So, you have decided your organization’s brand is in need of a refresh. One of the first questions that may come to mind is, whom from your organization do you involve? Should it be the board, a committee, a task force or maybe even the entire membership?
It is here that I ask you to stop and think it through very carefully. Remember the old adage “less is more”? Well in my experience this will always rein true. The more people you have involved, the more convoluted your process is going to get and the more diluted your brand will become. People tend to put their personal opinions into the design process with no subjective criticism, so you end up with a product that is more about the group working on it, and less about your organization. You will also run into an overwhelming desire to be done with the process midway through because of indecision, thus resulting in the death of your re-branding.
My suggestion is to find a group of 3-4 people in your organization who truly understand and support its’ mission and vision. Once you establish your group, find an agency or designer who you are willing to listen to and trust. After all, they are the expert in their field as you are in yours.
And remember, not everyone is going to like the final product, but as long as it reflects the true identity of the organization, that is all that really matters.
