<![CDATA[Develop Design Solutions - Articles]]>Sat, 13 May 2023 06:10:06 -0700Weebly<![CDATA[Brand, Brand Identity, and Logo]]>Thu, 08 Feb 2018 16:34:31 GMThttps://www.developdesignsolutions.com/articles/brand-brand-identity-and-logo
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Three words have never been more misunderstood: brand, identity, and logo. In this age of digital marketing, everyone is a “graphic designer”. You’ll hear these self-proclaimed experts offer to, “design your brand for you.” Let me be clear: You, nor any designer, can CREATE your brand.
Brand
Some people will have stoped reading at this point. They’ve left the page and are off to make their logo design in photoshop (some of you will get my humor). For those of you who have stayed with me, you are well on your way to brand enlightenment!

So, I’m sure your wondering, “If you can’t create a brand, than what is a brand?” What a wonderful question! A brand is the perception of a particular product or organization by the consumer. Let me further break that down: however your customer feels about what you provide, that is your brand. For those of you who are hearing this information for the first time, have you ever had a bad experience at a hotel or restaurant? How did that make you feel? Does that experience ultimate determine your relationship with that particular organization? Absolutely!

So, what can you do with a brand? Well, before I said that you can’t create it, and this is true. However, what you CAN do is manage perception. This is carried out by impacting the lives of the consumer in a positively profound way. Branding is not about pixels or pictures - it’s about people.

Brand Identity
Notice that in my statements above I never once referred to a logo design or any other graphic entity. That’s because your brand is so much more than these expendable features. However, It’s always a good idea to create a brand identity that coveys your message. But, by “brand identity” I DON’T mean a logo. Your brand identity is so much more than a “rubber stamp”. Just because you utilize your logo dosn’t mean that you have a positive brand identity. In fact, if you have to use your logo for people to recognize your extensions, than you don’t have a brand identity at all. Brand identity is the visual representation of your brands personality, values, and voice.

Brand identity is about the colors you use, the fonts you choose, and everything your employees wear - even down to their shoes! It’s about the voice your company speaks in - the words you say and way you write. A few years back, Starbucks Corporation launches Christmas tumblers without the Starbucks logo imprinted. Instead, the tumblers spotted a hunter green dot. Starbucks brand identity is so strong that they can sell a product, one associated with their brand, without utilizing their logo! That is a positive brand identity.

Logo
Finally, we have the almighty logo! Now, don’t get me wrong, the logo is a vial part of the overall brand. This is usually the strongest part of your brand identity, and for good reason. Pact in this small text or image is the entire message of the brand, if designed properly of course.

Logo comes from the Greek word λόγος, most often meaning “word” or “message”. The best way that I know to express the use of a logo is to say, “It’s a word (or in many cases an image) that conveys a message. That message is the perception that you desire your consumers to receive. A logo then identities a company in its simplest form: a word or a mark.

Wrap-up
So there you have it! Brand, brand identity, and logo all summed up in their respective context. It is vitally important that we understand the differences between each of these components. Each one is important in its own way. But some are more important than others. You can have a positive brand identity without a logo, you can have a positive brand without a brand identity, but you can’t have a positive brand without a positive brand perception. Understanding this reality will launch your company to the next level.
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]]><![CDATA[focus wins the race]]>Wed, 07 Feb 2018 19:44:38 GMThttps://www.developdesignsolutions.com/articles/focus-wins-the-race
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      Focus is the key difference between success and faultier. If you can’t focus, then you can’t see the course ahead. This disadvantage will inevitably lead to distraction. Henry Ford once said, “Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal.” I believe he meant that obstacles only effect us when we don’t see them coming. When were distracted, we aren’t looking ahead, and obstacles will blindside us.  Being blind sided by an obstacle is the Achilles heel of the entrapenuer because it decreases momentum.
     Momentum is the catalyst of start ups. Imagine an Olympic runner darting full speed toward a Hurdle. His momentum allows him to clear the obstacle with ease. However, imagine that he loses focus and runs right into the hurdle. The amount of time it would take for the running to pick him self up and regain his stride would potentially cost him the race. 

    This is also true for entrapenuership. You, the entrapenuer, are up against Olympic champions. (I.e. major corporations) You can’t afford to regain your stride. Your best strategy here is to stay focused. This way you can see the approaching obsticals and jump over them with ease. This is the key to success.
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Devin peterson,

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Devin Peterson is a life coach and business consultant. Oh yeah! And the founder/CEO of LevelNext. His resume includes everything from retail to education; ministry to entrepreneurship. These experiences have given him a wonderful context from which he now helps others chase their dreams and create new enterprise. ​
devinpeterson.com

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- Casting Vison that lasts

]]><![CDATA[Casting vision that lasts]]>Wed, 07 Feb 2018 01:03:55 GMThttps://www.developdesignsolutions.com/articles/casting-vision-that-lastsPicture
  This past week I had the pleasure of enjoying the beauty that is Jamaica. As my family and I landed in Montego Bay and jumped on a bus headed to Ocho Rios, we could not help but admire the magnificent landscape. Passing my breathtaking tree kissed mountain tops, my eyes quickly caught an eerie sight: houses abandoned in a state of partial construction. Being from the bustling suburbs of rapidly growing housing developments, I was utterly shocked to see the absence of driven construction workers bringing the structures to living conditions. Instead, roofless concrete buildings stood like ghost towns. On our full hour and a half ride through the Island, dozens of houses shared this commonality.
     After speaking to the locals, I quickly discovered that in Jamaica, it is commonplace for one house to take up tp three generations before completion! My mind was blown by this concept! In the United States houses are often completed in a matter of months. Jamaican homes are generally constructed from cinder block reinforced with rebar and concrete to withstand the high winds and heavy rains of hurricane season. What is more, hard work and determination in one week's time typically result in enough money to buy only one cinder block for the residential structure.

     All of this got me thinking about visionary leadership and goal oriented organizations. Too many leaders today present a "flash in the pan" mentality that seek immediate gratification and quick results. The "gurus" of the leadership scene are all the rage - the idol of the aspiring executive. They build big buildings, and they do it fast; big results are their campaign slogan. People love to follow these charismatic skyscrapers. But, to what end? What is really being accomplished? How can visionary leaders learn from this Jamaican construction concept. 

Dedicated Work Ethic
     The long-suffering Jamaican has a paramount advantage over the American consumer. The locals work with a different kind of rhythm than what you'll find in most U.S. organizations. Money doesn't appear to be their primary motivation (after all, the average worker brings in about $80 per month). Their focus seems to be much more anchored toward the task at hand and the completion of something greater than themselves-something community impacting. Each concrete block purchased furthers the next generation. This level of fore-empathy (that is feeling for people yet to come) is very foreign in the fast-paced scene of modern business.

Generational Transcendence
     Another valuable lesson to be learned  is how generations can come together to achieve a common goal. When the first member of the family sets in place the initial cinder block, he knows full well that it may be his grandson who lays the final piece  He doesn't intend to finish the project, and accepts the reality that he may never see the final stage. Trust and respect are quintessential to this process - believing that those up and coming are willing and able to finish what has been started. In the same way, vision that begins and ends in one man's lifetime is the lowest form of strategic planning. Vision should transcend the vision caster, soaring beyond where he could ever dream. Let's not forget that the temple in Jerusalem began as a thought in the heart and mind of King David, but didn't see fulfillment until Solomon's reign.

Commitment to Quality Over Quantity
     Finally, Jamaican homes are built to last. In contrast to the cheap materials of the popular tract home, these concrete mammoths are intentionally designed to withstand the fiercest of storms. Quick and easy development often leads to quick and easy collapse. A typical house in the United States my take less than a few month to complete, but the finished product is often unsound-unable to stand the test of time.
Too many "experts" in the field have the next "steps to quick success" and "easy ways to make a million." Rarely is anything that comes easy worth having. Our structure should be sound - sound structures take time to build.

     Vision is a funny thing; it's more of a living being than an abstract thought. Once it has been cast, it takes on a mind of its own. Some may shape its course, and some may find a way to kill it, but if allowed to take on wings it will truly soar. Let it grow organically; taking its time to ensure quality. Work diligently for something beyond immediate gratification. Above all, when the time is right, entrust its completion to the next generation. ​​

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Devin Peterson,

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Devin Peterson is a life coach and business consultant. Oh yeah! And the founder/CEO of LevelNext. His resume includes everything from retail to education; ministry to entrepreneurship. These experiences have given him a wonderful context from which he now helps others chase their dreams and create new enterprise. 
devinpeterson.com

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