A logo is one part of a brand. A growing business usually needs a small identity system: logo, colours, fonts and rules for using them, so everything looks and sounds consistent. Buy a logo alone only when you are very early and testing. Add strategy when you must work out who you are for and how you differ.
Business owners often ask for a logo and then find the logo was only the start. The logo gets made, then the website uses different colours, the brochure uses another font, and the social posts look like they came from three companies.
01. What is the difference between a logo, an identity and a brand?
A logo is the mark itself. An identity is the logo plus the colours, fonts, voice and rules for using them. Your brand is what customers think of you, shaped by everything you do.
02. When is a logo alone enough?
When you are testing an idea, working alone, have a very small budget and need something clean to start with. Expect to revisit it. A logo with no rules around it tends to drift as more people produce materials.
03. When do you need a full identity?
- Your brand appears in many places: website, signage, packaging, social media, proposals.
- More than one person produces materials.
- You are about to launch or relaunch a website.
- You want your website and your AI assistant to sound like the same business.
- You are preparing to grow, and want to look established.
04. When should you start with strategy?
If you cannot say in one sentence who you serve and why they should choose you, design will not solve it. Start with strategy if you are repositioning, entering a new market, or if the founders do not agree on what the business stands for. Strategy settles those questions first, so the identity expresses a decision and not a guess.
05. What do the packages include and cost?
Our prices are fixed and agreed before work starts, with the cost split evenly across the project.
| Package | What it covers | From | Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter identity | Logo and core system | $3,500 | 1 to 2 weeks |
| Full identity system | Everything in the starter, plus rules and templates | $7,500 | 4 to 6 weeks |
| Brand strategy and full identity | Strategy first, then the full identity | $11,000 | 8 to 10 weeks |
Every package includes two concepts and two rounds of revision.
06. Why does your voice matter now?
Many customers now meet a business through a message, a chat or an assistant before they see a logo. If the tone is cold or inconsistent, the identity does not hold. That is why the full identity system includes a voice for your AI assistant: how it speaks, aiming for professional and not robotic.
07. What should you prepare before you start?
- Three businesses you admire, and what you like about each.
- Five words that describe how you want to be seen.
- A list of every place the brand will appear.
- Any existing logo, colours or materials you want to keep.
- The name of the person who approves the final design.
Our website brief template covers the same ground for the site itself.
08. How can you test any logo you are shown?
- Shrink it to the size of a browser tab icon. Is it still clear?
- Make it a single colour. Does it still work?
- Put it on a dark background and a light one.
- Look at it next to your competitors. Is it distinct?
- Ask someone who has never seen it to describe it back to you.
Frequently asked questions
Can I keep my existing logo?
Often yes. A rebrand can update the brand while keeping what people already recognise.
How many concepts do I get?
Two concepts and two rounds of revision in every package.
Do I own the final files?
On our design projects, you get full ownership once the final invoice is paid, with editable files and the exports you need.
How long does it take?
From one or two weeks for a starter identity to eight to ten weeks for strategy and a full identity.
