Branding and Visual Identity

A visual identity is more than a logo. A working identity rests on four parts: the logo, the colours, the typefaces and the rules for using them together. The logo is needed in several versions: the primary logo, a compact mark for small spaces (the website icon, a social media avatar) and a single-colour version for stamps, engraving or dark backgrounds.

The palette is usually one main colour, one or two supporting colours and neutral tones for text and backgrounds. Every colour comes with codes for screen (HEX, RGB) and for print (CMYK), because the same shade looks different on a monitor and on paper. We pick two typefaces, one for headings and one for body text, and check straight away that they include the Estonian letters õ, ä, ö, ü, š and ž, plus Cyrillic if you also communicate in Russian.

The usage rules pull it all together on one or several pages: how much clear space to leave around the logo, the smallest size allowed, which backgrounds work and what not to do. The rules are what keep the brand consistent when a print shop, an ad agency or a new employee produces materials without you.

The website is where the brand is seen most often, so we test the identity on screen first. A colour that looks good on paper can turn out too light for a button or a link. We measure text-to-background contrast while building the palette and, if needed, add a darker shade meant for web use only.

If we build the website too, the identity becomes the base of the web design: colours, type sizes and the look of buttons, forms and cards are defined in one place, and the developer uses the same values in code. The designer does not reinvent the style for every new page, and the site still looks consistent a year later.

With fonts we also think about loading speed. On the web we use as few font styles as possible and serve them from the site's own server. If you choose a commercial typeface, the company buys the web licence in its own name. Open-licence fonts, such as those in the Google Fonts library, carry no extra cost.

The logo is delivered as vector files (SVG and PDF, AI or EPS on request), which can be scaled up to a shop sign or a vehicle wrap without losing quality. For everyday use we add PNG files with a transparent background in several sizes. Each version is a separate file: colour, black, white, horizontal and the compact mark.

You also get the website icon (favicon), social media avatar and cover images in the right dimensions, and a list of colour codes and typeface names. The Visual identity package adds print-ready business card and letterhead files and social media templates. The Brand guidelines package adds a PDF guide with rules and examples.

Files are sorted into clearly named folders, so that you or your print shop can find the right version without calling a designer. Once the invoice is paid, the source files and the rights to use them belong to you.

A refresh is enough when customers know the logo and the idea behind it works, but the execution has aged: the mark is unreadable at small sizes, a JPG is the only file you have, the colours differ slightly on every material, or there are no rules at all. We redraw the logo cleanly, tidy up the palette and typefaces and write the rules down. Recognition is kept.

A new identity makes sense when the business itself has changed: a new name, a merger, a different audience or price segment, or expansion into a market where the current name or mark does not work. Starting over is also justified when the logo is too close to a competitor's.

If you are not sure which one you need, send us your current materials. We will look at them and tell you plainly whether tidying up is enough. A refresh is a smaller job and is quoted by its scope.