Project: Brand Design Checklist

Since brand design can include many different elements, we’ve narrowed down a list of the minimum assets new companies should focus on. Early-stage companies with budget constraints should aim to spend no more than $5,000, but consider a design overhaul later, when they have more resources.

• Logo
  • Make it simple—large shapes instead of fine detail so that even at a small size, your logo is recognizable.
  • Avoid using many colors and drop shadows as they may create display difficulties. Test how your logo looks in black and white to see how it would display in its most basic form.
• Color palette
  • Aim for 2-4 colors, with 2 primary colors and 1-2 accent colors.
  • Since different colors evoke different emotions, consider color psychology when creating your palette.
• Typography
  • Select 2-3 complementary fonts. Generally 2 are enough: a font for headers and another for body font. However, you may also include a third, highly stylized font to be used sparingly for larger headlines.  
• Company/product iconography
  • There’s no minimum number of icons that companies should create. List the specific actions users will take on your site, app, or product. This will determine the number of icons needed.
  • You may also want to create icons to represent different products, services, or features, e.g., a clipboard to represent task management, a clock to represent timers.

If you have a larger budget (a minimum of $30,000), invest in a custom website and imagery. Otherwise, use fast, cost-effective solutions like Squarespace, Webflow, Carrd, and stock photo websites like Unsplash and AI-generated images from ChatGPT and Midjourney.

• Custom imagery
  • This includes both illustrations and photos that will be used on your site, social media channels, ads, emails, etc.
  • Like iconography, there is no minimum number of images for companies to create. Consider the graphics needed to represent your company and product, whether in its packaging, website, etc.
  • Minimalist brands often require less imagery, e.g., Cards Against Humanity.
• Website
  • Incorporate all of the above design elements in a cohesive, user-friendly way.