Been thinking a lot lately about visual identity and its role in branding. Increasingly it is evident that a thoughtfully conceived visual identity is a necessary foundation for any branding effort. The three legs of the stool that must be in place before one can begin discuss branding and brand strategy are:

Only then can one begin talking about the experience that surrounds the use of the product or the community or tribe of users. Or, as Scott Bedbury put it:

The best brands never start out to build a great brand. They focus on building a great—and profitable—product or service and an organization that can sustain it.

Somehow the fundamentals seem to get lost in the quest for the ever-sexy cool brand. It appears that some professionals are beginning to understand that design is currently undervalued in its ability to help define strategic thinking and illustrate ideas. Even more to the point, Marty Neumeier points out that among the halllmarks of a charismatic brand are a clear competitive stance, a sense of rectitude, and a dedication to aesthetics.

Why aesthetics? Because it’s the language of feeling, and, in a society that’s information-rich and time-poor, people value feeling more than information.