and telling about the incident. At the end, they happily gave me one more week.

That is what I had needed, the problem was solved.

You don’t have to be cheap, you have to be worthy

Many people in my Industry and maybe in other industry too have a thinking that they need to be cheap to get a client. They have to charge them very less and only then they will be chosen.

However, that is not true. Tell me how do brands charges so much more and still get all the customers? Because they prove themselves worthy.

I had a meeting with the Marketing head of Salasar Insurance Brokers.

I showed her my business profile, she saw all my work and believe me she liked it so much that she asked if she could keep it. This was her statement –“I love your work and this business profile, can I keep it?”

The last question she asked at the end of the meeting – “are you people reasonably cheap?” To which I answered not at all, we are more expensive than most of our competitors but what we will provide is definitely going to be worth every penny. “I can see that from your work“-was her last statement and the meeting ended.

Very next day I got a call from her that the business head would like to meet me, the meeting went smooth, sent a proposal to them, got the work and they still are my clients. All of their work is done by my firm ZAK Designs.

Do not sell but help

There is a very famous proverb in the branding world “Not by selling but by helping you build a Brand”.

When you sell something you automatically put a price on it, however helping is priceless.

I am often asked to design logos for businesses and rather than just quoting them the price I ask them about their venture. I take a deep interest in their business and tell them how they can build a brand and why a logo is necessary. What kind of logo would suit best and more.

I give them many advice on how they can build a brand, how they can create their value etc

At the end of the day, I send them a proper proposal with all the information of what they are going to be provided with and I always give them something extra as a complementary gift. By doing this I put more value on the table and often get chosen even after quoting twice of what my competitors quote.

I clearly remember meeting the owner of Opaque Upvc Doors and Windows, a very successful and humble person. As told by him I was the 8^th person he met for his branding purpose and my pricing was much more than what others quoted, yet he chose me because I was more professional and helpful.

So create your worth, be valuable to the client and you will be chosen irrespective of your pricing.

Hassle free service

Today if Amazon is successful it is because they keep the customers at the centre of everything. All their decision, initiatives and process are based on providing hassle-free service to the end consumers.

In all our projects we try our best to fulfil our commitment, if we give a date we always provide within that time. Not just that the goal is to provide quality designs which work for the client within the quoted date.

Zero Degree Cafe is one of our clients for whom we made a logo. The opening of their restaurant was in 7 days and the last designer was not able to satisfy them with his designs that is when someone referred me to them.

I promised them that they will get their logos within 5 days and they will love it. It was a commitment and I had to fulfil it.

On the fifth day, I gave them three logos and this one was selected. Tell me how it is (Check out the portfolio to see more of my work).

They were pretty happy with my hassle-free service.

This is all about Values; I hope it was helpful and informative. Use it in your business and see what difference it can make. Your values don’t have to be very fancy or anything, just help them achieve what they really want and then those customers will build your brand.

If you find this blog interesting or you think it can be improved in any way then do put it in the comment box. If you want me to write on any particular topic then please do comment and I will do the needful.

If you wish to know more about branding then you should check the blog on Brand, Branding and Branding Strategy.

Also, you can check out our blog on Core Purpose – A must for Branding.

If this can help any of your friend or relative in their business then please share it with them.

You can follow us on social media sites; we regularly put content which you can learn a lot from.

Written by Zain Ahmed Kamal

Case Study

Case study on the logo designed for GIGGL

Post author By zain ahmed kamal
Post date November 3, 2020
No Comments on Case study on the logo designed for GIGGL

Case study

Logo designed for GIGGL

BY ZAIN AHMED KAMAL

In this case study, you will get to know the story behind the logo
designed for GIGGL as well as how and why this was made, the
concept behind it and much more.

In this case study, you will get to know the story behind the logo designed for GIGGL as well as how and why this was made, the concept behind it and much more.

The Story

The very first logo I made as a graphic designer and this was long before ZAK Designs even existed.

After completing my graduation I enrolled myself in a graphic designing institute and it was a pretty long course of almost 3 years, learning Graphic Designing, VFX, film making, web designing and more but I was pretty sure of pursuing my career in advertisement and branding world as a graphic designer.

Now rather than waiting for the entire thing to finish I started hunting for work very early. I had completed just one of the four softwares taught in graphic designing– Corel Draw. Three more software in designing and almost the entire course was still due.

Applied for many jobs as a graphic designer and got rejected every time, today when I look back I think it was one the best thing ever happened. If I would had got a single job then I wouldn’t had started my own business and reach where I am today.

So how did I get the first freelancing job, to be true it was pure luck. I was going somewhere and met the owner of GIGGL, he knew my brother well and me a little bit because of him. So he asked me what are you doing for work, told him I am a Graphic Designer and he gave me the work to make a logo for his firm.

Just like that, I got my first freelancing job however the actual struggle started after that which will be a part of another case study. Subscribe to my e-mail list if you wish to be informed.

How?

All excited and pumped up I opened my drawing book and started sketching.

After hours of sitting and trying I literally came up with nothing, realised it is not that easy to design a logo. Got so tired and frustrated that I gave up for the day.

The next day I tried a different technique, rather than directly starting with sketch I just wrote whatever came in my mind relating to that particular work. I kept on writing and filled pages with it. Then I went through each word written in the book and circled the one on which I could work.

Suddenly I was bursting with Ideas and then sketching it out. This simple thing made the process very easy and fun.

What I realised is that ideas just don’t come up suddenly and so you need to get in a flow. Once that is achieved things will happen automatically.

This is the way I designed each and every logo you see in my portfolio (Check it out if you haven’t).

Why?

This firm GIGGL deals in gem stones. The gems which can change fortune, helps in anger issue, promotes health and more. They also have their own laboratory in which they test the gems.

So GIGGL stands for Gem Stone Identification & Grading Gemological Laboratory.

This is the logo designed for GIGGL by us, but it is much more than just designing a logo, it is designing with a concept and it is very important for that concept to show what the firm deals in and so here it is:

If you put the direction of a light source on a gem then that reflects streaks which spreads and this is the reason why the outer thick pointed line has this design. (See the image below for better understanding )

A gem stone is placed in the middle because this firm deals in gems.
The gem has a microscope in its centre as this firm has its own laboratory and microscope is one the most important equipments used in it.
There is another reason for placing the microscope in the centre as it shows no gem is provided without getting properly tested in the lab.
Lastly the little blocks you see on the sides of GIGGL are in the shape of gem Trillion (see the image below for better understanding.

Hope you liked the concept and design, I would love to hear all your opinion so put it in the comment box.

You can also check out Case study on the Logo Designed for Artinsive Interiors

If you are a new graphic designer and need any help in understanding more about this field, feel free to contact me at [email protected]. I will help in any way I can. You can also check the following blogs, it will help you a lot:

1. Ultimate Guide on Graphic Designing

2. Ultimate Guide on Printing

1. Brand, Branding and Branding Strategy

2. Core Purpose – A must for Branding

If this inspires you please share it.

You can follow us on social media sites; we regularly put content which you can learn a lot from.

Logo designed by Zain Ahmed Kamal

Branding

Core Purpose – A must for Branding by ZAK Designs

Post author By zain ahmed kamal
Post date September 28, 2020
3 Comments on Core Purpose – A must for Branding by ZAK Designs

Core Purpose - A
must for Branding

BY ZAIN AHMED KAMAL

This blog is for anyone who wants to take their business to another level and build a brand. To do that you need to understand about Core Purpose.

What is a core purpose and why a brand needs it? What is the point of having one and how do we find a core purpose? This blog is going to cover all of that.

To start first understand this “Not by selling, but by helping you build a brand.”

While selling a product or service you automatically allow the customer to put a price on it, but helping is priceless.

Confused? Worry not everything will be clear by the time you finish this blog.

What is a core
purpose?

In the simplest words Core Purpose is the reason why your company exists more than just to make money.

It is what your customer wants and your company helps him/her achieve that. A promise you made to your customers and put all your efforts into fulfilling it. One thing that will make your client the happiest person in this universe and you make it happen. That is a core purpose!

With this core purpose established you must surround all the services, every marketing efforts and branding initiatives around it. This is going to be the very base of everything.

Let us understand this
with some examples.

Google: The first place where everybody goes to enquire about anything is obviously Google be it for business purpose, school projects or personal matters.

The core purpose of Google is to make everybody a little smarter by providing the best related information in the best possible way as quickly as it can be.

All their yearly updates, efforts and marketing are to fulfil this core purpose. They rank websites on the basis of the quality of the information it provides so that the user gets best possible information on that particular topic.

They rank websites on the basis of speed, mobile usability, user interface and 200 more factors so that the person on the other side doesn’t face any problem. All of these efforts are surrounding their core purpose.

Another one

Have you heard of Sabyasachi? Yes the designer Sabyasachi. The dream designer of all the “to be brides.”

Ask any women who is about to get married their biggest dream and they will say “I want to be the most beautiful bride ever” and this is their core purpose – to make them the most beautiful bride.

All their marketing efforts are around that core purpose. They have their own show called “band baaja baarat” where they get under privileged women, dress them and make them get married. On their Instagram page they often put stories and pictures of bride and the groom.

Last one

We at ZAK Designs help in branding through designing and not just simple graphic and web designing. We do Identity designing, communication designing, package designing and re branding. Our business model is completely B2B.

Our core purpose is to help businesses grow and become brands, and not just small brands the goal is to help them “Create the Impossible.” Help them achieve something so big that everyone thought is impossible.

We surround all our services, our values, marketing efforts and branding initiatives around that core purpose.

Why a brand
needs it?

There is a 90% chance that the business or field you choose to get in is already occupied by many others and there is a 100% guarantee that the field you are in will attract many more if it is a profitable line.

Majority of them will charge peanuts for the same service you are providing and if they do why will people come to you? Only one can be the cheapest and the rest have to do something else.

With so many competitors around and the unhealthy competition, how do you survive and grow? By differentiating yourself through branding and the first step is to set a core purpose.

By setting a core purpose you are not selling anything, you are helping them to achieve what they want and “helping is priceless.”

You have already differentiated yourself, you are not the one selling you are the one helping and that attracts customers as no marketing can. If you are providing the help you are a God in that field which deserves trust, loyalty and worship.

By defining a core purpose for your company and surrounding all the efforts around it you can charge a premium price for the same service provided by others for peanuts, and the crazy part is that they will still come to you because now you are not a person selling but a god helping.

That is why every brand needs a core purpose!

What is the point
of having one?

Even with so many options around what lacks is value. Everybody just wants to sell and clear the stock or just raise enough money to bear that months expense. Most of the business men gets greedy and want to make fast money through unscrupulous acts. Majority of the businesses practice hypocrisy and believe me customers can sniff it.

All of these things will destroy a brand; it might make you good money in the short term but definitely not in the long term and branding is all about tomorrow and not today.

So many businesses like this come and go, why and how will people trust you?

A core purpose allows putting more value on the table, as it is not just about selling but helping. It is more than just surviving a month it is about staying and conquering, making the world a better place. It is about inspiring generations to come by doing something great.

All of this with a core purpose allows building unbreakable trust, fierce loyalty and authenticity. If a business is able to do that it will become a brand.

This is the point of having a core purpose.

How do we find
a core purpose?

The most important question, how do we find a core purpose? To find it you need to go deep inside the head of your possible audience. Your core purpose must align with the need of the customer.

Each person has different needs. For example a man can be a father or a lover, a poet or a car fanatic. The same person will have different needs in different roles.

A man as a father will buy something for his family but as a lover will buy something for that special person. A car fanatic will need super cars and a poet wont. So understanding the need of that person, the role he is playing while being your customer is very important.

For example Amazon, anyone on that site is a buyer and as a buyer I will want a lot of options for the same product and different prices and quick delivery. It provides all these options and is so known as one of the most customer friendly company.

So first understand who is your possible client, a man or woman? If a man then what role is he in when he comes as a possible customer? How can you help the concerned person achieve what they want?

Let me explain with
a simple example

Suppose you are an interior designer, a family called you for that purpose.

Now understand your customer, they are a family who wants a beautiful home for themselves and their children and not just interiors.

If you say that you will build a sofa, a table, bed and stuffs then you are just selling. However if you tell them that you will build a beautiful home then you are helping.

So in the latter case you ask them questions on how they want it, what is their family planning and then provide accordingly. That way you surrounded your service around the core purpose of helping them by building a beautiful home and not just doing there interiors like the majority.

This is all about core purpose; I hope it was helpful and informative. Use it in your business and see what difference it can make. Your core purpose doesn’t have to be very fancy or anything, just help them achieve what they really want and then those customers will build your brand.

If you find this blog interesting or you think it can be improved in anyway then do put it in the comment box. If you want me to write on any particular topic then please do comment and I will do the needful.

If you wish to know more about branding then you should check the blog Brand, Branding and Branding Strategy.

If this can help any of your friend or relative in their business then please share it with them.

Also if you want to be notified about new blogs then do subscribe to our new letter (below in the footer).

Hope this was helpful!

Written by

Zain Ahmed Kamal
Founder and Owner
ZAK Designs

Case Study

Case study on the Logo designed for Artinsive Interiors

Post author By zain ahmed kamal
Post date September 19, 2020
No Comments on Case study on the Logo designed for Artinsive Interiors

Case study

Logo designed for Artinsive Interiors

BY ZAIN AHMED KAMAL

In this Case study on Logo designed for Artinsive Interiors we will discuss why and how this logo was made and what is the concept behind it.

I will particularly tell the steps and procedure we follow, what information was provided and how it was used to build the concept.

Will also see how a little bit of tweaking can improve the design.

So lets begin!

Why?

At ZAK Designs the first question we ask all our clients is the why behind this name. What is the reason for this name and how did you come up with it and why did you even choose this name?

It helps a lot in concept building.

So in the words of Mr. Rajib Dhar, founder of Artinsive Interiors and a fine gentleman; “the word Artinsive is a combination of two words Art and Intensive. He wanted the name to tell that his work will be artistic and intensive where every small intricate details matter.”

He wanted something simple yet powerful!

For the colour he wanted something colour less.

With that information on our side we started our research.

Concept

After days of intense research one of the things we found out is; the most important part of interior designing is measurement, without which even the most beautiful design will eventually fail.

Keeping this in our mind we went ahead to the next step – designing the logo for Artinsive Interiors.

How?

For our concept to relate with the name what we thought is that first we will make an artwork, as the name itself has the word art and then place it in the centre. Around that we will put measurement marks to relate with the concept and also with the word intensive.

So this is what we made as the first logo for Artinsive Interiors.

An abstract art and measurement marks around it. If you see the four lines surrounding it you will notice that the lines doesn’t end abruptly but diminishes slowly. That is because whenever a line is drawn we tend to put force at the beginning and the end just loosen it. Just try drawing a line with the help of a pencil and scale; you will then understand what I am talking about.

One thing which luckily happened is that I was putting these four little blocks on each side to keep the spacing equal (shown in the image below with orange borders around it). Once done with that I didn’t remove it, thought to myself it goes well with the concept as well as with the part intensive where every small details matter.

However our concept wasn’t clear enough through the design. The focus was too much on the artwork and less on the measurement aspect we had. I knew a little bit of tweaking was required.

The first thing I did is reduced the focus from the artwork by making the cubes smaller. The second thing; I added more measurement marks around the design.

This is the final logo designed for Artinsive Interiors after our tweaking and the client absolutely loved it.

Every time we make a logo our goal is to create something great and believe me it takes a lot of effort, time and patience.

To us it’s much more than just logo designing; it is to Create the Impossible!

You can check more of our work in the portfolio page.

If you wish to learn about branding then check out our blog Brand, Branding and Branding Strategy. You will learn a lot from it.

Hope you liked the concept and idea, I would love to hear all your opinion so put it in the comment box.

If this inspires you please share it.

You can follow us on social media sites; we regularly put content which you can learn a lot from.

Logo designed by Zain Ahmed Kamal

Branding

Brand, Branding and Branding Strategy by ZAK

Post author By zain ahmed kamal
Post date September 12, 2020
No Comments on Brand, Branding and Branding Strategy by ZAK

Brand, Branding &
Branding Strategy

BY ZAIN AHMED KAMAL

This blog is for anyone who wants to take their business to another level and build a brand. To do that you need to understand the very basics of what is brand, branding and branding strategy.

I have covered all that here. Let’s begin.

The first big question what is a brand?

For better understanding before knowing what a brand is, let us clear out what it is not.

It is not a logo! Yes it is not.

Tell me one thing if by having a logo one can become a brand then every company having a logo must be a brand, but are they?

So logo is not a brand, but an identity mark for the brand and has its own importance.

It is not a product or service!

Every company either sells a product or provides a service, but every company is not and cannot be a Brand.

However the quality and utility of the product or service is very important and should not be neglected.

what is a brand?

It is a gut feeling towards a product or service. It is an invisible aura that surrounds the company providing that product or service. That is a brand.

Now tell me if every company has that? Do you go and buy any product at any given price provided by any seller or that happens only with certain products? Does every service attracts you or are there only a few?

It is the gut feeling which tells you if a product is worth the price or not. It is the gut feeling that creates desire for a particular service. It is the gut feeling that makes you want it.

The company, business or person that succeeds in creating a strong gut feeling for their product or service will create a Brand.

Remember brand as a gut feeling exists in the mind and heart of people, not in a logo or product or service. However the latter are also very important.

what is branding?

If a brand exists in the mind and heart of people then it can be placed, altered and managed. The process of doing that is called branding.

Branding is not a one day act but a process and it takes time and lot of efforts. What is done today pays tomorrow. Branding helps a company to grow enormously. It builds fierce loyalty, which cannot be shaken easily by any competitor. It allows a brand to increase profit margin without losing the customer base. Branding helps to build a strong reputation and trust.

It will give you nothing in short term but everything in long term.

what is
Branding
Strategy?

When you see a sexy fast car around you, what do you notice first? The looks, its exteriors; isn’t it? When you sit inside the car you see the interiors and its features. All of that is fine but what actually makes the car super fast is its engine. The car would be a useless show piece without its engine.

It is the very same with a brand. You cannot make a brand without a strategy; consider it the engine of a super fast car. So any strategy used to build a brand is called a branding strategy.

How to build
a brand?

It is not one but a combination of multiple things which constitutes a brand. The main purpose of branding is to differentiate itself from competitors and become the only in the field. We will talk about some of the things which is essential to build a brand but here I will keep it very short and write individual blogs on each one in detail. So subscribe to our email list if you wish to be informed about it.

Core purpose

Core purpose is the reason why your company exists more than just to make money. It is about understanding the need and goal of the customer, then helping them to achieve it. It is about adding more value to your product or service. If you manage to do that you build trust and then they will come to you no matter what.

For example we at ZAK Designs don’t just create anything for the sake of designing it. We help business become a brand through designing but with a strategy. We help entrepreneurs to grow massively and make a big name in the world.

Our core purpose is to help entrepreneurs Create the Impossible, which is also our tagline.

Values

To be worth peoples trust a business needs to be authentic. People will sniff hypocrisy and if they do, forget about building a brand; even surviving will become difficult.

To build authenticity a business needs to have a set of values; which will be the rule or principle of the firm. Each person in the organisation from the top leaders to ground staff must stick to them no matter what. Slight deviation will hamper the brand.

It will be difficult at times but the outcome will be worth it.

Just for an example these are ZAK Designs Values.

Vision

Vision is the biggest goal of the firm, for which the entire organisation works together. It is a movement or initiative which is close to the heart of each member working in that company. It is to make something big and great which will also inspire people outside the organisation to join that vision.

For example the vision of ZAK Designs is to build the maximum number of great brands in India.

Tone of Voice

Tone of Voice is the way a company express itself in words and action. This tone of voice is used to create a strong identity for the company. It can be anything funny or serious, happy or sad etc.

For example ZAK Designs tone of voice is “inspirational”. Read anything on our website and it will inspire you to do something great in your life.

These are the foundation blocks on which the entire identity pillar of the brand will be set; so it has to be strong and firm.

Building a brand is much more than these few things but this is where it starts from.

I hope this was helpful for you to understand what really a brand is; as well as the difference between brand, branding and branding strategy. If there is anything not clear enough please put it in the comment box and I will try my best to make it easier to understand. Also if you wish to know anything more or you want me to write on any particular topic please put it in the comment box.

If you liked this blog please share it with your friends; we grow by helping others.

You can find us on social media platforms, we regularly put content which can help you to grow your business and build a brand.

Hope this was helpful!

Written by

Zain Ahmed Kamal
Founder and Owner
ZAK Designs

Stand Out from the Crowd: The Importance of a Unique Logo Design

Understanding the Importance of a Unique Logo

Your Brand's Identity: More Than Just a Name

The Role of a Logo Design in Brand Recognition

Five Crucial Elements of a Good Logo

Essentiality of a Concept in Logo Design

Choosing the Right Colors for your Logo Design

The Need for a Unique Design

Embracing Simplicity in Design

Case Study: The Creation of the Ssafrin Logo

Incorporating Numerology into Logo Design

Using Symbolism to Enhance Brand Image

The Art of Crafting a Unique Logo Design

Stand Out from the Crowd with a Unique Design

The Power of Finding Your Brand Niche: How Focusing on a Specific Market Can Boost Your Success

Understanding Brand Niche

Defining "Niche" in Business Context

Case Studies

Amazon: A Generalist Approach

Myntra: Dominating the Fashion Niche

Creating a Brand Niche with the Right Metaphors

Case of Purple Noodles

Crafting a Unique Brand Niche through Anecdotal Observation

Rising Above the Market Noise

The Challenge of Differentiation in Crowded Markets

Miris: Nurturing a Niche in the Perfume Industry

Establishing your Brand Niche Strategy

Steps to Zero in on Your Brand Niche

Potential of Premium and Exclusive Niches

Recap: The Importance of Niche in the Business Landscape

Your Action Plan: Roadmap to Find Your Brand's Niche

Case study

BY ZAIN AHMED KAMAL

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why?

conclusion

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Let us understand this with an example

Why is identity designing so important?

How to design an identity?

Let’s explore this part with some examples

Case study

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Conclusion

VALUES

BY ZAIN AHMED KAMAL

What are values?

Its Importance and Benefits

Be true to your clients

Think about your customer, the customer will think about you

You don’t have to be cheap, you have to be worthy

Do not sell but help

Hassle free service

Case study

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The Story

How?

Why?

Core Purpose - A must for Branding

BY ZAIN AHMED KAMAL

What is a core purpose?

Let us understand this with some examples.

Another one

Last one

Why a brand needs it?

What is the point of having one?

How do we find a core purpose?

Let me explain with a simple example

Case study

BY ZAIN AHMED KAMAL

Why?

Concept

How?

Brand, Branding &Branding Strategy

BY ZAIN AHMED KAMAL

what is a brand?

what is branding?

THE story behind
spbs logo

Identity
designing

What is identity
designing?

Why is identity
designing so important?

How to design
an identity?

Let’s explore this part
with some examples

Its Importance
and Benefits

Core Purpose - A
must for Branding

What is a core
purpose?

Let us understand this
with some examples.

Why a brand
needs it?

What is the point
of having one?

How do we find
a core purpose?

Let me explain with
a simple example

Brand, Branding &
Branding Strategy

what is
Branding
Strategy?

How to build
a brand?